Got Stopped By Gardai - No Harm, Want Explanation

LeakingLava · 10-09-2022 10:42am #1

Hi all,

So just a few minutes ago I got stopped by Gardai, blue lights came on, I stopped on the side of the road. No harm at the end of it all, but just really found the interaction strange.

Passenger Gardai walked up to passenger side of my car, I open window, we exchange awkward "hello?". Both of us looking slightly baffled, as I had no idea why they were stopping me. First question asked was "when did you buy this car?" I said around last year. They asked for my license and I gave it without hesitation.

Driver Gardai walked up to passenger window too, I can kind of hear them saying something like "Yeah that's the car reg **says my car reg**". They converse, I can't really hear.

Passenger Gardai then said, "we've stopped you because you weren't indicating a few times." To which I replied "Okay, that's really strange because I hate people that don't indicate so I really don't miss my indicators." Then they said, "We're letting you off no problem, but be more observant next time."

But seriously, I do not miss my indicators, ESPECIALLY when changing lanes. And all the time they were following me, that's the only thing I had done, change lanes twice. Both times I remember indicating, although, I flicked so it would've only indicated 3 times and turned off. I was also on cruise control to speed limit so I doubt it was anything to do with speed either.

Meanwhile, while they were following me, there was a car going into an exit crossing the chevron, skipping the queue. I distinctly remember because I was looking behind wondering if the Gardai was going to do something.

Anyway, I'm not complaining or anything, but just found the whole thing bizarre. Anyone got any better idea what could've happened?

lawrencesummers · 10-09-2022 10:45am

Find out who owned the car previously and google them

erlichbachman · 10-09-2022 10:46am

Is likely the car was previously owned by one of the lads who regularly got pulled over, no need to be paro unless your up to something, or smoking the funny stuff

LeakingLava · 10-09-2022 10:47am

Bought the car from a dealer here a year maybe almost 2 years ago. Dealer said previous owner was a principal of a school. That's all I know

bazz26 · 10-09-2022 10:48am

Yeah, it sounds like the car/reg is known to them. The "not indicating" was just an excuse they used once they verified you were not the person that was previously associated with the flagged car reg.

I'd doubt there is any way to find out who owned the car previously unless you know someone with access to the system.

erlichbachman · 10-09-2022 10:49am

It’s a school principal now, back in my day it was a nun

LeakingLava · 10-09-2022 10:50am

Very strange because it was the first time I got pulled over in my time of owning the car. Anyway, I don't mind, I guess they're doing their job anyway.

Donald Trump · 10-09-2022 10:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599046#Comment_119599046

Yeah. definitely. The nuns were always getting into trouble and getting pulled over by the cops. It was inevitable that the school principals would eventually follow suit.

Lesson for the day - don't buy a car that used to be owned by a principal or a nun unless you want the Guards to be harassing you

bazz26 · 10-09-2022 10:55am

Lol, I'd take what a dealer tells you with a grain of salt. Amazed they didn't tell you it was owned by a priest just driven to visit his flock.

Is it a local reg car or a reg from another part of the country? Its very possible that the Garda in the car was personally familiar with it.

Count Dracula · 10-09-2022 10:58am

Most serious criminals would have their cars registered under a relation or friend's name who have a respectful job and no criminal record. Where possible.

If you bought the car 2 years ago you couldn't know who the previous owner was if you bought it from a dealer. Remember a dealer is not going to tell you that the previous owner was a well know heroin dealer and racketeer, it might compromise the sale of an otherwise perfectly good motor.

LeakingLava · 10-09-2022 11:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599068#Comment_119599068

Dublin reg. Living in Dublin. You might be right.

Juwwi · 10-09-2022 11:03am

What make of car is it out of curiosity ? ,

irishgeo · 10-09-2022 11:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058262770/got-stopped-by-gardai-no-harm-want-explanation

your car reg was flagged on the ANPR on the garda car for whatever reason. The flag has probably been removed now id say.

_Kaiser_ · 10-09-2022 11:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599082#Comment_119599082

What make and model is it? Is it something nice/high powered? Any boy racer type mods to it - massive alloys, excessive tints etc?

Given that they asked when you bought it, I'd say it was previously owned/used by someone known to them alright.

_ptashek_ · 10-09-2022 11:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599039#Comment_119599039

True story: I had a car once, an Opel, which was written off (as "repairable"). A dealer in North County Dublin bought it, fixed it with Vauxhall parts (classic bodge job), and then was selling it online on DoneDeal with a description around the lines of "one previous elderly lady owner; car had minor fender-bender when she reversed into gate post". Yep... In reality half the front was bent to hell after another driver decided to run a red light turning right and cut me off.

Challenged the dealer, the ad was pulled down. Reported to Gardai as fraud, and never heard back. All I know is the car no longer comes up in the NCT database, so likely scrapped since.

Morale of the story: never, ever trust any story a used car dealer tells you :)

screamer · 10-09-2022 11:19am

You’d think they could check with their colleagues before pulling people over, but no that’d be using their brains.

LeakingLava · 10-09-2022 11:22am

Something nice for me, yes slightly high powered. Rear tints are dark for sure. Only other mod is a carbon fibre look bumper protector.

But yes, I can see why it may look boy racer-y. But yeah, the interaction really seemed like they were expecting someone else sitting in the driver seat.

Dav010 · 10-09-2022 11:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599138#Comment_119599138

Check what? As posted, crims are not stupid enough to register cars in their own name.

LeakingLava · 10-09-2022 11:23am

Lexus IS300H F Sport

walterking · 10-09-2022 11:30am

This is why people have an issue with gardai.

Was it beyond their pay grade to have some very basic manners and just explain politely to the driver why the stop happened instead of making up some bullsh1t to cover their ass

I was stopped last year by an ignorant pig in an unmarked car. He claimed I was driving over the limit. Yes I was - because there was a prick effectively tailgating me.

I called him out on it. He laughed. I pointed to the rear dashcam, he walked away.

I have feck all respect for gardai as too many of them tend to think the badge gives them the power to abuse people.

Donald Trump · 10-09-2022 11:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599132#Comment_119599132

That's terrible. One chancer ruining the traditionally pristine trustworthy reputation of used car salesmen the world over

Witcher · 10-09-2022 11:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599177#Comment_119599177

As they say if you meet one arsehole..you met an asshole, if you meet arseholes all the time...

Count Dracula · 10-09-2022 11:44am

I am still not sure if this thread is going to develop into a general pile on and bitch slap of :

bored inept coppers

dodgy car dealers

under appreciated Lexus sport driver types, using any excuse to broadcast the fact they actually drive one, who feel that they have not yet received enough attention this morning from other road users.

Watching with interest over here.

Damien360 · 10-09-2022 11:53am

I was stopped a few years ago in my brand new Skoda superb just outside Roosky. The Garda came up to the car and said “oh we thought you were someone else”. Off I went. All I can think is a local criminal had the same car of the same colour and the gardai were just doing their job.

Bass Reeves · 10-09-2022 11:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599177#Comment_119599177

A Garda cannot give out information like that. They have to make an excuse. So a Garda stopped you because driving over the limit. Speeding because someone is tailgating is not an excuse even if there lights are annoying you.

He was still entitled to pull you over. I have been pulled over 4-6 times I have had tickets given to me, sometimes I felt hard done by, it immaterial they are just doing there job.

Gardai can seem agressive/ ignorant it's part of the job and the training. They are a security service not a counseling service

Damien360 · 10-09-2022 12:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599322#Comment_119599322

You are an idiot. If you had read the OP and messages after it, you would have worked out that the OP was asked to see who owned his car before him. But that’s in, I’ll put it together for you. New car rules out that theory as it is not always who owned the car before. Clown

spurious · 10-09-2022 12:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119599039#Comment_119599039

That's interesting. I have an ex-colleague (a school Principal) drove a car had previously been owned by someone 'known to the Gardai' and he kept getting stopped. Would it be Tipp or Carlow (can't remember which he was in at the time)?