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Garda strike - safe to travel?

  • 02-11-2016 12:09pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 34


    Hi folks,

    I might sound a little OTT, but I was thinking if the Gardai go on strike this Friday, will we be safe driving?

    I am afraid of some fools going doing silly things on the roads thinking they are invincible, including drink-driving or speeding (I mean I expect MORE fools on the road, because there are a lot of them out already!)

    I am due a trip to Sligo from Galway and wonder would I be better off to drive early on Sat morning - or am I just being paranoid?

    What are your opinions?


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,088 ✭✭✭farmerjj


    Just go Saturday morning if your that worried.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    It's not going to make a difference.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 47,993 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder




  • Registered Users Posts: 329 ✭✭Be well and win


    I'm not driving far on Friday, if there is a fender bender anywhere on the road, there will be no Gardaí to deal with it, there will be no speed checks, no checks for mobile phone usage, no check for drink drivers, nothing. I'd also be nervous about every boy racer deciding the m-way is a grand prix track


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭cython


    I'm not driving far on Friday, if there is a fender bender anywhere on the road, there will be no Gardaí to deal with it, there will be no speed checks, no checks for mobile phone usage, no check for drink drivers, nothing. I'd also be nervous about every boy racer deciding the m-way is a grand prix track

    If you think the GoSafe lads won't be out to make up the numbers wrt the bolded, you're at least slightly deluded, IMHO.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,035 ✭✭✭coolbeans


    ... there will be no Gardaí to deal with it, there will be no speed checks, no checks for mobile phone usage, no check for drink drivers, nothing.

    Just like every other day then.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,037 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    I'm not driving far on Friday, if there is a fender bender anywhere on the road, there will be no Gardaí to deal with it, there will be no speed checks, no checks for mobile phone usage, no check for drink drivers, nothing. I'd also be nervous about every boy racer deciding the m-way is a grand prix track

    Gardai don't deal with fender benders anyway, apart from telling self entitled numptys to stop blocking traffic and call their insurance.

    Go safe will not be on strike so the vans will be out as usual.

    Isn't this concern over safety all a bit laughable?

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBGZdfKgPaRzQBCuDKuaBerXd-CBONsV06b6HeL9pHljMsCHFl

    Really, No.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 47,993 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Vic_08 wrote: »
    Isn't this concern over safety all a bit laughable?
    yes, but - read about the experience of montreal in the 70s. if memory serves, they had something like 15 bank robberies the day of their police strike. will try to find supporting evidence of that.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    I think the op is more concerned about safety whilst out driving rather than cashing a cheque in a bank.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭Chuchote


    Watch out for the highwaymen, cutpurses, footpads and desperadoes. Arr. Your money or your life!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    A not unreasonable worry to have dismissed in a fairly rude way in this thread. I would absolutely bet my bottom dollar there will be a massive increase in drink driving on Friday night. Anyone who only doesn't do it for fear of getting caught will take the chance if they happen to be out.

    I'll be working from home on Friday night as I wouldn't leave the family alone in the house knowing there's no Guards around and that we live in a rural area. I also don't fancy driving home from work late Friday night for fear of meeting some dick full of beer taking a chance.

    For the trip from Sligo to Galway, if you're doing it during the day then I wouldn't worry more than I normally would about it. The road is so good in some places that overtaking is really safe so speeders will just glide past you, and so bad the rest of the way that even the most enthusiastic nutter won't be able to do more than just sit back and wait.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭Chuchote


    99.99999999999999 of people are gentle, docile and law-abiding. And 99.99999999999999 of those few who aren't, it's because they have chaotic lives and make bad decisions. There are genuinely very few who will take advantage of a Garda strike to deliberately go out and break the law.

    But OP, if you're really worried, then change your time of travel. Though if you're going on Saturday morning, there may be the normal still-a-bit-drunk-after-Friday-night merchants to watch out for.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Chuchote wrote: »
    99.99999999999999 of people are gentle, docile and law-abiding. And 99.99999999999999 of those few who aren't, it's because they have chaotic lives and make bad decisions. There are genuinely very few who will take advantage of a Garda strike to deliberately go out and break the law.

    But OP, if you're really worried, then change your time of travel. Though if you're going on Saturday morning, there may be the normal still-a-bit-drunk-after-Friday-night merchants to watch out for.

    I think your figure is fanciful in the extreme.

    http://www.irishexaminer.com/crime/crimebycounty/

    Not sure what year that was (I think 2012), but if there was 243,968 criminal offences recorded that year and god knows how many that weren't recorded then I'd say there's more than 0.00000000000000001% of the population who engage in criminal behavior.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭Chuchote


    Jayop wrote: »
    I think your figure is fanciful in the extreme.

    http://www.irishexaminer.com/crime/crimebycounty/

    Not sure what year that was (I think 2012), but if there was 243,968 criminal offences recorded that year and god knows how many that weren't recorded then I'd say there's more than 0.00000000000000001% of the population who engage in criminal behavior.

    But weren't 242,968 of those committed by the same 2 people?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Chuchote wrote: »
    But weren't 242,968 of those committed by the same 2 people?

    Going by those stats all 242,968 crimes were committed by 0.00000004595 of a single person.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    Chuchote wrote: »
    Watch out for the highwaymen, cutpurses, footpads and desperadoes. Arr. Your money or your life!

    Finally someone uses this word correctly :D


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 47,993 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Chuchote wrote: »
    99.99999999999999 of people are gentle, docile and law-abiding. And 99.99999999999999 of those few who aren't, it's because they have chaotic lives and make bad decisions. There are genuinely very few who will take advantage of a Garda strike to deliberately go out and break the law.
    http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1969-montreals-night-of-terror


  • Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Critical Garda services will still be active. There won't be any spate of bank robberies or riots. The rule of law is not being suspended for the day, crimes committed tomorrow will still be prosecuted, detection will be down, that's all.

    Crime in rural areas has been dropping steadily anyway, despite the complaints about station closure. There's richer picking in dense urban areas, so that's where burglars tend to be. And most people will be slightly more vigilant tomorrow anyway.

    There will probably be a little bit more dickery on the roads tomorrow, but ultimately most people want to get home safely and not crash their car into anything. So they're going to take ridiculous risks like doing 100km/h through estates.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,587 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    seamus wrote: »
    Critical Garda services will still be active. There won't be any spate of bank robberies or riots. The rule of law is not being suspended for the day, crimes committed tomorrow will still be prosecuted, detection will be down, that's all.

    Score. Now to get that TV I've had my eye on.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,587 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    No strike action by gardai tomorrow.

    All is well for now

    ffs :mad:


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  • Registered Users Posts: 34 Kashmeer


    Jayop wrote: »
    A not unreasonable worry to have dismissed in a fairly rude way in this thread. I would absolutely bet my bottom dollar there will be a massive increase in drink driving on Friday night. Anyone who only doesn't do it for fear of getting caught will take the chance if they happen to be out.

    I'll be working from home on Friday night as I wouldn't leave the family alone in the house knowing there's no Guards around and that we live in a rural area. I also don't fancy driving home from work late Friday night for fear of meeting some dick full of beer taking a chance.

    For the trip from Sligo to Galway, if you're doing it during the day then I wouldn't worry more than I normally would about it. The road is so good in some places that overtaking is really safe so speeders will just glide past you, and so bad the rest of the way that even the most enthusiastic nutter won't be able to do more than just sit back and wait.

    Thank you Jayop. You understood!
    I was seriously worried as I really see A LOT of idiots driving on my weekly Galway - Cork route and given the guards were meant not to be out would increase the drivers' idiocy by far, in my opinion.

    Happily, no strike today so no worry for me - going to hit the road feeling (relatively) safe.

    Thank you all for your replies and drive safe!


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,576 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Didn't even see so much as a squad car yesterday despite 200km of driving on main routes. That said the traffic was no worse than normal either - heavy enough last night but that's standard for a Friday evening.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,295 ✭✭✭n97 mini


    €40 million of tax payers' money later it's safe to travel.


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