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Free food and Coffee for the Gardai in some establishments.

MidlandsM

...and yes, it's the establishments choice to award food and/or drinks to a member of the Gardai but my question is, should a member of the Gardai accept such like?

I was in a very busy Topaz filling station where I always see lots of member of the force having their "break" the other day. There was a long Queue waiting to pay for stuff at the tills, which I was in. I know the girl at one of the tills and I noted a discreet exchange between her and a Garda who just got a coffee and some sort of snack.....she said "you're grand,no charge" ....and he just said "thanks" .......lots of people noted the Freebie, and lots of eye's rolled to heaven....

Personally I think he should insist on paying for it.....it look like a "Stroke" Freebie to me......

what do you think?

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Local-womanizer

MidlandsM wrote: »

This thankless job bolloxology that keeps being posted........

A decent secure salary with lots of perks and a pension..........thankless me hole

With having to put up with junkies, drunks, scumbags and everything else thrown at them on a daily basis, while having no support from the judges in this country.

The pay is great, yes it is relativity secure with a good pension, but with a risk of being injured and killed on duty. And this is the case as seen in Donegal over the last few years, young gardai who put themselves in harms way to recover someone's stolen car, and paid with their life. And at the same time they are constantly vilified by many in the public.

Give them their tea and coffee ffs.

GoodisonPark

I always got a free coffee at Topaz when filling my truck and using my Topaz card , most times was asked if Id like a free muffin as well.

Boombastic

timmywex wrote: »

Work nights in a 24hour petrol station in the country. Often give away free coffee's etc to the local guards, just makes sense from a business point of view. In return ive their mobile numbers and ring them any time someone is causing a bit of hassle of whatever, theyll be there instantly, theyll check on the place a few times during the night aswell.

Likewise i give free coffee's to bus drivers, cause they bring customers, likewise delivery drivers sometimes and other people who help out the place, its good business sense!

So they do give preferential treatment for freebies

mattjack

enricoh wrote: »

i met the publican beside me in the local cop shop before crimbo last year, dropping in a box full of jemy, brandy etc. his place has plenty of late nights n never any hassle with cops knocking. good bit of business on his behalf but i think its a slippery slope

Is his pub built on an incline ?

helimachoptor

The topaz at city west always has gardai at it, I've never seen them pay. Do I have an issue with it ? No I don't. They have a ****ty job and work **** hours so if they a free cup if coffee and a few donuts let them have it tbh

timmywex

Work nights in a 24hour petrol station in the country. Often give away free coffee's etc to the local guards, just makes sense from a business point of view. In return ive their mobile numbers and ring them any time someone is causing a bit of hassle of whatever, theyll be there instantly, theyll check on the place a few times during the night aswell.

Likewise i give free coffee's to bus drivers, cause they bring customers, likewise delivery drivers sometimes and other people who help out the place, its good business sense! Actually the list is bigger, fire fighters, paramedics, god damm even road rescue for when we get broken cars coming into us!

admiralofthefleet

when i was in the pub in harolds cross i used to get a few guards. i didnt once let them have anything for free

MidlandsM

Boombastic wrote: »

and free coffee :pac:

...and snacks

Wee Willy Harris

Is it true that they must have everything shaped into a donut form else they can't swallow it? Kinda like a baby needs it's food pulped

Boombastic

MidlandsM wrote: »

This thankless job bolloxology that keeps being posted........

A decent secure salary with lots of perks and a pension..........thankless me hole

and free coffee :pac:

MidlandsM

This thankless job bolloxology that keeps being posted........

A decent secure salary with lots of perks and a pension..........thankless me hole

Janedoe10

MidlandsM wrote: »

...and yes, it's the establishments choice to award food and/or drinks to a member of the Gardai but my question is, should a member of the Gardai accept such like?

I was in a very busy Topaz filling station where I always see lots of member of the force having their "break" the other day. There was a long Queue waiting to pay for stuff at the tills, which I was in. I know the girl at one of the tills and I noted a discreet exchange between her and a Garda who just got a coffee and some sort of snack.....she said "you're grand,no charge" ....and he just said "thanks" .......lots of people noted the Freebie, and lots of eye's rolled to heaven....

Personally I think he should insist on paying for it.....it look like a "Stroke" Freebie to me......

what do you think?

As others have said here , it is up to the shop . I wouldn't be grudge them their coffee and SNAK . It's not like the guard walked off out the door with all the do-nots . He did go to the till and he must have if the cashier said no charge .

[Deleted User]

KindOfIrish wrote: »

pay me 50k + and i don't need any "thanks"! and you can abuse me as much as you want

50k+ base pay for a normal Guard on the street??? Link to the source of this please!

And even at 50k+ I wouldn't dream of doing their job...

They have a thankless job, dealing with all the crap they put up with. So what if some places give them a free cuppa or a sandwich?

If I had the guards or an electrician or any other person around giving a hand, I'd offer a cup of tea and biscuits.

I know there's days I am constantly on the go where I don't have time to make a cup of tea, let alone get lunch and those are the days that someone will step up and offer to make one: I am always grateful for people who are genuinely nice.

Boombastic

girl in the striped socks wrote: »

.........................
And really why does it bother you that much? It's coffee ffs.
There is nothing unprofessional in taking a cup of coffee if it's offered for no charge. I................

Seems to bother you more than me, afraid of loosing your perks?

Here's what went out for tender, nowhere does it mention coffee
THE SUPPLY OF AUTOMOTIVE FUELS, ENGINE LUBRICATING
OILS and CAR WASH THROUGH MEANS OF A CHARGE CARD
MECHANISM

RGDATA! wrote: »

huh?
Which one should they prioritise? What other information have we about these robberies to make a decision about who gets priority?

One gives free coffee, the other doesn't

and here's your answer

Assassin saphir wrote: »

I worked in a place where I always gave the local guards free tea, biscuit and use of our canteen at night. I worked in a 24hr store and dealt with all the dregs of society at 3am.
Why did i look after the guards??
Cos when i was getting punched, robbed or threatened they came to help as soon as I called them and often drove past to check we were ok.

Why are a lot of garda resources being direct to act as security for Shell to Sea, when crime in urban and other rural areas is going ignored, wait...who owns Topaz and how was the contract awarded?

ScumLord

suicide_circus wrote: »

you'd hope so but obviously these businesses aren't too confident about that, so they ensure a good relationship with the gardai by giving them free stuff.

I don't think it's a case of buying their favour, even if the guards were completely incorruptible it would make logical sense for them to incentivise the guards to be regularly calling to the shop for services and food. If the criminals know that at any minute a guard could show up looking for a cup of coffee their less likely to want to rob the place.

RGDATA!

Boombastic wrote: »

2 shops on the same street are robbed. Which one does the Gardai prioritise? - the one that gives them freebies of course -

huh?
Which one should they prioritise? What other information have we about these robberies to make a decision about who gets priority?

Frank Serpico

Well, I wouldn't have taken them.

_feedback_

I don't work in the tea serving business, but it makes perfect business sense to me to give a representative from your biggest customer a free one.

They are spending hundreds of thousands on fuel. A free tea seems to be a gesture encouraged by their management. It makes perfect sense to me...

Bruthal

Boombastic wrote: »

Lady behind the counter gets caught for lets say prostitution - Garda -sure it's mary form topaz, she gives us free coffee, she's grand..see you tomorrow Mary, will you throw in a roll?;)

She can ask the guard to fill her up for a change

Local-womanizer

KindOfIrish wrote: »

fishy fishy wrote: »

its because they are out doing a job that they get no thanks for, just abuse.
.

pay me 50k + and i don't need any "thanks"! and you can abuse me as much as you want

He was chatting about the gardai, not TDs!

My local station gives the AGS and paramedics free tea and coffee. Nothing wrong with it and anyone that think its wrong need to wise up, it's a cup of coffee.

KindOfIrish

Assassin saphir wrote: »

Why did i look after the guards??
Cos when i was getting punched, robbed or threatened they came to help as soon as I called them and often drove past to check we were ok.

and they do it for free. out of their kind hearts? :eek: it's our bl...dy taxes! People, are you crazy?

suicide_circus

Assassin saphir wrote: »

I worked in a place where I always gave the local guards free tea, biscuit and use of our canteen at night. I worked in a 24hr store and dealt with all the dregs of society at 3am.
Why did i look after the guards??
Cos when i was getting punched, robbed or threatened they came to help as soon as I called them and often drove past to check we were ok.

and what? if you didn't give them free stuff they would leave you to die? it's their ****ing job to come as soon as they can.
you're post actually encapsulates perfectly why this practice is troublesome

KindOfIrish

fishy fishy wrote: »

its because they are out doing a job that they get no thanks for, just abuse.
.

pay me 50k + and i don't need any "thanks"! and you can abuse me as much as you want

latenia

Assassin saphir wrote: »

Why did i look after the guards??
Cos when i was getting punched, robbed or threatened they came to help as soon as I called them and often drove past to check we were ok.

You know you already "looked after the guards" when you pay for their salary? It's a sad reflection that you see calling them about assaults and robberies as being additional to their normal duties.

suicide_circus

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I'm pretty sure they'd be doing their job regardless of whether they got the free coffee or not.

you'd hope so but obviously these businesses aren't too confident about that, so they ensure a good relationship with the gardai by giving them free stuff. No state employee should accept ANY tip, gratuity, discount or gift while on-duty or indeed while off-duty and flashing the badge, it muddys the waters.

cloptrop

Maybe topaz just puts the bill on the fuel card . Maybe if a garda puts 100 euro worth of juice in the car its fair to give them a free role and coffee which probably costs the garage 50 pence to make .

arybvtcw0eolkf

It costs a filling station money to provide us with air pumps, I've never seen anyone insist on paying for free air yet!.

Assassin saphir

I worked in a place where I always gave the local guards free tea, biscuit and use of our canteen at night. I worked in a 24hr store and dealt with all the dregs of society at 3am.
Why did i look after the guards??
Cos when i was getting punched, robbed or threatened they came to help as soon as I called them and often drove past to check we were ok.

Odysseus

mathepac wrote: »

A minimum-pay food server in a restaurant or hotel has her tax allowances cut because the Revenue "know" she gets tips. How come they don't "know" about the stuff Guards get for free and tax them on it? Is it because they are "brother" public servants and of course one hand washes the other in PS jobs.

Spot on, you nailed it there:rolleyes: I work for the addiction services you would want to see the free stuff I get. All tax free of course. FFS one hand washing another indeed.

latenia

girl in the striped socks wrote: »

How do you know it's not a deal brokered when getting the fuel contract?

There is nothing unprofessional in taking a cup of coffee if it's offered for no charge.

The only negotiations they should be making should be about getting the lowest price possible. End of story.

It is unprofessional for police to be seen taking something for free. End of story.