Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Charitable acts, but at what price ?

I'm often fascinated about what video clips people upload onto UTube. I've often watched some very funny clips and sat bemused by the ones that make it to the national airwaves in Ireland, usually as a result of some crazy stunt that somehow people pulled off.

As someone roving through the countryside, I naturally use the roads frequently. The message about road safety is being drilled into road users and thankfully most of us are aware of the hazards of speeding and foolish manoeuvres.

Not so for three truck drivers in County Kerry who are currently explaining their case to a local judge. The three truck drivers, decided to drive alongside each other on a main road... why... as part of charitable act !!. The incident was filmed and uploaded onto UTube.

The men, who appear to stress the charitable nature of the act (as I can hardly class it as a manoeuvre - as this implies a skillful or careful action) have offered to pay €3000 each to the court poor box. Why they didn't just donate €3000 to the charity in the first place and not do such a stupid stunt as this is beyond me.

I have the highest regard for truck drivers, I have always felt they are some of the most polite and safe drivers and I still can't believe that such a skilled driver would even think of doing such a dangerous act  on a public road. The judge is threatening 14 days in prison, the solicitor is offering €9000 and two nights detention in a garda station. For me, I would have thought it would be an endorsed drivers licence.

The irony of this all is that the charity that they were trying to raise money for is Pieta House - a charity to help people with suicide ideation or participate in self harm !

So if any of you are roving through the countryside, lets hope none of you encounter such charitable acts on the road, but for those of you who have never been to Ireland, please trust me that this is not an everyday occurrence. 

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