Originally Posted by Green Tribe
But will a midget Gaurda force help ??
SIGNATURESCOPE
I think it would make people think twice if they were to get points/fined for such an offence and for it to be enforced. They need to stop people caught doing this. It is against the LAW and very dangerous!
Its you who needs to get a grip and you don't need to curse either
Have you got figures to back up your above claim.
Crime rates are up in this country and if they keep rising as they are we will no longer be top of the 'most friendliest list' is what I was saying and I believe it to be true
Shocking a mod cursingIts you who needs to get a grip and you don't need to curse either
Have you got figures to back up your above claim.
Crime rates are up in this country and if they keep rising as they are we will no longer be top of the 'most friendliest list' is what I was saying and I believe it to be true
Crime rates are up indeed but the policing aren't "catching up"
I have to say, I have zero respect for the Gardai (even though i know a couple personally !)
As individuals they don't exude the type of quiet, powerful confidence and authority that a police force should.
I wouldn't think twice about telling a Gard where to go if he asked me to do something I didn't want to on a Friday night (e.g. 'walk on the pavement, not the road'). I'm bigger and older than most of them, and you always seem to get away with saying whatever you want to them (within reason).
Conversely - with the Police in England, and particularly London, you know there's no messin' with them. They're big, they exude confident authority, they look like they won't take any lip, and more importantly they don't. You therefore do what they tell you when they tell you, as you know they'll be on your case if you don't.
I honestly can't take the Gardai seriously as a law enforcement authority...
Dont worry GT, I sent him a PM adivising him of an infraction, as he has been so kind to do to me in the past
JTS, you never cease to make me laugh. You even put those quotes in order as though that was how the conversation flowed in exact order.
No you dont, in the nicest possible manner myself and a friend asked them about an old law, that states if you need to defecate and no public loo is within sight, a Garda has to offer you his hat, is this true, and we asked a few times, but we were told in no uncertain terms that if we didnt move away we would be arrested under the "...Public Order Act".I wouldn't think twice about telling a Gard where to go if he asked me to do something I didn't want to on a Friday night (e.g. 'walk on the pavement, not the road'). I'm bigger and older than most of them, and you always seem to get away with saying whatever you want to them (within reason).
Horses for courses, ive asked them why they are called "the old bill", "bobbies" and do they know that people call them "pigs" and I didnt get arrested. They actually laughed, I think its down to the individuals. God I sound like the Uber-Pc brigade of foot.ie now. I also know lots of PPs over here that are bobbies ( i lost respect for them thenConversely - with the Police in England, and particularly London, you know there's no messin' with them
But here is one to back up your claim, a friend was loaded in galway one night and he kept trying chat up this girl outside supermacs, and he wouldn't leave her alone, anyhow she eventually went over to the garda car parked across the way and said can you please tell this fella to leave me alone, so over pops me mate, and the gardas start ****ing themselves, its only the brother of a lad they went to school with
Last edited by paul_oshea; 17/10/2007 at 11:44 AM.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
I agree, recently I complained to them about a group of young under-agers drinking in the street, littering, beng a pain in the arse basically and they replied "Ah sure they're only 14, that's what 14 year olds do!"I have to say, I have zero respect for the Gardai (even though i know a couple personally !)
As individuals they don't exude the type of quiet, powerful confidence and authority that a police force should.
I wouldn't think twice about telling a Gard where to go if he asked me to do something I didn't want to on a Friday night (e.g. 'walk on the pavement, not the road'). I'm bigger and older than most of them, and you always seem to get away with saying whatever you want to them (within reason).
Conversely - with the Police in England, and particularly London, you know there's no messin' with them. They're big, they exude confident authority, they look like they won't take any lip, and more importantly they don't. You therefore do what they tell you when they tell you, as you know they'll be on your case if you don't.
I honestly can't take the Gardai seriously as a law enforcement authority...
Dont worry GT, I sent him a PM adivising him of an infraction, as he has been so kind to do to me in the past
JTS, you never cease to make me laugh. You even put those quotes in order as though that was how the conversation flowed in exact order.
That was why I added the 'within reason' caveat.
Reagrdless of any law that may exist, or how politely the request, asking a Gard can you sh!t in his hat is always going to provoke a negative response..!
With more normal examples, I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people just simply ignoring what they're told by Gards, and nothing happens in return. I've also seen Gards 'trading lip' with people - as if they were just random punters on the street, not appointed representatives with the force of the law behind them.
But that's the whole 'confident authority' thing. They know who's the boss, so they can brush your comments off as just a laugh. I'm sure that if you pushed the point and became a nuisance/abusive you'd have found their attitude towards you cahnaged rather quickly.
Conversely - I sense a consciousness amongst Gards generally about the fact that people don't respect their authority. Hence they're much more eager to wave their powers around if they feel their authoritah is not being respected ! Confident police officers/a confident force could see the funny side in something like that. One that is aware of it's fundamental lack of authority will be much more eager to try to show its authority when it feels it isn't being respected.
The Gards are just Keystone Cops in my mind....
Last edited by dcfcsteve; 17/10/2007 at 11:48 AM.
friendly bunch thoughThe Gards are just Keystone Cops in my mind....
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This brings me back to an example on o'connell street. Where the "serious" part of the gards is a bit of a joke. My mate went for a **** down lower abbey street, grand then my brother ran down the street next to it, anyhow the guards came down in teh unmarked car and started flashing the light and stuff, 3 of them got out acting all serious, and the usual qusetions came out, but then one of them goes, "look he ****ed on the bottom of his trousers " and he got into an arguement with 2 of them about not having ****ed on the bottom of his trousers ( which I might add he didnt ) and then the more senior guard cops on and goes look that doesnt matter here, we could fine ye blah de blah and eventually let him away. But for sure, I dont think that lapse in official duty would occur in the UK, there is a more professional approach to the job. I think thats down to the guards being full of nice, innocent culchies --> see that DodgeWith more normal examples, I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people just simply ignoring what they're told by Gards, and nothing happens in return. I've also seen Gards 'trading lip' with people - as if they were just random punters on the street, not appointed representatives with the force of the law behind them.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Having just read all the posts with people arguing, insulting and criticising each other.......I'm just surprised we weren't beaten into second place by Slovakia!
Tact is for people who are not witty enough to be sarcastic
Condensing this thread, it seems like we're in a bit of a pickle, to maintain our lead in the friendly stakes crime must be halted, but that won't happen unless our Gardaí lose their friendly ways, but if that happens we might lose our friendly country tag.
Anyway, I don't like this focus on the inadequacy of our police force tarnishing what could have been a wonderfully uplifting thread celebrating the most important thing in the world, especially at a time when we need ego-massaging as distraction from our sporting woes. So come on now, lets all take a moment to realise we beat Germany and England at something, appreciate our blessed birthright, ride the collective wave of cordiality and be proud of ourselves.
Most people visititng are here for a weekend / week or 2 so its not that hard to think that they went a week in ireland with people being friendly to them it happens me all the time ive gone a couple of months with out witnessing anything nasty, Even the dirty alco's ive to walk past everyday to work are friendly they say hello & have a little chat. the people in shops are allways friendly to me i love it here.
I wonder where Slovakia came on the list....suppose it's a bit unfair, it just seems Bratislava was unfriendly, I am sure the rest of the country is normal enough
If we're the friendliest it's because every other nation on this planet is horribly unfriendly
Beating England is nothing new for the Irish - at eaither football or rugby.
And the Germans are the ones who can't beat us......
So nothing worthy of celebrating there then...!
Fair enough point, but one line over-simplifies the issue, I'll happily build on your foundation.
As you know Jebus, there are several stages you can get to in social encounters, this is the kernel of the matter. Stage one (very depressing) would be a simple '**** off' and a kick in the hole, ranging up to ten (epiphany) where you are, depending on sex, either going to go for a pint with the person you just met on the street or have sex with them. In between those extremes will fall the vast majority of our social meetings, the extent to which they come closer to one or the other obviously defines the congeniality of the encounter and thus your impression of the person/country and the positive or negative effect on your day.
The key indicia for me is whether a meeting was purely matter of fact 'I can't wait to be rid of you', or whether you are surprised and uplifted because of the warmth radiating from the other person. By and large, the latter is exemplified with a flashing smile or a simple joke that, without you really realising, has brightened your day. That is where I think Irish people are seen to set themselves apart. We love a bit of plámás, a hop-ball, an irreverent jest, like say if a tourist asks you where a certain pub is you'll either start or finish with some smart comment about drinking. Personally, I find myself doing such nearly all the time, and this forum would illustrate that most people do the same, we just can't help ourselves from breaking down the, in my opinion non-existent, social barriers that prevent others from opening up and exuding a bit of personality. Obviously it's not a uniquely Irish phenomenon, we just do it better.
Finally, just to revert back to Jebus' sentiment that we're not really that friendly, I would have to agree with him. While we may be pretty friendly generally, loads of people still leave an awful lot to be desired. They just walk around moping all day, you'd try to be nice, enthusiastic, playful even, and there is just no reciprocation. Such types get my goat up big time. What, you don't enjoy human interaction? The natural delight of sharing a joke with a stranger should never be neglected. I could go on, but I'll leave Jebus and others to take up the mantle. Now smile ffs, and don't be pointlessly sarcastic like dcfcsteve!
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