Is this a motoring offence?

Del2005 · 07-02-2014 02:34AM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

They also ignore lane discipline, red lights, double yellows, see clamping as a sort of dare, speed limits as advisory, any sort of law enforcement as something to be beaten rather than obeyed, traffic signs as decoration, the NCT as a nuisance, driving licences as optional, tax something to be dodged, in short, Ireland is a giant bumper car track to many people.
The Irish would go out of their way to break petty rules, but would never openly and publicly stand up for big matters of principle in case the neighbours might see them and there is a chance of embarrassment.
So we just spray people, park in P&C spaces and break any other little rule we possibly can as long as no one sees us.

Being honest no Irish road user obeys our laws. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists break nearly all our laws every journey. Lack of enforcement is the problem which leads to all road users ignoring the vast majority of our laws. You can't just tar one group of road users as law breakers, all road users break the law.

arleitiss · 07-02-2014 03:31AM

I would not even try swerve to avoid the puddle in wet conditions, cba to get a skid and knock few cars out. (with my luck, this is the possible scenario)

Chris_Heilong · 07-02-2014 03:38AM

Both cars and pedestrians should watch where they are going IMO. I have been both and know if there was a puddle by the side of the road to avoid it incase a car came flying down the road and didnt see it.

wonski · 07-02-2014 03:39AM

arleitiss wrote: »

I would not even try swerve to avoid the puddle in wet conditions, cba to get a skid and knock few cars out. (with my luck driving skills , this is the possible scenario)

Fixed for you - you are not supposed to swerve and knock cars or pedestrians out, there are other options out there, aren't there

arleitiss · 07-02-2014 03:47AM

wonski wrote: »

Fixed for you - you are not supposed to swerve and knock cars or pedestrians out, there are other options out there, aren't there

When I walk on street and get splashed I don't immediately run to police and cry like a little bitch it's a common sense not to be near puddle beside road.

Yeah, not swerve just go into oncoming traffic lane, crash two cars but let the pedestrians be dry, no thanks.

Also you probably have to be going 5 km/h not to splash anyone, in all other cases for me even when leaving my parking lot slowly, the puddles splashed all around.

No Pants · 07-02-2014 08:13AM

arleitiss wrote: »

Yeah, not swerve just go into oncoming traffic lane, crash two cars but let the pedestrians be dry, no thanks.

You should get the brakes on your car fixed.

keithclancy · 07-02-2014 08:44AM

Del2005 wrote: »

Being honest no Irish road user obeys our laws. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists break nearly all our laws every journey. Lack of enforcement is the problem which leads to all road users ignoring the vast majority of our laws. You can't just tar one group of road users as law breakers, all road users break the law.

This is the same in every country in the world

dr.fuzzenstein · 07-02-2014 10:06AM

Del2005 wrote: »

Being honest no Irish road user obeys our laws. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists break nearly all our laws every journey. Lack of enforcement is the problem which leads to all road users ignoring the vast majority of our laws. You can't just tar one group of road users as law breakers, all road users break the law.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Didn't mean to say only one group, pretty much anything goes by anyone.
It even affects me, the speedlimit is optional as are amber lights.
I still can't bring myself to ignore any kind of markings on car parks and just abandon the car across 3 P&C spaces, block yellow boxes, enter roundabouts in the wrong lane, pass out a line of traffic and boot it past them in a turning lane, abuse bus lanes, but give me a few more years and I'll abandon my car in the middle of a junction and hop out to buy smokes and lottery tickets. And I don't even smoke or play the lotto.
In Germany you just wouldn't do that kind of crap, because a: your parents would have told you better, b: there is some real enforcement there and c: if a or b are not applicable, other people actually walk over to you and tell you off, threaten to call the authorities on you.
If a,b and c still don't grip, you will find out that there are some real consequences.
The Irish thing of laughing it off or trying to bully the other person won't work.
Of course there are people who break the rules, but it's seen as an exception, rather as the norm, like here.

Tea 1000 · 07-02-2014 10:26AM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Don't you mean Sebastian and Michael?

Vettel and Loeb. I'd put those as the best two currently.

Red Kev · 07-02-2014 10:27AM

It's an offence in Ireland, though rarely prosecuted, I think it falls under driving without due care and attention. How I know this:

A friend of my mothers was walking her two grandkids home from school, she was splashed by a car, all three of them soaked, two witnesses reckoned it was avoidable. She rang the Gardai, they had a chat with the driver, said if he doesn't sort it our with her he would be prosecuted for it. He was very apologetic about it (she reckoned it was not malicously done) and he gave her about €200 to cover dry cleaning, inconvenience (I think they got a taxi home) and to treat the kids as an apology. This happened in Carrick-on-Shannon about 5 or 6 years ago.

It's an offence Norway and a few other places, you get fined, points and you have to pay costs such as cleaning etc.

slimjimmc · 07-02-2014 10:45AM

Red Kev wrote: »

It's an offence in Ireland, though rarely prosecuted, I think it falls under driving without due care and attention. How I know this:

Yep, I'd be surprised if it wasn't considered a Careless Driving offence, doesn't have to be on a public road either.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1961/en/act/pub/0024/sec0052.html#sec52

Careless driving.

52.—(1) A person shall not drive a vehicle in a public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the place.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence.

keithclancy · 07-02-2014 11:21AM

arleitiss wrote: »

Yeah, not swerve just go into oncoming traffic lane, crash two cars but let the pedestrians be dry, no thanks.

.

If you have to swerve or brake suddenly or end up drenching a load of people by the side of the road you were driving too fast anyway.

Slow down and you won't have a problem.

dr.fuzzenstein · 07-02-2014 11:32AM

arleitiss wrote: »

I would not even try swerve to avoid the puddle in wet conditions, cba to get a skid and knock few cars out. (with my luck, this is the possible scenario)

I think your car possibly has a dangerous defect if it skids when you change direction during normal town driving. Or your driving is at fault.
Have a look at drifting. You're actually not supposed to drive like that on a public road, just in case you got that wrong.
I drive through Limerick every day and there's plenty of puddles and pedestrians.
You would be amazed at the amount of times I masterly avoid those and not crash in a giant ball of fire, killing 17 people.
So your car is either a death trap or you are a dangerously incompetent and reckless driver.
Unless you're talking about rally driving or drifting, in that case you're fine, but we are talking about town driving, a bit of shopping, dropping the kids off, that sort of thing. No burnouts and sideways action here.

bmstuff · 07-02-2014 12:47PM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Didn't mean to say only one group, pretty much anything goes by anyone.
It even affects me, the speedlimit is optional as are amber lights.
I still can't bring myself to ignore any kind of markings on car parks and just abandon the car across 3 P&C spaces, block yellow boxes, enter roundabouts in the wrong lane, pass out a line of traffic and boot it past them in a turning lane, abuse bus lanes, but give me a few more years and I'll abandon my car in the middle of a junction and hop out to buy smokes and lottery tickets. And I don't even smoke or play the lotto.
In Germany you just wouldn't do that kind of crap, because a: your parents would have told you better, b: there is some real enforcement there and c: if a or b are not applicable, other people actually walk over to you and tell you off, threaten to call the authorities on you.
If a,b and c still don't grip, you will find out that there are some real consequences.
The Irish thing of laughing it off or trying to bully the other person won't work.
Of course there are people who break the rules, but it's seen as an exception, rather as the norm, like here.

Bad drivers affect all of us. I was raised in Germany, I know the rules, I know the education, I had to take my bicycle exam at 12, I was later trained up by military and civilian staff to get my license, i was trained up the hardway, yelled at in my ears at any single mistake. I was trained up at tactical driving too. So yeah I am an excellent driver, not a racing driver, but I know my way around and always respect signs. It is all down to the environment, many people drive very close to each other. Myself I always keep my distance from the vehicles in front of me. The reason being is that if I need to get out quickly, I need the space in front of me. Have you ever beeing threatened with a gun at the windows? I have. At several occasions. Have you ever been ramed in the rear and taken out at gun point to get the content of the car? I have. I know the drill.
When I say you can't always avoid a puddle, I speak the truth, and it had nothing to do with being unfit for driving, nor drifting on the road (why would you even bring that up).
Yes you can be careful, truth is irish roads and sewer systems are poorly maitained.
Crossing a puddle at 20 kmh could generate a big wave and splah pedestrians.
Yes sh1t happens.
Should you stop to help. Yes.

keithclancy · 07-02-2014 01:10PM

bmstuff wrote: »

Bad drivers affect all of us. I was raised in Germany, I know the rules, I know the education, I had to take my bicycle exam at 12, I was later trained up by military and civilian staff to get my license, i was trained up the hardway, yelled at in my ears at any single mistake. I was trained up at tactical driving too. So yeah I am an excellent driver, not a racing driver, but I know my way around and always respect signs. It is all down to the environment, many people drive very close to each other. Myself I always keep my distance from the vehicles in front of me. The reason being is that if I need to get out quickly, I need the space in front of me. Have you ever beeing threatened with a gun at the windows? I have. At several occasions. Have you ever been ramed in the rear and taken out at gun point to get the content of the car? I have. I know the drill.
When I say you can't always avoid a puddle, I speak the truth, and it had nothing to do with being unfit for driving, nor drifting on the road (why would you even bring that up).
Yes you can be careful, truth is irish roads and sewer systems are poorly maitained.
Crossing a puddle at 20 kmh could generate a big wave and splah pedestrians.
Yes sh1t happens.
Should you stop to help. Yes.

:pac:

Best entertainment all day

YOU WEREN'T THERE MAN ...YOU WEREN'T THERE ... YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN.

Stepping Stone · 07-02-2014 01:13PM

When I was in college, there was a man who used to take great pleasure in splashing as many pedestrians as possible along college road in Cork. You would see the bastard laughing as he drove on. One morning, as he was up to his usual antics, the Gardai pulled him over for a little chat. They had been waiting for him. No doubt someone reported him, or he drenched the wet person.

Long story short, I saw him drive very carefully along that road after that, there was also regularly a Garda presence there too, which may have been coincidental or not. Not so coincidentally, I say his car parked in town one day and it had been seriously badly keyed. I presume that his ignorance extended well beyond splashing pedestrians.

As for avoiding waling beside puddles, clearly you don't do much walking, because most gullys get blocked easily and rainwater collects beside footpaths.:rolleyes:

dr.fuzzenstein · 07-02-2014 01:28PM

bmstuff wrote: »

Bad drivers affect all of us. I was raised in Germany, I know the rules, I know the education, I had to take my bicycle exam at 12, I was later trained up by military and civilian staff to get my license, i was trained up the hardway, yelled at in my ears at any single mistake. I was trained up at tactical driving too. So yeah I am an excellent driver, not a racing driver, but I know my way around and always respect signs. It is all down to the environment, many people drive very close to each other. Myself I always keep my distance from the vehicles in front of me. The reason being is that if I need to get out quickly, I need the space in front of me. Have you ever beeing threatened with a gun at the windows? I have. At several occasions. Have you ever been ramed in the rear and taken out at gun point to get the content of the car? I have. I know the drill.
When I say you can't always avoid a puddle, I speak the truth, and it had nothing to do with being unfit for driving, nor drifting on the road (why would you even bring that up).
Yes you can be careful, truth is irish roads and sewer systems are poorly maitained.
Crossing a puddle at 20 kmh could generate a big wave and splah pedestrians.
Yes sh1t happens.
Should you stop to help. Yes.

No Pants · 07-02-2014 01:52PM

bmstuff wrote: »

Have you ever beeing threatened with a gun at the windows? I have. At several occasions. Have you ever been ramed in the rear and taken out at gun point to get the content of the car? I have. I know the drill.

bmstuff wrote: »

When I say you can't always avoid a puddle, I speak the truth

So, guns, ram raids, etc. you can handle, but a static pool of water is your Achilles' heel?

H3llR4iser · 07-02-2014 01:52PM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

They also ignore lane discipline, red lights, double yellows, see clamping as a sort of dare, speed limits as advisory, any sort of law enforcement as something to be beaten rather than obeyed, traffic signs as decoration, the NCT as a nuisance, driving licences as optional, tax something to be dodged, in short, Ireland is a giant bumper car track to many people.
The Irish would go out of their way to break petty rules, but would never openly and publicly stand up for big matters of principle in case the neighbours might see them and there is a chance of embarrassment.
So we just spray people, park in P&C spaces and break any other little rule we possibly can as long as no one sees us.

I see your point and I agree, but there's a bit more to it when it comes to driving.

Compared to many other countries in the EU, Irish drivers do actually observe the rules. It might not be enough, certainly. But in my view the problem is that get in the "staring ahead" attitude at the wheel, becoming completely unprepared to face unpredictable conditions nor consider the environment. In this context, splashing a pedestrian is a great example; the drivers simply fail to acknowledge an environmental change (puddle) and ignore it. It is something that runs much deeper than just rule observation, I'm afraid...

JerCotter7 · 07-02-2014 01:56PM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

It's time to ditch the thread. Or even Boards. Maybe the internet altogether. Nah, make that the human race.
There is a certain creature that inhabits motors these days, usually prone to making an argument which doesn't actually reflect their own opinion purely for the purpose of causing a row.
As soon as someone argues that purposely splashing pedestrians (and I don't buy your can't see it/can't slow down crap for one second) is perfectly alright, you know what you're dealing with, you know that your arguments will be ignored and all you will get is more obnoxiousness.
I sometimes make the mistake of trying to argue, which has gotten me on more ignore lists than I care to mention and banned on several occasions.
The difference is that I argue for what I believe in, which is the wrong strategy and gets you banned and ignored, because people don't like coherent and intelligent arguments. They want to be obnoxious and ignorant. That is perfectly OK nowadays.
I simply pity the poor fools who come here and post a question, expecting a serious answer.
A million monkeys bashing away on typewriters could theoretically create the greatest novel ever written, the internet has disproved that theory.

Is your horse high enough? Going by your later posts it looks like you are just trying to cause an argument.

dr.fuzzenstein · 07-02-2014 02:23PM

JerCotter7 wrote: »

Is your horse high enough? Going by your later posts it looks like you are just trying to cause an argument.

It's people who argue that avoiding puddles in order not to splash pedestrians is completely impossible and therefore they won't do it who are out to cause an argument.
I'm simply happy to provide them with one. I simply have a problem with disingenuous arguments.

JerCotter7 · 07-02-2014 02:37PM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

It's people who argue that avoiding puddles in order not to splash pedestrians is completely impossible and therefore they won't do it who are out to cause an argument.
I'm simply happy to provide them with one. I simply have a problem with disingenuous arguments.

Except most people are saying you can avoid them. Just the odd time you can't.

dr.fuzzenstein · 07-02-2014 02:41PM

JerCotter7 wrote: »

Except most people are saying you can avoid them. Just the odd time you can't.

Most people, yes. Any sane person would say that.
I just can't understand how anyone could they they can't/won't do that.
Unless they're taking the piss. Maybe I misunderstood some posters humorous intentions.

keithclancy · 07-02-2014 02:43PM

JerCotter7 wrote: »

Except most people are saying you can avoid them. Just the odd time you can't.

I was in a colleagues car once, he did this by accident just in a lapse of concentration.

He stopped, went back and apologised and offered to pay the dry cleaning bill.

It's the "arra it was your fault for being in the way" that's the annoying part.

Akrasia · 07-02-2014 02:47PM

bmstuff wrote: »

What do you do in that case, slam the brakes and cause the car behind you to rear end you?
Or do you deport yourself to the other lane very quickly and cause an accident possibly too.
Hard to see the puddles of water sometimes and impossible to predict how deep it is.

Sorry but this is only water, it was probably not done maliciously, try to prove it otherwise.
As you stand on a footpath ready to cross the road and it rains like hell, just use half your brain to stay away from the big puddle of water.

There's always one :eek:

Chris_Heilong · 07-02-2014 03:02PM

keithclancy wrote: »

I was in a colleagues car once, he did this by accident just in a lapse of concentration.

He stopped, went back and apologised and offered to pay the dry cleaning bill.

It's the "arra it was your fault for being in the way" that's the annoying part.

:rolleyes:

Is this a motoring offence?

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