Broombridge Train Station - Enough is Enough

Zebra3

Not for the first time while travelling through Broombridge station yesterday evening a brick was thrown at the train. Luckily the window it hit didn't smash as there was 70 year old lady sitting there who was naturally enough quite shocked.

Years ago there was this problem between Kilbarrack and Howth Junction and to the best of my knowledge it has stopped since all the idle land beside the line has been developed.

Who owns the land beside (on the southside) where gangs converge drinking and use the train for target practise? This has to stop before someone is killed.

eth0_

Zebra3 wrote:

Who owns the land beside (on the southside) where gangs converge drinking and use the train for target practise? This has to stop before someone is killed.

I agree. Used to live out in Castleknock and remember on several occasions the train getting pelted with rocks. It must be pretty scary for the drivers, i'm sure they are complaining too.

The guards tend to stay away from that area because there's so many scumbags, I don't know what they can do.

markf909

Got a rock that cracked the window I was sitting at a few weeks ago in Broomebridge.

The scummers blatantly walked over as the train was about to pull out and pelted the brick at the window.

AlekSmart

Hmmmmm.....A tough one this.
As already noted the usual Middle Class "Comfort" response of calling the Gardai does`nt work here as the Gardai are none too keen to end up in Hospital after a brick hits their face either.

This area is not currently under the control of the State,Full Stop.
It is one of a steadily growing number of zones where the rule of law no longer stands.

Let us be under no illusions that throwing a Brick at a Train Window represents a mere offence against the property.
Let us be specific and accurate.
Throwing a Brick at a Train (or Bus) which is in-service MUST be regarded as an act of Attempted Murder (Yes MURDER).
Yep...I`m all too well aware of the issue of premeditation.
All too aware of the usual defences.....Family Circumstances,Abused as a child,Learning difficulties,the list is apparently endless.

No doubt the ICCL and a veritable phalanx of liberal minded folk will be along shortly to profer thoroughly credible explanations as to why any young person would wish to Throw a Brick at another person......I don`t really want to hear those plea`s because I know them off pat.

Just as we are presently finding out on luas,these young folks served an apprenticeship to this sort of thuggery and have found that society really does`nt have any limits to it`s tolerance for it.

Targetting,challenging and arresting these young Criminals is not Rocket Science.
However,the problem lies with a Garda force now firmly embedded in a morass of poor morale and even a sense of fear for their own personal safety.

Let no citizen of this State be under any Illusion but Mr Justice Hardiman`s little self-important piece of chest-puffing has sent a very clear message to those who prefer their Crime to their Wine:
Wronged citizens may well seek Garda assistance.
Gardai may investigate and Apprehend the perpetrators.
The DPP and AG may even lay charges AND secure a conviction BUT if the Judge is feeling mellow :rolleyes: then hey....sure it was only an oul wan on a Train......Probation Act....Juvenile Liason Scheme.....Community Service (Spot of Bricklaying perhaps ),in short,anything that doesn`t resemble Punishment.

It`s very revealing to read the (Usually Posthumous) Criminal CV`s of various criminal types and to see long lists of Court Appearances sometimes dating back to pre-teenage times with the preponderance of the above types of Judicial decisions.

It`s not a little disturbing to witness how much easier is for us to deal with abberant behaviour in Animals but how we shy away from dealing with the wrong un`s in our own society !! :eek:

Red Alert

The trouble with these guys is even if you gave them a scrapped Mark 2 or something to throw rocks at they'd still do the in-service train for 'da buzz'.

Having seen some incidents mainly involving the nitelink and luas recently i'm just fed up of thuggery on and around public transport. It has got to stop.

Harsiem

markf909 wrote: »

Got a rock that cracked the window I was sitting at a few weeks ago in Broomebridge.

The scummers blatantly walked over as the train was about to pull out and pelted the brick at the window.

Does this happen in the day time or in the night?

Judgement Day

Broombridge has been a hotspot for stone throwing for decades - long before the present station opened. It is at the west end of the former station at Liffey Junction which was notorious for cider parties and stone throwing. I seem to remember that the signal cabin was burnt to the ground the day after it closed!

For years CIE/IE have done little or nothing to combat anti social behaviour on their trains, or on their property, and appear to be waiting for somebody to get killed before doing something. I have been writing to their CEO for some years now about the graffiti problem on the DART lines, which is another aspect of this anti social behaviour, and which if not eliminated will lead to some of the 'artists' being killed eventually. Another thing I have warned about is the amount of small pw materials - off cuts of rails etc. - left lying about for vandals to use. Again, if memory serves me somebody was brought to court in Cork for trying to derail a train in the tunnel there using a piece of rail. It is well overdue that we had a Transport Police service - totally independent of CIE/IE - and not the present set up of using mickey mouse private security contractors. :mad:

Judgement Day

Maybe you wouldn't mess with the security guards at Connolly but they are 'Lions led by Donkeys' - there is no strategy for dealing with the serious anti social problems facing public transport. :mad: