# Garda standards in free fall



## setemupjoe (10 Jun 2007)

I was at the tall ships festival  last week with my 3 yr old son and was surprised to see two young guards leaning on the rail with elbows on the rail like two school children .I felt like going over and tapping them on the shoulder and saying your supposed to be looking this way at the crowd for anti-social behavior and thieves etc. they looked so unprofessional and untrained.After putting my son on the small train on a later occasion I came across the same two guards walking down the promenade with ....wait for it ....the two of them walking with both their hands in their  pockets and caps slightly to the side ! is this some new fashion among the new recruits or something ? looked so sloppy and by their body language you could just see they were killing time engrossed in their own conversation. an email was dispatched to the garda commissioner with date and time and location of this sloppy police behavior and hopefully he will track the two down and retrain them! I would encourage anybody to do the same if they come across this shoddy display.


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## ubiquitous (11 Jun 2007)

setemupjoe said:


> ...wait for it ....the two of them walking with both their hands in their pockets and caps slightly to the side !



Such terrible conduct!! And in public too!! I am appalled beyond words. You should really ring Joe Duffy about this. They will be delighted to hear from you.


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## Sunny (11 Jun 2007)

setemupjoe said:


> After putting my son on the small train on a later occasion I came across the same two guards walking down the promenade with ....wait for it ....the two of them walking with both their hands in their pockets and caps slightly to the side !


 
My God.   Did you cover your son's eyes?


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## ClubMan (11 Jun 2007)

setemupjoe said:


> two young guards leaning on the rail with elbows on the rail
> 
> ...
> 
> After putting my son on the small train


Did they take their elbows off the rail before the train arrived or did they get run over?


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## CCOVICH (11 Jun 2007)

Maybe this is the sort of thing that Brendan Campbell was so worked up about?


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## Sunny (11 Jun 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> Maybe this is the sort of thing that Brendan Campbell was so worked up about?


 
Or was it Mr. Campbell?


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## CCOVICH (11 Jun 2007)

No, definitely Brendan  .


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## nelly (11 Jun 2007)

its amazing our acceptance of shoddy standards that this thread is a joke!! we accept poor standards with an  "ah sure alright, so" attitude.
The police were being paid to patrol at that time and did not even disguise their boredom. 
As for Brendan Cambell I am also dsappointed that people thought it was "funny" or acceptable.


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## CCOVICH (11 Jun 2007)

That's Cam*p*bell-get it right for God's sake-it means a lot!


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## ubiquitous (11 Jun 2007)

nelly said:


> The police were being paid to patrol at that time and did not even disguise their boredom.



So anyone who is bored at any particular time in the course of their job shouldn't be paid for that time?


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## Sunny (11 Jun 2007)

The guards get abused for wearing stab vests on duty on one thread because it makes them look menacing and then they get abused on this thread because they look laid back patrolling what sounds like a peaceful family day out. God, why do they bother!


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## Grumpy (11 Jun 2007)

setemupjoe said:


> an email was dispatched to the garda commissioner with date and time and location of this sloppy police behavior and hopefully


         Don't think Commission will get worked up about this!Wheelock family spent a year in the courts trying to get Garda forensic data from same Commission.Amnesty are taking this death in custody case very seriously.No jokes from Amnesty on this!
        He also acted quickly in threatening criminal charges against private detective who exposed Garda conspiracy in Donegal.
          There is a joke in here somewhere, but not from the person who started this thread.


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## ClubMan (11 Jun 2007)

nelly said:


> The police were being paid to patrol at that time and did not even disguise their boredom.


Were you there? The original poster never mentioned anything about boredom.

Seems to me that highlighting this minor issue is blowing things out of all proportion and that the public (well most of us) and _Gardaí _have much more important things to worry about.


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## nelly (11 Jun 2007)

ubiquitous said:


> So anyone who is bored at any particular time in the course of their job shouldn't be paid for that time?


no, do your job and you won't be bored. 
My friend is a guard, she loves doing these events but you get out of it what you put into it stand there holding up railings is not exactly professional looking. they should have been walking round, patroling the area as the OP stated was his opinion. 
Its not an easy job and patroling and supervising the public at these concerts and summer events should be at the better end of the spectrum of the work. but for 2 new garda the experience was probably leaving them more stressed out (as not doing enough to keep yourself occupied has been provent to be just as stressful as having too much to do), and I would agree with OP that this is poor training. He is allowed to hold the opinion that the 2 he saw were unprofessional and poorly trained.


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## ClubMan (11 Jun 2007)

nelly said:


> they should have been walking round, patroling the area as the OP stated was his opinion.


How do you know what instructions their commanding officer gave them? Maybe they were supposed to be in one specific spot?


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## Sunny (11 Jun 2007)

setemupjoe said:


> .sunny I said nothing about stab vests or laid back so read the post correctly


 
Never said you did. I said there was another thread on this forum giving out about guards wearing stab vests.

And I think you can safely say that everyone expects high standards from the guards but things like walking with hands in the pockets does not annoy me. If you had told me that they had ignored an incident, I would share your concern. Also, the way you worded your complaint doesn't help. You made it sound quiet dramatic. I had pictures of a new tribunal been set up when I had started reading it.


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## setemupjoe (11 Jun 2007)

If guards walking around on patrol with their hands in their pockets doesnt annoy you thats your opinion and your entitled to it ...and i wont try riddicule you for it . the word in your previous post in relation to stab vests and my post was (abused) I dont think by stating my opinion was abusing anyone .If my wording wasnt to your standards i apoligise and promise to do better next time


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## Sunny (11 Jun 2007)

setemupjoe said:


> If guards walking around on patrol with their hands in their pockets doesnt annoy you thats your opinion and your entitled to it ...and i wont try riddicule you for it . the word in your previous post in relation to stab vests and my post was (abused) I dont think by stating my opinion was abusing anyone .If my wording wasnt to your standards i apoligise and promise to do better next time


 
Your wording is fine. I should have used the word 'criticised' rather than 'abused' but I still stand by the fact that your post was very dramatic for what you were to trying to say. I particularly liked to the use of 'wait for it.....'


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## boaber (11 Jun 2007)

Sunny said:


> Or was it Mr. Campbell?



Is this the guy your talking about??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFnFD8Ocg4c 

How unprofessional


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## Grumpy (11 Jun 2007)

Has this thread been quashed?


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## ClubMan (11 Jun 2007)

No - it's obviously still open for posts that adhere to the posting guidelines as usual.


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## ragazza (12 Jun 2007)

I see where the original poster is coming from with this - it doesnt look very professional to be slouching along with your hands in your pockets. 
Having said that, if you are on an 8 hour beat, it would be hard to maintain professional standards all the time.

My dad is very much old-school and this would drive him mad - I still remember him watching the EuroVision the year Pat Kenny was presenting, and giving out yards about the fact that Pat had his hands in his pockets while on stage!


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## Purple (18 Jun 2007)

If our police want to be respected by members of the public they should present themselves in a professional manner. That includes how they act in public and how they talk to the public. My own experience of the Gardaí has been very limited but what little contact I have had has left me with the impression that with a few notable exceptions they are boorish and lazy, often incompetent and have little respect for their position.


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## elefantfresh (18 Jun 2007)

I agree with Purple - i was burgaled about 8 years ago - went to the station to report it and they never even came to my house. Total apathy in my opinion. Sisters car was broken into and she was told in the station "theres not much we can do".
Was there not a report last year stating the problems from top to bottom within the force.


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## ClubMan (18 Jun 2007)

Maybe I've been lucky but any time that I've had cause to call the _Gardaí_ (usually on the local station number and not 999 and mostly for relatively minor anti-social behaviour issues rather than major incidents) they have always responded.


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## Purple (18 Jun 2007)

I have had a Gardaí ID shown to me by a car load of late teen/ early 20's lads who were speeding and weaving through traffic on the M50. They nearly caused a crash and when I pulled level with them on the Naas road exit and looked over to see who was driving the driver put down his window, stuck our his ID and said "Mind your own <expletive deleted> business". There were three others in the car, all wearing light blue shirts, and they all found the whole thing very funny. I'm sure the driver that fish-tailed onto the hard shoulder when they cut in in front of him didn't see the funny side of it.
Other than that it's just been lazy and apathetic.
The best one I saw was after a fire burned out about a dozen cars in the car park at the back of Jury's Inn at Christchurch and the Gardaí had failed to turn up (Kevin Street station is a two to three minute walk away, but there was a Soccer international on at the time). They had been called by at least 4 of the residents of the apartments that side onto the hotel. The fire service had arrived and put out the fire all the time being stoned by a group of kids who lit the ire in the first place. When the Gardaí did arrive one of the firemen had to be pulled off the sergeant in charge. He didn't see it coming or else he would have taken his hands out of his pockets .


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## z108 (18 Jun 2007)

Purple said:


> I have had a Gardaí ID shown to me by a car load of late teen/ early 20's lads who were speeding and weaving through traffic on the M50. They nearly caused a crash and when I pulled level with them on the Naas road exit and looked over to see who was driving the driver put down his window, stuck our his ID and said "Mind your own <expletive deleted> business". There were three others in the car, all wearing light blue shirts, and they all found the whole thing very funny. I'm sure the driver that fish-tailed onto the hard shoulder when they cut in in front of him didn't see the funny side of it.
> Other than that it's just been lazy and apathetic.
> The best one I saw was after a fire burned out about a dozen cars in the car park at the back of Jury's Inn at Christchurch and the Gardaí had failed to turn up (Kevin Street station is a two to three minute walk away, but there was a Soccer international on at the time). They had been called by at least 4 of the residents of the apartments that side onto the hotel. The fire service had arrived and put out the fire all the time being stoned by a group of kids who lit the ire in the first place. When the Gardaí did arrive one of the firemen had to be pulled off the sergeant in charge. He didn't see it coming or else he would have taken his hands out of his pockets .



jaysus thats a great story. When did it happen ? How long ago ?


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## Crunchie (18 Jun 2007)

Purple said:


> I have had a Gardaí ID shown to me by a car load of late teen/ early 20's lads who were speeding and weaving through traffic on the M50. They nearly caused a crash and when I pulled level with them on the Naas road exit and looked over to see who was driving the driver put down his window, stuck our his ID and said "Mind your own <expletive deleted> business". There were three others in the car, all wearing light blue shirts, and they all found the whole thing very funny. I'm sure the driver that fish-tailed onto the hard shoulder when they cut in in front of him didn't see the funny side of it.



I presume you reported this. Late teen lads flashing a Garda ID sounds very dodgy to me. Light blue shirts don't mean they were Gardai.



Purple said:


> The best one I saw was after a fire burned out about a dozen cars in the car park at the back of Jury's Inn at Christchurch and the Gardaí had failed to turn up (Kevin Street station is a two to three minute walk away, but there was a Soccer international on at the time). They had been called by at least 4 of the residents of the apartments that side onto the hotel. The fire service had arrived and put out the fire all the time being stoned by a group of kids who lit the ire in the first place. When the Gardaí did arrive one of the firemen had to be pulled off the sergeant in charge. He didn't see it coming or else he would have taken his hands out of his pockets .



2 to 3 minutes walking from Kevin St Garda Station to the back of Jurys Inn is good going. Again you clearly were able to identify the kids that lit the fire. I presume you told the Gardai at the scene. When was this fire that burned out a dozen cars? 

I have no connection with the Gardai and accept that bad apples exist but unless contributors to this thread can vouch that they assisted them when they could there's little point in posting such criticism.


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## Sunny (19 Jun 2007)

I have no doubt that there are some really poor, lazy incompetent people amongst the ranks of Gardai like in every company and the people involved in situations like Purple describe above have no place in the organisation. However, I have to say that no matter how much incidents like that and the things like corruption in Donegal damage the reputation of the Gardai, it is important to remember the other side. People such as Tony Tighe, Michael Padden, Jerry McCabe and all the others who have died while doing their job. I don't think it is fair to allow a few bad eggs damage the reputation of the whole organisation.


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## elefantfresh (19 Jun 2007)

You may be right that you dont think its "fair" but thats the way it is. How many people actually have real respect for the police force today? I was brought up to respect them as my parents were too. But as an adult and having had to deal with them on a few occasions (traffic/break ins) i have nothing but comtempt for them. In my experience they have proven to me in every single instance that they are not there to help me. Every single time that i went looking to them for help they didnt want to know. I'm just sick of their attitude.
Rant over.


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## Purple (19 Jun 2007)

Crunchie said:


> I presume you reported this. Late teen lads flashing a Garda ID sounds very dodgy to me. Light blue shirts don't mean they were Gardai.


 Yes, they were Gardai. The guy with the badge was clearly wearing the uniform. I said that they looked late teen early 20’s. Yes, I did report it. I talked to a retired sergeant that I know about a month after the incident. I had the time, location, car make and a partial reg. It was last year and I have heard nothing back.



Crunchie said:


> 2 to 3 minutes walking from Kevin St Garda Station to the back of Jury’s Inn is good going. Again you clearly were able to identify the kids that lit the fire. I presume you told the Gardai at the scene. When was this fire that burned out a dozen cars?


 Okay, a 5 minute walk around the back of Dublin Castle. I talked to two detectives who came to the apartment block that I lived in the next day. Considering I had called Kevin street 4 times to try to get the Gardai to come to the scene I didn’t feel the urge to talk to them when they did arrive. The fire took place in 1995/1996. It was started when kids set fire to the bin house at the back of Christchurch View apartments.  



Crunchie said:


> I have no connection with the Gardai and accept that bad apples exist but unless contributors to this thread can vouch that they assisted them when they could there's little point in posting such criticism.


 I see no logic to this point. How could I have assisted them in either of these situations? How could anyone have assisted the Gardai who behave in a slovenly and unprofessional way in the normal course of their duties? How can anyone assist them when they come to the public counter/desk in their stations and, without looking up, greet the member of the public who needs their assistance with “Yea?”

I forgot to mention my other experience of our police force; one  Tuesday night I woke up to hear people downstairs in my house. I phoned 999 and told them what was going on. Two and a half hours later a police car arrived. No apologies, no explanation, just three fat slobs who stood in my hallway with their hands in their pockets. Would you like the date, the name of the Garda in charge and my home address or do you believe me? 

I live in middle class suburbia and have never been in trouble with the police and yet in common with many of my neighbours and friends I have a very low opinion of them. Given that then what chance is there of people in high crime areas having any respect for or faith in them?


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## Olly64 (19 Jun 2007)

most of them just treat people like dirt, the less work for them to do the better, i hate calling to a station to even get a passport form signed, they treat you like something on the end of their shoe, its like you have interupted them from a sleep in the back office when they come out. it doesnt really give a good impression of the force when this is what you have to put up with, its not retraining they need, its just common courtsey and manners, maybe a customer service couse, the rest of the civil service has spent millons on customer service, i dont think it has been given to the guards


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## Purple (19 Jun 2007)

Olly64 said:


> most of them just treat people like dirt, the less work for them to do the better, i hate calling to a station to even get a passport form signed, they treat you like something on the end of their shoe, its like you have interupted them from a sleep in the back office when they come out. it doesnt really give a good impression of the force when this is what you have to put up with, its not retraining they need, its just common courtsey and manners, maybe a customer service couse, the rest of the civil service has spent millons on customer service, i dont think it has been given to the guards


 I think that is a common view.


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## Crunchie (19 Jun 2007)

Purple said:


> do you believe me?



Sure why wouldn't I? If you posted it on AAM it must be true.

I'm not even going to let your Location influence me


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## Caveat (19 Jun 2007)

Olly64 said:


> the rest of the civil service has spent millons on customer service


 
mmm...that was money well spent


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## Bronte (20 Jun 2007)

About 20 years ago the young garda fresh in his new uniform and posted back to his home town decided that he'd show who's boss now.  He knew the local pub opened on Xmas day for a couple of hours and decided he'd raid it.  All his friends, relations, neighbours etc.  Needless to say he was relocated to Siberia and nobody talked to him for years after that. They still talk about it. 

I think the gardas have a hard job to do that I certainly wouldn't like to do it.  OP's story personally I don't see anything wrong with it.  They are people too.  But there are always bad apples in every profession as evidenced by Purple's - shocking - story.   

Another true story is a relation had a pub business and the new cop in town decided at 11 on the dot EVERY night he'd visit said premises to make sure that everyone left at 11.01.  He did this for a year, you can imagine the result on said pub's business as all the other pubs could carry on serving.


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## Raskolnikov (20 Jun 2007)

Don't even bother trying to report a stolen bicycle to the Guards, you'll get laughed out of the station like I did. My dealings with the local Sergeant went something like this . . .

Me - "Hello, I'd like to report a stolen bicycle"
Garda - with a disbelieving look, "Where was it stolen?"
Me - "Bike stall at the train station"
Garda - "Did you not lock it?"
Me - producing the now severed coil lock "Yes"
Garda - "You should know better than to leave a bike unattended there"
Me - with puzzlement "Why, is there not CCTV all over the train station?"
Garda - "Ah sure, half the time those cameras aren't even switched on. Don't worry though, we'll look into it for you. Give me your contact details and we'll be in touch"
Me - "Umm, don't you want the frame serial number on the bike for investigation purposes?"
Garda - "You what now?"

Needless to say, my bike was never found


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## Grumpy (20 Jun 2007)

I would comment but my last inoffensive posting on this topic was censored.


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## Purple (20 Jun 2007)

Grumpy said:


> I would comment but my last inoffensive posting on this topic was censored.



Ah go on. Try to be more inoffensive this time


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## RainyDay (20 Jun 2007)

Aileen2 said:


> About 20 years ago the young garda fresh in his new uniform and posted back to his home town decided that he'd show who's boss now.  He knew the local pub opened on Xmas day for a couple of hours and decided he'd raid it.  All his friends, relations, neighbours etc.  Needless to say he was relocated to Siberia and nobody talked to him for years after that. They still talk about it.
> 
> ...
> 
> Another true story is a relation had a pub business and the new cop in town decided at 11 on the dot EVERY night he'd visit said premises to make sure that everyone left at 11.01.  He did this for a year, you can imagine the result on said pub's business as all the other pubs could carry on serving.



These are shaggy dog stories.

1) Garda policy is specifically NOT to post young Gardai back to their home turf for obvious reasons.
2) Pubs have legal drinking up time just after closing.
3) Harassment of a specific pub as suggested would be easily resolved through informal or formal complaint.


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## nelly (21 Jun 2007)

RainyDay said:


> Harassment of a specific pub as suggested would be easily resolved through informal or formal complaint.


 
or a free pint when he/she flashed the badge. 

In my single days my friend a garda and I used to get into night clubs all the time for nothing with her just flashing the badge and saying "she forgot hers" implying i was a garda also. 
only for i was there i would not have believed it - TJ&TJ are often bang on, unfortunately.


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## Bronte (25 Jun 2007)

Rainyday - the stories I told were true.   In the case of the Garda arriving everynight at closing time, I was there when it happened but I might be incorrect about the exact time as I forget when closing time was then.  As for making a complaint, nowadays one would but in those days you'd only be looking for more trouble.  Anyway, technically he wasn't doing anything other than his job so how could you complain.  He was obviously on a power trip. In Donegal the same thing happened with the 'nightclub' owner as far as I know and his complaints didn't get very far did they?  

Re the young Garda posted back to his home place, it was a city so I guess that's why it happened, most Garda are located in urban areas I assume.  I know other Garda who are from close by the city and also posted to the city.


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## Sunny (25 Jun 2007)

Aileen2 said:


> Anyway, technically he wasn't doing anything other than his job so how could you complain. He was obviously on a power trip.


 
So whats your problem? The gardai are getting criticised on this thread for falling standards and rightly so in some cases and then get criticised for doing their job by you. If you were in the pub after hours or on Xmas day, you deserved to get kicked out. Don't blame the guard, blame the law. I don't see the falling standards there.


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## RainyDay (25 Jun 2007)

Aileen2 said:


> Re the young Garda posted back to his home place, it was a city so I guess that's why it happened, most Garda are located in urban areas I assume.  I know other Garda who are from close by the city and also posted to the city.



Mmmm - Funny how you specifically mentioned 'home town' in the original post but now it turns out it was in the city. For the record, the Garda policy of not posting people back to their home turf applies to areas of the city, just as it applies to towns.


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## nelly (25 Jun 2007)

RainyDay said:


> Mmmm - Funny how you specifically mentioned 'home town' in the original post but now it turns out it was in the city. For the record, the Garda policy of not posting people back to their home turf applies to areas of the city, just as it applies to towns.



no offence Rainy but i reckon this is "all who you know" in the gardai and that you are being argumentative for the sake of it.

To me a trainee guard, say based in balbriggan and from Tallagh is hardly out of his home town - sure he could easily have his uniform on heading home to Mammy after a few long day shifts,or even each evening - whats the travel an hour?


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## RainyDay (25 Jun 2007)

nelly said:


> no offence Rainy but i reckon this is "all who you know" in the gardai and that you are being argumentative for the sake of it.


Feel free to attack my post, but don't attack me personally.



nelly said:


> To me a trainee guard, say based in balbriggan and from Tallagh is hardly out of his home town - sure he could easily have his uniform on heading home to Mammy after a few long day shifts,or even each evening - whats the travel an hour?


What's the chances that he would find all his friends/neighbours/family from Tallaght in a pub in Balbriggan on Xmas day, which is the scenario that Aileen2 described?


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## nelly (26 Jun 2007)

not an attack just observation.
AFAIK you get good guards and bad ones. i know bad ones who use the badge to demonstrate their "powers" - (a term used as standard in the force at present- like hello ). I personnally have sat in pubs afterhours with gardai with the air of "he'd know better than to refuse me". thats the attitude that Aileen is explaining in her post - if you don't believe it then fine.


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## bullbars (26 Jun 2007)

Like any occupation your going to get bad apples that taint your experience. I have come across a few "selct members" of the force who, I honestly believe, thought they were in fact Wyatt Earp himself, sent through time from the old west to clean up our wild country of expired tax discs and bald tyres. On the other side it is a difficult job at times; a few of my friends are members and have told us a few disgusting stories of what can only be described as degenerates they had to deal with. Sometimes they can be an easy target for unfair criticism.


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## Bronte (26 Jun 2007)

The story is true as my husband was in the pub on Xmas day when it happened.  Yes I know it's illegal but I only told that story as I actually thought it was amusing. It wasn't a criticism of the young garda.  More about his naivety than anything.  I don't want to too closely identify it obviously but there are parts of Ireland that were once a town and are now cities.  The Tallaght/ Balbriggan scenario is a good comparison.  The people in the pub were all basically from the same area, this I know is unlikely to happen in Dublin but it does happen in other parts.  You go to a certain pub coz you know who'll be there scenario.  I'm not talking those new mega pubs, more your family local and those that were let in were regulars.  Furthermore would you believe me if I told you a Garda station was 1 street away and that the gardai often used to drink there themselves (not on that Xmas day). 

Sunny you have deliberately mixed up my 2 scenarios.  The garda coming every night to the pub was in a completely different (remote) part of Ireland.  He only came to that pub and not the other pubs in the area.  This in my view was harassment, he wasn't just doing his job otherwise he would have done the same to the other pubs and that would be a level playing field.  

Incidentally in relation to the licensing laws I find that west of the Shannon has traditionally had a history of after hours into the small hours while east of Heuston is the opposite.  Don't know about North but the South is also more easy going.


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## ClubMan (26 Jun 2007)

Aileen2 said:


> Yes I know it's illegal but ...
> 
> I'm not talking those new mega pubs, more your family local and those that were let in were regulars.


Usual _Irish _ambivalence towards the law...


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## z108 (26 Jun 2007)

Aileen2 said:


> Don't know about North but the South is also more easy going.





Not easygoing in Cork City where we were put out of the pub at 2 am and had nowhere to go. Not even a club to go to. Everywhere in Cork shuts down at 2 am.


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## Bronte (27 Jun 2007)

Sunny - I'll not comment on specific places in Ireland, you have to know where to go .......  What's with 2 am, I though Irish pubs closed at 11 or 12 - what are the licencing laws now?  

I will never forget being on 3 day honeymoon in Dublin (all we could afford - in the days when you paid with savings for your wedding etc and didn't borrow it on the credit card - didn't have credit card come to think of it) and getting a drink, literally 1 second later, lights on, bell ringing, tables up and out on the street, mega shock, spent 2 hours in thin clothes in the snow trying to get a taxi.  Being a culchie didn't know you couldn't get a taxi did I.  Had an aversion to Dublin ever since ! ! !

Now that I've had to get up EVERY Sat and Sun for 5 years I *try *to be in bed by midnight at the weekend - sad I know.  Coincidentally I live somewhere where the Irish pub closes when the metros start at 6 am and you can buy beer in McD and every corner shop for that matter .......


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## elefantfresh (27 Jun 2007)

Walking along the footpath last night and a garda car pulled up beside me at the lights - passenger cop smoking away - am i right in thinking this is illegal? Smoking in the workplace? Anyways, i had a moments thought to take a quick snap with the camera phone. Probably still be in the cell if i'd done that!!


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## Jock04 (27 Jun 2007)

elefantfresh said:


> Walking along the footpath last night and a garda car pulled up beside me at the lights - passenger cop smoking away - am i right in thinking this is illegal? Smoking in the workplace? Anyways, i had a moments thought to take a quick snap with the camera phone. Probably still be in the cell if i'd done that!!


 
I doubt you'd be in a cell  (I know, you were joking)..............but what would you have gained from it?


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## nelly (27 Jun 2007)

Jock04 said:


> I doubt you'd be in a cell  (I know, you were joking)..............but what would you have gained from it?


what does anyone gain from seeing someone smoking in the workplace and reporting it as breaking the law? - Irish mentality alive and kicking. 
Gardai are supposed to uphold the laws and their behaviour aught to be an example to us in how to be good citizens. 
 Again i am getting TJ&TJ flashback " wha r youse lookin at - i'll give ya somtin to report so i will...."


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## elefantfresh (27 Jun 2007)

I dunno but i just think it was a poor show, thats all. Thats what the OP was refering to way back at the start i guess.


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## z108 (27 Jun 2007)

nelly said:


> what does anyone gain from seeing someone smoking in the workplace and reporting it as breaking the law? - Irish mentality alive and kicking.
> Gardai are supposed to uphold the laws and their behaviour aught to be an example to us in how to be good citizens.
> Again i am getting TJ&TJ flashback " wha r youse lookin at - i'll give ya somtin to report so i will...."




The big reason I can see is  the dangers of passive smoking which are well documented.

If I was on the top deck of a bus and someone started smoking next to me . I would find that highly annoying but thats just me.
The Irish mentality of *not complaining*  needs to change.


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