Garda too big for their boots ?

Slaanesh

Right,

I was driving on my motorbike towards blanchardstown on the way to visit my girlfriend. I was coming towards the blanchardstown roundabout(for those who are familiar). I was going in between 2 lanes of traffic as they were at a stand still. I was coming up to the roundabout and I wasn't going very fast. There was a Garda on a motorbike about 3 cars before the lightson the right. I passed between the 2 lanes of traffic which means I passed his left hand side. As I said, I wasn't going very fast and was slowing down for the lights.

The lights went green as I was still moving so I rounded the roundabout. After completing the roundabout I indicated left into the slow lane. The Garda passed me and made some funny motion with his hand that I didn't understand. He took the first slip-road, I had to take it aswell because that was the way to my girlfriends. At the top of the slip-road there is a spaghetti type junction. He saw me coming in his wing-mirror and inicated for me to pull up beside him.

I expected to get a small tounge lashing for driving between to lanes of traffic even though most motor-cyclists do it and so do the guards ! When I pulled up the guard I said "How's it going", to which he responded. "Listen to me you little ****, if I ever catch you doing that again and endangering my life I will personally rip you off your bike and beat the **** out of you. There are only 2 lanes of traffic." That was the general gist of it.

I didn't give any cheek I just agreed with him, mainly because I have no insurance or no tax .... but that's another story.

I think there has been many complaints about the latest batch of police out of templemore.

****ing wanker,

Slaan.

Mr E

Originally posted by Slaanesh
I didn't give any cheek I just agreed with him, mainly because I have no insurance or no tax .... but that's another story.

LOL.... looks to me like it could have been MUCH MUCH worse! You got off lightly, dude.......

- Dave.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Agree that some police are like road Hitlers now, have found some to be quite reasonable though.

BTW what are you doing driving without insurance ?

Xterminator

Perhaps if you seen some of the accidents the guards have to deal with on a daily basis, you would realise why he spoke that way.
In fact you might realise that instead of whinging about being stopped and effed out of it, you might have got a bang of a vehicle, and the same guard would be watching them peel you off the road.

And thats before we mention the fact that you have the ignorance to drive without being insured?!!!!

The rules of the road are for all vehicular traffic, bikes included, and you are putting others lives at risk as well as your own.
Just 'Cop' on!

X

ReefBreak

Sounds to me like he gave you tongue-lashing from the point of view of another road user, rather than a Garda. It's called road rage, and it happens all the time. At least you or the Garda didn't crash.

Slaanesh

The responses I expected.

I did not endanger the guard. I was driving slowly and carefully.
The traffic was not moving. I cannot afford insurance but I cannot live without my bike. I was quoted 1800 pound irish for insurance.

No police person has the right to speak to anyone in that manner, he just had his head way too far up his arse.

Slaan.

irishman_abroad

Granted he should have insurance but then that opens up the whole insurance system in Ireland and we all know how fcuked that is, but nobody should speak to another person like that. Police are supposed to show an example for others as well as doing thier job and if that is what we have to look up to then were not going to get very far as a society.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

sceptre

Originally posted by Xterminator
Perhaps if you seen some of the accidents the guards have to deal with on a daily basis, you would realise why he spoke that way.

Can't agree with that as justification.

It's something like saying the Gardai are OK to handle drunk people roughly just because the odd pissed idiot throws a bottle at a guard's head.

Should have popped the guy in a paddywagon for driving without insurance though.

mike65

I love the way our non-insured friend assumed he'd get a sympathetic hearing (maybe you should have kept quiet, we're a law abiding board!).

Given you are not insured you should be ultra-cautious anyway, if you are involved in a crash thats it, you're finnished. Regardless of who's fault it is.

Mike.

Slaanesh

*sigh*

You don't think I know the risks ?
You think I'm a danger to the public ? Think of those ****s flying about in their souped up cars doing 100mph. I obey most laws on the road. I am currently obeying the one I broke on the officer because I realise how dangerous it was no matter how careful you are.

Anybody know the rules regarding bikes in the bus lane ? That's a bit of a grey area.

Trust me lads, if I could have insurance I would. I am actually thinking of getting insured on an 87 Micra which I think would cost about a €1000 as a named driver. I might be able to afford that with a loan. Only problem is this will add double the time it takes to get in and out of work at rush hour, but for the sake of being able to afford insurance I think it might be worth it.

If insurance prices start coming down I hope to be able to insure the bike again.

I do agree I shouldn't be driving without insurance, and as some people said, it's not me I'm worrying about, it's the pedestrian.

It is a miserable little country.

Slaan.

Lucutus

Slaan, whatever about the cop and his bad mood on the the day, look at it this way, you'll be in a lot more trouble if you knock into someone, cause an accident and lots of damage and have tons of hospital bills to pay.

Insurance is there for a reason, none of us is perfect, I've had some real close shaves on my bike, whilst driving carefully, (which I got back from the workshop yesterday, the thing drives like brand new!), if any of them had have been actual accidents, without insurance, I'd have been completely screwed.

They give jailtime for that sort of thing if it's a 'worst case scenario accident' y'know.

Borrow for the bike insurance or get the car insurance asap man, trust me, I've heard too many horror stories from good people who made a stupid mistake.

Luc

PS. I agree, it is a miserable little country.

seamus

Some guards have bad days. Bike cops do all the stuff we do, drive between lanes, overtake 'en masse', etc. I know a few people who gotten a bollocking from a speedie only to be told to 'go home and forget about it', when they show their stuff at the station.
Gardai are only people too you know....

As for insurance - for the record, If he's gonna drive without insurance, I'd much prefer he did it on a bike than on a car........

Borzoi

Originally posted by Slaanesh


I cannot afford insurance but I cannot live without my bike. I was quoted 1800 pound irish for insurance.

No police person has the right to speak to anyone in that manner, he just had his head way too far up his arse.

Care to justify the 'I can't live without my bike' before you get more abuse and scorn.

The Garda's comments were out of order, maybe you should report him, but you can't because you were breaking the law. Irony for ya!

Slaanesh

'I can't live without my bike'

I live in Meath, I live 10 minutes drive from any bus. I goto college in Blanchardstown and work in Dublin. I cannot rely on my parents any more because my dad has Motor Neurons Disease since february and is going downhill fast, they have enough on their plate without having to worry about me.

I don't know if that justifies it, but that's the way it is.

Slaan.

BuffyBot

He may of talked tough. God only knows what his last shout was before this. God only knows what he's seen happen on the roads, or he may have just been having a bad day.

You were on the wrong end of it and got treated badly. That happens. Doesn't mean you can tar them all with the same brush ffs.

As for no insurance. You did get off lightly. I have to agree with Dave though. Yes, your circumstances are bad - doesn't mean you pick and choose what laws to obey though.

I have no sympathy because you encountered someone (who just happened to be a guard) who was having a sh*t day/afternoon/evening while you were out there breaking the law. It also raises a can of worms about you having accident while not covered, but thats for another thread.

pertinax

I dont think the cop had the right to speak that way. I dont think you should of been drivin without insurance.
But..... for me seeing cops on roads, doing safety and speed checks etc is a novelty. Where are they?

And i wont ever forget the time as a pedestrian i went to cross a road. No cars coming up. Green man comes on. I Step onto the road and a garda van keeps coming out from a T-junction nearly oppostie me. He looks right and left even though its a one way street but not at the pedestrians crossing on both sides of the street? No he keeps coming. I wonder what he'd of said if id kept walking.

That and always being overtaken in a 30 mile zone when im doing 30.
Whats the rush with people.

Turner

The gard could have chosen his words a little better in my opinion.
But for all you know he could have witnessed a few horrific accidents in his time. I spent the day with a gard while working at the last general elections and after some of the stories he told me im surprised he wasnt a shivering wreck.
As for motobike cops everybody knows they are a lot tougher than regular cops. They are kinda like clampers dressed in a coppers uniform.

Silverfish

I don't normally reply to these posts, but sheeesh.......

Look, I live in navan, I'm five miles from a bus stop, but if I can't afford my insurance, I don't drive. I spent two years without my wee car, cos I couldn't afford my insurance.

I bought a car for 600 euro cos my priority was to pay for the insurance first.

I could be driving a damn nice car if I was like you and thought I was exempt from paying it.

You got off lightly. Don't shout your mouth off, you were lucky. I wonder if the guard had got you for no tax and insurance would you have felt you were above paying the fines?

Believe me, if you hit someone when you've no insurance, you'll wish you had some. It works out cheaper.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Motorbike cops usually arrive first at the scene of accidents. I think, after seeing how most people on our roads die, they're entitled to freak out a bit when they see someone driving like an idiot.

Silverfish

Anybody know the rules regarding bikes in the bus lane ? That's a bit of a grey area.

No it isn't.

'Bus Lanes
Motorcyclists continue to be excluded from the list of vehicles allowed to use Bus Lanes to avoid slow moving or stationary traffic. '

AND:

'Bus lanes are sections of roadway reserved for buses providing a scheduled service and taxis with passengers. You must not drive in these - it is illegal.'

Its frightening that you not only drive with no insurance, but you aren't too clued in about the rules of the road either.

seamus

Originally posted by Silverfish
Motorbike cops usually arrive first at the scene of accidents. I think, after seeing how most people on our roads die, they're entitled to freak out a bit when they see someone driving like an idiot.

Well, to basically ruin everyone who considered the cop was in the right........The other morning, I was in traffic behind a speedie (between the lanes), and he montioned for the car in his way to move over. The car only slightly moved, so the speedie then pulled up beside him, told him to wind down his window, and his exact words were, "Just drive in the one bleedin lane! It's not that hard to follow the lines, and stop drifting over! Leave space for the bikes to get through the middle!". So obviously there's nothing in the rulebook about this. The Garda talking to Slaan was obviously just venting........

Bikes in Bus Lanes.....while it's clearly defined, most Gardai, especially speedies, are very flexible about bikes drifting in and out of them.....

eth0_

Originally posted by Slaanesh


I didn't give any cheek I just agreed with him, mainly because I have no insurance or no tax .... but that's another story.

I think there has been many complaints about the latest batch of police out of templemore.

****ing wanker,

Slaan.

Erm....for a start, you're NEVER meant to overtake on the left hand side, no matter who else does it, the cops can run red lights....does that give you the right to do it too??

And I have absolutely no sympathy at all for you if you're driving with no tax and insurance, you should have had the book thrown at you, there's plenty of people in Blanch that do that (mostly knackers on mopeds) ...how dare you endanger other people by driving with no insurance!!!

amp

Right, enough of this arse. If people want to discuss Slaanesh's driving habits then do it elsewhere. If people want to talk about Garda then start a new thread.

/me guns Lawmaster