Zen and the art of telepathic driving. Lessons anyone?
Alleged Parking Offence
- Thread starter Gordon Gekko
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Something similar happened to me when I dropped my other half to a shopping centre. I stopped in a loading bay for about 5 seconds but long enough for a Garda car to pull alongside me and admonish me. He explained that as long as the wheels come to a stop, it was considered parking and I was liable. He didn’t proceed with a fine.
I drop my wife at that location regularly so we’re trying to perfect a method whereby she can perhaps roll out without the necessity of a complete stop on my part. No luck so far so I continue to play fast and loose with the law.
I drop my wife at that location regularly so we’re trying to perfect a method whereby she can perhaps roll out without the necessity of a complete stop on my part. No luck so far so I continue to play fast and loose with the law.
The best procedure in a situation like this is to immediately admit guilt and apologise to the Garda for your unacceptable behaviour.
This usually calms the situation down and most Gardai will give a lecture on the rules of the road and leave it at that.
The Gardai generally have a difficult job and are subjected to a lot of abuse from many members of the public.
Trying to act the smart guy and engaging in an argument with the Garda is a definite way to get punished.
It's great to see that the Gardai are now actively enforcing the law.
There are far to many instances of bad and selfish behaviour on our roads.
This is largely as a result of poor enforcement in recent times.
This usually calms the situation down and most Gardai will give a lecture on the rules of the road and leave it at that.
The Gardai generally have a difficult job and are subjected to a lot of abuse from many members of the public.
Trying to act the smart guy and engaging in an argument with the Garda is a definite way to get punished.
It's great to see that the Gardai are now actively enforcing the law.
There are far to many instances of bad and selfish behaviour on our roads.
This is largely as a result of poor enforcement in recent times.
In my experience (never on the wrong side of the law) most are reasonable, polite and helpful but there are still far too many who are obnoxious and seem to be looking for any excuse to inflame tensions for no good reason.
Perhaps but at least some of it bring it on themselves.
I’ve the greatest of sympathy and respect for Gardai willing to put themselves in the front line in real cases of public disorder or other danger. Not so much for the brave officer who loses his rag with people stopping in a loading bay for five seconds to let a passenger out.
And then they may wonder why they don’t get more cooperation from the public.
I would say the opposite. Gardai are very willing to turn a blind eye to many road traffic offences, particularly around things like footpath parking or just match day parking in general all in the name of community policing.
Garda member. There is no such thing as a Garda officer. Despite the best efforts of RTE, The Indo, The Cork Examiner, Sunday Worst, etc to rebrand them, in law in this country they are Garda members. If Drew Harris, despite decades of referring to "PSNI officers" can get it right, why the persistence of the Irish Redtops on getting it wrong, each and every time?
I wish they wouldn't. They're there to do a job, get on and do it.
Footpath parking forces pedestrians young and old, wheel-chair users, less able citizens, mothers [EDIT: parents] with prams or push-chairs or toddlers out into the motor traffic. Double yellow line parking and parking in yellow hatched areas are dangerous, as is blowing through pedestrian and traffic lights on orange. Ignore enough of the "small things" and soon ignoring "bigger things" becomes acceptable.
Maybe at some distant point in the future when road traffic incidents and deaths and injuries from them are on the wane they can exercise their discretion. For now "Book 'em Danno!" every time.
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I referred to him as something similar at the time.
torblednam
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Getting into semantics now (although you started it!), but the poster you're replying to never used the phrase "Garda officer". They referred to Gardai, and then to "the brave officer".
There's nothing wrong with that, as technically all Gardai are officers, under the generally understood meaning of that word (i.e. the dictionary definition). It's not their title, but it is what they are, as people "who hold an office of trust, authority or command"...
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I don't doubt that - I was just relating my experience.
I was even out for a stroll a few weeks ago minding my own business and a patrol car pulled up beside me (inside a park where no vehicular traffic was allowed) and, for no reason at all, the particularly unpleasant Garda in the passenger seat started interrogating me asking "are you alright?" and "what are you up to?" almost as if he was goading me to say the wrong thing or tell him where to go! I was tempted to pop down to the Bridewell and make a complaint but reckoned that that was probably just asking for (more) trouble.
Perhaps the Garda just like you ...or are just concerned about you.....or there are a lot of unpleasant Garda about........when you are out and about minding your own business...I don't doubt that - I was just relating my experience.
I was even out for a stroll a few weeks ago minding my own business and a patrol car pulled up beside me (inside a park where no vehicular traffic was allowed) and, for no reason at all, the particularly unpleasant Garda in the passenger seat started interrogating me asking "are you alright?" and "what are you up to?" almost as if he was goading me to say the wrong thing or tell him where to go! I was tempted to pop down to the Bridewell and make a complaint but reckoned that that was probably just asking for (more) trouble.
Unfortunately Mrs Gekko pulled in on a disabled parking spot. Should/if a disabled driver was behind you they would proceed assuming the parking spot was taken.
From genuine experience I have often been in a car with disabled driver and have driven around the block a number of times to secure the spot because drivers pull in for drop off. Thats the reality of the situation.
I wouldn't say a lot as such incidents have been rare - but still a significant proportion of my overall interactions with the Gardaí. I don't think that a law abiding citizen should have to put up with any incidents of such a nature though.
Pinoy adventure
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A cell with Enoch awaits you.
I have a disabled member in the household, I also spent 15yrs working in the disability sector transporting disabled persons on a daily basis.
Disabled parking spots are not plentiful.
Most disabled people get to know where parking is available because they need to know.
If one spot is taken you move onto the next spot you know.
You come up to a spot and someone is genuinely a blue badge holder or you come up to the spot and on a very very regular basis somebody has just pulled in for 20/30 seconds. Most spots for good reason are installed in built up convenient locations.
Think about this carefully. The genuine blue badge holder cannot just pull up a lot of time in traffic for 20/30 seconds in order to see what is happening.
Disabled spots are used over and over again for drop off points while genuine blue badge holders often find themselves driving in circles in heavy traffic seeking a parking spot.
If you dont believe me next time you are in the city just throw your eyes on a parking spot for 10 minutes.
Years ago I would challenge people about setting down in disabled spots but now days just not worth the abuse.
Disabled parking spots are not plentiful.
Most disabled people get to know where parking is available because they need to know.
If one spot is taken you move onto the next spot you know.
You come up to a spot and someone is genuinely a blue badge holder or you come up to the spot and on a very very regular basis somebody has just pulled in for 20/30 seconds. Most spots for good reason are installed in built up convenient locations.
Think about this carefully. The genuine blue badge holder cannot just pull up a lot of time in traffic for 20/30 seconds in order to see what is happening.
Disabled spots are used over and over again for drop off points while genuine blue badge holders often find themselves driving in circles in heavy traffic seeking a parking spot.
If you dont believe me next time you are in the city just throw your eyes on a parking spot for 10 minutes.
Years ago I would challenge people about setting down in disabled spots but now days just not worth the abuse.
Some people insist on using the incorrect name even though they know it to be incorrect.
It might be a short hand name, what they heard used in another jurisdiction, a former name or a comedy version of a name which wasn’t even funny the first time.
It’s naive to think you will be the one to change their behaviour. I wouldn’t waste your time responding…
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