06.08.06
Zero tolerance on boy racers
The Family have decided to adopt a zero tolerance approach to obnoxious and aggressive driving. My Dad, my sister and now me have had excellent dealings with the fine members of the Garda Siochana while implementing the policy. Today was a classic example.
I was driving towards the village of Enfield. There was single line traffic where road works were being carried out. I had the “Go”. Towards me RACED a little b*llix in this little over-fast car chatting and laughing on his phone, making no indication that he would very shortly have to stop unless he actually wanted to drive straight into me. At the very last second he very sharply came to a halt and the traffic works just ended so I could resume my position in the left hand lane. I decided to make a point and got out of the car ( I know I know) and approached his window. I reprminanded him (not screaming, just indignant) for his casual attitude. Barely pausing from his chat on the phone, he dismissed me very insolently.
So I noted his licence plate and headed straight for the cop shop. Where the young (and tanned) and eager Guard was delighted that I had the licence plate. He looked it up instantly and was thrilled with the results. The boy racer has been the subject of 20 complaints, 10 in the last 3 months alone. He called out his name. He lives locally. He assured me he would be up to visit the little gurrier within 15 minutes.
Why do these little shits NEVER cop on that their driving is dangerous? Or care?
Anyway, my Dad and sister, as I say, have done the same thing in the past. The computer system the cops have now is great. I urge everyone to adopt the policy. MAYBE if these guys realise that they can’t get away with it, they MIGHT start to think.
Damien Blake said,
June 8, 2006 at 11:25 pm
Congrats, good to see this working and good to see the guards responding. It’s a bit shocking this guy’s still on the road after so many complaints though.
As for “Why do these little shits NEVER cop on that their driving is dangerous? Or care?”- I think it’s best described as “Superman Syndrome”. I think most adolescent boys go through it to some extent – I know I did – but it’s something you can overcome, if you have enough cop-on. There’s no awareness of how easy it can be to lose control of a car, just a feeling that it will always be “someone els” who isn’t as good a driver as you are.
I would never have been a typical “Boy Racer” – no stupid speeding or anything- but I failed my test twice for stupid stuff. That really made me evaluate my driving. The experience of having to keep learning and studying has really helped. I was amazed by how little actually goes into a test, no more than ten minutes driving, no parking, nowhere faster than a 30mph zone. Nowhere dangerous. No reflection of the real difficulties of driving (and yes, I still failed twice).
The sooner we cop-on as a nation, the better.
Pete said,
June 9, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I’m very glad that in my younger days I only had access to very low-powered vehicles, or I probably wouldn’t be writing this today. It’s a testosterone thing. On the other hand there’s no excuse for being rude, at any age.
Australia is talking about bringing in horsepower restrictions for younger drivers, but their problem is on a completely different level, with many teenage boys driving cars with 5 litre engines. They have a great word for dangerous boy racers, “Hoons”, which I think we should adopt, although “little shits” is quite descriptive. (noun: Hoon . verb: Hooning)
Niall said,
June 9, 2006 at 8:49 pm
Honestly, I’m glad to see that somebody got caught for dangerous driving, but by God it’s impossibile to drive anywhere in a modified car without getting some inbred pig picking on you.
I was in my brother’s car a couple of months back. Some bloody pig stopped us, searched the car, checked the driving licence, registration, tyres, NCT, everything really. Just because the car was done up.
He decided that the tyres weren’t up to scratch and ordered that the car not be driven. This was at about 3 o’clock in the morning. He then gloated “I just love it when I get one of ye!”
I woudn’t mind, but my parents never have that problem, even when their car is in a worse state.
blankpaige said,
June 10, 2006 at 12:08 pm
Well done Sarah. I thought I was alone and didn’t want to blog about my revenge story. I’d a nasty incidence in Pearse Street last week as a car passenger. This pizza-faced skanger kept aggressively cutting us up, overtaking in both sides in slow moving traffic. At one point, he shouted in my window that he’d like to give me one, but didn’t hang around long enough to explain the nature of his offer. He almost killed a cyclist and a pedestrian in the few minutes we saw him. I took his number and rang Pearse St Garda stn. The cop was most appreciative of my call and informed me that there was a patrol around that would intercept him. As we passed him outside Busaras being lectured to by a ticket-writing guard, I was pleased that someone had given him one!
Colm said,
June 11, 2006 at 4:25 pm
Hear, hear. I wrote something about this boy racer culture a while back. Affirmative action on the part of concerned public is needed to beat these guys.
http://www.infactah.com/2006/05/boy-racers-laughing-at-gardai_28.html
Leo said,
June 12, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Sarah, this reminds me of a story you told me a couple of years ago, whereby you expained that you tended to deal with people tailgating you in the fast lane, by stamping hard on the brake pedal, so that they would have to back off. Approaching some little shite to reproach him for his driving will probably only have the effect that he might clock you one, rather than him actually amending his appalling driving habits.
I think Damian has hit the nail on the head with his comment however
“It’s a bit shocking this guy’s still on the road after so many complaints though.”
The Gardai are actually powerless (and most likely too lazy) to follow up on complaints made by motorists. They need to catch the little shites at it before they can (be bothered) actually prosecuting them. I have spent the last 11 months chasing a Garda in Kevin Street, trying to get him to prosecute a woman who wrecked my parked car whilst driving with no insurance. They have no interest in chasing this stuff up, and it was only after I threatened to bring it to his Sergeant, that he actually paid a visit to our uninsured driver. He now tells me that as she hasn’t been able to provide insurance, she will be prosecuted, but that it may take at least 18 months to bring the prosecution. I am as of yet unsure whether this is a ploy to make me give up. All I know is someone owes me €2500 in damages!
Enjoy your 5* hotel!
Sarah said,
June 15, 2006 at 9:06 am
erm, yes, my “training” system for tailgaters was extremely effective although reckless in its own way. It generally occured on roads, say like the old road between Enfield and Kilcock, where there was a strict 80km speed limit, double white lines etc. It was a really dangerous road with bends and dips and us locals knew where there were blind spots but the testosterone heads insisted on looming large in my rear view mirror urging me to speed up, (beyond the legal limit) since they couldn’t overtake. The general principal involved REALLY slowing down. They’d tear their hair out for a couple of minutes and eventually give up and back off. Then I’d speed up. Pretty soon they’d cop on that the further back they stayed, the closer I would go to the speed limit. If they left me alone, we’d all get there faster. If they insisted on tailgating (and this is not a rush hour thing) I’d do the old brake sharply thing. They’d get the fright of their lives and decide to keep their distance from psycho pre-menstrual woman driver. I remember totally pissing off one 40ft truck driver once. He was SO on my tail for miles and I wasn’t going to test his braking reflexes. However, he was so awful I took great pleasure in studiously obeying the 30km speed limit as we came into Enfield (a limit generally ignored). I CRAWLED through the village. When I came to the junction to turn down our road I generously signalled a guy who had clearly been waiting some time to proceed with his right turn. This was the last straw for beserk truck driver who lay on the extremely loud horn. Right-turning driver, impressed by my (to him) courteous behaviour, got morally outraged on my behalf and offered the standard expletives and two fingered salute to truck driver. Haha I thought. Although, fully aware I was dicing with, if not death, then certainly potential stabbing incident.
ANYWAY, another note on the helpful garda. While I was extremely satisfied with his co-operation, I was also just a tad aware, that giving me the name and address of the subject of my complaint, and displaying the computer screen showing the previous complaints against him, must have contravened several laws, even if only data protection ones….
The Infamous Pikey said,
July 12, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Why don’t you all shut your faces up, before a pop a cap in your asses.
All i want to do is go out doing donuts on a tuesday night, and i got some slow old woman in a 1litre polo driving at 7mph in a 60 limit and then calls the gardai because i don’t overtake.
I is sick of all you niggaz. 20 Cent is so Gangsta he doesn’t even need to be slow. He chooses to be slow. 4 Life.