Checkpoints... do they catch many?

johnr1 · 23-07-2013 12:34PM

awec wrote: »

The last two checkpoints I have seen have been on one way roads with no roads to turn off, so it wouldn't matter if you saw them in the distance - you had nowhere to go.

I have seen them have checkpoints with a flatbed truck sitting parked up, and cars parked behind it that they had obviously confiscated.

Don't see what use a "flatbed" would be to them in that situation. A beavertail would be what they'd need.

phasers · 23-07-2013 12:41PM

One time I was going through a checkpoint with no NCT and out of date tax. I was bricking it, but then the garda pulled the car in front of me in and I got to drive straight through! :cool:

danger mouse · 23-07-2013 01:44PM

endacl wrote: »

I really don't know why they bother with checkpoints for tax/insurance/nct. Would it not be simpler and far more efficient to have a walk through the country's shopping centre carparks on any given Saturday? Those cars were all driven on the public road to get there, and they wouldn't cause those 'down-to-one-lane' checkpoint queues. One Guard with a radio could cover hundreds of cars in an afternoon, instead of tying up a whole shift plus vehicles.

Keep checkpoints for drink testing obviously. And no harm casting an eye over the discs while they're at it, but surely there's a better way of checking the revenue stuff?

Traffic wardens for the county councils do this. They walk around the public car parks and roads side parking spots in towns, checking for parking tickets and out of date tax discs. They issue a fine if your tax is out of date.

awec · 23-07-2013 02:02PM

johnr1 wrote: »

Don't see what use a "flatbed" would be to them in that situation. A beavertail would be what they'd need.

I bow to your superior knowledge of trucks.

:P

Caliden · 23-07-2013 02:30PM

They're doing it all wrong, if they want to catch people they need to start setting them up on the roads out of industrial estates.

In Galway they set up a checking at the Ballybane Ind. estate and had revenue & Gardai there to confiscate and issue fines for non paid VRT/ no tax / insurance / nct. Caught a load of people and rightly so in my opinion.

Say what you want about motor tax/nct/insurance being too expensive/pointless/etc. but the fact of the matter is, that's the law and if you don't like it then you can avoid paying them but don't freak out when you get caught.

minotour · 23-07-2013 02:36PM

Uriel. wrote: »

I hate that bull**** trotted out about Gardai shouldn't be doing X, y or Z because it distracts them from "serious" issues.

Gardai are there to enforce the law no matter how trivial you might think it is (not that tax or insurance are trivial matters)

You'd swear that unless it's murder or rape, no other crime matters and we should all just go ahead and do what we like

Well said, agree with you wholeheartedly, its about time someone had the balls to say it. No murder or rape now lads, down with that sort of thing, everything else is grand though.

....if only.

Nemeses · 23-07-2013 02:37PM

I haven't seen a checkpoint in a good couple of years.

However, My windscreen is now fully legal... Why is there not a checkpoint so I can show off

carzony · 23-07-2013 07:25PM

Deleted User wrote: »

How seriously do they take not having NCT?

Not seriously, I'v had no nct for the past 6 months and most don't say anything about it. The odd time i'v had them ask, I just say I'll get it sorted soon and i'm waved on. Tax and insurance is the big thing.

The majority of Guards and decent enough folks and because of that I'd imagine they don't like taking cars off people. Especially mothers with kids, young students and older people. For me having nct/tax is there just incase you catch a guard on a bad day.

Checkpoints are regular enough around clondalkin/lucan/ballyfermot from my experience. If they did go crazy and started collecting cars properly the government would make a fortune off of it:D

Bench Press wrote: »

If they spot someone doing a u-turn or dodging them coming up to a checkpoint and go after them, they are in deep ****

Somthing similar happened to me one night, My mate lives in a cul-de-sac and the gardai were doing a checkpoint just after it. So I was coming down the road and turned in, Went into my friends house for 10 minutes and as I left, I turned the opposite direction to the checkpoint. Next thing I know an unmarked corolla and a RSU Unmarked mondeo over takes me and blocks me in. Got the fright of my life. Maybe the car I was driving matched a description or somthing.

becost · 23-07-2013 07:39PM

I was driving down the north circular one night and was approaching the junction near the five lamps. Noticed traffic was backed up but thought nothing of it, then turned the corner and about four cars in front of me was a checkpoint. Knowing that i had no tax, no insurance, no NCT, no license or any way to avoid it, the blood rushed out of my head. It was midnight and the garda was going right up to the windscreens with a maglight to check the discs. As I watched him carefully check each car in front, I was desperately trying to think what to say but knew there was no way out of this. After he finished checking the car in front of me, for some reason that I'll never know, he gestured me to move on. :eek:

I looked in the rear view mirror and he was right up at the windscreen of the car behind me with his maglight. One of the weirdest things that ever happened to me.

Galwayguy35 · 23-07-2013 08:02PM

The Guards are down the road from me 24/7 but they are parked by the side of the road to stop them cutting turf, some people were giving out that it's taking them away from traffic duty.

As regards checkpoints the last one I saw was in Craughwell about a year ago.

mistermano · 23-07-2013 08:08PM

im out the country

people drinkin and drivin 7 nites a week

the odd time a DD checkpoint goes up

the local taxis have word straight back to all pubs on grouptext

loads of people got no nct doe tax... for like years out of date

mistermano · 23-07-2013 08:13PM

the checkpoints always go on the main roads

anyone got no road tax ,insurance just detours on back roads

Bench Press · 23-07-2013 08:49PM

whatever about no nct and no tax, driving without insurance is very foolhardy

Red Pepper · 23-07-2013 09:17PM

Bench Press wrote: »

whatever about no nct and no tax, driving without insurance is very foolhardy

Look around lads. Reckon quarter of cars are not taxed to date.

marialouise · 23-07-2013 11:20PM

Nemeses wrote: »

I haven't seen a checkpoint in a good couple of years.

However, My windscreen is now fully legal... Why is there not a checkpoint so I can show off

I get such a buzz from going through a checkpoint with all the bits up to date! Usually chasing my tail with one of them.... although I have to admit I get a bit of a kick too out of getting waved on despite one disc being blatantly out of date

Checkpoints... do they catch many?

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