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UPDATED AT 12.50am, November 15, 2010 The Garda website crashed again on Sunday night/Monday morning under the number of hits on its speed camera location list. Luckily, TheJournal.ie brings you the locations covered by the new mobile speed cameras here. (Thanks to @ManAboutCouch and @CiaranMaher for their help)
THE WEBSITE of the Garda Siochána was knocked out of service for a considerable period of time earlier today, as the site struggled to cope with the volume of users trying to access a map of new mobile speed cameras.
The new network of mobile speed cameras – being operated by a private company, and present in over 600 locations around the country – is being launched on Monday, but ahead of that launch – and to ward off suggestions that the cameras were being placed to “shoot fish in a barrel”, as the Irish Independent puts it – the map was posted live earlier today.
The sheer volume of visitors to www.garda.ie, where the map was hosted, however, appeared to knock the site out of action for several hours over the course of the day.
The map – an embedded Google Map, showing the passages of road being covered by the new privately-operated cameras – was not made visible for users not accessing it through the Garda site, meaning the map remained unavailable for large parts of the day.
The Irish Times reports that the maps will not affect the force’s current speed enforcement operations, with the Irish Independent explaining that the operating company is to be paid on a flat rate basis, and not based on the number of speeding offences it logs.
The cameras will be fitted to vans which will move up and down the designated areas every few hours, in order to stop drivers being aware in advance of their exact location.
Similar schemes have reduced the number of road deaths in France by 40%, and Sweden by 30%.
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“It’s tradition” is never a good enough reason to continue doing anything when we know it can cause harm or distress.
@Anne Kelly: Well said Anne. Unfortunately the usual attention seekers are out to prove their hardness and lack of empathy as ever. It’s a shame callousness and disregard for the sentience, feelings and lives of anyone or anything but oneself is so in fashion.
The Bannon/Trump cult, British tabloids and far-right have really done a number on so many people. They don’t seem to realise how deliberate this has been and why they have been herded into feeling like everything is a binary choice between being utterly callous or ‘woke’. There’s an entire middle ground of acting with some kindness and decency that people have forgotten about.
@SerotoninWars: brilliantly said
@Niall Casey: Thanks Niall :) Just completely jaded with this idea that there’s two ways of being. Either completely vicious and proud of it or ‘woke’. Public discourse has been dumbed down beyond belief. But two simple binary options are very attractive to a tired pessimistic populace, so here we are.
@M Slevin: That’s fair enough. I agree there are far worse examples of animal neglect. I don’t think this is particularly pleasant for them but am well aware there is desperate cruelty going on elsewhere. I was mainly thinking about some other comments proudly announcing how little they care about animals in general. It’s an odd thing to be so proud of.
@Anne Kelly: nonsence, the animals are well cared for.
It’s a nice tradition and gives city kids a chance to see farm animals up close.
Boredom is not animal cruelty – most of the animals in the zoo are bored.
Most farm animals in sheds are bored.
Focus on something that actually makes a difference instead of being a humbug.
@SerotoninWars: When did this utopian era exist?
The past was far worse than the present.
Ireland’s recent past was a national disgrace, homosexuality banned, young women locked up for having babies (which is what nature intended), children labelled “illegitimate” for existing outside of marriage, women locked into violent marriages with no chance to get out, etc, etc, etc.
@Pat the Baker: I don’t disagree. Every era has had terrible things happen. I was referring to the way discourse works now. The places where we discuss ideas have changed hugely and so have the dynamics. Online and social media are still relatively new and the way the ‘culture wars’ have spread so far and so effectively is unique. It’s taken over the agenda and way people think not just in one country but internationally. You see the same polarising dynamic playing out almost everywhere. Take a comments section from the US, Brazil, Britain, Ireland or Italy and they will all look pretty much the same. It’s so entrenched.
@Anne Kelly: Except the animals are not showing any kind of distress at all and are used to it. Does not bother them in the least.
The enclosure looks very small in that photograph. I can’t imagine it’s very pleasant to be trapped behind glass with lots of people tapping, banging and staring at you. Is it really necessary? Even circuses have moved on. Maybe we should too.
@SerotoninWars: sure they do it to humans in Amsterdam
@Old Times: Sure in that case absolutely everyone and everything should be mandated to do their time behind the glass! Regardless of health, choice or any of that silly touchy feely stuff. If someone could explain the Amsterdam situation to the animals I’m sure they’ll be fine! Red Light at night Shepherds Delight or something along those lines…
@Old Times: They pay to sit behind those windows.
Reckon in December these animals would be in stables/barns anyway munching hay. The animals are swapped out every day. They arrive at 7am and leave in the evening the same day. Where’s the problem? It could be some kids only chance to see a live farm animal. Not everyone can afford the zoo.
@Shelley Keary: Such tripe!
Can we start to separate state and religion finally lads?
@Chutes: Get the woke cult out of schools first.
You forgot child abusing and killing cult
@: Just as soon as you get a grip!
@: Why are you lot so offended by everything? Wokeness will never be as harmful as religion in schools. Teaching kids to have respect for each other no matter what would be more useful than abusing them.
@Rob Cahill: Teaching kids that it’s who you are not what you are is better every time imo! My kid goes to a non religious school thankfully but you still get the kids who parrot their parents opinions, always the religious ones funnily enough.
I always wonder why it is that some folks seem to care so much about what others do? Live and let live, life is difficult enough without all the meaningless diatribe!!
Do whatever ye like in private lads, but leave our kids out of yer sickness.
@: the “woke cult”
@Patrick O’Farrell: ….are the ones that think there’s more than 2 genders. And there’s an awful bang off them.
@: The sky fairy has twisted you!
Define “woke”
Define ,woke”
@Éamonn OKane: Woke: A state of awareness only achieved by those dumb enough to find injustice in everything except their own behaviour.
@: “@Éamonn OKane: Woke: A state of awareness only achieved by those dumb enough to find injustice in everything except their own behaviour.”
The irony positively drips from this comment! LMAO!
@: pray in private but keep your priests out of schools. It’s inevitable that some of your children won’t be straight, cisgender, christian, or believe in the mass psychosis that is your imaginary god, no matter how much you try brush the topic under the rug.
@: it’s children who need protection from your lot if they are in any way different from you. And history shows what your lot does with anyone different.
Wrong, buy a dictionary.
@Chutes: Can we include St Patricks day in that while we are at it?
The tail is wagging the dog again. The feelings of minority dictating to the real world of the majority again
It seems that this question is asked every year as of late.
Just put it up, it’s a tradition that has been around for years. Forget about the snowflake, LGBQ, Animal rights.. its a ridiculous row
@Mark Tallon: what the f**k are you even on about? LGBQ? what?
Maybe we could display Eamon Ryan as a Cabbage!
The animals have better living conditions than a lot of Dublin renters
Their was two cribs I can remember that we visited as a child the live crib and the moving crib in Parnell Square. The Green Proxys who had their little lord mayor wanted to stop this. I can a sure you those animals are treated better than the Irish citizens in this rather than that proxy government looking after us.
No need for it, bring your child to a petting zoo if you want them to see animals, don’t trap them in some tiny enclosure behind glass
Put Leo and mehole in it
Frankly, I’m far more worried about the plight of Palestinian civilians.
Should we celebrate the birth of Jesus in a stable with live animals on Christmas Day?
@Garreth Byrne: only if we can cook and eat them after.
@Garreth Byrne: No!
@Garreth Byrne: Apparently the Person they based the Jesus character on wasn’t born until Spring so probably not.
Animals or not should we have religious symbols displayed by state bodies? If so then that should probably include similar displays for every religion listed in the last census.
This display belongs outside a church not a state building.
@Steve O’Hara Smith.: Exactly the point!
Maybe it’s cruel or unpleasant for the animals, maybe they’ll get a break from s**t conditions they are kept in the rest of the year. People rarely care until they can actually see it. Either way, the perpetuation of these primitive superstitions should be avoided in our civic spaces. Go to the church or wherever your brand of religion do their chanting, if that’s your thing.
Amazing how one can comment on this but not Tom Cloonan’s article
@Brendan shanahan: Its really not so amazing, When they write the aritcles they have an option to open or close comments. In they case it was open, In that it was closed. Quite simple.
@Brendan shanahan: You can post about it almost anywhere online with a link to his article and comment if you want.
Wny not just put few arch bishops in there.
Sick f O0ke rs need to leave the animal alone !!
I love meat and I try by best not to eat meat from industrial meat farms. Which is far worse than this.
Ffs…
I love animals in anything. Otherwise, IDGAF
@Anna Carr (Morrigan_Dubh): Same here, especially stew.
Oh look the nominations for the who’s the biggest virtue signalling woke prat of the year awards is out again…..
There animals are treated so well they would stay for the whole year.
F the greens
Religious nonsense
All characters should be live then.
have your say