Gardai hunting for expired motor tax in car parks

#32 25-02-2019 08:27PM

KaneToad

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kdevitt wrote: »

I think it’s only a public place if admission is free of charge, which I’m purely assuming wasn’t the case here. Someone more knowledgeable might chime in hopefully.

Was the policeman wearing his hat at the time? Did he also issue the fine in Irish, if not, challenge it all the way to the supreme court.

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#33 25-02-2019 08:31PM

Simple_Simone

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Deleted User wrote: »

OP Must live in a lovely area, that there's no malicious crime to investigate, freeing up Garda time to wander around car parks.

:rolleyes:

Or perhaps - and bear with me here, because this is complicated and I'm not trying to overload your somewhat limited imagination - they were in the station car park to investigate a crime.

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#34 25-02-2019 08:39PM

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Simple_Simone wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Or perhaps - and bear with me here, because this is complicated and I'm not trying to overload your somewhat limited imagination - they were in the station car park to investigate a crime.

Imagination is the apt word alright.

That's not how policing works. You don't show up to investigate a crime and 'sure while we're here' grab a few people for no tax.

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#35 25-02-2019 09:19PM

McCrack

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Deleted User wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.

I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.

Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).

As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

The fact you refer to the Gardai as cnuts says a lot about you

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#36 25-02-2019 09:33PM

Simple_Simone

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Deleted User wrote: »

Imagination is the apt word alright.

That's not how policing works. You don't show up to investigate a crime and 'sure while we're here' grab a few people for no tax.

Sincere apologies, I hadn't realised that you had obtained the Diploma in Garda and Policing Studies.

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#37 25-02-2019 09:41PM

4ensic15

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kdevitt wrote: »

I would have thought this presented a minor legal issue for the Gardai - given it’s presumably private land. They can do you entering or leaving.

We barely ever see gardai near where I live - yet they pretty regularly park themselves at a nearby level crossing to check on tax and insurance discs of the stationary traffic. Don’t have a massive issue with it - but would probably rather they prioritize patrols to try and deter the amount of daytime burglaries going on.

It might be private land but it is a public place.

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#38 25-02-2019 09:42PM

4ensic15

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kdevitt wrote: »

I think it’s only a public place if admission is free of charge, which I’m purely assuming wasn’t the case here. Someone more knowledgeable might chime in hopefully.

Doesn't matter whether there is a charge or not. Once it is open to a substantial number of the public being entitled to drive into it,

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#39 25-02-2019 09:45PM

ebbsy

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McCrack wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.

I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.

Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).

As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

The fact you refer to the Gardai as cnuts says a lot about you

The gardai are completely useless. Not worth a ****e. Good at setting up checkpoints and arresting lads with €5 of cannabis though.

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#40 25-02-2019 11:35PM

Ubbquittious

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I always thought it was parking attendants that would find untaxed cars and rat them to the guards. Didnt think guards would go through the trouble to do it themselves

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#41 26-02-2019 12:36AM

Cee-Jay-Cee

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[Deleted User] wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.

I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.

Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).

As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

Wow....So the Gardai that didn’t show up for your 999 call are the same ones that gave the OP a ticket for no tax? How did you find that out???

I once called a plumber to fix my leaking tap. He never showed up despite telling me that he’d be there within an hour. Two years later I was in Dublin and I seen a plumbers van being broken into, I could have prevented it but because of the problem I had two years previously I thought **** it, you deserve to have the van broken into.

I think my story is more ridiculous than yours but yours is not far behind it.

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#42 26-02-2019 12:43AM

RacoonQueen

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Deleted User wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.

I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.

Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).

As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

I don't think the 'roads policing' unit are the same ones that turn up for burglaries. There are different units within the Guards. So, you work for the local newspaper which means you know that they can't possibly have been doing anything else? Like investigating other crimes? Maybe some of them are drugs unit, maybe some a child protective services...could have been busy doing any manner of other investigations. They don't work solely on crimes that are happening RIGHT NOW you know.

Anyway. Not having your car taxed and being over the limit driving to work the next day are against the law. Too right they are out catching people for doing it. I'm glad our police force use some of their resources on this, pity they don't have more resources to do it more and catch more unlicensed/uninsured/no NCT people while they're at it.

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#43 26-02-2019 12:44AM

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Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Wow....So the Gardai that didn’t show up for your 999 call are the same ones that gave the OP a ticket for no tax? How did you find that out???

I know a lot of the Gardai in the station. As I say, at the time, I worked for the local papers, so would be around them a lot.

I've nothing against the Gardai as individual people. Generally decent people. But they can not (and never in my experience have) offered a proper policing service.

I posted THIS in a different thread recently. Same opinion of them.

I've called Gardai many times, for many various issues in my life. Only ever had to call 999 (ie; an actual emergency) twice in my life, and neither time did they show up.

They give out about lack of funding, not enough resources, etc. then they wander around car parks doing people for no tax.

This thread that's currently trending the boards homepage paints a good picture of our lads in blue:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057959044

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#44 26-02-2019 12:48AM

RocketRaccoon

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I've seen them checking in the underground car park of a Limerick shopping centre.

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#45 26-02-2019 12:48AM

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RacoonQueen wrote: »

I don't think the 'roads policing' unit are the same ones that turn up for burglaries. There are different units within the Guards. So, you work for the local newspaper which means you know that they can't possibly have been doing anything else? Like investigating other crimes? Maybe some of them are drugs unit, maybe some a child protective services...could have been busy doing any manner of other investigations. They don't work solely on crimes that are happening RIGHT NOW you know.

Anyway. Not having your car taxed and being over the limit driving to work the next day are against the law. Too right they are out catching people for doing it. I'm glad our police force use some of their resources on this, pity they don't have more resources to do it more and catch more unlicensed/uninsured/no NCT people while they're at it.

Just incase I'm picking you up wrong, you are giving the impression that you believe the Gardai should prioritise checking tax discs over a 999 call to a burglary in progress at a pensioner's home?

As an aside, I do know what was going on in the station's district at the time. A small (non-malicious) fire in a housing estate, that was already extinguished and fire service on scene.

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#46 26-02-2019 12:49AM

AllForIt

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It never fails to amaze me the number of ppl I meet in everyday life, not just on this thread, who talk about the Guards catching wrongdoers on the roads as if it were some kind of immoral thing to do.

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#47 26-02-2019 12:50AM

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Sorry, I'm dragging this tread off topic. My apologies.

My point was that I feel it's a bit poor for the Gardai to not offer a proper policing service for malicious crime, and cry about resources, but then at the same time patrol car parks for tax discs, whilst claiming they're snowed under with work.

I think I've made my point on it, so i'll leave it be.

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#48 26-02-2019 12:56AM

cursai

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Jesus. They can do no right. A thankless job.

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#49 26-02-2019 01:04AM

An Ri rua

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Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.

I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.

Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).

As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

Wow....So the Gardai that didn’t show up for your 999 call are the same ones that gave the OP a ticket for no tax? How did you find that out???

I once called a plumber to fix my leaking tap. He never showed up despite telling me that he’d be there within an hour. Two years later I was in Dublin and I seen a plumbers van being broken into, I could have prevented it but because of the problem I had two years previously I thought **** it, you deserve to have the van broken into.

I think my story is more ridiculous than yours but yours is not far behind it.

I think that's a bit unfair. And ridiculous. Gardai ARE set targets. As are Revenue staff. X amount of this crime, Y amount of that etc. Divisions are compared.
Get real if you think it's not management by numbers.
Sure, there's lots of great Gardai. But An Garda Siochana is riddled with problems, not least of which is management ruled by PR, spin, obfuscation, picture building exercises.
The situation the poster descrived, with s vulnerable pensioner, is terrifying. Rightly, he associates the actions of the few with the many. As that is what Garda culture does, trenchently. Circles the wagons. So until they cleanse themselves of all the crappy, amoral activity, from the top down, people WILL tar them all with the same brush.
Cnuts is not a great description of anybody, least of all public servants vested with powers. But I empathise with the frustration and anger.
Oh and if you're caught for no tax, grow a pair. You rolled the dice, and lost.

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#50 26-02-2019 02:57AM

Sam Quentin

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Ardent wrote: »

Just got a lovely letter from AGS advising me of a 60 euro fine due to my car (sitting in the train station car park) having an expired tax disc.

Talk about sneaky. Never heard of this before, is this a new phenomenon?

Deleted User wrote: »

whats sneaky about catching you dodging tax

Well that went down like a lead balloon,. didn't

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#51 26-02-2019 03:16AM

brightspark

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Deleted User wrote: »

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.

I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.

Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).

As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

If people paid their taxes perhaps the Gardai would then have more time to deal with other crimes

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#52 26-02-2019 07:47AM

RacoonQueen

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Deleted User wrote: »

Just incase I'm picking you up wrong, you are giving the impression that you believe the Gardai should prioritise checking tax discs over a 999 call to a burglary in progress at a pensioner's home?

As an aside, I do know what was going on in the station's district at the time. A small (non-malicious) fire in a housing estate, that was already extinguished and fire service on scene.

No. I told you that the I don't think the Guards in Roads Policing attend for burglaries.
Here is some information on what they do.
https://www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/roads-policing-unit/

I also find your story very hard to believe but sure thats a different thing. They're likely to drag their feet over turning up to a car accident where there is no injury or whatever but find it hard to take in that they would say there is no one available for a burglary in progress unless there was actually no one available, you have no idea what was going on at the station at the time, much as you claim you do.

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#53 26-02-2019 08:02AM

gctest50

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Near the entrance to a car park would be a great place to put an ANPR camera

https://www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/road-safety/automatic-number-plate-recognition.html

It would save all the whining about gardai having nothing better to do etc.

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#54 26-02-2019 10:20AM

McCrack

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brightspark wrote: »

If people paid their taxes perhaps the Gardai would then have more time to deal with other crimes

And resources as well

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#55 26-02-2019 10:28AM

seamus

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Deleted User wrote: »

They give out about lack of funding, not enough resources, etc. then they wander around car parks doing people for no tax.

If policing was carried out on a "most serious crimes first" basis, then none of the smaller stuff would ever get picked up. The roads would be a mess, nobody would bother being insured because the Gardai are off "investigating the serious crimes", and nobody would pay a blind bit of attention to the rules.

This is the very reason why they get divided into divisions; so that each division can focus on their specific area to provide rounded policing coverage.

Yes, there are Gardai out checking tax when there are violent offenders out wandering free. But if that Garda wasn't checking tax, he wouldn't be out looking for a guy on the run. He'd be sitting on his hole.

This means that when you do get into an accident, there will be a Garda car who can (eventually) come out and help. And when your house is burgled that there is a Garda who will come out and take a statement. Because they've been boxed off into divisions and competencies to ensure they're not all tied up searching for drug dealers, rapists and murderers.

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#56 26-02-2019 12:09PM

wonski

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Whatever about Gardai, litter wardens must be the worst. In 10 years of driving only once I let the tax slip over few weeks. Was out of work due to injury and wasn't even driving the car.

Got two fines in 3 days just outside my front door in fairly rural area.

My fault really, but didn't even know they were doing rounds around the area as there is no pay parking in place.

Lesson learned and 120 euro down, when you are down everyone is out there to kick you in the balls

Gutted, but what can you do. I paid the tax and the arrears and the fine before someone comes along to request a death penalty for me

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#57 26-02-2019 03:00PM

Cuddlesworth

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Deleted User wrote: »

Then send Revenue officers around the car parks looking to issue fines?

I'm sick to the teeth of calling the Gardai and have them show up hours later or not at all, or hear about how they're busy at the moment, and then you see the cnuts wandering around car parks and doing people for drink driving on the way to work the following day.

I made a 999 call last summer to a break in ongoing in my house that my dad (who was at home) alerted me to. The Gardai didn't even show up. A 999 call to a break in to a house where the would-be burglars knew there was a pensioner alone inside, and the Gardai were too busy to bother their hole. Keep in mind we have heard many a time of old fellas at home alone when a burglar strikes, and they end up severely beaten or killed.

Thankfully I got home in time and managed to sort things out, but I waited 2 hours for the Gardai before ringing again to see what they were at (which was when they told me they'd "get to me soon" but they're busy).

As an aside, I work for the local papers; nothing of note was happening. No big crime scene to attend at the time.

It really irks me when I see stupid stuff like this. A legitimately useless police force.

There are roughly 16k employees working for the Gardai including administrators, so roughly .3% of the population.
There are 564 stations in the country.
That means there are, on average, 28 members per station.
If wanted to manage a 24/7 shift of a single Gardai per station, you need around 5 employees working a 37.5 hour work week, including holidays.
If you assumed you needed at least 2 Gardai to head out to look at crimes, as well as 2 based in the station, you have 20 employees per station for 24/7.

None of that takes into account the additional duty's, like guard duty for embassies, or internal functions like the armed response unit, the detectives, the special crimes units, the administration functions, the traffic core, the training unit or a number of other jobs/roles/functions I know nothing about.

Logistically I don't really understand how they are currently functioning. Lots of overtime I guess.

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#58 26-02-2019 05:42PM

ELM327

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Pay the tax or pay the fine
Simples

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#59 27-02-2019 02:19AM

josip

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wonski wrote: »

Whatever about Gardai, litter wardens must be the worst. In 10 years of driving only once I let the tax slip over few weeks. Was out of work due to injury and wasn't even driving the car.

Got two fines in 3 days just outside my front door in fairly rural area.

My fault really, but didn't even know they were doing rounds around the area as there is no pay parking in place.

Lesson learned and 120 euro down, when you are down everyone is out there to kick you in the balls

Gutted, but what can you do. I paid the tax and the arrears and the fine before someone comes along to request a death penalty for me

The litter warden in our area is great.
He'll always respond to illegal dumping and comb through it looking for an address to prosecute.

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#60 27-02-2019 02:22AM

KevinCavan

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Soft targets. They won’t be doing a spot check on a halting site.

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#61 27-02-2019 02:31AM

storker

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lanciadub wrote: »

no defo not a new phenomenon , I had something similar happen about 15 years ago while parked up on a street .
If its in a public place with no tax you're fair game ..

Likewise. I picked up a ticket like that at the park and ride in Greystones a few years ago. I wasn't dodging tax but I was late, so no point complaining. A self-inflicted wound, you might say.

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