Woman who failed to pay TV licence fine taken to jail in five-hour taxi trip

thickhead · 28-02-2015 04:49PM

Wide Load wrote:

What about a law you don't agree with or belive in? Or is it point blank any law whatsoever you will obey?

If I do not agree with a law I will obey it why would I not ? Maybe I have broken a law or two in my time If I did it was not on purpose. I come across as a bit of a douche but I cannot change what I believe. Mockibg me will not change my views or principles though.

thickhead · 28-02-2015 04:51PM

bb1234567 wrote:

If they're not going to arrest the people who are actually causing any negative effects on our society then they shouldn't have become gardai. I never said I could do a better job, but Im not a garda. And seeing as they are then I expect them to do their job correctly.

Fair point some do some do not it's like any other job that way.

CarpeDiem85 · 28-02-2015 04:52PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

Is there no prison closer to donegal than dublin?

There is no need for prisons in Donegal, we're all law abiding citizens here :P

Hans Bricks · 28-02-2015 04:56PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Whereas they make money on the other people they lock up?

If it was done on the basis of making money no one would ever be brought to court, Nevermind locked up.

I hear the gardai are loss making too, should be wound up.

That's not what I'm trying to say, but I see your point. They think they're sending a message but as URL just pointed out, the numbers jailed for this surged to 411 last year alone.

For not paying a licence. To watch your own TV. Why do we insist on maintaining this draconian charge and assume people watch what is essentially entertainment ? They spent a grand to punish one evader for 3 hours. How much do they spend on "inspectors" to enforce this ? Not to mention wasting Gardai time ?

Lapin · 28-02-2015 04:57PM

thickhead wrote: »

I come across as a bit of a douche.....

Indeed.....

end of the road · 28-02-2015 04:59PM

Lapin wrote: »

If anything like this happened in the private sector, there would be P45s issued to whoever signed off on a waste of resources on this scale.

bull. wasting money happens in the oh so perfect private sector to. of course you won't hear about it

El_Duderino 09 · 28-02-2015 04:59PM

Shurimgreat wrote: »

I see no reason why RTE shouldn't be privatised. There is little or no justification for a public broadcaster in Ireland, especially given its market share is no longer what it was and a lot of people never watch RTE.

Privatising news means cutting the news and replacing it with entertainment. How about you get your news from MTV Bite Size News and ignore ballot cards when they arrive.

At the very least people can flick past RTE programmes and know they are too ignorant to understand them. Remove that and those morons won't even know they are morons. Institutions like RTE and BBC are the thin line between here and even greater stupidity

thickhead · 28-02-2015 05:03PM

Lapin wrote:

Indeed.....

could be worse I could be you.

end of the road · 28-02-2015 05:03PM

Shurimgreat wrote: »

I see no reason why RTE shouldn't be privatised. There is little or no justification for a public broadcaster in Ireland, especially given its market share is no longer what it was and a lot of people never watch RTE.

because privatizing RTE would mean even less quality programing then currently shown, programs of minority interest not being catered to, and because we have enough private sector stations anyway which offer feck all. there is every justification for a public broadcaster for a couple of the reasons i've mentioned above. privatizing public services ends up in disaster and is only done out of reasons of political dogma

Hans Bricks · 28-02-2015 05:03PM

Lord PuppyMcSnuggle of Cuddleshire wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANLPyalX-HM

The palace of burning money is highly ironic, considering that's essentially what we do with our money when its put into cogs of enforcing and financing the TV licensing system

bb1234567 · 28-02-2015 05:08PM

thickhead wrote: »

Fair point some do some do not it's like any other job that way.

True, but this job is different because peoples lives and well being are often at stake.

wadk · 28-02-2015 05:18PM

Castlerea not on the way at the time??

El_Duderino 09 · 28-02-2015 05:21PM

end of the road wrote: »

because privatizing RTE would mean even less quality programing then currently shows of minority interest not being catered to, and because we have enough private sector stations anyway which offer feck all. there is every justification for a public broadcaster for a couple of the reasons i've mentioned above. privatizing public services ends up in disaster and is only done out of reasons of political dogma

On the other hand RTE could drop all the cultural and minority interest stuff and start pumping out Jeremy kyle shows detailing toothless drunk's infidelities and 'storage wars' type mocumentaries.

Wide Load · 28-02-2015 05:23PM

thickhead wrote: »

If I do not agree with a law I will obey it why would I not ? Maybe I have broken a law or two in my time If I did it was not on purpose. I come across as a bit of a douche but I cannot change what I believe. Mockibg me will not change my views or principles though.

Because most people who don't agree with something don't abide by it, it's called having an opinion and putting it into action. Now I'm not saying if you don't agree with murder being against the law you should be out killing people. But things like drug laws, the blasphemy one and other laws that don't have you hurting anyone are what I'm talking about.

I'm not mocking you at all either btw, I just find your views more fascinating than anything. That you just go with it and don't question a law. Serious case of having blinders on.

end of the road · 28-02-2015 05:26PM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

On the other hand RTE could drop all the cultural and minority interest stuff and start pumping out Jeremy kyle shows detailing toothless drunk's infidelities and 'storage wars' type mocumentaries.

they could, but there would be no point as the market is all ready catered to for that ****

Jawgap · 28-02-2015 05:27PM

end of the road wrote: »

because privatizing RTE would mean even less quality programing then currently shown, programs of minority interest not being catered to, and because we have enough private sector stations anyway which offer feck all. there is every justification for a public broadcaster for a couple of the reasons i've mentioned above. privatizing public services ends up in disaster and is only done out of reasons of political dogma

TG4 amply demonstrates you can do extensive, decent quality public service broadcasting for a fraction of the budget RTE costs. Talented presenters learning their 'trade,' innovative producers and developing writers don't need 6 figure salaries - nor do they need a big chunk of D4 to operate from.

RTE is way over funded for what it does.

Shurimgreat · 28-02-2015 05:31PM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

On the other hand RTE could drop all the cultural and minority interest stuff and start pumping out Jeremy kyle shows detailing toothless drunk's infidelities and 'storage wars' type mocumentaries.

There is very little difference quality wise between RTE and TV3. In fact in many cases TV3 are superior.

A lot of the licence fee doesn't go on quality programs. It goes on completely unrealistic salaries for "stars" like Tubridy, Marian Finucane, Joe Duffy and Ray D'arcy.

2FM makes a huge loss every year, and is subsidised by the licence fee. Is there any reason for having a 2FM when clearly fewer and fewer people listen to it and other private stations are far better.

Jawgap · 28-02-2015 05:34PM

Shurimgreat wrote: »

There is very little difference quality wise between RTE and TV3. In fact in many cases TV3 are superior.

A lot of the licence fee doesn't go on quality programs. It goes on completely unrealistic salaries for "stars" like Tubridy, Marian Finucane, Joe Duffy and Ray D'arcy.

2FM makes a huge loss every year, and is subsidised by the licence fee. Is there any reason for having a 2FM when clearly fewer and fewer people listen to it and other private stations are far better.

2FM - the perfect example of everything that is wrong with RTE. It's a station aimed at a young demographic that still has as one of its marquee presenters a man born before WW2!!!!

rubadub · 28-02-2015 05:43PM

end of the road wrote: »

because privatizing RTE would mean even less quality programing then currently shown,

I don't think it should be privatised, I would like it to be an optional subscription service though.

A survey of public attitudes to public-sector broadcasting was carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute in 2004.[33] The authors noted that "public discontent at the level and inherently regressive nature of the ad rem licence fee is noticeable by its absence, particularly in contrast to the difficulties associated with the introduction of some ad rem service charges, e.g. bin and water charges."[33] The associated opinion poll recorded agree:disagree percentages of 54:29 for the statement "Public Broadcasting should be financed by the licence fee."[34] Respondents were asked what level of monthly fee they would be prepared to pay to receive RTÉ if subscription access were hypothetically to replace the licence fee: the annualised mean and median household figures were €180 and €252.60, compared to the then licence fee of €150, with those who frequently watched RTÉ programs most willing to pay

post from an old thread on this

rubadub wrote: »

Viewing figures never impress me, when a service is forced upon you the use of it is no real sign of people being pleased with it, or particularly wanting it. During the late late show timeslot if they showed a dog running around a garden it would pull in massive figures, and so lots of advertising revenue, so they can then use this to justify a ludicrous wage for that dog, when any old dog could do it. Instead they keep the same old dog and run him into the ground till he's almost dead, on ludicrous wages.

People have spent the €13.30 per month on the licence fee and might not have spare cash for what they would have otherwise have gotten, e.g. a €7 per month subscription to netflix. I have no netflix sub, if RTE was a subscription service I would have taken netflix instead. Since RTE is forced upon me I have enough TV to make me not bother with netflix, as I would not get full use of it, I would watch some RTE stuff instead, just make do with it, netflix is not as good value as I already have a service.

I likened it to a cooker licence before, if you have a cooker you must buy a licence, the government will employ overpaid poor quality chefs, and deliver food to your door each day (and to your holiday home too) these chefs will get massive salary increases each year since figures show people eat the food, so they must like it. The food is delivered to your door each day, don't like it, tough, bin it, just like unwatched TV. Many would hate to see food go to waste or cannot afford an alternative, so they make do and eat it, doesn't mean they like it, but they would twist figures to make it appear people must love it, and would hate if they changed chef. Behind the scenes you will have helpers for the chefs, one just just putting on salt, another just putting on pepper, probably overqualified with years of chef training, or chemistry training, just like many weather people and news announcers are overqualified and overpaid.

Another would be a government newspaper, if they took over the irish times then sales for other papers would plummet, and use faulty logic that people must love it. People make do with what they are given or forced upon them, when the free metro papers first appeared I noticed far less other papers being bought in work.

fullstop · 28-02-2015 05:48PM

5 hours in a taxi from east Donegal to Dublin? Was he reversing the whole way?

Lapin · 28-02-2015 05:55PM

end of the road wrote: »

bull. wasting money happens in the oh so perfect private sector to. of course you won't hear about it

I never said the private sector is perfect and didn't start this thread to engage in yet another silly public v private sector dickfest.

But a simple fact that cannot be denied is that a private business wasting resources like this won't remain trading for long.

foggy_lad · 28-02-2015 06:00PM

Wide Load wrote: »

It's stupid, anyone with half a brain can see that. She didn't pay a TV license and then didn't pay a fine, it's not the end of the world.

fullstop wrote: »

5 hours in a taxi from east Donegal to Dublin? Was he reversing the whole way?

Via Sligo and two rest breaks en route he did very well.

Shurimgreat · 28-02-2015 06:00PM

The interesting thing is the Licence fee is almost exactly the same as water charges.

Will we see similiar protests around the imprisonment of RTE non licence payers? Of course not. It's not political enough.

Laughable how anti water protesters are happy to pay for a luxury like RTE but not for a necessity like water.

darkpagandeath · 28-02-2015 06:04PM

Bubbaclaus wrote: »

How to you punish them instead? Fine them again?

Do the same thing we do with violent offenders that are walking around with 100 odd previous convictions. That seems to work, ah right yeah we do nothing with them..

mikom · 28-02-2015 06:20PM

Lucky girl, being sent to Mountjoy.
RTE gave her the chance to see "Meet the Mcdonaghs" and Norah's traveller" academy" in 3D

Wide Load · 28-02-2015 06:34PM

Shurimgreat wrote: »

The interesting thing is the Licence fee is almost exactly the same as water charges.

Will we see similiar protests around the imprisonment of RTE non licence payers? Of course not. It's not political enough.

Laughable how anti water protesters are happy to pay for a luxury like RTE but not for a necessity like water.

How do you know if anti water protesters pay it? Or have a tv? Lots of assumptions.

drdidlittle · 28-02-2015 06:43PM

What ever happened to the bill that was to stop fines at source. Stop dole payment or straight from wages. Save jail expenses and will increase compliance as people will know that the money will have to be paid one way or another.

bjork · 28-02-2015 06:45PM

The wheels of justice in motion. Thank god they took her off the street, if only for a few hours Ireland was a safer place.

The judges and the gardai love this type of thing. It's their bread and butter.

dxhound2005 · 28-02-2015 06:57PM

blade1 wrote: »

Could they not just get people that don't pay fines to do something useful around their area like pick up litter or sweep the street for a week?
Be probably more of a deterrent than Jail to some!

Do you mean Community Service Orders? That is provided for in legislation so yes, I think they could. But aren't the street already supposed to be kept clean by the workers designated to to that job?

http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2013/8713/b8713d.pdf

PART 5
Community service orders and imprisonment in default of
payment of fine

NachoBusiness · 28-02-2015 07:00PM

Quick poll: who can watch the live RTE stream of the Six One news?

http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/live/8/

As I sure as fcuk never can.

I might buy a licence someday when they actually provide a service.

Woman who failed to pay TV licence fine taken to jail in five-hour taxi trip

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