Biggins wrote: » There is a number of reasons why they ask you something. 1. They listen to your voice to see if your slurring your words! 2. They might be seeking someone that resides in a particular area. 3. They might actually be advising people to avoid an area once in a while and do so when they hear your direction! 4. They might be delaying you while they check out your details and try spot the tax/insurance dodgers... ...and so on! For gods sake, if all it takes to get your gall up is a simple question, you really need to grow up OP.Gardi don't particularly like standing out on cold nights, on dark roads, having to stop people - but once in a while they do actually catch folk that are out of their heads on drink and/or drugs that are driving. Folk that maybe might have otherwise got away and injured/killed someones son/daughter/mother/father! I hope its not your family effected some day OP. ...Just answer the question, drive on and get on with your life!
Dotsie~tmp wrote: » And a million more why he was right to tell him politely that its none of his business.
Fulton Crown wrote: » ...Fcukin obvious to this poster if the dislike standing out on cold nights they should have chosen another career ? Once in a while ...yeah......
Biggins wrote: » Maybe so, a person can still choose they own words in reply. Just do so on the understanding that ye must accept the consequences of ones words too. Yea, because like all jobs, they get to choose their job areas and tasks of course! :rolleyes:
Fulton Crown wrote: » My point was if they dont like standing out in the cold late at night..they might have thought of a different career. Anythin about that you don't understand ?
hondasam wrote: » I hear they have a good sense of humour, asking for phone numbers is common practise. have you ever been stopped by a guard ?
Fulton Crown wrote: » Less of the rolling eyes pal. Only a really thick guy would join the guards and think that late nights and standing out in the cold was a matter of choice. My point was if they dont like standing out in the cold late at night..they might have thought of a different career. Anythin about that you don't understand ?
zuroph wrote: » who DOES like standing out in the dark and cold?!!
robbie7730 wrote: » If you apply to be a garda, you would hardly be all that surprised if your duties involved manning a checkpoint. And it may well be in the winter.
zuroph wrote: » so, doesnt mean they have to enjoy it, they still do it! just be polite and chatty, ud be surprised how this disarms people.
zuroph wrote: » ah yeah, but its like, would these people take such offence when a shopkeeper says, "so any plans for tonight?"..
The cops is trying to have a conversation to hear how people talk, to form an opinion on drink or drugs most likely. To not want to chat back is bizarre in the least.
zuroph wrote: » I've had one or two as well, but like i said, clamming up isnt going to make it any better, the best way to disarm someone is with politeness.
Jimmy Garlic wrote: » Came across a checkpoint tonight. All well and good the usual, then the Guard asked me where I was going. I told him it was none of his business then he got a bit cranky and leisurely walked around the car with my licence in his hand to waste my time. Do they think that this is the Soviet Union or something?. What right have they to ask people where they are going?.
Sharrow wrote: » I get that it's a hard job. I get that some members of the public are arseholes. I get that dealing with scumbags isn't fun. I get that doing check points is not fun, esp when it's raining. What I don't get is the rotten attitude from some of them. I know they have proceedures but to be automatically cold and hostile when dealing with the public does nothing but harm. We got stopped at a check point not long after the random breath teating came in. It was a big enough opperation on the N3 they had both sides of the road closed off and a were stopping cars. It was 9:30pm on a wet winters night and we'd two very tired and crankly kids in the back who, knew we were 5 mins from home and were bewildered at us being stopped. The garda shining bright lights in on top of them didn't help. When the drivers window was rolled down he raced off into the prepared speak of under legistlation X and Act Y bla blah bla and I had the kids getting upset in the back. I started to explain to the kids what was going on to get yelled at to shut up, despite the fact I was in the front passenger seat and wasn't interacting with the garda. That upset the kids even more and I got told to shut the kids up. That didn't go down with me at all and I asked him for his name, number and what station he was based out of. I got told if I didn't shut up I would be arrested for disrupting a garda in doing his duty. I said fine that I was going to get into back into the back of the car with the kids to calm them down. I got told if I got out of the car it would be considered a hostile act. WTF The youngest kid was crying at this stage, freaked out as garda are ment to be helpful people. I got out of the passenger door to get into the back of the car and he called over another garda to detain me. I had enough at this stage and demanded to see the officer in charge of the check point, and when they got lippy with me said I was going to ring the local station to make a complaint and then I was going to ring garda HQ in the park were the metro section are based out of as they were being rude and terrifying kids in the back of cars. Suddenly their tune changed and I could get in the back of the car with the kids. A different garda came over to the car and did the breath test and the ignorant, arrogant prick who had stopped us stropped off. We got home I put the kids to be, both freaked out at how nasty the garda had been, seriously if he had of done something as simple as said hello/good evening to the lot of us and told the kids he was just doing a check to see how good a driver thier father was it would have made a huge difference. I did make complaints to the local super, the metro section and the garda ombudsman and was told that it was received and would be taken into consideration. Never did get that plonker's numbers, it's hard to see then on the leathers the metros wear in the day time never mind at night in the dark and the rain.
Esel wrote: » I find that taking out my pretend police notebook and making date / time (looking at watch is important here) / location / incident entries helps. Asking for a name/number is great at this point. If by some chance I don't have my notebook to hand, I resort to GS tactics - answer the question with another question. Garda: Where are you going? Me: And why would you want to know that? Garda: I'm just trying to engage you in conversation. Me: And why would that be? You get the idea. It's great gas altogether. YMMV.
the candy man wrote: » i hate it when people give out about the gardai, its being plain hypocritical because if your house is broken into or your assaulted they are going to be the first people you are going to ring. its a gardai's job to ask questions, solve crime, enforce safety on the roads, etc
robbie7730 wrote: » Some gardai are like that alright, and the percentage of gardai that are like that probably matches the percentage of the general population who go on like that. The problem is when its a garda that has that type of attitude/personality, they are in a position to abuse it more than the average person with that type of attitude.
AudreyHepburn wrote: » If a Gardai gives you an order ie. stop, pullover of course you have to obey. If he ask you a question, ok you don't have to answer but unless you have something to hard or you simply looking for an excuse to get shirty with him/her then you really have no reason not to. Some people will use any excuse to Garda-bash. In fact many will simply complain and be self righteous because they can. But its true. If you want them to be respectful and not treat you like a criminal then don't act like one! Answer them when they ask you a question instead of being rude and/or smart. Again you may not be obliged (though I'd have to look it uo to see) but it makes no sense not to cooperate unless you looking for trouble. If only it were so easy. For some reason people in this country can't jump fast enough onto the 'the gardai ignorant scum' bandwagon.
Irish Fire wrote: » Should have answered the question and gone on your way and not stressing yourself about it. You are the type of person who would be posting here if AGS were not at your door within 1 -2 min of calling them when needed. Get a life.....
Irish Fire wrote: » You are the type of person who would be posting here if AGS were not at your door within 1 -2 min of calling them when needed.
Wibbs wrote: » Shít I'd be posting here if they showed up within the hour when needed. And yes I've had to wait over 2 hours after one incident, living in suburbia half a mile from the cop shop. The ambulance arrived very quickly and took away my neighbour, a pensioner in shock after a burglary. A good mate watched a bunch of scumbags take their time(over the course of 30 minutes or so) breaking into 4 cars one after the other in another suburban estate, again not too far from a police station while they an others rang for the Guards. They showed up the next morning, being about as much use as teats on a bicycle. I've a pretty long list of experiences with only a few positives. Not nearly enough IMHO. I'm no junkie who's "known to the Guards" or any of that, I've never been in trouble with them. Actually thats not quite true. I had one bogus speeding ticket I had quashed. Well it's hard to speed when you're not in the country at the time and neither is the car... I have had some positive experiences, but like I say ranged against the negatives... well more like neutrals where they might as well have stayed in the station TBH. I've had dealings with both the Fire Service and the Ambulance service and both were above and beyond the call and very professional while managing not to be knobends. I do agree with not being a knobend myself about it. Answer the question, be polite and go about your day.
Wibbs wrote: » a pretty clear rape case