https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgOuAowp_1Q&feature=youtu.be
Leopold Gloom writes:
To go with the mystery of the O’Higgins report, a fine example of a Garda trying to abuse their power towards a cyclist in Dublin city. Needs to be shared I think…
Decent Audi, in fairness.
Previously: ‘Something For Everyone’
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Awful aggressive driving without any knowledge of the rules of the road.but he can flash a badge so it is ok.
Cycling with headphones in, acting like a complete prat on the bike when he realized there was a vehicle behind him. Both of them are acting like idiots in different ways. Sadly the cyclist will attempt to claim some kind of moral high ground. I really worry about the behavior of most people on Irish roads.
Yeah. I cycle and I drive. But I don’t understand why some cyclists insist on cycling out as far from the footpath as they can when they could easily allow a car to pass safely. Or… out on regional roads cycling outside the hard shoulder when the hard shoulder is actually in really good condition. They won’t even go inside to let a car pass. It’s very dangerous and playing the stubborn fool with your life if you meet the wrong driver.
A bit of respect for each other on the roads would go a long way.
Ever cycle over a surface water drain on a road bike? Don’t. That’s the reason why cyclists don’t hug the ditch.
It’s actually safer to be obnoxious and cycle away from the footpath. You get seen, for one thing, and if you have to pull out for whatever reason you don’t get hit by whoever is driving up behind you. It’s a pain in the hole for motorists but I’ll put my safety over your annoyance.
+1. if in doubt, cycle in middle of lane.
With flutes like that driving about, it’s far safer.
Pretty sure that is a ministerial car. Definitely dangerous driving and most like in a 30kmp/h zone.
The hard shoulder is for breakdowns only and is not supposed to be used a cycle lane.
Because it’s dangerous at times to cycle close to the curb. When going past parked cars, along certain sections of awful road way where the gutters are potholed, visibility mightn’t be great, the cyclists may have to change lane at a junction, or when the road is narrow and there is a danger of some lunatic with a badge getting dangerously close to you in his Audi. The road is for everyone, not just for cars. Having to drive at 20 behind a cyclist for 2 minutes isn’t going to kill you, and it might save them, so maybe relax and take her handy when it happens.
If you want to talk about what’s actually dangerous cyclists should always act like they are in a car. It’s cyclists who break lights, skip on and off the path or cycle along the path, cyclists who weave around cars, those who do stupid things that are endangering their lives and giving other cyclists a bad name. I really despise those d!cks.
100%. Why do all cyclists thing traffic lights don’t apply to them. Crossing the road beside St pats cathedral the other day I nearly got run over by an idiot on a bike who cycled straight through the lights. Thankfully I was able to protect myself with my leg by swinging it against his tyre resulting in a tumble on his part. I walked away happy.
#CEO u say you cycle also, well I would love to watch how you cycle?
Because the hard shoulder isn’t the road. And I second what’s been said about drains. Plus what LOOKS like it’s in good condition generally isn’t, when you try to actually cycle over it. I drive and cycle, and a lot of cycle paths look great – nice and red, so they must be ok, yes? But then when you try to cycle on them you get shaken to bits and punctures. Plus there’s the legality of roads. As a cyclist, you have to ‘take possession’ of a lane to have any legal rights, as far as I know. If you’re cycling on the white line between two lanes, it could be argued that you’re not in one lane or the other, if a motorist knocked you off your bike (which has happened, multiple times). A cyclist should be obviously in one lane or another, hence why they shouldn’t hog the side of the road. Obviously they should also have consideration and not cycle out TOO far though.
Where do you see that he is cycling with headphones in?
He taps his helmet when the driver comes right up behind and tries to push past leaving a few inches. You are meant to leave a metre & a half when passing a bike.
Basically, you seem to think he was wrong to act up when someone was driving in a dangerous and aggressive manner.
Wayne, watch it again from the start. He is 100% in his bike lane until the garda comes to close to him. And no headphones either.
There is no bike lane after the lights 0.4seconds into the video it ends, and he actively moves the bike across the path of the vehicle at 0.14 seconds in. Your right no headphones there is a lose thread or string on his jacket that I mistook for them.
His behavior on the bike is completely unacceptable and is not in keeping with best practice of road safety for himself or other users.
There are two parties at fault here, not one, but the cyclist has jumped on a high horse without assessing his own behavior. For the record I bothe cycle and drive regularly .
There’s a bus lane, which is also a bike lane.
in which is allowed cycle anywhere in there, the car is not.
Still, the cyclist is at fault for a driver driving dangerously.
People desperate to blame cyclists.
He moves in front of the car because the car is trying to pass dangerously close to him. There is not enough room for the car to pass safely so the cyclist correctly moves out to take up the lane and protect himself by preventing the driver from trying to overtake again.
There is enough room for both there, he moves out to be an obnoxious ass and I am apportioning blame to both parties.
As an official Garda vehicle he has a right to use the bus lane also
No he does not,he is not exempt from the rules of the road or the road traffic act…he may use it in an emergency but must use caution at all times when doing so.
If it goes wrong he is subject to the law.
Emergency vehicles only allowed use bus lanes in emergencies, with sirens and lights. I could be wrong, but this definitely used to be the case.
This is a bus lane, which is also a cycle lane, which is also a taxi lane, which is also a guard and emergency services lane.
It’s also an idiot headcamera cyclist lane.
It’s only for taxis when they have a fare.
and?
Road Traffic exemptions for guards are not just in emergencies, but while “in performance of their duties”.
Road Traffic Act 2010:
87.— (1) Requirements under the Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 2010 relating to vehicles and requirements, restrictions and prohibitions relating to the driving and use of vehicles, other than those provided under sections 49, 50, 51A, 52 and 53 of the Principal Act, sections 12, 13 and 15 of the Act of 1994 and sections 4 , 5 , 12 and 14 of this Act, do not apply to—
(a) the driving or use by a member of the Garda Síochána, an ambulance service or a fire brigade of a fire authority (within the meaning of the Fire Services Act 1981) of a vehicle in the performance of the duties of that member…
Performance of duties does not equate to driving a civilian car in the cycle lane with no sirens?
So what your saying is a Garda or any member of the emergency service can drive any vehicle they wish in the bus lane and flash their badge to make it legal?
The Garda needs a lesson on road safety and several penalty points for how he behaved
Just correcting the misapprehension that they may only use it in emergencies. You don’t need to read opposition in every comment.
Said like someone who never cycled a bike in a city.
Becoming defensive when a car speeds up within a foot or so of your back tyre is not acting like a prat. It is the only response available really.
Its pretty terrifying, because as a cyclist you sense the gormless halfwit who is rushing you ‘with’ their car, does not seem to grasp the potential for disaster.
Cyclist has head phones on, is cycling like an bottomhole in the middle of the lane. Both being gobpoos!
It’s a bus and cycle lane, the car should not be there. A Garda can use this lane in emergency situations, but not just because he’s a Garda and doesn’t feel like waiting in traffic.
That’s not true. He can use it any time when he’s one duty.
“while in performance of [their] duties” is the legal wording, so one could argue they were out protecting the peace even off the clock.
I can’t see any evidence of headphones but that is irrelevant. he could listening to talk radio or gentle music at a modest level. Headphones don’t actually block out the sound of traffic.
The driver is trying to pass too close to the bike that is all.
Oh boy. This going to be a thing.
Oh how right you are. Going mad, so they are!
It’s ok everyone! He’s a guard.
Michael O’Leary was right.
I wonder when they’ll bring in Garda training on how to act when you see a camera.
Nóirín: “Lads, will ye ever stop acting the ham on camera! Act the ham all ye want, but not on camera lads! When ye see a camera revert to the hand book”
How’s about pulling over slightly, making a hand signal – remember them ? – for the car to pass. No. Too old fashioned.
How about the driver has a little patience and waits a few seconds for the road to widen? No. The cyclist should get out of the way?
The cyclist did move out when he saw the car behind him. He was deliberately trying to antagonise the guy in the car, probably because he had a camera on his head.
Bingo
It was because he don’t carh who he arh..
The cyclist moved out because it would have been safer for him to completely block the car than to be forced onto the foot path. It’s not antagonism, it’s personal safety.
Personal safety? Bike versus car: every time you’re going to come off worse if you’re on a bike. That’s just the unfortunate reality. There’s enough nutters driving around in uninsured/stolen cars in Dublin who would run into you and drive-off without thinking twice. Video vigilantism is not going to save you from some scobe in a Subaru.
You seem to understand the premise delacaravanio, but the fact is that you are far more likely to be pushed into a curb by a plain old rubbish driver (please see video) than you are to be run over by a psychopath.
If you watched it without sound you’d be completely on the side of the cyclist but that whingey voice of his would make even Nicky Kelly cheer for the Guards.
The whingey voice was his downfall all right.. it sounded kinda Irish/Asian/American.
Seriou li, dat dangrus derivin’.. I don carh who uh arh.
And what does he think he’s riding on, a Kawasaki or something?
It’s like move aside. I don’t care if the drains make your pram all wobbly.
Oh I wouldn’t go that far….. aloud.
Have to side with cyclist on this one. Driver was completely in the wrong.
cyclist being a complete tool, cycling round looking for trouble , no sympathy. Shoot them all.
I’m always cycling around looking for you to run into on my bike so I can blame it on you. All cyclists do it. It’s our favourite thing.
What an IDIOT.
Car in the bus lane? I’M GOING TO CYCLE IN FRONT OF IT .
This is the type of moron that causes accidents. Fair play to the guard for not wasting his time any further with this neanderthal.
Please explain what he is supposed to do when there is no room for the car to pass?
Cycle on the footpath obviously.
Move to the side of the road?
There was plenty of space to his left. Once he saw the car he moved into the middle of the lane to intentionally block the car and provoke the driver which was perfectly entitled to be using that lane.
Don’t taxis use bus lanes as well?
He is in a narrow part of the road. When he first turns around it is because the car is trying to pass dangerously close. The driver is supposed to allow 1.5metres between the car and the bike when passing.
The cyclist moves in to prevent the car trying to pass again because it is dangerous. A few seconds later the road widens at the lights and it is safe for the car to pass.
“The cyclist moves in to prevent the car trying to pass again ”
hahaha.
As i said, this is the type of moron that causes accidents.
The quote should be “The cyclist moves in to prevent the car trying to pass again BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS”. You’re clearly ignoring the substantive point. There isn’t room for the car to pass safely so he makes sure the car can’t try.
I don’t know why I’m bothering to argue with someone who has minion for an avatar to be honest.
1.5 meters would mean even drivers in the next lane would need to pull away from the cyclist and if the cyclist, as he did in the video, pulls out to the middle of the bus lane, the cars in the left hand driving lane are now within this distance. Talking of the 1.5 meters is all well and good but a lot of the time in Dublin its not possible. Im all for leaving a safe distance but needing a minimum distance or the cyclist is a victim is ridiculous
Car in the bus lane (which it shouldn’t be) threatening to overtake with barely any room? You give them no room or they push you onto the footpath, cyclist is in the right here.
That particular car has every right to be in the bus lane.
So your ‘which it shouldn’t be’ puts you in the same catgory as the moron cyclist blocking it.
Is it an emergency? Did he have his siren on? Did he make ANY attempt to show the cyclist that he was a guard driving in an emergency? No he didn’t, so for all the cyclist knew the motorist shouldn’t be there. Why are you trying so hard? You’re very dug in here.
I think you’ll find he showed his badge, that’s an attempt?
I don’t know if it’s an emergency or what level of emergency it is, do you?
What would the cyclist have done if it was a taxi behind him?
Yeah, showed his badge after the fact an also when the cyclist was actually able to pull in. The lack of a siren would lead me to believe that this was an impatient driver rather than a guard in an emergency. A taxi also shouldn’t be trying to overtake in a situation like that either. The bike is in front wait your turn.
I would suggest showing his badge totally shows he wasn’t on his way to an emergency. At that point he could have jumped those lights and headed off to fight crime but he didn’t – he stopped to intimidate a cyclist instead…
Spot on. Unless his lights and siren were broken and at every busy intersection he was just getting out to show his badge and part the traffic.
“That particular car has every right to be in the bus lane”
Again. It’s NOT a Garda car.
It doesn’t matter whether it is or isn’t a garda car. Bus lane enforcement is a matter for the guards, not cyclists with cameras.
I think that they were both in the wrong there, but the Guard driving in a threatening way is a worry, then flashing the badge like NYPD do on the Telly. Big man!
This cyclist was stoped, for crimes against fashion, again.
Also known as lycra man.
So cops are power abusing onanists? Who would have guessed?
whether or not the video shows that the cyclist was in the wrong is immaterial – it’s not for us to decide – it’s for the guard on the scene to decide. he flashes the badge but drives off as soon as the cyclist points out his head camera
obviously, the guard simply wanted to intimidate the cyclist. if he had been doing anything wrong, the guard would have stopped and given him a caution, a warning or arrested him. the fact that he drove off as soon as he saw the camera speaks volumes
He drives off because he has better things to be doing than dealing with idiots like that cyclist and people like you who try and twist facts to suit your bitter agenda.
The cyclist pointed out the headcamera before they even stopped. He only stopped to show him his badge as the REASON he was in the bus lane. The guard clearly doesn’t care about the head camera, as he shouldn’t.
Not a Garda car though and not on duty.
Siding with a law breaking cop?
You know him do you?
You know if he’s a plain clothes officer or a drug squad officer? You know what his hours are and what car he drives in his private life?
You know all this do you?
It’s abundantly clear for anyone aware of these things that the vehicle in question is not fleet. It’s a personal vehicle and could not be used on alert. Though not entirely unusual for a personal vehicle to be used on official business, the driver in question was driving aggressively in a bus lane – speed checking a cyclist – and in a lane he had no right to use all things considered.
The driver is guaranteed to be fined and also get one hell of a kicking from his Sergeant or Super – regardless of any opinion you hold regarding the cyclist.
All Gardai are obliged to observe the rules of the road, including patrol vehicles.
All we really know Rotide is that he drives and acts like a complete ladypart!
The rest is a mystery
This plonker cyclist could have been mown down by an auld fella with the flat cap and pipe.
There just one cap and pipe to go around between them Vanessa? Have you been drinking already?
That’s not a Garda car so was he using the bus lane in his private car illegally and using his badge in an inappropriate manner to intimidate?
Penalty points.
The sooner people realise that there are two people involved here, not a car and a bike, then you’ll start to understand the rules of the road.
The Garda use their vans to drive their mates home after a night on the town.
This is true, happens all the time and the senior management know about it and they don’t care.
Garda Siochana is rotten to the core. Protectors of politicians and their own self interest.
Think we’ve found Paul Murphy
think we have found callanan
I’ve heard that too from quite a few people and know it to be true, especially in country towns. Seems Rotide doesn’t like criticism of the cops.
Not Stephen Rae by any chance are you?
Rotide is a redundant contrarian
Eh, Paul Murphy is a politician.
used to drive me home from working lockins, a long time ago
Gowan outta dat
cops not yer man Murphy
‘There is no evidence that the Garda flashed his Garda Identity Card at the cyclist’, however the cyclist was correct to bring this to our attention as the suspicion of the badge-flashing would be a cause for worry within the Garda ranks’
Love, GSOC / Higgins
Saying he flashed his ehh, what.
Could it be a lycra fan.
Two of my friends are Gardaí.
-Not because I like them or anything, it just makes life easier.
There are so many idiots cycling now, and I say that as a cyclist. Having said that, in this case I think the Guard is chancing his arm. Driving in the bus lane and flashes his badge when he is called on his behaviour.
I saw a carcrash a few weeks back near Locke’s on the canal. The last part of that road is one-way and most cyclists, including myself, illegally cycle against traffic. Some cyclist tore along the street, causing a driver to have to break and the guy behind him ploughed into him. The driver was railing against all of us cycling towards him. Fair enoughski. A few days later there was a cop there stopping people cycling. So I had to go the correct route Again fair enough but that part of the South Circular coming up to Leonard’s Corner is rotten.
I realise I have no point. Ah well.
What an arrogant garda. A disgrace to the force. Oh wait, most of them behave exactly like this Guard did.
Whats GSOC doing about this carry on
unfortunately you’ll regret posting that video.
Misfortunately, I read your comment.
-Are you a Gruda? You could easily pass the exam.
Yeah but…
If you become mates with one or two of them, and one of THEM is a Sergeant in your local station, if you’re lucky enough to still have a local station, and you turn a blind eye to what they’re doing…sure it’s like they aren’t even there…you can do whatever you like.
-according to my mate Dave.
Seriously.
I think the most disturbing aspect of this video is that the driver drove his car at the cyclist. Other things I noticed was the line of metal bollards along the kerb that are fairly close to your knees if you were to keep in to the kerb and especially for this guy who seems to have quite wide panniers on the front. I also think they are approaching a red light from the bus lane onwards so the driver was getting excited for nothing. To be fair to the rider, when you are being harrased by a civilian car whom you percieve should not be there in the bus lane I can understand his reaction and when he did move over to stop the attempted overtake he did it without cutting up the driver. Both were in the wrong but the driver should have known better and pulling the badge is just intimidation, a speciality of theirs, he could also have had said nothing to the cyclist, kept his window closed and kept the peace. I can imagine the bollocking I would get from a guard if he saw me doing same. He may have been on garda business but doesn’t mean it’s an emergency and doesn’t justify a dangerous overtake for nothing, nor driving his vehicle at a prone cyclist nor the intimidation.
I agree
The fact it’s a garda is completely irrelevant, this is about dangerous reckless driving, there wasn’t enough space to overtake safely, the cyclist totally correct in stopping him from running him into the kerb.
+ 1 maniac driver
Ban this male genital BS.
If it was an emergency then surely gardaí have to use the siren?! If he had put on a siren then I would say fair enough but this looks to me like an off duty garda driving his own car on his own time.
I think the cyclist was a fair enough distance from the kerb when there is no cycle lane. He is part of the traffic and can be there as annoying as it can be for a driver who is thinking that if the cyclist moved in a foot then there would be enough room to safely overtake.
In any case, and even if the cyclist is in the wrong, the driver uses his car as a weapon by driving aggresively too close to another road user that he had no chance of overtaking. Hope he gets reprimanded for this.
There is a definite phenomenon of camera-wearing cyclists antagonising drivers with pedantic behaviour and then posting the results online. This cyclist is not one of those. He takes the lane in a normal and legitimate defensive manoeuvre. I cycle that stretch of the quays all the time and there are many 100m portions where a car can’t pass a bike, let alone a cargo bike. The car driver’s behaviour is really pretty dangerous.
I don’t think most drivers realise how frightening these kinds of interactions are, especially when supported by comments like those above. Especially when guys in your office casually mention how much they effing hate cyclists. So many motorists seem to, which leads to behaviour on the road that, if not outright dangerous, at least skirts the edges of dangerous. Drivers have almost nothing to lose in risky interactions. Cyclists have everything. I’m a ridiculously cautious cyclist, I stop at all lights, I give way where possible. But I still have motorists behave aggressively and reprimand me a couple of times a week, because I belong to a class of road user that they do not believe should be allowed on the road. There is literally no way for me to avoid this problem except stopping cycling. There is no measure of safe and legal behaviour that will spare me the ire of motorists.
The greatest safety measure that could be taken for cyclists in Ireland is a massive reeducation for everyone on the legalities of road use. Yes, cyclists should stop at lights, and use junctions properly, but none of that would have so great an impact as convincing motorists of the great unaccepted truth, which is: bicycles are vehicles that are allowed on the road, and they have just as much right to be on the road as cars. Our entire road culture would change if everyone accepted this.
I have never once been spoken to or reprimanded by a driver. Where are you cycling???
Dublin City Centre, the Quays, the Phoenix Park, Dublin 2, Dublin 8. I’m classing a horn blown, glares and shakes of the head, aggressive revving and cutting in, and occasional entreaties to wear a helmet as reprimands. Phoenix Park is particularly bad lately for some reason.
Really? Jaykers. I wear a helmet and look like a complete tool, so I guess people steer clear (literally) of me.
My journey in is D14, D6, Canal cycle path, D2. It’s relatively hassle free, luckily. I was knocked down outside my house, which should be the safest place, you’d think.
+1
Dangerous driving is a criminal offense. That Garda could be in very serious trouble for letting his ego get ahead of him.
https://youtu.be/hgCqz3l33kU
Meh, I’m a keen cyclist and the go pro brigade annoy me with their po faced sanctimony.
….and their documented evidence of dangerous driving.
Two bottoms don’t make a right, they just make a youtube video.
That cyclist is a muppet
Ah, I see you enjoy wordplay.
We will have to have lunch one day…
…and engage in a little verbal jousting.
I’m sure you’re quite the raconteur.
Gards should be paid more money. They are all heroes. Every single one of them. Heroes I tell ya. Oh yeah. And also teachers. They are heroes too.
08D45863
Not listed on any of the Motor Check sites (and Garda cars are)
Guess he’s not supposed to be on the road, let alone the bus lane.
Great line from Miami Vice, the movie.
“There’s undercover….. and there’s which way is up.”
Just how unstable is a cargobike over minor obstacles like drains?
Looks more like the cyclist swerved into the path of the Audi for no other reason than to cut him up and force him to slow down. Looks like there was sufficient room until the cyclist swerved ( presumably without indicating )
The anti go pro brigade clearly miss the whole point of why it’s becoming necessary to wear a camera, such is the state of Irish driver behaviour. Get on your bike, and enlighten yourselves.
Irish water