Warned by Garda, fixed penalty. Minor offence.

AmberGold

Dropped my son off at a bus stop this evening. Lashing rain, there was no bus on the stop or behind, he jumped out and it took no more than 7 seconds.

A Garda put his sirens on pulled along side me from behind, he gestured for me to lower my window and told me it was illegal to stop on a bus stop even to drop off. He said it was all recorded and I could expect a fine in the post.

I just called my local Garda station and they said it was unusual.

Opinions? Can I contest this as I can’t find it in the rules of the road.

taylor3

Garda in question sounds unreasonable imo. They have discretion which in reality all he had to to was advise you not to do it again etc; but telling you it's been recorded and FPN, in my view is extreme. Then again some Gardai are on a power trip.

mct1

I'm afraid it's in the Rules of the Road all right p141 "must not stop or park...within an area marked as a bus stop or taxi rank - white roadway markings line the areas and, in addition show the word ‘BUS’ at a bus stop..."

News to me too.

Larbre34

It wasn't recorded, no Garda could be arsed with writing that up, he was just putting the shyts up you.

mickdw

You met a prick of a garda. It's possible he will write it up.

AmberGold

"must not stop or park...within an area marked as a bus stop or taxi rank - white roadway markings line the areas and, in addition show the word ‘BUS’ at a bus stop..."

Agreed, this is however under the Parking section so open to interpretation. Not much chance of contesting this.

hoodie6029

Would he not have to get out and take your details, note it all down in his official notebook?

He can find the owner or the car by the reg but that doesn’t mean that’s who was driving it.

Car could have been stolen etc. He be a dirty looking eejit if he found out there was a bench warrant out for you (purely hypothetical) when he searched the database and he let you drive off!

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907507#Comment_119907507

Gardai don't do a Pulse check on every person they stop for a minor road traffic matter.

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907559#Comment_119907559

But in the OP’s situation how would this Garda find out who to fine?

TheWonderLlama

they save that for friends and relatives. and slightly famous people.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907572#Comment_119907572

Fine goes to the registered owner, who gets the option to nominate a different driver.

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907572#Comment_119907572

The OP could have handed over their licence, they never mentioned that.

Regardless the offence is a non-intercept offence, they didn't even need to stop and talk to them to issue the fine. Same as a car left on a double yellow etc. Do you think the Gardai stand around waiting for the driver to come back?

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119894894#Comment_119894894

Then again some people need to learn the lesson that the same rules apply to them, just the same as everyone.

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907592#Comment_119907592

But with the driver there in front of you would good practice be to check them out?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907613#Comment_119907613

it was someone parked/stopped illegally. hardly crime of the century.

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907613#Comment_119907613

There's no requirement to do so. Gardai would be checking everyone that came in to get a form signed at that rate or were present at a call they attended.

kirving

The Gardai (and half of Twitter it seems) wonder why they garner such little respect.

Sitting there waiting is obviously an issue, but fining someone for a quick drop, and not blocking a bus is absolute nonsense.

TheRiverman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119895266#Comment_119895266

The Parking section deals with where it is legal to park and where it is illegal to park. I know it's annoying and I see much worse breaking of the rules on our roads daily, but you were wrong even for those few seconds.

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907622#Comment_119907622

If I want a form signed in the station I have to produce ID. I don’t expect to be checked out on pulse for that. But the Garda didn’t even look for ID here. Im just not sure where you are saying the line is?

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907687#Comment_119907687

Again, as has been explained there was no requirement for them to even speak to the OP. You're going down a road about bench warrants etc. that is of no relevance to the thread.

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907704#Comment_119907704

Is it just sometimes we verify someone’s identify/sometimes we don’t?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907757#Comment_119907757

There was no requirement for them to verify the identity of the driver.

hoodie6029

I get it now.

(I don’t)

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119895013#Comment_119895013

Too many pr1ck gardai around these days - and decent gardai will tell you that too

DaveyDave

Jesus I didn't think you could get a fine for parking near a bus stop...

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119909300#Comment_119909300

The OP came to a halt to drop off a passenger on the bus stop not near it.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119894978#Comment_119894978

This.

I wouldn't be expecting anything in the post, reminds of the sketch with the two guards on The Last Word years ago.. 'Don't make me get out of the car'

AmberGold

It’s over a month now and I’ve heard nothing. Would have been happier with a warning rather than being told I was being fined however it’s resonated all the same and I haven’t pulled up on a bus stop since.

Happy Christmas to those that took the time to comment.

wotzgoingon

I seen the same thing on Wednesday in Lucan. A car stopped at a bus stop to let someone out but they were also there longer than the OP as the passenger went to the boot and opened it. No Garda around though and they were still in bus stop while I pulled away from the traffic lights.

Reminds me of this American YouTuber video I watched they were done for not stopping at a stop sign. Even though there was no hedging or fence to block the view of the road(this is America after all) so they were coming up to the road nothing coming so they drive on, cop does them and said you have to come to a stop at a stop sign even though there is nothing coming.

newmember2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120030206#Comment_120030206

Yep, Stop means stop.

washman3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907597#Comment_119907597

Do our friends in Rathkeale fit into this logic..??

hoodie6029

Hopefully nothing comes of it for you.

I still don’t get how some users defended the Guard here. Essentially shouting out his car window ‘you’re gonna be fined for that’ and driving off. How the Guard thought that that was an acceptable way to treat anybody is beyond me. And people who think the Guard was correct, boggles me even further.

I’m not anti-guard or law and order by any stretch of the imagination. But the days of infallible guards that we should never question or expect them to hold up certain standards should be well in the past.

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120030247#Comment_120030247

What are you saying about my cousins?

The time I called around to your house you were afraid to come outside and I heard afterwards you were shítting in a bucket in the bedroom for two whole weeks you were afraid to come outside.

mikeecho

So, from skimming thru this thread, we got one version of events.

The driver got a verbal warning, and no fine.

Build a bridge

blackbox

There are other threads where people complain that there isn't enough enforcement of traffic laws. When a guard enforces them he is called a pr1ck.

In some countries you'll get away with nothing.

kazamo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120032830#Comment_120032830

He could have issued a warning and the message would have been sent.

Always find if funny about Gardai and road policing. If they applied the penalty points system on themselves, most would be off the road inside two months

JoyPad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120030206#Comment_120030206

This story reminded me of another story. This driver comes to a STOP sign, slows down the car, looks around and sees nobody, so he speeds off. Cop on bike behind him, waves him down, and writes him a ticket for not stopping at the STOP sign.

"But, sir, I slowed down."

"Yes, but you need to stop."

"But I slowed down, that should count for something."

So the cop pulls out the baton and starts bopping the driver across his forehead: bop... bop... bop...

"Now, sir, would you like me to slow down, or would you like me to stop?"

mattser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120032587#Comment_120032587

Yep, same old whinge. ' Why don't you leave me alone and go catch the real criminals ' 😁

ofcork

Heard of someone being fined for parking in a bus stop knew nothing until fine came.,had seen cop on bike passing alright thought nothing of it.

washman3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120032830#Comment_120032830

Which countries.? And are you just referring to traffic offences.?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058272452/warned-by-garda-fixed-penalty-minor-offence

I wish that they all would do it!