Double Parking Q

S

SashaNiG

Registered User
Messages
28
Hi guys;
Just quick question...the guards came to my door today and said my car was double parked on the town main street today and that they want to see my license and insurance.
I didn't have it on me at home so they told me to hand in at the station tomorrow evening.
I was double parked in fairness when I ran into the shop today for 2 mins,small town,everyone does it, wrong I know hands up shouldnt off done it....But I'm just wondering is this normal to call to my house after the event asking for my license etc ? Does this mean I'm getting a ticket and points Just seems strange to me or maybe this a normal procedure ??
 
If they were going to ticket you they would need some evidence. Anytime I've been ticketed in the last few years there's a photo of the car posted on the local authority website. At the very least the ticket would have to have been written by a cop or traffic warden at the scene of the event. I doubt it can be done retrospectively.

As for calling to your house looking for license and insurance, I'm amazed they can demand that unless they stop you while driving. That's the only time you need valid documents. Not that I'd be trying to rile them intentionally, but I'm fairly certain you'd be within your rights to tell them to get stuffed. See section 40 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961. Looks to me like they can only demand your license while you are driving in a public place. On the other hand, I am not a lawyer so don't quote me on that.
 
dub_nerd said:
I'm fairly certain you'd be within your rights to tell them to get stuffed. See section 40 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961.
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Agree with dub_nerd

This is a major invasion of your human rights to show that you are insured and taxed.

If they weren't prepared to hang around and wait for you to come out, then they should not ask for it.

Hire the top solicitors and barristers in the country to defend against this. Go all the way to the European Court if necessary.

Alternatively, drop down to the Garda station tomorrow with your license and insurance.

Brendan
 
Gordon Gekko said:
This could be one for the new Garda Commissioner; talk about out of the frying pan, into the fire.
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I'm assuming you're saying this ironically, but I think you've accidently hit the nail right on the head; it is precisely the kind of issue the new Commissioner has said he's interested in - the effectiveness of the very high spend on the force.

Think of it: how much time and effort went in to call to someone's house to request them the call in to hand in details to the local station (to deal with someone else), all for something that should have been available when the car was originally spotted?

If they didn't want to ticket the car but simply give a warning, a note on the windscreen would have done the job.

A very minor example of the craziness that no doubt goes on all the time.
 
On another point and not trying to hijack the post but in my small village the Garda barracks has more or less closed down. It once housed the local sergant and his family and 3 Gardai also worked out of it, there was very, very, little they didn't know about what was going on. Now everything is centralised and a guard arrives on dole day for people to sign on (I think), outside that 2 guards arrive every now and then for an hour or two, but I have no idea what they do during that time. Afterwards they go for a nice spin and then back to the local big town to join the rest of the crew. That crew consists of aprox 30 + guards, a super and the armed squad arrive every now and then. I'll guarantee you can drive through that town anytime of day or night and you'd be very fortunate to catch sight of a guard or even a squad car. Where are they and what are they all doing? There are certain places I can go to if I need to find a guard, i'd be guaranteed to find them but afraid they're supposedly never on duty in those places. The mind continues to boggle at some practices.
 
SashaNiG said:
the guards came to my door today and said my car was double parked on the town main street today and that they want to see my license and insurance.
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Is it possible the guards did not see you double parked and whoever you were blocking phoned in a complaint ?

Something similar happened to a colleague of mine, he blocked someone’s gate for 2 minutes, the guards did not see him parked there but the householder phoned in a complaint, next day the guards called, they asked to see licence and insurance and said don’t block gates, end of.

Presumably when a complaint is made and logged the guards should follow up on it. I would guess that follow up’s do not always happen with trivial matters like this, things were probably quiet that day.
 
twofor1 said:
Is it possible the guards did not see you double parked and whoever you were blocking phoned in a complaint ?

Something similar happened to a colleague of mine, he blocked someone’s gate for 2 minutes, the guards did not see him parked there but the householder phoned in a complaint, next day the guards called, they asked to see licence and insurance and said don’t block gates, end of.

Presumably when a complaint is made and logged the guards should follow up on it. I would guess that follow up’s do not always happen with trivial matters like this, things were probably quiet that day.
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Hiya, yea im presuming its something like this, because I was literally less than 3 mins, its a small country town, no paying for parking or anything like that,the garda barracks is only part time, the only thing I can think is that someone complained or something. I have everything on my car so Im not worried about that side ,I just found it a bit strange that they didn't give me a ticket at the spot when I was doing it wrong. Id say if they saw me doing it they would come to me at the time and give me ticket,someone might of complained. Last time I run in for milk lol
 
Just to let you'see know I went to garda station with my insurance etc...the garda said that I would be issued a fine. I asked her how come I didn't get a ticket at the time of incident she said she followed me home but I was on my street when she got there. Asked her why she didn't come to me then when she followed me home but waited 6hrs to come to my door at 11pm she didn't answer. She said ill be issued ticket because she caught me. I told her technically she didn't catch me doing it, to which she said she saw me doing it. Didn't see any point arguing with her so just going to wait and see what they send me.
 
Recently saw a Garda sitting in his car taking reg numbers of double parked cars outside a chipper. Didn't seem to be getting out to give tickets, just taking numbers. I wonder if this is a new thing.
 
I was told about 10 years ago that a Garda passing an illegally parked cars don't have to issue a ticket at the time of the parking offence but can issue a ticket later but a parking warden has to issue a ticket at the time of the offence. Not sure if its correct but at the time I was getting parking tickets in the post for some of the delivery guys working for me who told me of this rule change ??
 
Ok, the person may have double parked and the guard is being so proper in the interpretation of the law, but it comes across as a sly and nasty way of enforcing it. Then again this may be the beginning of the new way of doing things. In future, if citizens break the law, the onus is on them to go to the nearest garda station, (if they can locate one), report their misdemeanour and suffer the consequences. If the person fails to report themselves within a specified time the chip they've been fitted with will automatically report them to the powers that be and their penalty gets quadrupled.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
What is your point, technically?

You double parked. You are going to be fined for it. Proper order.

Brendan
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Relax I fully agree with you. I'm sure you saw in my initial post that I admitted I was wrong for doing it......I was only asking if this was proper protocol for issuing parking tickets.Gardai calling to your house at 11pm asking for insurance rather than on roadside where offense occurred is not a common occurrence to most people. I was simply informing myself not denying liability.
 
SashaNiG said:
Relax I fully agree with you. I'm sure you saw in my initial post that I admitted I was wrong for doing it......I was only asking if this was proper protocol for issuing parking tickets.Gardai calling to your house at 11pm asking for insurance rather than on roadside where offense occurred is not a common occurrence to most people. I was simply informing myself not denying liability.
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I think that the Gardaí were just making it known to you that they saw you were double parked. I assume that most people who receive a visit from the Gardaí to the front door of their house late at night would not commit the offence again. I would be surprised if you get a fine this time but that's just my opinion.
 
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