Poor Gardai !!!

ciaran76 · 11-05-2007 10:34AM #1

I feel bad for even telling this story but what the hell its true and it happened last night.

I had to goto Holles Street hospital and I kinda knew the general area it was in and was walking towards Merrion Square as I knew it was just off here.

Anyway I am walking along Stephens Green and at the top of Dawson street I stop a Garda and ask her how do I get to Holles street from here.
Her answer was....I don't know.

I laughed as I thought she was joking when the next min she whips out her mobile phone and rings the station and asks how to get to Holles Street from Dawson street.

I said no its ok I kinda have an idea but I felt bad as she had rang the station.
Anyway after her call she says you know where Merrion Square is ? I said yes and she said head for there and its on the far side.

She was highly embarrassed and her face was glowing red. Also to note she had a Dublin accent so I assume she was from Dublin too.

I hope there is never an emergency on Holles street and she is called to get there on foot !!!

frizzefreckles · 11-05-2007 10:39AM

Similar happened to me while at and Ireland match. We came out of the stand and were heading back to the bus but had gotten pushed along with the crowd so were a bit disorientated so stopped and asked a garda which way to go back to the bus. The girl looked at us as though we had two heads, turned to her colleague and asked him and he just said he hadn't a clue.
Eventually we spotted a friend and just followed them back. But it's worrying when the gardai don't know where they are especially when we were little and my ma used to tell us that if we ever got lost to ask a garda!

biko · 11-05-2007 11:03AM

Ask a taxi driver instead.

drdre · 11-05-2007 11:05AM

Thats funny, she called the police station

Linford · 11-05-2007 11:07AM

frizzefreckles wrote:

Similar happened to me while at and Ireland match. We came out of the stand and were heading back to the bus but had gotten pushed along with the crowd so were a bit disorientated so stopped and asked a garda which way to go back to the bus. The girl looked at us as though we had two heads, turned to her colleague and asked him and he just said he hadn't a clue.
Eventually we spotted a friend and just followed them back. But it's worrying when the gardai don't know where they are especially when we were little and my ma used to tell us that if we ever got lost to ask a garda!

So you expect a Garda to know the way back to your bus after a football/rugby match? There were probably hundreds of busses in dozens of different directions!!!!

Slightly different than a Garda standing a few hundred metres away from Holles Street and not knowing where it is...

TerrorFirmer · 11-05-2007 11:07AM

I live in Galway and if someone asked me for directions from x to y I wouldn't have a clue, apart from the obvious main streets and square.

Nevyn · 11-05-2007 11:08AM

It is the lesser known of the 3 maternity hospitals in the city.

Kinetic^ · 11-05-2007 11:09AM

Was she a young woman? Could be that she's one of the new recruits or she's either on phase 2 or 4 and is a bit wet behind the ears.

county · 11-05-2007 11:10AM

biko wrote:

Ask a taxi driver instead.

they`re bloody worse

_feedback_ · 11-05-2007 11:12AM

HavoK wrote:

I live in Galway and if someone asked me for directions from x to y I wouldn't have a clue, apart from the obvious main streets and square.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not a guard. There's a big difference.
Imagine a guard who's meant to be on foot patrol in the general eyre square area and getting a call to go to eglington street on foot ....... and not knowing how to get there!!!!!

Not really a joke in fairness.... even with directions over the phone for them, it's valuable time lost. They should be 100% familiar with the area they are working in.

BuffyBot · 11-05-2007 11:16AM

OMG someone somewhere didn't know a direction. Call the police or something...

Linford · 11-05-2007 11:18AM

Thaedydal wrote:

It is the lesser known of the 3 maternity hospitals in the city.

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

Mahatma coat · 11-05-2007 11:20AM

I've lived here in Brisbane for a few years and at this stage I pride myself on knowin my way round, would know most of the CBD and how to get to diferent suburbs and which routes work best.

feckin essential to know if yer tryin to schedule truck deliveries. cant believe a Dublin beat Garda didnt know where Holles st was in relation to Dawson St

frizzefreckles · 11-05-2007 12:00PM

We asked the way back to the pub the bus was parked at Linford not for the actual bus

humanji · 11-05-2007 12:02PM

buffybot wrote:

OMG someone somewhere didn't know a direction. Call the police or something...

Don't bother, they'd never find you

Linford wrote:

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

I've lived here all my life and I've never even heard of the place before now.

Pherekydes · 11-05-2007 12:14PM

Linford wrote:

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

Yep, the correct name is the National Maternity Hospital.

lennox1 · 11-05-2007 12:37PM

Am not surprised by this as unfortunately,with the retirement of so many experienced Gardai,younger Gardai are not being accompanied to show them the ropes,areas etc. as once happened.How often do you see a white haired Garda now on the beat in Dublin!Mostly young ones who through no fault of their own are being used to make it appear as though all is well.I spoke to a young Garda one day to ask directions and he had just started in Dublin the day before and hadn't a clue but was very apologetic.I felt sorry for him as he was on his own and looked terrified.

Nevyn · 11-05-2007 12:59PM

Linford wrote:

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

Stats please ?

Both the Rotunda and the Combe are distinct building were as Holles street blends into the surrounding street.

People may know of it but not where it is or what exactly it looks like.
For a lot of people they are never in a materinity hospital unless they need to be for themelves or a family member is in and they can make the visiting hours.

Both the rotunda and the combe to more OB/GYN services then Holles street.

Zambia · 11-05-2007 01:05PM

Its not just Dublin , I saw two Police Constables in a squad car lights flashing with the girl in the front seat with a Belfast street map out. It turns out they where going to the Albert Clock.

It should be a basic requirement for any police officer to know where they are going valuable time would be wasted other wise.

John Mason · 11-05-2007 01:05PM

i used to work in lansdowne road, and i was late getting one saturday afternoon during the summer, the road was closed off at the berekely court, i stopped and told the guard i was working in lansdowne and that i had staff parking in merrion college, he wouldnt let me in and told me to follow the dirversion. now i am not from dublin and wont know that area very well, so i asked how would i get to merrion college from there, now this bloke is diverting traffic all over the shop, told he didnt know to just follow the cars in front of me - if you are diverting traffic, i think you should have some vague idea of where you are sending the cars to!!!!!

gramlab · 11-05-2007 01:12PM

biko wrote:

Ask a taxi driver instead.

Wanted directions for Dublin - not Warsaw

Linford · 11-05-2007 01:20PM

Thaedydal wrote:

Stats please ?

Both the Rotunda and the Combe are distinct building were as Holles street blends into the surrounding street.

People may know of it but not where it is or what exactly it looks like.
For a lot of people they are never in a materinity hospital unless they need to be for themelves or a family member is in and they can make the visiting hours.

Both the rotunda and the combe to more OB/GYN services then Holles street.

The Rotunda and Coombe are distinct buildings but they are not on main thoroughfares like the National Maternity Hospital (Holles Street) which is on the corner of Merrion Sq.

I know where the Coombe is and even though my daughter was born in Holles street, I have always known where it is. I have no idea where the Rotunda is other than I think it is close to O'Connell Street. Maybe its because I live on the south side of Dublin and most of my family and friends who have had babies have them in Holles Street or the Coombe.

With regard to stats I recall hearing it before, but perhaps I am wrong.

Fratton Fred · 11-05-2007 01:26PM

biko wrote:

Ask a taxi driver instead.

He'd direct you via the east link

keizer · 11-05-2007 01:30PM

elviscostello wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not a guard. There's a big difference.
Imagine a guard who's meant to be on foot patrol in the general eyre square area and getting a call to go to eglington street on foot ....... and not knowing how to get there!!!!!

Not really a joke in fairness.... even with directions over the phone for them, it's valuable time lost. They should be 100% familiar with the area they are working in.

I don't blame the individual guard in fairness. That guard could have only arrived in Dublin a day or two before. ANd I agree with others - should have been accompanied by a more senior guard.

I often wonder if people would have more respect for Gardaí in Dublin if there were more of the senior guys on the streets?

tampopo · 11-05-2007 01:47PM

Linford wrote:

The Rotunda and Coombe are distinct buildings but they are not on main thoroughfares like the National Maternity Hospital (Holles Street) which is on the corner of Merrion Sq.

I know where the Coombe is and even though my daughter was born in Holles street, I have always known where it is. I have no idea where the Rotunda is

The Coombe is not on a main thorougfare!!! There's a four lane road outside!!! And the Rotunda is by O'Connell St., used to be 6 lanes, now 4 lanes.

If you don't know where the Rotunda is, don't say it's not on a main thoroughfare. You say you've been to the Coombe. Blindfolded, methinks!

lennox1 · 11-05-2007 01:53PM

I read somewhere recently that senior members are leaving as soon as they can retire and those who stay are looking for backroom jobs as the morale has been at rock bottom for some time now.I'm sure younger guards would love to have senior people with them too.After all,none of us knows it all when we start in a job and learn as we go along.
I would love to see senior guards alongside young ones but dont blame them for getting out of an often thankless job while they can.

loz · 11-05-2007 01:56PM

tampopo wrote:

The Coombe is not on a main thorougfare!!! There's a four lane road outside!!!

two of them lanes are bus lanes - making that one car lane in either direction

_feedback_ · 11-05-2007 01:57PM

tampopo wrote:

If you don't know where the Rotunda is, don't say it's not on a main thoroughfare. You say you've been to the Coombe. Blindfolded, methinks!

It's not about the average joe knowing where a couple of hospitals are... If a guard (originally from an area or not) is posted in an area, they should be completely familiar with it.

keizer · 11-05-2007 01:59PM

elviscostello wrote:

It's not about the average joe knowing where a couple of hospitals are... If a guard (originally from an area or not) is posted in an area, they should be completely familiar with it.

Even if only there a day or two??

delly · 11-05-2007 02:02PM

2005 figures FYI:
Rotunda = 6,804 babies
Holles St. = 7,608 babies
Coombe = 7,925 babies

All taken from each hospitals annual report.

_feedback_ · 11-05-2007 02:06PM

keizer wrote:

Even if only there a day or two??

Should be part of their training before they're put in there.

Poor Gardai !!!

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