Go Metric: Go Safe and other oxymoronic statements

DubTony · 26-01-2005 07:29PM

Victor wrote:

But the Garda doesn't set limits.

Does anyone really believe that Superintendents don't send their men out to "catch speeders". There may not be a quota but you can bet that each Garda is required to spend some of his time every week or month behind a laser or radar.

I don't know any Gardai, but I'm sure the average Garda doesn't hide behind bus shelters and hedges for half a day pissing people off because he wants to.

The simplest way to enforce speed limits is a visible deterrent. Why else would the British have changed the colour of speed camera boxes to bright yellow. The more speed checks that are done in more and more locations, the less speeding will occur.

Case in point, the N81 (Tallaght By-Pass) heading from the M50 to Spawell. There have been so many camera vans and Gardai behind bus the shelter, that speeding on that stretch of road rarely happens. While the same section of road heading in the opposite direction sees speeds regularly exceed 80 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.

Tony

BrianD3 · 26-01-2005 09:04PM

gerrydublin wrote:

Although where yer man thought he was, looking for a pint a milk, as far as I can remember Avonmore or Premier Dairies never made a pint cardboard CARTON of milk, they only made ½ a litre, 1 litre and 2 litre cartons.

Well I definitely remember actual pints (not 1/2 litres) of milk being sold in cartons until very recently. I haven't paid much attention to milk cartons for a couple of years though so perhaps things have changed

Victor wrote:

When that particular set of rules changed, pints were only allowed for re-usable containers - primarily milk bottles and beer glasses.

Pints may not be allowed, but there's nothing stopping anyone selling a 568 ml carton of milk

BrianD3

magpie · 27-01-2005 11:57AM

60Km/h through a building site makes perfect sense to me under those conditions.

It's the first building site I've seen that has 2 lanes of unobstructed traffic travelling at 60mph in either direction through it. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good story right?

The simplest way to enforce speed limits is a visible deterrent. Why else would the British have changed the colour of speed camera boxes to bright yellow.

That's because the British want to get drivers to slow down in dangerous areas, whereas the Guards want to punish drivers, fill quotas and generate revenue. Hiding behind a bus shelter with a radar gun is not the way to get a stream of traffic to slow down, it's just a way of targetting random motorists to receive fines.

MrPudding · 27-01-2005 01:15PM

magpie wrote:

Hiding behind a bus shelter with a radar gun is not the way to get a stream of traffic to slow down, it's just a way of targetting random motorists to receive fines.

It is also a good way to catch a criminal in the process of carrying out a criminal act. But hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a good story eh?

MrP

lomb · 27-01-2005 01:21PM

MrP i must say you are very happy with the governments performance in various matters. u should get together with ray burke, the garda commisioner, liam lalwor and have a hash party

MrPudding · 27-01-2005 01:45PM

lomb wrote:

MrP i must say you are very happy with the governments performance in various matters. u should get together with ray burke, the garda commisioner, liam lalwor and have a hash party

I am not in the least bit happy with many of the things the gov has done and is continuing to do. This does not take away from the fact that by speeding you are breaking the law the the Guards are perfectly entitled to "do you" for it. I have a problem with some of the speed limits in cetain areas. I also have a problem with how they are policed. I think I made my opinions clear in a earlier post. But, if you spped you are breaking the law. Simple. Other peoples bahaviour or law breaking are not relevent.

MrP

BrianD · 27-01-2005 01:55PM

Magpie wrote:

It's the first building site I've seen that has 2 lanes of unobstructed traffic travelling at 60mph in either direction through it. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good story right?

Magpie perhaps I used the term "building site" loosely but you know what I mean. To be honest, you should have copped the reasoning behind the 60km limit long ago. Again, underlines the reasons why most commentators who say speed limits are inappropriate just aren't qualified to do so. The N7 roadworks may only be in the initial stages and not obtrusive but they have started none the less. There has been fixed and mobile LEd signage up since the start of the year informing the general public.

I agree with you that there needs to be a visible and omni-present policing of our roads. It doesn't matter whether its overt or covert as long as there is a realistic expectation from the driving public that they may be caught if they exceed the limit.

MG · 27-01-2005 01:55PM

gerrydublin wrote:

I’m serious about the local roads in Cork. It would do you no harm to experience it. It’s not unusual to be about to take a bend (bending around to the left) and meet a car coming in the opposite direction on the inside of the bend. The local authorities don’t bother to even put down white lines, they fear it would give drivers the false illusion that there is room for two cars to pass.

I'm probably going to get lynched here for saying it as boards is fairly Dublin dominated but driving in the centre of the road is accepted practice on rural roads and believe it or not it is safe, I think safer. I grew up with rural roads and I noticed it when I was younger when my father drove and then myself when I became older. The trick on narrow rural roads is to drive with one wheel just over the white line (or where you think the centre of the road is) and be absolutely ready to slow and dive back to a side for other cars and corners. I once drove with a foreigner who tried to stay inside the white line while driving in Kerry - frightening! The road is as much your enemy as other cars on these roads, staying slightly to the centre gives you better control.

magpie · 27-01-2005 04:09PM

you should have copped the reasoning behind the 60km limit long ago

I copped the reasoning on the miniscule section that actually has road works ongoing, in the naas-dublin direction. Its the sections that will have road works at some unspecified future date being zoned the same speed that is confusing.

It is also a good way to catch a criminal in the process of carrying out a criminal act.

Good to know where you stand on this, Herr Himmler. If everyone who exceeds the speed limit is, as you suggest, a criminal, then we are a nation of criminals. In which case, might as well get hung for a sheep as a lamb...

DubTony · 27-01-2005 06:05PM

MrPudding wrote:

It is also a good way to catch a criminal in the process of carrying out a criminal act. But hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a good story eh?

MrP

And that's the major issue. Catching speeders is one thing that any police force can set out to do. That, and nabbing prostitutes. Police can't set out to catch shoplifters. They can't set out to catch bankrobbers. Nor can they set out to catch murderers. ...or house breakers, or muggers, or rapists, or kidnappers, or paedophiles, or fraudsters, etc.

The fact is that the Gardai purposely go out on the road to CATCH people speeding. Car drivers are without a doubt the easiest targets on the planet.

MrPudding, let me put this in a way you'll understand. Good policing is about crime prevention, not crime detection. Sure, anone who speeds is breaking the law and can blame no-one but themselves, but it's easy to sit there and judge people,

MrPudding wrote:

by speeding you are breaking the law

it's a whole other thing to offer reasonable suggestions as to how to address the problem. Maybe you could get off your high horse and get back to giving us some creative and useful posts.

Tony

MrPudding · 27-01-2005 06:25PM

DubTony wrote:

MrPudding, let me put this in a way you'll understand. Good policing is about crime prevention, not crime detection. Sure, anone who speeds is breaking the law and can blame no-one but themselves, but it's easy to sit there and judge people, it's a whole other thing to offer reasonable suggestions as to how to address the problem. Maybe you could get off your high horse and get back to giving us some creative and useful posts.

Tony

If you tried reading the thread instead of accusing me of being on a high horse you might not look like such a prick. Read post 24 & 36. I do not presume to know the solution but there are a number of things I would like to see.

MrP

DubTony · 28-01-2005 12:33AM

MrPudding wrote:

If you tried reading the thread instead of accusing me of being on a high horse you might not look like such a prick. Read post 24 & 36. I do not presume to know the solution but there are a number of things I would like to see.

MrP

I have read the thread, and all I see is you regurgitating the same rubbish. You make no arguements or suggestions that contribute.

Be abusive if that's your style, it doesn't bother me. You may have noticed I suggest you "get back" to giving us something conctructive. Any credibility you had has just gone the way of your nonsensical posts. Consider yourself ignored.

Tony

BrianD · 28-01-2005 11:35AM

Magpie wrote:

I copped the reasoning on the miniscule section that actually has road works ongoing, in the naas-dublin direction. Its the sections that will have road works at some unspecified future date being zoned the same speed that is confusing.

It's ahuge bloody project! While the works might be in their infancy they are all along the carriageway at different locations and will be expanding.

You are really barking up the wrong tree on this one. It's not an example of an inappropriate speed limit it is an example on an appropriate one.

magpie · 28-01-2005 12:06PM

It's ahuge bloody project!

Granted, it will be. But why not erect permanent 100km/ph signs along the road and then have temporary 60km/ph signs on the sections where work is being done, as it is being done?

Anyhoo, we both know the answer to this from another thread, which is to do with arcane legislation and who is allowed to allocate temporary speed limits for roadworks etc. i.e. they've made a pig's ear of it and there is no real justification for the entire road having a reduced limit, certainly not as it stands now.

Victor · 29-01-2005 09:29PM

Apparently the Naas Road project is going to be complete in Q1 2006, which suggests it's going to become a very big project, very quickly.

mackerski · 30-01-2005 12:24AM

MrPudding wrote:

It is also a good way to catch a criminal in the process of carrying out a criminal act. But hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a good story eh?

Facts, eh? How about the fact that speeding isn't a criminal offence? If it were, there'd be an awful lot of folks with criminal records.

Dermot

Go Metric: Go Safe and other oxymoronic statements

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