Garda on mobile phone.

holly1 · 08-05-2008 10:49PM #1

Im not sure if I am posting this in the right place or not?
Would somebody please tell me if its ok for the garda to speak on a mobile phone while driving.Saw one today on a phone,he was slowing down coming to lights and I was coming towards him .Traffic was slow and everyone had windows open so I could nearly hear what he was saying,and it had nothing to do with his job.
Are they allowed use mobile phones??????

08-05-2008 10:52PM

They should practice what they preach, should take a photo if you get a chance and send it to http://www.gardaombudsman.ie/

sdanseo · 08-05-2008 10:54PM

Gardaí are exempt from that particular ban (I believe, under the condition that they are not unduly endangering other road users).

They also rely on phones a lot of the time,especially in rural areas, because of the unmitigated disaster that is their radio system

- dolanbaker I wouldn't go wasting the ombudsman's time.

Ross_Mahon · 08-05-2008 10:54PM

holly1 wrote: »

Im not sure if I am posting this in the right place or not?
Would somebody please tell me if its ok for the garda to speak on a mobile phone while driving.Saw one today on a phone,he was slowing down coming to lights and I was coming towards him .Traffic was slow and everyone had windows open so I could nearly hear what he was saying,and it had nothing to do with his job.
Are they allowed use mobile phones??????

Drive with your feet and see what he says to you, then slap his wrist about using his mobile phone. I think they have to follow the same rules as us? Cause imagine a garda car speeding and the garda whips out his phone while on the wheel, then looses control of the car.

08-05-2008 10:56PM

sdonn_1 wrote: »

Gardaí are exempt from that particular ban.

They also rely on phones a lot of the time,especially in rural areas, because of the unmitigated disaster that is their radio system - dolanbaker you should really check your facts before you go wasting the ombudsman's time.

Hands free!!!!

08-05-2008 10:58PM

I think that they are allowed..

I've asked this question myself, after moving down to Tipp here and spotted this myself on 3 occasions..

Wouldn't you love if you could dish out an on the spot fine yourself.. And have the proceeds go to your own little social club..

Sparky · 08-05-2008 10:59PM

Its often more secure than the radios.

Sherifu · 08-05-2008 11:00PM

sdonn_1 wrote: »

Gardaí are exempt from that particular ban (I believe, under the condition that they are not unduly endangering other road users).

They also rely on phones a lot of the time,especially in rural areas, because of the unmitigated disaster that is their radio system - dolanbaker I wouldn't go wasting the ombudsman's time.

I remember hearing something like that...

sdanseo · 08-05-2008 11:01PM

Scary, I edited my post but the new replies didn't show up. Both are in the quotes so the change is obvious to all at least, apols.

delly · 08-05-2008 11:02PM

Yes they are exempt from the phone ban, so nothing illegal here folks. Seriously though, is it really that big a deal?

Dave! · 08-05-2008 11:04PM

Cos they have sh*t radios

Also, they're police..... they often have to do things that others aren't allowed to do

Should they not be allowed to drive fast? Or use their batons?

If it wasn't work related then fair enough you have a legitimate point, but in general, Gardaí have to do dangerous things all the time, get over it.

monkeyfudge · 08-05-2008 11:07PM

I'm sure it's allowed. Taxi drivers don't have to wear seat belts either.

holly1 · 08-05-2008 11:09PM

Thats ok then,just wondering and thanks folks.

AlmightyCushion · 08-05-2008 11:13PM

Deleted User wrote: »

They should practice what they preach, should take a photo if you get a chance and send it to http://www.gardaombudsman.ie/

JUst don't use your camera phone to take the picture.

stepbar · 08-05-2008 11:15PM

Aparently they don't get paid for the calls they make on their "personal" phones. If it was any other organisation they'd have business phones. Tight cnuts....

08-05-2008 11:15PM

JUst don't use your camera phone to take the picture.

lol

Font22 · 08-05-2008 11:16PM

saw this once on the swords roundabout, possibly the most dangerous roundabout in dublin. asked my cousin about it a few months later, he's a guard in limerick and said they are allowed to use phones. i can understand why but it still pisses me off!

kowloon · 08-05-2008 11:33PM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Taxi drivers don't have to wear seat belts either.

?

monkeyfudge · 08-05-2008 11:34PM

kowloon wrote: »

?

They're not required to I believe.

source · 09-05-2008 12:01AM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

They're not required to I believe.

Yes they are required to wear seat belts, all road users are required to. unless there is a serious medical condition and a doctor has signed off on it, or if a woman is heavily pregnant and has received medical advice that she shouldn't wear a seat belt across her stomach.

Jigsaw · 09-05-2008 12:09AM

foinse wrote: »

Yes they are required to wear seat belts, all road users are required to. unless there is a serious medical condition and a doctor has signed off on it, or if a woman is heavily pregnant and has received medical advice that she shouldn't wear a seat belt across her stomach.

I'm with Monkeyfudge on this one. As far as I know taxi are indeed exempt from wearing seat belts. I have heard it said many times anyway.

sdanseo · 09-05-2008 12:53AM

Jigsaw wrote: »

I'm with Monkeyfudge on this one. As far as I know taxi are indeed exempt from wearing seat belts. I have heard it said many times anyway.

+1 the father of a mate of mine years back was a taxi driver, apparently someone tried to rob him or so the story goes, but he'd no seatbelt on so tackled yer man quickly. Was told at the time they weren't obliged to wear seatbelt, although that could have changed since. Doubt it though.

TheNog · 09-05-2008 01:02AM

Font22 wrote: »

he's a guard in limerick and said they are allowed to use phones. i can understand why but it still pisses me off!

don't be p*ssed off at the guards, we don't create the laws only enforce them

sdanseo · 09-05-2008 01:07AM

TheNog wrote: »

don't be p*ssed off at the guards, we don't create the laws only enforce them

+1 - if people have a problem with this, your run-of-the-mill guard is not the one to take it out on. Ye're only making the best of what seems a b*lloxed situation. Too right if the radios don't work you should be refunded for calls, too - any truth to that rumour that you aren't?

Agent Smith · 09-05-2008 01:08AM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I'm sure it's allowed. Taxi drivers don't have to wear seat belts either.

All taximen Must wear seatbelts.

they are allowed have belt ones however. (like in the middle of the back seat)

this question comes up on the new test.

javaboy · 09-05-2008 01:13AM

Yeah the taxi seatbelt exemption was removed a while back afaik. The funny thing is that driving instructors giving a lesson and driving testers do not need seatbelts. I can understand maybe driving testers but instructors? Sure any passenger can claim they are giving a lesson if they have their full licence even if the driver isn't a learner. I wonder has anyone tried that defence.

I think in the UK you can remove your seatbelt while reversing.

What was this thread about again?

leninbenjamin · 09-05-2008 01:18AM

meh... it's not like this ban is enforced anyway. seen plenty, guards and civilian alike on 'em.

sdanseo · 09-05-2008 01:24AM

javaboy wrote: »

What was this thread about again?

Yore ma I think it was...

Sorry, too easy.

javaboy · 09-05-2008 01:32AM

sdonn_1 wrote: »

Yore ma I think it was...

Sorry, too easy.

My mam isn't a Garda and she has satnav with built in bluetooth handsfree and nobody ever calls her for her to be on the phone plus the OP said that the offending Garda was a he not a she. All in all, it's very unlikely that this thread was about my mammy.

I do agree with you on one thing though. Yore ma is too easy. :pac::pac:

sdanseo · 09-05-2008 01:41AM

javaboy wrote: »

My mam isn't a Garda and she has satnav with built in bluetooth handsfree and nobody ever calls her for her to be on the phone plus the OP said that the offending Garda was a he not a she. All in all, it's very unlikely that this thread was about my mammy.

I do agree with you on one thing though. Yore ma is too easy. :pac::pac:

I have a good comeback for that somewhere....

...f*ck it, I'll be back in the morning with one. Or a baseball bat may substitute.

:pac:

BJC · 09-05-2008 01:41AM

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I'm sure it's allowed. Taxi drivers don't have to wear seat belts either.

Taxi drivers do have to wear seatbelts and it's a massive bone of contention for them. The reason being someone sitting behind you can easily strangle you with it as frequently occured in the 80's and 90's when taxi drivers were minted, but the exemption was lifted a good few years back.

Deleted User wrote: »

They should practice what they preach, should take a photo if you get a chance and send it to http://www.gardaombudsman.ie/

I heard somewhere that the ombudsman has been turned over to the Gardai for help to process the complaints because the sheer number of complaints exceeded all expectations. So now the guards are effectivley managing complaints about themselves, themselves. Like governing themselves... and hence rendering the ombudsman more useless than ever.

Anyone know if this is true??:p

Garda on mobile phone.

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