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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

Japer wrote: »

hellomynameis wrote: »

We were never told to not charge taxi drivers, paramedics or firefighters.

let everone else - the little people - pay for the perks of the big boys.

How exactly am I paying for a coffee a guard gets for free?

bob50

I wouldnt worry about the Gardai getting free tae coffee

The real thing is the Gardai get free drink in certain bars around the city with no restriction on the licening hours i.e after 11.30pm mon to thurs and 12.30 on friday / saturday the beauty of this is the pub in question wont have any hassle from the Garda with anyone drinking afterhours or any grief from anyone thinking of holding up the pub as if anything happens the boss rings the local station and the garda will be there as quick as anything

RMD

Japer wrote: »

So if its ok for petrol stations / pubs to give "free" drinks to Gardai, is it ok for developers to give politicians / planners "free" gifts too?

Politicians can perform political favours for people. What form of favour can a Garda provide to a petrol station rather than regularly stop there for something like coffee?

hellomynameis

And as for them being willing to pay and just taking a perk of the job, A new girl tried to charge a guard for the food and he told her "oh we dont pay", That could just be my side of the country but I doubt it.

Boombastic

RMD wrote: »

Politicians can perform political favours for people. What form of favour can a Garda provide to a petrol station rather than regularly stop there for something like coffee?

Catches worker of filling station speeding - ah go on sure no ticket;)

Parked illegally?;) No worries
Drunk and disorderly - home with ya;)

I could go on

Local-womanizer

Boombastic wrote: »

RMD wrote: »

Politicians can perform political favours for people. What form of favour can a Garda provide to a petrol station rather than regularly stop there for something like coffee?

Catches worker of filling station speeding - ah go on sure no ticket;)

Parked illegally?;) No worries
Drunk and disorderly - home with ya;)

I could go on

All pure speculation, plus a guard wouldn't risk his career should he let a drunk driver go to kill someone further on up the road.

Provide proper evidence of any of this happening.

It wasn't me!

Boombastic wrote: »

Catches worker of filling station speeding - ah go on sure no ticket;)

Parked illegally?;) No worries
Drunk and disorderly - home with ya;)

I could go on

But of course, you have absolutely no proof of that, or that the coffee is the definitive factor. The same might very well apply just because the guard in question feels like it, or because they're pleasant, or for whatever reason. The same thing could happen to someone who never did anything for the guard in question. What you're doing is throwing out hypothetical solutions as if they're the norm, while failing to produce any support for them.

MagicSean

Sorcha16 wrote: »

I think the point is though that the Gardaí should make people feel safe without giving them free anything. It's their job and they get paid to make people feel safe. There should be no coercion required

You need to look up the definition of coercian

Boombastic wrote: »

Ok my mistake. Can you clarify how gifts and benefits in kind are taxed?

You need to reread the code of ethics you subscribed to

Code of ethics doesn't say anything about what makes people feel safe.

donegal_man

When I was a student I worked gathering glasses and later behind the bar in a well known night club, there was never any question of charging a member of AGS admission and they always got their first drink free right up until the night the place was raided for serving after hours. The look on the boss's face was an absolute picture!

Intensive Care Bear

A few years ago one of my friends worked in Supermacs in Galway, the first night he was on the tills a few Gardaí came in and ordered a load of food, my mate went to charge them. They looked at him like he was a rapist and then one of them asked if the manager was working. The manager came out and they were sent on their way with free food. My mate was then told by the manager to never charge a Garda because if there was ever trouble they might need to call them.

Also one of the girls my friends back home hang around with is a garda and she says she never pays into nightclubs, just flashes id and walks in.

Free entry to clubs and free food, sounds good to me.

Senna

The hotel i work in used to give a free lunch to some of the "regulars" guards that came in during Christmas week. Considering we would be calling them a good few times every year to sort out trouble etc, i think its a small token of appreciation.

Victor

cursai wrote: »

Workers on Tesco or clothes shops get discounts. Its disgraceful....

That's because they work there. :rolleyes:

Gardaí get issued boots as part of their uniform and a boot allowance.

hellomynameis

Senna wrote: »

The hotel i work in used to give a free lunch to some of the "regulars" guards that came in during Christmas week. Considering we would be calling them a good few times every year to sort out trouble etc, i think its a small token of appreciation.

It's their job to sort out trouble

Local-womanizer

hellomynameis wrote: »

Senna wrote: »

The hotel i work in used to give a free lunch to some of the "regulars" guards that came in during Christmas week. Considering we would be calling them a good few times every year to sort out trouble etc, i think its a small token of appreciation.

It's their job to sort out trouble

It's also nice to get some thanks for doing your job from those you help. Why should a Garda be exempt from this?

I get paid in my job, regardless of what I sell. It's still nice to get a tip from a customer you helped all the same.

Boombastic

Local-womanizer wrote: »

All pure speculation, plus a guard wouldn't risk his career should he let a drunk driver go to kill someone further on up the road.

Provide proper evidence of any of this happening.

here's the evidence

Gda McGovern said the sergeant told him he did not realise who he had arrested and that Mr McParland was very good to the officers in Dromad. The garda said he was just doing his job.

The garda rang Dr Harpel Gujral in Slane, Co Meath and asked him to go to Dundalk station and take a blood or urine sample from Mr McParland. Under legislation the sample must be taken within three hours of an arrest on suspicion of drink driving.

The doctor said he was approaching Dundalk when he saw two gardai at a roadblock. He stopped and Sgt Cunningham identified himself and told Dr Gujral that what he had to say was embarrassing but that the doctor should turn back, switch off his mobile phone and go home.

He was told everything was taken care of, it was a very sensitive matter and had been given the OK at top level. His fees would be taken care off.

The doctor had turned around and was on his way back towards Slane when Sgt Cunningham drove alongside him, signalled him to stop and repeated what to do.

Probably doesn't happen as much with drink driving now, but who is to say it doesn't with 'lesser' crimes. Gardai don't exactly keep records of this happening so any evidence I have would be anecdotal, but there are many stories on this thread and google is your friend

belcampprisoner

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0020/index.html

hellomynameis

Local-womanizer wrote: »

It's also nice to get some thanks for doing your job from those you help. Why should a Garda be exempt from this?

I'm not saying they should be but why stop at a Garda, they don't thank every person who has a thankless job or who helps them out, why ONLY the garda?

Dockington

I went into topaz on the friday nd got a coffee. Went to pay and yer man said no charge cos its a bank holiday weekend. I threw the coffe in his face and called him an unscrupulous bribing bastard. Actually i said you sure? He said yup nd i said thanks. I wasnt even driving. Moral of the story is businesses sometimes do nice things for their customers to get them to come back. If topaz offers gardai free coffee then they will be more likely to buy their other lunch items there. I work near said topaz and see the gardai spending plenty of money in there apart from filling up.

Boombastic

hellomynameis wrote: »

I'm not saying they should be but why stop at a Garda, they don't thank every person who has a thankless job or who helps them out, why ONLY the garda?

No teachers and others should be included aswell

Local-womanizer

Boombastic wrote: »

Probably doesn't happen as much with drink driving now, but who is to say it doesn't with 'lesser' crimes. Gardai don't exactly keep records of this happening so any evidence I have would be anecdotal, but there are many stories on this thread and google is your friend

I'm sorry, anecdotal evidence is not enough, I cannot be held accountable for anything on anecdotal evidence, why should a guard.

And stories on this thread don't count.

Anyway, what has that got to do with tea or coffee? Did that drink driving case stem from free coffee? Somehow I doubt it.

Local-womanizer

Boombastic wrote: »

hellomynameis wrote: »

I'm not saying they should be but why stop at a Garda, they don't thank every person who has a thankless job or who helps them out, why ONLY the garda?

No teachers and others should be included aswell

Firemen and paramedics get the same treatment, again and again! It has been said numerous times here.

Boombastic

Local-womanizer wrote: »

I'm sorry, anecdotal evidence is not enough, I cannot be held accountable for anything on anecdotal evidence, why should a guard.

And stories on this thread don't count.

Anyway, what has that got to do with tea or coffee? Did that drink driving case stem from free coffee? Somehow I doubt it.

Why should they get anything free or special treatment? It puts them in the position where they can be seen to be accepting favours in return for keeping an eye on the place. Nice to see you ignored the link:rolleyes:

Gda McGovern said the sergeant told him he did not realise who he had arrested and that Mr McParland was very good to the officers in Droma

Local-womanizer

Boombastic wrote: »

Local-womanizer wrote: »

I'm sorry, anecdotal evidence is not enough, I cannot be held accountable for anything on anecdotal evidence, why should a guard.

And stories on this thread don't count.

Anyway, what has that got to do with tea or coffee? Did that drink driving case stem from free coffee? Somehow I doubt it.

Why should they get anything free or special treatment? It puts them in the position where they can be seen to be accepting favours in return for keeping an eye on the place. Nice to see you ignored the link:rolleyes:

Gda McGovern said the sergeant told him he did not realise who he had arrested and that Mr McParland was very good to the officers in Droma

Don't start accusations about ignoring posts.

What about the many thousand gardai who avail of free tea, that apply the law equally.

It only puts them in that position in the eyes of people who blow things out of proportion.

It is a cup of tea.

A handful of gardai don't make a whole organisation....

Boombastic

Local-womanizer wrote: »

Don't start accusations about ignoring posts.

What about the many thousand gardai who avail of free tea, that apply the law equally.

It only puts them in that position in the eyes of people who blow things out of proportion.

It is a cup of tea.

A handful of gardai don't make a whole organisation....

But it's not all pure speculation as you put it. People who do favours for the garda get favours from the garda. It's not about the coffee, it's about freebies in generalmakes them less impartial. I have pointed out one case where they were caught applying their favoritism, so it can't be said that it doesn't happen.

A handful of garda abusing it is a handful too much. Why leave it open to abuse? Where is the line drawn?

steddyeddy

Local-womanizer wrote: »

Don't start accusations about ignoring posts.

What about the many thousand gardai who avail of free tea, that apply the law equally.

It only puts them in that position in the eyes of people who blow things out of proportion.

It is a cup of tea.

A handful of gardai don't make a whole organisation....

You see my problem with the force is that the handful of gardai are tolerated by the force as a whole.

Turner

There is only one person keeping this thread alive.

And again and again he is focusing it on Gardai.

Despite the fact that evidence has been givben that certain petrol stations offer free Coffee to Gardai, Paramedics, Firemen, anybody in uniform, people who hold fuel cards, drivers on bank holidays... to name a few.

Another Garda bashing thread :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Boombastic

Turner wrote: »

There is only one person keeping this thread alive.

And again and again he is focusing it on Gardai.

Despite the fact that evidence has been givben that certain petrol stations offer free Coffee to Gardai, Paramedics, Firemen, anybody in uniform, people who hold fuel cards, drivers on bank holidays... to name a few.

Another Garda bashing thread :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Have you read the title of the thread? or even any of the posts?

Turner

Boombastic wrote: »

Have you read the title of the thread? or even any of the posts?

Yes.

I have suffered your posts up until now.

Boombastic

Turner wrote: »

Yes.

I have suffered your posts up until now.

You don't have to read them:rolleyes:

Turner

Boombastic wrote: »

You don't have to read them:rolleyes:

You are right.

Goodluck.