When will the Gardai do their job and stop unlicensed drivers.

05-06-2014 08:32AM #1

Rural Ireland.

Learner`s driving on their own.

Kids driving vehicles,

All the norm in my parts.

Yesterday I witnessed a local lad of 11 driving his dads van, its common to see lads from the local secondary school aged around 13-15 driving vehicles.

I know many learner drivers who havent passed the driving test and have no plan to pass the test and yet continue to drive on their own.

The local Garda knows all about this but when he himself is a constant drink driver and plays GAA with all the locals.

Sometimes I feel like I live in the WILD WILD West!

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

kneemos · 05-06-2014 08:35AM

Donegal?

05-06-2014 08:37AM

kneemos wrote: »

Donegal?

Roscommon!

tallus · 05-06-2014 08:38AM

Two weeks back I witnessed two Gardai allowing a child to steer a squad car around the car wash in a filling station in Citywest. The kid was sitting on the drivers lap steering the car. I was shocked tbh.
The driver just looked at me and smiled.
They are Probably not that worried about learner drivers driving alone in this case anyways.

keith16 · 05-06-2014 08:38AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Rural Ireland.

Learner`s driving on their own.

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

Did you report it?

Reekwind · 05-06-2014 08:39AM

Deleted User wrote: »

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

Presumably they're all too preoccupied trying to figure out how they're going to tackle scumbags on beaches, imprison deaf killers, stop pervert voyeurs, chase tax-evading returning emigrants and cope with all the other outraged demands on the first page of AH.

05-06-2014 08:42AM

keith16 wrote: »

Did you report it?

Whats the point?

The Local Garda is a drink driver and knows about all that is going on, the main Garda Station in Roscommon dont like to venture out to the villages and leave the policing to the local Garda, and I doubt they would step on the toes of the local Garda. And I wouldnt trust them not to mention my name and Im the one who would get the hassle!

I just wish a Traffic corp vehicle sat in our village for a day, the revenue it could make, Ireland would be debt free!

Maphisto · 05-06-2014 08:44AM

tallus wrote: »

Two weeks back I witnessed two Gardai allowing a child to steer a squad car around the car wash in a filling station in Citywest. The kid was sitting on the drivers lap steering the car. I was shocked tbh.
The driver just looked at me and smiled.
They are Probably not that worried about learner drivers driving alone in this case anyways.

Pedophile gards :eek:

kneemos · 05-06-2014 08:44AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Roscommon!

Aw.

JuliusCaesar · 05-06-2014 08:44AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Whats the point?

The Local Garda is a drink driver and knows about all that is going on, the main Garda Station in Roscommon dont like to venture out to the villages and leave the policing to the local Garda, and I doubt they would step on the toes of the local Garda. And I wouldnt trust them not to mention my name and Im the one who would get the hassle!

Try the Garda Ombudsman. Try the Regional HQ.

Bolded: Massive assumption.

same ol sh1te · 05-06-2014 08:46AM

I'd be more concerned with those licensed drivers on our roads with no clue how to drive

05-06-2014 08:48AM

same ol sh1te wrote: »

I'd be more concerned with those licensed drivers on our roads with no clue how to drive

Than 11 year olds driving transit vans?

same ol sh1te · 05-06-2014 08:49AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Than 11 year olds driving transit vans?

How do you know they were 11?

pandaboy · 05-06-2014 08:50AM

Reekwind wrote: »

Presumably they're all too preoccupied trying to figure out how they're going to tackle scumbags on beaches, imprison deaf killers, stop pervert voyeurs, chase tax-evading returning emigrants and cope with all the other outraged demands on the first page of AH.

Roscommon, DANGER Capital of Ireland. Too dangerous for Paul Williams to report on.

Get your point, but in the rural context there are a lot of places where this could be stopped. Given in urban ares with higher population density and crime reporting then this can be understood, to a degree though. Like if there's the technology to snap people's license plates and driver window for the toll on the M50 then surely this could be applied to regulating L drivers on the road.

Heisenberg1 · 05-06-2014 08:57AM

Sure most of the guards themselves don't have a full licence to drive they should tackle that first.

pandaboy · 05-06-2014 08:59AM

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

Sure most of the guards themselves don't have a full licence to drive they should tackle that first.

Distract them with their own license issues so you can get your full Campervan license Heisenberg. I know what you're up to!

05-06-2014 09:08AM

same ol sh1te wrote: »

How do you know they were 11?

Because my son goes to school with him!

Yamanoto · 05-06-2014 09:33AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Because my son goes to school with him!

Leaving the Guards to one side for a sec, what sort of parent lets their 11 year old child drive a vehicle on a public road?

Fcukwits of the highest order.

martingriff · 05-06-2014 09:35AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Rural Ireland.

Learner`s driving on their own.

Kids driving vehicles,

All the norm in my parts.

Yesterday I witnessed a local lad of 11 driving his dads van, its common to see lads from the local secondary school aged around 13-15 driving vehicles.

I know many learner drivers who havent passed the driving test and have no plan to pass the test and yet continue to drive on their own.

The local Garda knows all about this but when he himself is a constant drink driver and plays GAA with all the locals.

Sometimes I feel like I live in the WILD WILD West!

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

If they do not have L plated up how well there know for sure

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

Sure most of the guards themselves don't have a full licence to drive they should tackle that first.

Hope you have a source for that

Sam Kade · 05-06-2014 09:36AM

kneemos wrote: »

Donegal?

Deleted User wrote: »

Roscommon!

Killinascully!

Shiraz 4.99 · 05-06-2014 09:58AM

I played a competition in Roscommon Golf Club once about 20 years ago.
As we were in the running for a prize we stayed on until the end so I was supping porter despite being the driver.
Probably had the full gallon in me when we set off with our Waterford Crystal, only made it about a mile before we hit a checkpoint.
That's was it, I was ready to surrender the car, hoping the lads had enough between them for a taxi back to Naas, slowly we edged forward in the queue.
The car in front of me got called up, Guards were knocking on the glass, no response, next thing they opened the drivers door & your man just fell out onto the tarmac, he was twice as sozzled as I was.
In the kerfuffle the guards waved us on while trying to pick your man up off the road.
We were on such a high we stopped in every town on the way home for more.

OP, there's still pockets of lawlessness out there but they're being rooted out, old Guards will retire & be replaced by a better police service for all.

whisky_galore · 05-06-2014 10:03AM

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

OP, there's still pockets of lawlessness out there but they're being rooted out, old Guards will retire & be replaced by a better police service for all.

I don't know, the go-getting young guards catching lads going 5k over the speed limit will mature into the architypal lazy rural cop.

Jester252 · 05-06-2014 10:08AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Whats the point?

The Local Garda is a drink driver and knows about all that is going on, the main Garda Station in Roscommon dont like to venture out to the villages and leave the policing to the local Garda, and I doubt they would step on the toes of the local Garda. And I wouldnt trust them not to mention my name and Im the one who would get the hassle!

I just wish a Traffic corp vehicle sat in our village for a day, the revenue it could make, Ireland would be debt free!

You are pissed because the gardas didn't do anything about an event that you didn't try to inform them of.

EazyD · 05-06-2014 10:19AM

Here's a suggestion OP, why not contact the parents themselves and ask why in gods name is their 11 yr old is driving? While I can imagine they aren't the brightest bunch, I can't imagine anyone is stupid enough to condone it especially when confronted.

Cienciano · 05-06-2014 10:22AM

tallus wrote: »

Two weeks back I witnessed two Gardai allowing a child to steer a squad car around the car wash in a filling station in Citywest. The kid was sitting on the drivers lap steering the car. I was shocked tbh.
The driver just looked at me and smiled.
They are Probably not that worried about learner drivers driving alone in this case anyways.

Fair play to the gardai there tbh.

loveisdivine · 05-06-2014 10:24AM

A young girl I work with has been driving alone on her learner plate for about 6 months now, during that time she's got a speeding fine and had a minor crash. She went for her test last week, failed on numerous counts including speeding! But she's still out there driving alone every day while she waits for another test.

Drives me mad really. Its something I've only really come across in Ireland. Back in England its considered by most to be a complete no-no and illegal!

Dian Cecht · 05-06-2014 10:42AM

Isn't their insurance invalid if on a provisional licence & driving alone or with no "L" plate displayed?

The Backwards Man · 05-06-2014 10:49AM

Find out the number of the district HQ and ring it, more chance of something being done. I'd never ring a local station, despite (or maybe because of) knowing most by name.

whomitconcerns · 05-06-2014 10:52AM

Dian Cecht wrote: »

Isn't their insurance invalid if on a provisional licence & driving alone or with no "L" plate displayed?

If they had fully comp it may be for them depending on T&C's.

But third party insurance would still be valid.

Awkward Badger · 05-06-2014 10:55AM

Not so sure about the L plate business. I recall them cracking down on that before and there was a public backlash about the fact they were making it impossible for some people to go to work given they were just learners and could have a full licence driver with them all the time.

Kimbot · 05-06-2014 10:55AM

I know of one place where numerous drivers are banned off the road for driving with no licence/insurance/tax/nct yet are still driving around in their cars with no licence/insurance/tax/nct even though they are banned. The gardai dont really care cos they know they are going to do it either way which is a joke.

When will the Gardai do their job and stop unlicensed drivers.

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