Could someone please explain to me why the usual penalties for bad driving and parking seem to go un-enforced by the gardai in Limerick?
It is a desperate and serious situation here, people park on double yellows at all times and in very conspiciouous locations. Drivers genuinely do not seem to know what to do at a pedestrian crossing (the pedestrian crossings at the Shannonbridge roundabout primarily) and worse than that, they have developed awful driving habits such as blocking yellow boxes and not using their indicators.
Speed is not such a huge issue here but rather, lack of good practice regarding the basic rules of the road. Limerick people are not stupid, they are merely resonding to a lack of rule enforcement. There is a broad and tangible belief by Limerick drivers that they are immune to penalty. The truth of is..they are. Please explain this to me, it seems outrageous.
19 Comments
Benni,
While Limerick has dominated the most recent posts here, I think you'll find that these problems aren't confined to Limerick – hence the creation of this very web site.
Have you any specific examples? Any specific drivers to shame? Any pictures?
I have a picture of a big fat woman in a big fat black SUV. She was waiting outside the yellow box at Perry Square (coming from the Dock Road roundabout to go to the Railway Station) like you should, because her lane wasn't moving. When she however discovered that some people where going to use the yellow box to turn in and out of the square (that's what it's there for), she immediately moved into the box, shutting the junction down completely. She did not gain any advantage from it whatsoever, but the important thing to her was that while she wasn't moving, neither was anyone else. in America you wouldn't do it, because you'd get shot, but here people do it all the time, because the Irish are too polite to even beep at people like that. At least in Limerick.
I have to say though I have spent all my life traveling the roads of Ireland (& there are very few I haven't been on) with my father who was a trucker, Limerick is the scariest place to go through in a truck. I remember when we'd have to come through I would have to practically hang out of the passenger window telling stupid drivers not to squeeze into the small space on the inside of the truck. When they'd ignore me & end up almost getting squashed when he'd turn at the docks they would go insane. It was so stupid! There was no room for them but they'd go in there anyway. Limerick is definitely the highest on my list of scary drivers!
In Ennis you will get a lot of practical jokers, mean spiritedness and just plain bad driving, i.e. sitting in a parking space with their reverse lights on and laughing at the eejits sitting behind them for 20 minutes, waiting for them to pull out. Farmers pulling out 20 meters ahead of you with a cattlebox with 3 bulls inside it while you're doing 100 on the main road, people driving right up your arse when you're trying to reverse into a parking space, not because they want it, but because they don't want you to have it and my favorite: when they realise that you might pull out behind them because the next car is sufficiently far away, they will slow down. Not slow enough for you to pull out, but slow enough for the car behind them to catch up, so you're stuck there that little bit longer.
But for sheer mean spiritedness, bad manners, bad driving, discourtesy, ignorance on the road, suicidal pedestrians, infuriating traffic jams, ignorant parking, bad will towards others and an all round miserable driving experience, Limerick will take some beating. Maybe Baghdad may just about nudge ahead. But only just and only until rocket launchers are added to the dread and horror that is driving in Limerick. And they won't make it any worse than it already is.
I think we have to stop jostling for position on this one. Let's face it the standards of driving, the level of enforcement and the political will are, beyond any doubt, absolutely abysimal.
I'd ay we have all had friends who have been injured in accident that were not their fault. Some die. An aquaintance of mine was killed by by a drunk driver who's friend help him leave the scene.
I get so f-in mad the comments made in defence of L driver and the predicament they find themselves.
TOUGH. Learnt how to drive.
Arh but yes me arse. Heard all the excuses before. How many more die. how much does this carnage put on OUR insurance. I didn't vote last time, out of the country, but someone did. Did you?
Let's put credit, (they don't react to blame) where it is due. Our pathetic government and those who chose to vote for this shower. After all they've had 10 years to do something. To date. NADA. Sorry Gay!!!!
Firstly Gary this thread isn't about the learner drivers it's about driving standards in Limerick.
Secondly I'm a learner driver & a bloody good 1! I've had family killed & injured in crashes the most recent 1 was the woman killed on the 24th of February here in Galway by some idiot truck driver who had a load that was far too wide for the trailer & was bringing it down a country road in the dark with no outriders or lights to warn drivers that he had a wide load. Never has any of my family been in collision with a learner. It has been experienced drivers who have become too cocky on the roads.
I've been waiting for a test for ages. I have sent off certs from my doctor explaining that I am a carer for my disabled mother who needs transport. (even more so now since my father has had a heart attack!) I can't get a test date. The waiting lists are too long! Simple as that.
So before you go shouting on about "Learner drivers this & learner drivers that" think about the situation some of us are in who don't have the luxury of public transport & have people relying on us.
Check out http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/10/26/a-letter-to-the-road-safety-authority/
for my views on this, Gary.
But for this post L drivers are the least of my worries.
This is more along the lines that the road system and users in Limerick could only benefit from a direct nuclear strike.
The traffic lights in Limerick city are completely out of sync. It's almost laughable if it didn't wanna make you cry!! Your light goes green but the traffic lights 100 meters away is red. This happens at every Limerick city centre junction. It causes unecessary traffic jams. As well as that, all the main roads leading on to O Connell Street are unguarded by traffic lights, essentially it's a free for all (?) why? It's terrifying to watch these (bad) drivers weave dangerously across O Connell Street. This also happens on Mallow Street and Catherine Street. I'm sure there's more than that too.
Does anyone know who needs to be contacted about this? I will approach the right representative if I only knew who they were?
Brid Farrell
When was the last time you went to O'Connell Street mind i ask? OConnell street itself is plagued with traffic lights that are at MOST 20 metres apart; and they're all off sync as you said; first one green and then next one goes yellow and red before you even reach half way there; and I really question the reason for so many pair of traffic lights on the street (one at Abbey Street, one outside Penny's/GPO, one at Henry street, one outside the Garda office and last one outside Ambassador's; not to say two of them are just pedestrian crossings, jeez walk 10m up to cross the street…)
And you say there are no traffic lights leading up there? When if you wanna turn right to Oconnell street from Pearse Street the red light takes FOREVER to turn green; or if you're coming down from eden quay/custom house the lights are just useless as they're jammed 24/6; not to even mention unless you're the superior Taxi driver you can't come down from Parnell Square.
Rubycored
The following junctions on O Connell Street are un-guarded buy traffic lights. There may actually be more that I left out.
*Cecil St
*Glentworth Street
*Lower Hartstonge Street
*Barrington Street
*Denmark Street
I totally agree with you that there are a lot of lights on O Connell Street and none of them help the flow of traffic. The solution to this is to organize a proper system which involves circular routes and sensible one way systems AND to arrange that the traffic lights are in sync.
However, because of the lack of continuity there is an overall free for all on the above mention streets. What other city would really allow themselves appear so shambolic. There is a new development of Limerick apparently happening for the year 2020. For Gods sake, I hope they address the traffic. But you and I know…..they wont.
Just a minute Rubycored…………Am I wrong? Have you completely not read my previous comment? (the same way I didn't really read yours). I'm talking about O Connell Street, Limerick, NOT O Connell Street, Dublin. Doh!!!! Hate tha!
Yes, it'll be a nice little country once it's finished, but you and I and maybe our children won't live to see it. And I haven't even had any children yet.
Brid Farrell
yeah; I went off the hook and immediately thought of the OConnell in Dublin when re-reading your comment made me wonder if the street of same name exist in Limerick
My bad.
John Smith, you've given me an idea…. Maybe children are the answer, send them into to Limerick city council to fix this problem. They would do a better job.
You could train a monkey to do a better job…
No, John Smith, they've already tried that.
In response to the original post.
I drive for a living. Im a sales rep. Sales reps were always moaned about because our driving habits were so bad. We were always in a rush. This idea has nearly gone away and being replaced with badly trained and arrogant drivers.
Limerick and its lax laws. The shannonbridge is great now because of the wider lane but now the traffic just backs up on the dock road past the Shell station because drivers keep letting people cross that Clonmacken road junction. I do support people being courteuos to other drivers but this is causing untold mayhem of traffic jams. And NO I dont think people should be allowed turn right heading into town on the Dock road. Nor should people coming onto the the dock road down those roads be allowed turn right, crossing two lanes of outbound traffic.
Limerick if you remember also has no traffic enforcement when it comes to parking where you like. Every other city will clamp you or tow you away. Limerick is slow to tow you away and hopefully puts in a clamping scheme. Go to any city in Ireland on a Sunday and you wont see people parked in any old spot on the road, double yellow or not. If we had clamping and towing in operation do you think people would park outside pennys on a Sunday or on the footpaths outside Bay and Topshop. Dont get me started on parking on the road outside of Supervalu Corbally with two free car parks 4 metres from the cars.
Everybody is in a rush and only cops claming down will sort that out, not vigilanties driving slowly in the overtaking lanes because THEY think you should not be driving above the speed limit, or just simply driving in the overtaking lanes. UGGGHH. Thank god for the government sponsored ads on national TV.
If you want to see bad driving, then please head further afield than Limerick. To be honest, people hate driving in Dublin but dublin drivers are not so bad. Their biggest fault in my eyes is unwillingness to let you into their lane or in front of them.
Galway people have difficulty indicating properly on roundabouts. They have a lot to put up with in Galway with Lough Atalia road, the crazy crazy roundabout and traffic around knocknacarra in the mornings, so thats not so bad.
Cork people are slow to say thank you to other drivers.
I would only concentrate on big cities.
I moan about driving when my other half is in the car and she hates me for it. I always tell her. Wait until you learn to drive and have to do this, you will learn to hate other drivers like me.
I learned to drive by myself and failed the test, did one lesson and passed the test second time round. I have done the hibernian ignition course and have also passed a blue light test with the health board. That means I trained in high speed driving within a city environment. I would like to think I have more experience than the average joe driver but Im not by any means perfect.
BridFarrell Says:
November 5th, 2007 at 10:37 am The traffic lights in Limerick city are completely out of sync. It's almost laughable if it didn't wanna make you cry!! Your light goes green but the traffic lights 100 meters away is red. This happens at every Limerick city centre junction. It causes unecessary traffic jams. As well as that, all the main roads leading on to O Connell Street are unguarded by traffic lights, essentially it's a free for all (?) why? It's terrifying to watch these (bad) drivers weave dangerously across O Connell Street. This also happens on Mallow Street and Catherine Street. I'm sure there's more than that too.
Does anyone know who needs to be contacted about this? I will approach the right representative if I only knew who they were? the person in charge in Limerick is Rory McDermott. You can reach him in Limerick City Council – Roads Dept. He's a lovely guy with a lot on his plate so be nice
What infuriates me most is coming from Perry Square down to the Dock Road Roundabout to go to the Ennis Road. This has got to be the worst bit of road anywhere in Ireland. It's total mayhem, it's Muppets in bumpercars. But what really gets me is the last bit before the roundabout, just passing the Jury's Inn. Arseholes who go onto the "left turn only" lane and then try to race you through the roundabout to get out the other side ahead of you. My personal warning to anyone doing this: A: you won't make it. And that is because B: If you try, I hope you have good insurance, cause I can feel a sore neck coming on. Is it really worth getting T-boned and dragged to court in order to maybe get home 30 seconds earlier?