Absolute numpties!

FortySeven

Drove from Galway to Dublin and back today on the m6.

First unbelievable was just past mullingar on the way down. I think it was a rav 4 doing a three point turn on the motorway!

Next was an idiot in another jeep reversing out of the basket lane at the toll on the way back.

How do these people get through life without being killed?

CiniO

FortySeven wrote: »

Next was an idiot in another jeep reversing out of the basket lane at the toll on the way back.

What else do you propose to do, when you can't pay there?

pa990

By defying Darwin's theory

fryup

CiniO wrote: »

What else do you propose to do, when you can't pay there?

you just throw the money in the till and the barrier raises, doesn't it??

CiniO

fryup wrote: »

you just throw the money in the till and the barrier raises, doesn't it??

If you have the money....
Those gates at motorways in Ireland are very deceptive for people who drive there for the first time.

F.e. those gates with coin baskets, also display cards symbol.
When I went there first, I assume I will be able to use my card.
You only find out when you are actually by the barrier, that it's only credit cards, and debit cards won't work. What you do then, if you don't have coins?

To make thinks even more complicated, on different gates in different part of the country, the same signage, and there debit cards work no problem.


And they you end up in Limerick tunnel, and you are informed 100 metres before the gates, when it's way too late to take exit from the carriageway, that they only accept cash - no cards. I got stock there once, as how could I expect they don't accept cards.

MarkAnthony

Happened to us in France with only two lanes on the toll. After causing a 30 car queue what rocks up - an ambulance sirens wailing. I'm sat there just repeating back up or go forward through the barrier at the wife with her screaming at me what do I do.

I managed to spin the rental car on a roundabout a few days later the wife gives me a look of utter disgust. I just sit there muttering what do I do, what do I do? How I'm still married is beyond me most of the time, the woman has the patience of a saint.

JumpShivers

It happened to my OH before when his tag wasn't reading and he had no coins. He just walked across to a manned booth and gave his card and told the woman what lane he was at and the waited for him to return to his car and she was able to open his barrier from her booth.

Charles Babbage

CiniO wrote: »

If you have the money....
Those gates at motorways in Ireland are very deceptive for people who drive there for the first time.

F.e. those gates with coin baskets, also display cards symbol.
When I went there first, I assume I will be able to use my card.
You only find out when you are actually by the barrier, that it's only credit cards, and debit cards won't work. What you do then, if you don't have coins?

To make thinks even more complicated, on different gates in different part of the country, the same signage, and there debit cards work no problem.

And they you end up in Limerick tunnel, and you are informed 100 metres before the gates, when it's way too late to take exit from the carriageway, that they only accept cash - no cards. I got stock there once, as how could I expect they don't accept cards.

This is a valid point. The NRA have slipped up with their contracts in this respect. These gates should be required to take cards of all sorts, contactless etc, to keep things moving.

Likewise it is ridiculous the Drogheda toll does not take Sterling. Allow them charge 10c for taking it, but require them to do so.

Vic_08

JumpShivers wrote: »

It happened to my OH before when his tag wasn't reading and he had no coins. He just walked across to a manned booth and gave his card and told the woman what lane he was at and the waited for him to return to his car and she was able to open his barrier from her booth.

There is an intercom on the panel, press the button and read out your tag number, no need to go for a stroll.

Done this plenty of times in work as the toll tags are very hit and miss for some reason.

sheep?

I got caught on that one before (M4). No credit on the tag, no change and no credit card, only visa debit. Had to push the help button. They took my reg number and told me to call them within a few days to pay. Grand.

Vic_08

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Likewise it is ridiculous the Drogheda toll does not take Sterling. Allow them charge 10c for taking it, but require them to do so.

Charge double if they like but I agree refusing to take it at all is stupid on that road.

I always try to avoid going into a lane behind a yellow-plater as a large % of them take an age. One of my colleagues got stuck there behind some dopey nordie who threw a bunch of £ coins into the basket and when the barrier didn't open proceeded to the manned lane to argue with the attendant about it.

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^^^

but does it clearly state on the basket ..no sterling??

CiniO

fryup wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^^

but does it clearly state on the basket ..no sterling??

Why do you think it should state that?
They same they could say:
- no US Dollars,
- no Swiss Franks,
- no Danish Crown
- no Polish Zloty.

etc...

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^

well its so close to the border isn't it???

people might inadvertently put in sterling

Supergurrier

Anyone who turns on a motorway should be banned from driving for life.

As to the toll thing its not that hard to have some change in the centre console now is it ? Really...

9935452

CiniO wrote: »

What else do you propose to do, when you can't pay there?

Are you actually saying that this sort of driving is ok? 3 point turns on the motorway as the op is describing.
Its stupidly dangerous of people doing this. I dont think a 'what else can you do ' attitude cuts it.
I always carry approx 5 euro change in the car for that reason, sterling in england, dollars in the states.
Id prefer to be stuck behind someone at a toll bridge who couldnt pay than meet them reversing along a motorway or going the wrong way.

There was a case exactly like this in the uk a few years back where a truck driver didnt have the money for the toll and turned around and was done for dangerous driving and got a ban from driving
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2833350/Horrifying-moment-Lithuanian-lorry-driver-pulled-U-TURN-M6-Toll-driving-wrong-way-exit-slip-road.html

Its stupidly dangerous of people doing this. I dont think a 'what else can you do ' attitude cuts it

FortySeven

CiniO wrote: »

What else do you propose to do, when you can't pay there?

It's basic preparation for a journey. I've dealt with tolls in Ireland, UK, Poland and France on many multiples of occasions.

It's just taking personal responsibility for our own situations. Some do, some like to blame.

I'm responsible. So are many others.

frozenfrozen

I just have the toll money counted out before I leave, put it on the door handle or in the little pocket in the bottom of the door, and have a few 2 euro coins in the ash tray in case I drop a few of the counted out coins under the seat.

Worst case scenario I've forgotten to count out the money so I just grab a 2 euro coin and go to the cashier person.

I don't understand people who overtake you on the way up to the barriers in the 80kmh zone, only to spend 2 minutes searching for coins holding everyone else up


It's fair enough if someone foreign doesn't have the change or whatever, it's an easy mistake to make and a lot of the time there isn't appropriate signage explaining the requirements or warning you to turn off the road if you don't have coins

Red Kev

If yer man was in a 4X4 it's possible it's registered as a commercial and not as a private vehicle, so it's a higher toll, which means he has to drive through the manned barrier.

I think it's €4.20 against €2.90. I have the tag for the very reason that I don't have to put up with that crap.

I was coming up from Cork one Sunday morning, Hurling SF in Croker that day. I stopped at the toll in Portlaoise, the 4 lads in the Passat ahead of me proceeded to have a playful argument about who would pay for the toll, the old "I'll get that..no,no, stick yer money in yer pocket, I'll pay for this.." crap. It took nearly 4 minutes to solve (Perfect Day by Lou Reed was on the CD at this point, took the whole of the song). Huge queue of cars behind me, I would have lost the head only I just started going out with some bird who was opposed to violence and I had her with me :rolleyes:.

Registered for the tag that very day when I got home.

glack

fryup wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^^

but does it clearly state on the basket ..no sterling??

Not sure about on the basket but lots of signs clearly stating Euro only. But still fairly easy to miss I'd imagine.

marketty

It's almost as if requiring people to stop on a motorway to put coins in a basket isn't entirely conducive to road safety

ThisRegard

FortySeven wrote: »

It's basic preparation for a journey. I've dealt with tolls in Ireland, UK, Poland and France on many multiples of occasions.

It's just taking personal responsibility for our own situations. Some do, some like to blame.

I'm responsible. So are many others.

As people have said, it's not that simple. Over the weekend my tag decided to have a **** fit in the express lane so I was directed out of it into the adjacent one. Of course it's unmanned and was coin only.

FortySeven

ThisRegard wrote: »

As people have said, it's not that simple. Over the weekend my tag decided to have a **** fit in the express lane so I was directed out of it into the adjacent one. Of course it's unmanned and was coin only.

That's grand but there is a help button. No need to be reversing out into oncoming motorway traffic.

ThisRegard

Your point though was about lack of preparation though when getting to the booths, just adding my example to others who have shown how a person can be caught out.

Charles Babbage

CiniO wrote: »

Why do you think it should state that?
They same they could say:
- no Swiss Franks,
- no Danish Crown
- no Polish Zloty.

etc...

Not really, the Swiss or Poles have not occupied the northern part of the country and the Danes were driven out in 1014.

CiniO

Supergurrier wrote: »

Anyone who turns on a motorway should be banned from driving for life.

As to the toll thing its not that hard to have some change in the centre console now is it ? Really...

It's not hard, but most people don't.

CiniO

9935452 wrote: »

Are you actually saying that this sort of driving is ok? 3 point turns on the motorway as the op is describing.
Its stupidly dangerous of people doing this. I dont think a 'what else can you do ' attitude cuts it.
I always carry approx 5 euro change in the car for that reason, sterling in england, dollars in the states.
Id prefer to be stuck behind someone at a toll bridge who couldnt pay than meet them reversing along a motorway or going the wrong way.

There was a case exactly like this in the uk a few years back where a truck driver didnt have the money for the toll and turned around and was done for dangerous driving and got a ban from driving
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2833350/Horrifying-moment-Lithuanian-lorry-driver-pulled-U-TURN-M6-Toll-driving-wrong-way-exit-slip-road.html

Its stupidly dangerous of people doing this. I dont think a 'what else can you do ' attitude cuts it

I never said it was okay to turn around on motorway.
I just said that I could understand reasons why someone could try to revers from toll gates.
Now it looks like, even if you can't pay, you can contact service thourgh intercom there, so there should be no need to reverse. I didn't know that.

CiniO

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Not really, the Swiss or Poles have not occupied the northern part of the country and the Danes were driven out in 1014.

Well brilliant, but English were driven out by 1922 similar like Danes in 1014.
So no need to inform that Sterling is not accepted.

CiniO

FortySeven wrote: »

It's basic preparation for a journey. I've dealt with tolls in Ireland, UK, Poland and France on many multiples of occasions.

It's just taking personal responsibility for our own situations. Some do, some like to blame.

I'm responsible. So are many others.

What preparation?

I showed example earlier.
You have cash (notes) and debit card.
I'd imagine that's very good preparation for approaching motorway toll.
You see a sign above the gate with coin basket and card symbol.
You drive into there, and then you find out, your card won't work as it's not credit card.
Were you not prepared properly or just deceived by signage - IMO the latter.

Same with Limerick tunnel which doesn't accept cards.
How can you know that if any other toll in Ireland does?
I was going once through there, and I knew I had no cash, but thought it was no problem, as I could pay with card, like I do anywhere else in Ireland.
And then I got stock.

Was it my fault you say?

Into The Blue

FortySeven wrote: »

That's grand but there is a help button. No need to be reversing out into oncoming motorway traffic.

It's not a motor way at the toll. Speed limit is dropped to 50. Has any one ever crashed at any tolls due to reversing? Doubt it.

debabyjesus

Seen a woman jogging on the m3 yesterday, definitely not a breakdown or anything like that, full on asics runners, lycra hotpants, sunglasses and headphones jogging on a motorway not a care in the world

Esel

debabyjesus wrote: »

Seen a woman jogging on the m3 yesterday, definitely not a breakdown or anything like that, full on asics runners, lycra hotpants, sunglasses and headphones jogging on a motorway not a care in the world

Gwan', you jammed on, reversed, offered her a lift. She refused; told you to jog on.

Then you came here to rant...

Charles Babbage

CiniO wrote: »

So no need to inform that Sterling is not accepted.

They could just take the fecking Sterling, as a courtesy to the Irish people that have had that currency imposed on them and save the cost of the sign.

As I said, this reflects poorly on the NRA.

Red Kev

The fact that you can't pay for the toll with a debit card is madness to be fair.


Back when the toll was at the M50, there was one gate open before 6 a.m. on a Monday morning, queue to get through that was horrendous, especially if you got caught in the traffic off the night ferry, but they never did anything about it.
Hoors.

fryup

CiniO wrote: »

Well brilliant, but English were driven out by 1922 similar like Danes in 1014.
So no need to inform that Sterling is not accepted.

well the "english" or more correct term British are still in the north so its not surprising that some people might inadvertently put in sterling at the toll near the border now is it

so its no harm having a sign to remind them *no sterling*

xabi

Into The Blue wrote: »

It's not a motor way at the toll. Speed limit is dropped to 50. Has any one ever crashed at any tolls due to reversing? Doubt it.

The motorway doesn't end at the toll, I'd hazard a guess that reversing at tolls causes lots of accidents across the world.

Skylinehead

I got caught at the M4 toll when I started driving, assumed they took debit cards. They didn't. Quiet enough at the time, nobody around at all to help.

An absolutely lovely pensioner was pulled up at the verge, can't remember why, but she gave me the extra 50c I needed to make up 2.90. Best thing anybody's done for me on the roads!