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Your experience with the Gardai

opfleet

For those of you who have dealt first hand with the Guards either as a suspect or a victim, how did you find them?

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Fozzydog3

Overall pleasant experiences bar one.

I worked on the front desk of serviced apartments for a while, in one of the buildings there was no staff toilet so you had to use an apartment's toilet if there was no guests, unfortunately it was fully booked so no toilet for me.

One day someone called to say that their card was stolen and they traced a purchase to our place. It turned out that whoever stole the card was staying in a few other buildings that the chain owned. So being the upstanding citizen I am I called into the garda station a few doors down to let them know that someone whos been using a fraudulent card was due to arrive soon, I asked whether I should cancel the booking all together or check in the guest as normal and then call them and the wan behind the counter looked at me as if to say "what the hell do you want me to do about it ?'' I was a bit taken aback so I was just like "ehh he's about to commit a crime I thought it's be something you'd be interested in" and again she mumbled something else.

So I kind of gave up on that issue and went on to the more pressing issue of having to do a sh!te. So I said to her "seeing as I helped you any chance you could return the favour and let me use your toilet ?" to which she replied "you helped us that's awful fcukin' cheeky now, normally we don't let members of the public use the toilet but go on."

Now I've stayed in hostel across the country and Europe but nothing could have prepared me for the scene I came across, there was **** on the toilet seat and on the cistern, at this stage I really had to go so I braced myself and went to get tissue to clean up the seat, well the tissue was no better, there on the roll was 5 ****ty fingerprints going all the way around the industrial sized roll, so there I was gagging as I'm trying to pick bits of clean TP from between the ****ty fingerprints, it took me about 5 minutes to actually get the toilet clean enough to **** on. when I was done I just bolted out of the place as it was a small community garda station I doubt they had many people coming in, I was worried they were gonna pin it on me.

Anyways that's one experience out of many good ones.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Discodog wrote: »

The Guards stopped my neighbour at a checkpoint. She had three children & a baby with her on their way to school. Her tax was 6 weeks out of date & this was only a few days since the Minister announced a change in the rules re a grace period.

The guards seized her car & left her & the kids by the roadside. Whether to seize a vehicle is at the Garda's discretion. They could of given her 7 days to produce it.

They also seized the van of a guy who had no work for months & was on his way to start a new job. He pleaded with them to give him a week to produce. He lost the job & the van as he couldn't afford to reclaim it.

Just because someone has kids doesn't mean they're exempt from the law. She didn't have tax on her car and therefore had no right to be driving on a public road.

malinheader

Gemma Important Painting wrote: »

Just because someone has kids doesn't mean they're exempt from the law. She didn't have tax on her car and therefore had no right to be driving on a public road.

If you look back in the posts you will read where another persons tax and nct were also expired.They were given time to produce the documents at a staion at a later date. Once shown that was it. Double standards or favouritism or just got a garda with a bit of kop on

Stonedpilot

Piper101 wrote: »

They are different police organisations, we are not in the US and operate to a different legal system, societal rules.

But the advice of keeping quiet and not incriminating yourself in any way is universal. Irish solicitors would advise the same thing.

If people are stupid enough to tell nosy Garda all their business work away!.

Discodog

Gemma Important Painting wrote: »

Just because someone has kids doesn't mean they're exempt from the law. She didn't have tax on her car and therefore had no right to be driving on a public road.

Good old standard Boards answer

No grey just black or white.

By the way the change in law was never announced.

AudreyHepburn

Never had anything but good experiences with them. Treat them fairly and with respect and stay on the right side of the law and you’re unlikely to ever have trouble.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Stonedpilot wrote: »

But the advice of keeping quiet and not incriminating yourself in any way is universal. Irish solicitors would advise the same thing.

If people are stupid enough to tell nosy Garda all their business work away!.

No it's a repercussion of breaking the law

Edit sorry quoted this by mistake - it was in response to the poster saying it's favouritism

Ineedaname

Good and bad. My parents house was burgled a few years ago. Guards were brilliant. Very understanding and helpful. Couldn't praise them enough.

Another time I was at a local event. There was a Guard directing traffic. He was there the whole day there and I noticed he hadn't eaten. I felt bad for him so I got him a bag of chips and a burger. Never in my life have I someone as grateful. I've met him a few times over the years and he's always remembered me.

On the negative side my friend was assaulted on a night out a while back. Guard that came to the hospital couldn't possibly be more ignorant. Had no interest in hearing my friends side of the story and wasn't exactly subtle in implying he deserved it. Only for my friends dad being good buddies with the local sergeant he'd never have seen justice. Have a few other stories too that I won't go into.

I try to judge each guard as individual rather than the force. In my experience for every 100 Guards you meet 95 will be sound out. Just trying to do a thankless job and make a living same as everyone. 4 of them could do with a personality transplant but for the most part are okay. The last 1 is a proper knob. Problem of course is this is the guy that everyone remembers. It's human nature.

The Guards get a bad rep but for the most part they're okay.

suicide_circus

Ineedaname wrote: »

Another time I was at a local event. There was a Guard directing traffic. He was there the whole day there and I noticed he hadn't eaten. I felt bad for him so I got him a bag of chips and a burger. Never in my life have I someone as grateful. I've met him a few times over the years and he's always remembered me.

Fair play to you, that's real humanity.

The Highwayman

Snotty wrote: »

Always good, if you are reasonable, they will respect you.
If you have a poor opinion of them, chances are you are a scumbag.

So we should accept all the crap that went on in Donegal? If not your a scumbag???? Sounds like someone is or is closely related to a guard. :rolleyes:

RasTa

Only really dealt with them during my two stints sitting on a jury. They aren't very clever or they don't know the law.

The Highwayman

Noveight wrote: »

I can never understand why a person would waste their own time and that of the Gardaí with such nonsense.

What, excising your rights??

mynamejeff

Discodog wrote: »

The Guards stopped my neighbour at a checkpoint. She had three children & a baby with her on their way to school. Her tax was 6 weeks out of date & this was only a few days since the Minister announced a change in the rules re a grace period.

The guards seized her car & left her & the kids by the roadside. Whether to seize a vehicle is at the Garda's discretion. They could of given her 7 days to produce it.

They also seized the van of a guy who had no work for months & was on his way to start a new job. He pleaded with them to give him a week to produce. He lost the job & the van as he couldn't afford to reclaim it.

First off discofog you have a very well established hatred of gardai here so any of your storues are questionable at best

Are you talking about the grace peroid in relation to VRT of non irish reg cars ? other wise id appreciate a link re this "grace period " that goes past 6 weeks and a 7 day production period

Marty Bird

weldoninhio wrote: »

Generally poor. They seem workshy and will try anything in the book to try to get out of doing actual work.

I was assaulted many years back in a local nightclub. Got a headbutt, broken teeth, 2 black eyes, busted nose. The bouncers were sound enough, cleaned me up, made sure I was ok and let me know that there was a squad car outside if i wanted to report it straight away while i had all the details fresh in my mind, and in case the Gardai wanted to speak with any of the bouncers that witnessed the assault. Walked over to the car, opened with "sorry to bother you but......" got as far as that before I was to to "fcuk off away from the car". I tried to explain that I was assaulted and he told me that there was nothing he could do. I asked why he could not do anything and was told "we have to stay here in case theres any trouble in the nightclub", I countered with "there was trouble in the nightclub, my nose is the result of it, and the guy that did it is there" and pointed him out.

Was then told "If you don't get away from the car now, I'll arrest you for drunk and disorderly (I wasn't) and when you bleed all over the back of the car on the way to the station i'll add destruction of police property to the charge". He then told me again to pi55 off and to call an ambulance if I wanted a record of the injury and contact my local station the next day about it.

Rang my local station the next day, was told that because it happened the next town over that I'd have to contact them. Contacted them, gave them the guys name, address, bouncers who witnessed its names and phone numbers and the phone number of the manager who said that he was going to burn a copy of the CCTV to DVD for the Gardai to collect. Went from victim to suspect in about 2 seconds. Why did he assault you? (It was completely unprovoked) I don't believe it was unprovoked. What did you do to make him retaliate like that? and on and on and on. Finally I told the Garda to look at the CCTV, speak to the bouncers and witnesses and they'd corroborate everything. Was told "Grand, we'll look into it and get back to you".

Now unless they've taken it EXTREMELY seriously, and are working deep cover to see if they can get a confession by wearing a wire, I don't think they'll be getting back to me. It was over 15 years ago. Saw him a few weeks later and sorted it myself.

Shocking story I’ve seen similar. I was outside a train station in Co Wicklow and watched as a brawl broke out with 5/6 lads 25 yards away I watched 3 guards in a van watch on and do nothing. 2 lads broke away still fighting one of the lads ran away but fell the other lad ran about 20 feet and gave him a kick in the head I taught he was a goner he lay on the ground for a few minutes and got up then just in time to see the Gardai van drive by and do nothing after they watched the whole incident.

I always looked back thinking if that lad ended up dead what BS excuse would the Gardai have came up with. The standard of policing in this country is a joke the whole force is a crooked as a barrel of snakes.

AudreyHepburn

The Highwayman wrote: »

What, excising your rights??

The trouble most people who do it don't do it for that reason. They do it to annoy, taunt, one up the Gardai.

And that's just foolishness in the extreme. Talk about making yourself look guilty of something.

Noveight

The Highwayman wrote: »

What, excising your rights??

Acting like a twerp I’d call it. Tomayto, tomahto.

Sad Professor

One negative experience. I was on my way home from work (still in my uniform) when two plain clothes members of the drug squad mistook me for someone else. They called after me and when I didn't respond they blocked my path and pinned me to the ground. I got knocked around a bit before being taken to the garda station where I was strip searched and let go.

Apparently the area I was travelling through was "known for drug dealing" (news to me and I'd been walking that way for years) and they thought I was buying or selling drugs or something. I'm not really sure tbh because they seemed to realise their mistake half way through and started implying I was stealing. They later claimed they flashed their badges at me, which is possible but the arresting guy was so aggressive from the start I didn't notice. The other guy wasn't so bad and once he realised the mistake started distancing himself.

I was probably a bit naive at the time but the whole experience really lowered my opinion of the guards. Weirdly enough the worst thing about it was listening to them as we waited to be picked up by a garda car. They spouted some absolutely vile misogynistic language about the female garda driver, who I briefly interacted with and found very professional.

When I tell people this story IRL they usually laugh their asses off because they find the idea that a garda would think I was suspicious looking and/or buying or selling drugs hilarious.

On a postive note, I was in an accident a few years later and both the guards I dealt with were extremely nice and professional.

tayto lover

Noveight wrote: »

Acting like a twerp I’d call it. Tomayto, tomahto.

Yep. I can never understand that kind of antic at all.
Why make life difficult?

The Highwayman

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

The trouble most people who do it don't do it for that reason. They do it to annoy, taunt, one up the Gardai.

And that's just foolishness in the extreme. Talk about making yourself look guilty of something.

How do you know? Can you link me a report on the statistics showing that?

No, you just pulled that out of your arse perhaps?

Remaining silent is not an admission of guilt, if a guard wants to 'do' me for something I'm not going to help them make the case by saying anything. If there is no crime often they will look for one. Keep your mouth shut at all times.

Name, address and DOB. Not another word. Never admit your speed, what you had to drink, where your going, where you came from. Just be respectful and decline to answer any questions and ask if your free to go. If they say no your under arrest then absolutely shut your mouth and remember anything you have already said will be used against you.

If you do not exercise your rights you give them up, something I will not do?

Maybe more of you sheep should look into your rights.

mynamejeff

tayto lover wrote: »

Yep. I can never understand that kind of antic at all.
Why make life difficult?

because it makes the people who do it feel important or intelligent when in reality it just displays the breath of thier stupidity. Just look at the posts here from people who advocate or admit to acting like that.

Interestingly their stories all end the same. Witg them winning a moral victory and the garda storming away mumbling and defeated.

In reality the garda most likely finished their interaction in spite of ambient stupidity and walked away smiling at another of the worlds failures

tayto lover

The Highwayman wrote: »

How do you know? Can you link me a report on the statistics showing that?

No, you just pulled that out of your arse perhaps?

Remaining silent is not an admission of guilt, if a guard wants to 'do' me for something I'm not going to help them make the case by saying anything. If there is no crime often they will look for one. Keep your mouth shut at all times.

Name, address and DOB. Not another word. Never admit your speed, what you had to drink, where your going, where you came from. Just be respectful and decline to answer any questions and ask if your free to go. If they say no your under arrest then absolutely shut your mouth and remember anything you have already said will be used against you.

If you do not exercise your rights you give them up, something I will not do?

Maybe more of you sheep should look into your rights.

Funny that anytime i'm stopped, and it happens quite often in the Dundalk area, i answer the questions and never experience any hassle.
The times I see people giving abuse to people in uniform be they nurses, gard, bus drivers etc the thing they had in common was loudness and bad rearing.

corner of hells

The Highwayman wrote: »

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

The trouble most people who do it don't do it for that reason. They do it to annoy, taunt, one up the Gardai.

And that's just foolishness in the extreme. Talk about making yourself look guilty of something.

How do you know? Can you link me a report on the statistics showing that?

No, you just pulled that out of your arse perhaps?

Remaining silent is not an admission of guilt, if a guard wants to 'do' me for something I'm not going to help them make the case by saying anything. If there is no crime often they will look for one. Keep your mouth shut at all times.

Name, address and DOB. Not another word. Never admit your speed, what you had to drink, where your going, where you came from. Just be respectful and decline to answer any questions and ask if your free to go. If they say no your under arrest then absolutely shut your mouth and remember anything you have already said will be used against you.

If you do not exercise your rights you give them up, something I will not do?

Maybe more of you sheep should look into your rights.

I'm happy with my sheep status.

Stephen15

My neighbours car was burnt out outside my house, no convictions were ever made because they told us they "had a fair idea who it was but they didn't have enough evidence", that could be just a polite way of saying "We knew who it was, but we couldn't be bothered arresting him/her as we have enough other stuff to be doing". Other times for driving licences and passports etc. they've been grand as you would expect.

AudreyHepburn

The Highwayman wrote: »

How do you know? Can you link me a report on the statistics showing that?

No, you just pulled that out of your arse perhaps?

Remaining silent is not an admission of guilt, if a guard wants to 'do' me for something I'm not going to help them make the case by saying anything. If there is no crime often they will look for one. Keep your mouth shut at all times.

Name, address and DOB. Not another word. Never admit your speed, what you had to drink, where your going, where you came from. Just be respectful and decline to answer any questions and ask if your free to go. If they say no your under arrest then absolutely shut your mouth and remember anything you have already said will be used against you.

If you do not exercise your rights you give them up, something I will not do?

Maybe more of you sheep should look into your rights.

Or you could just answer their questions, co operate and then go on your merry way.

But that's just too easy for some.

[Deleted User]

Sad Professor wrote: »

One negative experience. I was on my way home from work (still in my uniform)

.

Were you in your Star-Trek gear?

Discodog

mynamejeff wrote: »

First off discofog you have a very well established hatred of gardai here so any of your storues are questionable at best

Are you talking about the grace peroid in relation to VRT of non irish reg cars ? other wise id appreciate a link re this "grace period " that goes past 6 weeks and a 7 day production period

Really ? Where ?

Oh & the link ? Is the Garda website good enough ? If this was still in force they wouldn't be able to seize it.

Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 as amended by Section 19 Road Traffic Act 2006 applies. A member of An Garda Sh may seize a vehicle being used in a public place where –

A member of An Garda Sh is of the opinion that the vehicle is being used in contravention of Section 56 Road Traffic Act 1961 i.e. The person driving the vehicle is not insured to drive the concerned vehicle.
The person driving the vehicle refuses or fails to produce there and then a driving licence then having effect and licensing him/her to drive the vehicle, when production of such a licence is demanded of him/her by a member of An Garda Sh under Section 40(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 and the member is of the opinion that the person is by reason of his/her age ineligible to hold a driving licence, licensing him/her to drive the vehicle.
There is no road tax in force for a period of 2 months or greater.

http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=1727

tara73

the one I had was excellent. they retrieved my bike immediately which was stolen from a scumbag in front of my eyes..:)

Skyfarm

Snotty wrote: »

Always good, if you are reasonable, they will respect you.
If you have a poor opinion of them, chances are you are a scumbag.

I have a low opinion of certain sections and policy and I'm not a scumbag
just a person that feels very uneasy with the recent carry-ons and how they have for years used their position and trust Ireland gave it to there own advantage and gain

then there was the guard that couldn't be nicer and allowed me grace on tax etc

The Highwayman

tayto lover wrote: »

Funny that anytime i'm stopped, and it happens quite often in the Dundalk area, i answer the questions and never experience any hassle.
The times I see people giving abuse to people in uniform be they nurses, gard, bus drivers etc the thing they had in common was loudness and bad rearing.

Did you even read what I said???
What level of stupidity am I dealing with? I said to be respectful and decline to answer any questions. How is that either loud or indecating a poor upbringing? Your suggesting we should just cow down and go along with any authority figure? You know that was tried before and it lead to camps and gas chambers.
It's privacy for the citizen and transparency for the state not the other way around. Only a complete fool would think this way.

17togo

The Highwayman wrote:

Remaining silent is not an admission of guilt, if a guard wants to 'do' me for something I'm not going to help them make the case by saying anything. If there is no crime often they will look for one. Keep your mouth shut at all times.

The Highwayman wrote:

Name, address and DOB. Not another word. Never admit your speed, what you had to drink, where your going, where you came from. Just be respectful and decline to answer any questions and ask if your free to go. If they say no your under arrest then absolutely shut your mouth and remember anything you have already said will be used against you.

The Highwayman wrote:

If you do not exercise your rights you give them up, something I will not do?

The Highwayman wrote:

Maybe more of you sheep should look into your rights.

I'm really struggling to see how this is a good strategy. If you have done something then fair enough stay silent so as not to incriminate yourself. But what if you're completely innocent?

For instance, you're walking down the street on your way to work and get stopped by guards investigating a robbery in an area close by. You happen to be wearing a similar colour jacket as described. On you're phone you have proof of yourself being in a different area during the time frame they're investigating, such as a video or photo. Showing the guards this and explaining to them where you were and what you were doing completely proves you're the wrong guy. But you exercise your rights and tell them nothing other than your name and dob. So they arrest you. Detain you and interview you also seizing your phone as evidence. So now you've been in custody had your phone seized and you're job in jeopardy all because you wouldn't tell them what you had been up to or where you were going. How is this a win? And what solicitor would recommend staying quiet in this situation?