Ministers speeding

cazzy

Is anyelse totally disgusted at the Ministers in this country. They bring in a smoking ban but then smoke in their own bar then Minister Fahey pledges to put more guards on the road to deal with speeding and drink driving and is caugh speeding himself a few hours later in his ministerial mercedes - 80 mph. Is this not totally hyprocritical ? I know its not all of them but this guy can then go back to the Dail now and preach about speedind and drink driving. When asked about it he said He ll TRY and not let it happen again !!!

impr0v

Laws are for the unwashed masses, not for them.

His interview on the News at One was cringeworthy, he was grovelling.

robo

I was listening to the Radio 1 news also and he was pleading with Sean that he was so sorry...it was hilarious!
But yes it seems like there is one rule for the government and another for us.
They are all speeding around at mad speeds...do they not see the carnage that is on the roads from speed. I dunno!

impr0v

'I was not aware we were doing that speed, I was doing some work in the back.' It's hardly Air Force 1, Minister. You could almost hear his driver in the front of car saying 'You lying prick' under his breath.

In fairness to the minister and his throttle happy driver, it was their second trip to Dublin from Galway that day, and I'm sure he was sick and tired of being on the road, though as he said to Sean numerous times 'I know that's no excuse.'

SeaSide

it would be interesting to see his diary. if he had less than, what, three hours between his meetings then there is no way he could not know.

Taxes and speed limits are for the little people

Metrobest

SeaSide wrote:

it would be interesting to see his diary. if he had less than, what, three hours between his meetings then there is no way he could not know.

Taxes and speed limits are for the little people

How typical; the media wasting time on this trivial issue. He's a politican - does that mean he can't be human and make a mistake? He wasn't even the one who drove. Each of us has sped from time to time. Some, like the minister's car, are unlucky and are caught.

Xterminator

Its just typical irish double standards.

How about we make the rule only those who have never broken any of the rules of the road can comment?

X

impr0v

*silence*

Sarsfield

The driver broke the rules. The driver got caught.

Where's the double standard? Was he was let off? If so, I understand the accusation. Othwewise the absence of double standards has been demonstrated.

BrianD

Metrobest wrote:

How typical; the media wasting time on this trivial issue. He's a politican - does that mean he can't be human and make a mistake? He wasn't even the one who drove. Each of us has sped from time to time. Some, like the minister's car, are unlucky and are caught.

Death on the roads has reached epidemic proportions in this country. It is not a trivial issue. The solution to this problem is greater care and atention by each person behind the wheel of a car. The minister should be leading by example. At that speed the minister could have easily been the car that caused the crash on the M50 last weekend. While he was not the driver, I find it hard to believe that he had no idea at what speed he was driving at.

It is also worth noting that the Garda driver pool costs €5.5million per annum. Yet it is known that many Gardai have not had advanced driver training. As a professional driver it is their responsibility to drive at the legal speed. Travelling at 60-65 mph is human error, driving at 80mph is a deliberate act.

Having watched a stream of ministers arriving at a recent event I was surprised how unprofessional their drivers were - some cars were dirty, they did not have their passenger positioned at the correct side of the vehicle to alight, failure to follow stewards directions, doing u-turns ... all this at a state and televised event.

I also wonder what speed Mr. O'Cuivs vehicle was travelling at! A micra albeit on the wrong side of the road does not cause that type of damage to a Volvo car.

Xterminator

Sarsfield wrote:

The driver broke the rules. The driver got caught.

Where's the double standard? Was he was let off? If so, I understand the accusation. Othwewise the absence of double standards has been demonstrated.

The double standard i was referring to, was the self righteous outrage expressed here, that a minister's driver would dare speed, when so many irish drivers break the rules on a regular basis, be it speeding, parking illegally, ruuning red lights etc.

To put in other words ....
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone!

X

Hagar

I'm all out of stones. Would a kick up the arse for the minister be any help?

SeaSide

Metrobest wrote:

How typical; the media wasting time on this trivial issue. He's a politican - does that mean he can't be human and make a mistake? He wasn't even the one who drove. Each of us has sped from time to time. Some, like the minister's car, are unlucky and are caught.

Is he not the junior minister for justice?? If you want to talk about double standards telling you or me to do one thing while he does something else is the double standard.

If he says to his driver "Get me to Dublin in two hours" when the journey time at the speed limit will take three hours he has just procured a crime (as in aiding abetting counselling or procure)

Metrobest

BrianD wrote:

Death on the roads has reached epidemic proportions in this country. It is not a trivial issue. . While he was not the driver, I find it hard to believe that he had no idea at what speed he was driving at.

it is known that many Gardai have not had advanced driver training. As a professional driver it is their responsibility to drive at the legal speed. Travelling at 60-65 mph is human error, driving at 80mph is a deliberate act.

they did not have their passenger positioned at the correct side of the vehicle to alight, failure to follow stewards directions, doing u-turns ... all this at a state and televised event..

The fact that the whole thing has been publicised shows that ministers are not above the law. He was nicked. If it's such a serious issue, why is the media wasting time on this non-story; shouldn't they be out there taking pictures, getting the stories, revealing the nasty consequences of speed; analysing the reasons why so many drivers still do it. But sure why would the media do that when they have this great story that the minister's car was a few miles above the limit. That was more important.

Professional drivers, be they for politicians, celebrities or even plebs in the form of taxis, do break the law. But so do thousands of other motorists.

Victor

/me throws big rock (I don't drive, so I can't speed)