Traffic Corps Program on RTE

Stephen · 30-06-2009 02:52PM

I'm talking about on the motorway where they're not permitted in the overtaking lane to begin with!

Definately there are plenty of good truck drivers out there who will make an effort to let faster moving traffic past etc.

30-06-2009 03:02PM

Stephen wrote: »

Absolutely. I was on the M7 southbound a couple of weeks ago and there was a tractor trundling along with a trailer in the hard shoulder outside Kildare.
.

I dont see the problem with a tractor driving on the hard shoulder, he was not causing an obstruction or slowing traffic.

Johnboy Mac · 30-06-2009 04:25PM

Jasmine Black Driver wrote: »

I dont see the problem with a tractor driving on the hard shoulder, he was not causing an obstruction or slowing traffic.

Unreal that somebody would actually say that!

Do you know what a hard shoulder is for?

Do you know the most dangeroues place to be on a motorway?

I can only presume you drive a tractor.

30-06-2009 04:41PM

Johnboy Mac wrote: »

Unreal that somebody would actually say that!

Do you know what a hard shoulder is for?

Do you know the most dangeroues place to be on a motorway?

I can only presume you drive a tractor.

The next time you are stuck behind a tractor and he wont pull in out of your way I hope you have patience.

Its all but expected of tractors to drive on the hard shoulder on normal roads which is much more dangerous than driving on a hard shoulder on a motorway or dualcarriage way. Yes I drive tractors but I have not driven one on a motorway, but i would be more comfortable driving on a motorway hard shoulder than I am driving on the hard shoulder on a normal road. I usually only pull into the hard shoulder to let cars pass and then pull out again as people are always pulling out of side roads, people walking etc.

There is only a speed limit difference of 20km/h between N roads and motorways, the roads are much straighter and have two lanes with much more visibility( a tractor is quite obvious) so I cannot see how why it is considered so dangerous to drive on a motorway hard shoulder over the hard shoulder on an N road.

donvito99 · 30-06-2009 05:20PM

Vanessa Savory Slipcover wrote:

but i would be more comfortable driving on a motorway hard shoulder than I am driving on the hard shoulder on a normal road.

But drivers travelling 100kp/h faster then you wouldn't

30-06-2009 05:32PM

donvito99 wrote: »

But drivers travelling 100kp/h faster then you wouldn't

and they would be more comfortable passing a tractor on an N road hard shoulder how exactly, bearing in mind most people will be exceeding the 100km/h limit anyway.

A tractor doing 40km/h plus in the driving lane or hard shoulder has never caused even the slightest issue for me on dc's or motorways. people hogging the over taking lane in cars on the other hand has driven me crazy and is worse imo.

Johnboy Mac · 30-06-2009 05:36PM

Jasmine Black Driver wrote: »

The next time you are stuck behind a tractor and he wont pull in out of your way I hope you have patience.

Its all but expected of tractors to drive on the hard shoulder on normal roads which is much more dangerous than driving on a hard shoulder on a motorway or dualcarriage way. Yes I drive tractors but I have not driven one on a motorway, but i would be more comfortable driving on a motorway hard shoulder than I am driving on the hard shoulder on a normal road. I usually only pull into the hard shoulder to let cars pass and then pull out again as people are always pulling out of side roads, people walking etc.

There is only a speed limit difference of 20km/h between N roads and motorways, the roads are much straighter and have two lanes with much more visibility( a tractor is quite obvious) so I cannot see how why it is considered so dangerous to drive on a motorway hard shoulder over the hard shoulder on an N road.

First off we are taking about motorways.

It's illegal to drive on the hard shoulder and it's illegal to drive a Tractor on the motorway full stop. Have you ever wondered why both of these actions are illegal?

30-06-2009 05:41PM

Johnboy Mac wrote: »

it's illegal to drive a Tractor on the motorway full stop. Have you ever wondered why both of these actions are illegal?

Its not illegal if the tractor has a 50km/h box. Yes I know its illegal to drive on a motorway hard shoulder but I would imagine the thinking behind that is people driving fast on the hard shoulder and crashing into a stopped car. This should not be an issue with the visibility from the cab of a tractor travelling at 50km/h.

I do not want to see every old wreck of a tractor out in the motorways either, but if someone needs to get some where along a motorway with a tractor than need to go a bit slower than 50km/h due to a load etc I think they would be better on the hard shoulder out of the flow of traffic.

Damien360 · 30-06-2009 05:42PM

Padraig Mor wrote: »

More Keystone Cops. And as for a bunch of Gardai taking 2.5 hours to take care of one elderly drink driver. FFS.....

The old guy was wasted but what do you expect teh guards to do. Drag him out ? If he had a heart attack (real or fake) they would be in court adn the papers would be full of stories of garda harrasment of old people driving home after a pint. With a medical problem he would have got away with blood test and breathalyser. Our libel laws are too strong and the gardai are bound by them also.

Damien360 · 30-06-2009 05:47PM

Jasmine Black Driver wrote: »

Its not illegal if the tractor has a 50km/h box. Yes I know its illegal to drive on a motorway hard shoulder but I would imagine the thinking behind that is people driving fast on the hard shoulder and crashing into a stopped car. This should not be an issue up in the cab of a tractor travelling at 50km/h.

There in lies the problem. A tractor with a 50kph box is a very differnt animal to the little ones pushing 30kph that you regularly meet on N roads. Imagine that on a motorway and couple that with a clown who thinks he is flying and has no reason to be in the "slow lane". The tail backs will stretch for miles with people queing to pass and nobody letting the trucks out of the left lane to get by quickly.

McSpud · 30-06-2009 05:48PM

Damien360 wrote: »

The old guy was wasted but what do you expect teh guards to do. Drag him out?

While I thought it was an incredible waste of time I also agree the guards were in a difficult position. That said its not clear why they called up the posse in the van as not sure what 5 men could do that 2 men could not.

ottostreet · 30-06-2009 05:49PM

I thought that Lexus driver was quite funny. Overtakes, sees the patrol car and just pulls over without the guards doing anything.

I watched it three times and had a good giggle.

Johnboy Mac · 30-06-2009 05:54PM

Jasmine Black Driver wrote: »

Its not illegal if the tractor has a 50km/h box. Yes I know its illegal to drive on a motorway hard shoulder but I would imagine the thinking behind that is people driving fast on the hard shoulder and crashing into a stopped car. This should not be an issue with the visibility from the cab of a tractor travelling at 50km/h.

I do not want to see every old wreck of a tractor out in the motorways either, but if someone needs to get some where along a motorway with a tractor than need to go a bit slower than 50km/h due to a load etc I think they would be better on the hard shoulder out of the flow of traffic.

You did'nt answer my question. Why is it illegal to drive on the motorway hard shoulder? Even if you don't know the answer does that mean it's ok to drive illegally tractor or no tractor?

Berty · 30-06-2009 06:20PM

I dont know why you are both discussing the law and the morality of driving a tractor. The law is not really what is being discussed here. It is the Television programme itself.

I would prefer to read critques of the programme instead. I dont know about anybody else.

Johnboy Mac · 30-06-2009 06:43PM

Berty wrote: »

I dont know why you are both discussing the law and the morality of driving a tractor. The law is not really what is being discussed here. It is the Television programme itself.

I would prefer to read critques of the programme instead. I dont know about anybody else.

So you drive on the hard shoulder also? With a tractor too?

P.s. Is the TV programme not about the law and the way it's enforced or not as the case maybe?

cml387 · 30-06-2009 06:45PM

Back on topic,

Why are all the faces pixellated, including the Romanian guy who failed to turn up in court and is now presumed to have left the juridstiction?

Either it's a failure of nerve or couldn't be assed getting rlease permission.

Damien360 · 30-06-2009 09:07PM

cml387 wrote: »

Back on topic,

Why are all the faces pixellated, including the Romanian guy who failed to turn up in court and is now presumed to have left the juridstiction?

Either it's a failure of nerve or couldn't be assed getting rlease permission.

You are innocent until proven guilty and libel laws.

And, the Romanian can get the best of barristers here at the taxpayers expense.

mondeo · 30-06-2009 10:05PM

Damien360 wrote: »

You are innocent until proven guilty and libel laws.

And, the Romanian can get the best of barristers here at the taxpayers expense.

+1

mikkael · 01-07-2009 01:42PM

cml387 wrote: »

Back on topic,

Why are all the faces pixellated, including the Romanian guy who failed to turn up in court and is now presumed to have left the juridstiction?

Either it's a failure of nerve or couldn't be assed getting rlease permission.

It's quite possible they're calling a Roma person a "Romanian" here. It bugs the hell out of Romanians, because when the Roma peeps get bad press everyone assumes it's them. There are lots of Roma in Spain, Italy etc. yet they're not called "Spanish" or "Italian".

I think it's important to make the distinction. But hang on, that's racist isn't it? ... um ... well unless Irish people in Britain are British just because there's a lot of them, no I don't think so. Do gooders have it this way.

Big Nasty · 01-07-2009 01:53PM

mikkael wrote: »

It's quite possible they're calling a Roma person a "Romanian" here. It bugs the hell out of Romanians, because when the Roma peeps get bad press everyone assumes it's them. There are lots of Roma in Spain, Italy etc. yet they're not called "Spanish" or "Italian".

I think it's important to make the distinction. But hang on, that's racist isn't it? ... um ... well unless Irish people in Britain are British just because there's a lot of them, no I don't think so. Do gooders have it this way.

OT but I totally agree mikkael. Spent a good bit of time in Romania and there is a huge distiction between Romanian's and Roma, in fact IIRC the Roma originated in Egypt and Romanian's in Dacia, obv with 'Roman' influences!

Preset No.3 · 01-07-2009 02:28PM

After 3 episodes, I am disappointed. It looks like Garda Management did their very best not to show any real policing. The incident in Donegal where 5 members took an hour to sort out 1 old man was a dreadful waste of money and manpower! If we had been watching an american show, the cops would have pulled the old man out of the car in under 5 minutes and not pander to someone not co-operating with the police. A lousy €400 fine and driving ban. For the complete waste of time and his actions, he deserved a sentence.

OldmanMondeo · 01-07-2009 02:36PM

Preset No.3 wrote: »

After 3 episodes, I am disappointed. It looks like Garda Management did their very best not to show any real policing. The incident in Donegal where 5 members took an hour to sort out 1 old man was a dreadful waste of money and manpower! If we had been watching an american show, the cops would have pulled the old man out of the car in under 5 minutes and not pander to someone not co-operating with the police. A lousy €400 fine and driving ban. For the complete waste of time and his actions, he deserved a sentence.

While I agree with you on that the drunk driver should have been removed with force, rather that waste 2.5 hours for Garda time, I do think it also shows the b0llix that the Gurad's have to put up with. Also guessing the age of the old lad, he probably won't be back on the road again, well with a license anyway.

McSpud · 01-07-2009 02:44PM

mikkael wrote: »

It's quite possible they're calling a Roma person a "Romanian" here. It bugs the hell out of Romanians, because when the Roma peeps get bad press everyone assumes it's them.

TV show said Romanian so we are not to know what ethnic group he was from.

donvito99 · 01-07-2009 09:11PM

Preset No.3 wrote: »

After 3 episodes, I am disappointed. It looks like Garda Management did their very best not to show any real policing. The incident in Donegal where 5 members took an hour to sort out 1 old man was a dreadful waste of money and manpower! If we had been watching an american show, the cops would have pulled the old man out of the car in under 5 minutes and not pander to someone not co-operating with the police.

Probably would have shot him to...

Preset No.3 · 01-07-2009 11:43PM

The man should have been tasered and removed out of the car. an hour, jesus lads. He disrespected the law, the uniform and the garda themselves. He regretted his actions the following week!? He wouldve regretted if he had been pulled form the car, pinned to the ground and cuffed!

Yes I know Garda put up with a lot of ****, but whos to say that if the camera wasnt there we wouldve have a much different story?

TheNog · 02-07-2009 10:26AM

Preset No.3 wrote: »

The man should have been tasered and removed out of the car. an hour, jesus lads. He disrespected the law, the uniform and the garda themselves. He regretted his actions the following week!? He wouldve regretted if he had been pulled form the car, pinned to the ground and cuffed!

Yes I know Garda put up with a lot of ****, but whos to say that if the camera wasnt there we wouldve have a much different story?

Tasered?? Are you mad?

This man was described as elderly for Gods sake and was not being violent at all. I have seen vids of U.S. Police using tasers on people who are just being unco-operative and not in anyway violent. IMO thats just lazy policing.

The best part of the hour used to take that man from his car would have been waiting for the arrival of the van. Remember this was a weekend night and the van could have been offloading a prisoner at the station or have to travel some distance (or both) to reach the scene.

Padraig Mor · 02-07-2009 11:07AM

TheNog wrote: »

The best part of the hour used to take that man from his car would have been waiting for the arrival of the van. Remember this was a weekend night and the van could have been offloading a prisoner at the station or have to travel some distance (or both) to reach the scene.

IIRC it was an hour (or more) before they even called the van, no?

Stephen · 02-07-2009 11:58AM

Didn't they say they spent a total of 2.5 hours on that guy?

Buffman · 02-07-2009 08:55PM

Loveless wrote: »

Mario on 'Gift Grub' got a whole sketch out of the program this morning on the radio.

Ye, pretty funny. The podcast is online here

TheNog · 03-07-2009 12:26AM

Padraig Mor wrote: »

IIRC it was an hour (or more) before they even called the van, no?

Doubt they would spend an hour before calling the van. With or without a camera crew present

Stephen wrote: »

Didn't they say they spent a total of 2.5 hours on that guy?

From the time of arrest to time of release it can take an 1 hour to 1.5 hour when taking a breath sample.

That would include

travel to station
giving details to S.O.
20 mins observation period
giving 2 breath samples
charge and bail (if fail)

Traffic Corps Program on RTE

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