Harassment from the guards (apparent spot check)

Idle Billy

I am not writing this to tar all gardai with the same brush. I don't know how common incidents like this are. Most of my experiences with them (as regards them being civil) have been fine. This actually happened over three years ago, but boy do I remember it.

I was studying for college exams at the time and was on a tight schedule. I left the house in my car to get something to eat. I had been wearing a comfortable zip-up fleece of mine that I used to just have for around the house. It had some paint on it so I planned on taking it off before getting out of the car. The car I was driving wouldn't even pass for boy-racer car. When I pulled into the petrol station there were lots of secondary school students standing about sort of blocking space, (as well as the other parked cars). Because of this, (and because of the fleece I was wearing), it suited me to just pull back out onto the road to park(it was a wide road).

I was therefore parked on the left hand side of the road (facing forward), and as I was about to get out of the car, the next I noticed as I opened my door was a guarda car parked alongside me. Gave me a bit of a fright actually. The guarda car was therefore parked kind of dangerously. They said something like “you've just behaved quite suspiciously - there was ample parking inside, yet you decided to pull back out onto the road”. They demanded to see my licence. I thought maybe there's a search out for a car that looks like mine. I gave them the licence & presumed it would just take a second or two. But then he walked off with the licence and started to make a phone call inside his car. This had never happened to me anytime before when I been asked for my licence.

After a good minute, with both guards inside the car with windows up, I began to wonder what in God's name was going on. While seated in my car, I tapped the window of their passenger door. They eventually rolled down their window "you wait until we're finished". At this point in time I got a bit too cocky for their liking. I said that "you could at least communicate". Because I knew I was right, and because I was annoyed, I just had to make point (as I usually can afford to). I further questioned them as regards what the hell was going on. They rolled windows back up and let me wait in anger for what felt like nearly 5 minutes. They had no value for my time.

They then said that they'd to make the phone call to verify that I was who I was. At this point I said "no need to apologise at all, I'm fine." There was a bit more dialogue and at some point I decided to give a sigh to show them how frustrated I was after them. Having observed this, one of them then said "you seem quite agitated, could you step out of the car please." As far as I remember, it was worded as a request and not an order. I obviously viewed it as an order, and reluctantly got out. One searched my car while the other searched me... which included me having to put my hands on the roof while he searched my pockets, which would have been the most degrading part. When turned to leave, I said to one of them "I can see why you like your job."

I had lost my appetite, and sat in the car wondering what I'd just been hit by... as an individual who had never put a foot wrong with the law his whole life. I doubt either of them gave a **** as to how it made me feel, or if they were even expecting to find something. As far as I'm aware they should need a warrant to be able to actually demand that the car be searched.

It made me aware of something that, up until that point, I never needed to pay much attention to; that I was stopped because I was young and male. And how people stereotype in this way, this may be something that one might want to be aware of. Anytime I see someone being searched (in a movie or whatever) it reminds me of this. My biggest regret was getting out of the car at their request. I don't care if I'd have to drive away from them, I won't be searched like that again in public. It's not something that happens to people like me - usually there's "no smoke without fire", but not in this case!

However (at the time) I don't know if there'd have been any way to avoid the long wait in the car. I don't think they'd have any man dressed in a suit wait like that.

uck51js9zml2yt

Looks like they were doimg their jobs and a person they were checking was getting smart with them.
Of course they knew you were short on time...they can read your mind as well.

endacl

Can your non-boy racer car go from 0-60 as fast as you can go for molehill to mountain?

Topper Harley

Alaric Quick Manure wrote: »

Looks like they were doimg their jobs and a person they were checking was getting smart with them.
Of course they knew you were short on time...they can read your mind as well.

It may seem like a lot to ask but by being polite and professional the guards will get more cooperation.

Any dealings I've had with the guards has been very pleasant thanks to both parties. If a guard was acting like a prick to me I'd be less likely to be so agreeable. I get the impression here the guard wanted a reaction, maybe he had a fight with the misses that morning or ran out of hair gel.

And the guards, or anyone for that matter, don't need to me mind readers, with a bit of cop on, they shouldn't just assume that everyone's time is as invaluable as theirs.

Eugene Norman

Not much happened here. Of course the gardai call in licence details at some stops. You just wait. Going to their car is going to piss them off.

Arbiter of Good Taste

Clearly you don't think anyone's time is as valuable as yours if the length of your post is anything to go by.

Idle Billy

endacl wrote: »

Can your non-boy racer car go from 0-60 as fast as you can go for molehill to mountain?

This isn't the youtube comment section

Tell me how

Idle Billy wrote:

This isn't the youtube comment section

To be far, what you described wasn't harassment in my opinion.

ancapailldorcha

No idea how this is meant to be a Gentlemen's Club thread. Please read the charter before posting again.