Looking 'different' in Carlow

Irish Guitarist

I'm a man in my early thirties who lives in Carlow. I've got long hair and as a result of this I often get verbally abused by the good people of Carlow. This ranges from being asked if I'm related to Ritchie Kavanagh to being compared to Jack Black (even though I look nothing like either of those people). On a couple of occasions I've also had things thrown at me in the street.

This (mostly) verbal abuse usually comes from those teenagers that tuck their tracksuit into their socks and wear a hoodie all year round. However there's also occasions where older people partake in this. Once someone drove past me and beeped his car horn. I looked over and there was a man aged about forty laughing at me. He shouted something incredibly witty like "go home with yourself". There was three kids in the back of the car aged about nine or ten. These kids thought this was incredibly funny too.

That's just an example of a couple of incidents, there have been many others too. So I was just wondering does anyone else look a little different to the 'norm' in Carlow? Maybe you've also got long hair or maybe hair that's dyed green or something? Maybe you've got a lot of piercings? If so do you ever have abuse shouted at you in Carlow? Just curious.

SpitfireIV

Thats interesting, do you find this is the norm, or happens quite frequently? Has it to do with certain areas of the town? I wouldnt be too worried about those teenagers, they havent got much to laugh about really. As for the 40 year old man, well it doesnt say much about him either does it? He must be a pretty shallow type and unfortunately it seems his attitude has already worn off on his children, how sad for a parent!

What should Carlow people look like? I dont know, take a walk around the town and you'll see every sort of style and appearance, I dont know why you should be worried about your own. Feck them, once you are happy with yourself and dont mind how you look then let those who want to laugh or make jokes do so, its there issue.

Oh, and I do look different to other Carlow people because I am myself, there is only one of me, but if you were to put me in a category I suppose I'd fit them 'normal' bunch........

Irish Guitarist

CroppyBoy1798 wrote: »

Thats interesting, do you find this is the norm, or happens quite frequently?

This used to happen a lot, hardly a day went by without someone shouting a comment at me. It doesn't quite happen so often now. I think this is partly due to the fact that I don't go for walks through the town as much as I used to. I tend to go for walks through the park now and I don't meet as many teenagers. My hair isn't quite so noticeable now either as I tie it back. From the front it looks like short hair.

I don't think there's really a "Carlow look" apart from the fact that most men have fairly short hair. Nothing wrong with that of course, it's just that you stand out if you have longer hair. Mainly these comments come from teenagers and like you say they're not worth worrying about. Thanks for replying.

Don1

God I love these people. Do they not realise that they are more different and ridiculous looking? Okay I'm being the same by saying it, but I'd never shout at somebody in the street!
Makes me wonder why I'm coming home at all. *sigh

I incidentally am pretty much "normal" but have still being shouted at for being tall, relatively thin, and wearing glasses of all things.

I propose a Carlow vigilante group. Who's with me?

eddiehead

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

This (mostly) verbal abuse usually comes from those teenagers that tuck their tracksuit into their socks and wear a hoodie all year round.

The irony is that the only time I ever actually laughed out loud at somebody was when I saw one of these muppets recently. Was queing up for popcorn in the cinema when a young fella walked out from screen 2 with his white socks up around his knees and the tracksuit tucked in. I thought he was taking the piss at first so I didnt think he'd mind that I thought he was hilarious:pac:

Irish Guitarist

eddiehead wrote: »

The irony is that the only time I ever actually laughed out loud at somebody was when I saw one of these muppets recently. Was queing up for popcorn in the cinema when a young fella walked out from screen 2 with his white socks up around his knees and the tracksuit tucked in. I thought he was taking the piss at first so I didnt think he'd mind that I thought he was hilarious:pac:

I wouldn't usually pay any attention to what anyone looks like, but these teenagers often go around making fun of everyone else and drawing attention to themselves.

I do wonder how this "fashion trend" got started though. I wonder who was the first person that thought pulling their socks up to their knees was a good idea.

Irish Guitarist

Don1 wrote: »

God I love these people. Do they not realise that they are more different and ridiculous looking? Okay I'm being the same by saying it, but I'd never shout at somebody in the street!
Makes me wonder why I'm coming home at all. *sigh

I incidentally am pretty much "normal" but have still being shouted at for being tall, relatively thin, and wearing glasses of all things.

I propose a Carlow vigilante group. Who's with me?

I'd never laugh at anyone either. It seems the people that are the most ridiculous looking are the ones who laugh at everyone else. :rolleyes:

V9

This (mostly) verbal abuse usually comes from those teenagers that tuck their tracksuit into their socks and wear a hoodie all year round.

Nothing wrong with a good hoodie but dear god almighty I dunno how many times I've laughed at the state of these chaps with their tracksuit bottoms stuck into their socks. Bloody clowns.

Happens everywere, lad, Carlow, Portlaoise, hell when I had my long hair I got a bit of abuse off the good people of Tallaght!

Its just peoples own ignorance, alls ya can do it ignore it, or if ya have the means, commit a raging act of genocide :pac:

SV

Tracksuits into the socks so they don't get caught on fences when they're being chased by the Gardas.


Tis how it all started.
Personally I reckon anyone who does it should be killed off asap.

Nead21

A friend of mine got abuse shouted at him for having...wait for it...short hair!!! i know the horror of the short hair!!!!

also, just this weekend another friend was labelled gay for wearing a leather jacket of all things.

you would think that with all the exposure from the media to different cultures, lifestyles, opinions etc people would be more open minded but instead there seems to an increase in small minded pathetic people who feel the need to openly judge people.

its so disappointing :mad:

stick-dan

Nead21 wrote: »

A friend of mine got abuse shouted at him for having...wait for it...short hair!!! i know the horror of the short hair!!!!

also, just this weekend another friend was labelled gay for wearing a leather jacket of all things.

you would think that with all the exposure from the media to different cultures, lifestyles, opinions etc people would be more open minded but instead there seems to an increase in small minded pathetic people who feel the need to openly judge people.

its so disappointing :mad:

You are joking ain't you, open mindedness in carlow! It's the most back arse places of all when it comes to open minded people. Yes i too have frequently had friends called gay for the jacket they wear, the music they listen to and the shops they shop in. It's ridiculous to be honest. I think that carlow need to make a massive leap into the 21st century. You can't do anything in carlow without being ridiculed. I moved to waterford as a student 3 years ago and i go home on weekends and the exposure i get to the town on a weekend is more than enough to have me waiting for the next train back to waterford. It is scary how people in so close of counties could have such a difference in culture and ways of thinking. Waterford is so openminded compared to carlow. I dunno maybe this topic touches a nerve with me cos i have too been a victim to the a55 hol35 who shout abuse on the street when they really should just look at the state of themselves, but i don't comment on them if thats the way they want to be then so be it. grrrr them a55h0l35

Nead21

i get what you're saying and i agree with the fact that there is a lot of clearly small minded people in carlow, but im from carlow, i would consider myself to be open minded and non-judgmental and therefore i find it difficult to understand how people could be so ridiculous and abusive towards people.

ShayK1

Nead21 wrote: »

i get what you're saying and i agree with the fact that there is a lot of clearly small minded people in carlow, but im from carlow, i would consider myself to be open minded and non-judgmental and therefore i find it difficult to understand how people could be so ridiculous and abusive towards people.

and she's going out with a guy with long hair

Don1

Get a haircut you Gad damn hippy!

stick-dan

I didn't mean to generalise nead21 i just meant the majority are and it pi553s me off, obviously you're in the minority:P

jim o doom

Sure even in "mini rocker/goth/whatever" ridden dublin, when younger I used to take slack from scum about my hair. A few extra stone & a bad temper seems to have stopped all that. Plus admittedly there are a lot more youngsters running around dublin that look somewhat alternative compared to when I was still a teenager.

Irish Guitarist

stick-dan wrote: »

You are joking ain't you, open mindedness in carlow! It's the most back arse places of all when it comes to open minded people. Yes i too have frequently had friends called gay for the jacket they wear, the music they listen to and the shops they shop in. It's ridiculous to be honest. I think that carlow need to make a massive leap into the 21st century. You can't do anything in carlow without being ridiculed. I moved to waterford as a student 3 years ago and i go home on weekends and the exposure i get to the town on a weekend is more than enough to have me waiting for the next train back to waterford. It is scary how people in so close of counties could have such a difference in culture and ways of thinking. Waterford is so openminded compared to carlow. I dunno maybe this topic touches a nerve with me cos i have too been a victim to the a55 hol35 who shout abuse on the street when they really should just look at the state of themselves, but i don't comment on them if thats the way they want to be then so be it. grrrr them a55h0l35

I agree about the people of Carlow being close minded. It's been the same since I was a teenager. I used to get terrible verbal abuse in school for, of all things, having shiny Doc. Martens. Seriously, the whole class used to stare at my feet at break time every day. I had to listen to comments about my shoes all day every day. Everyone seemed to think I was a freak of nature because I polished my shoes. Then one day I got my right ear pierced and people had something new to focus on. People would frequently say how much they hated me and wanted to beat me up just because I had a small piece of jewellery in my ear. That was almost twenty years ago now and it seems this generation isn't any more sensible. People in Carlow will find any excuse to make fun of people.

aynon

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I agree about the people of Carlow being close minded. It's been the same since I was a teenager. I used to get terrible verbal abuse in school for, of all things, having shiny Doc. Martens. Seriously, the whole class used to stare at my feet at break time every day. I had to listen to comments about my shoes all day every day. Everyone seemed to think I was a freak of nature because I polished my shoes. Then one day I got my right ear pierced and people had something new to focus on. People would frequently say how much they hated me and wanted to beat me up just because I had a small piece of jewellery in my ear. That was almost twenty years ago now and it seems this generation isn't any more sensible. People in Carlow will find any excuse to make fun of people.

Welcome to carlow, my friend. i was outcasted for a short period of time as i keep my hair slightly longer the the standard, skin head, i usually have it at about 4-5" long..."get a haircut you hippy!" etc etc....Carlow, like many small towns in ireland, the people are scarily still closed minded, even in this eurphoricly modern times!

shenanigans1982

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I agree about the people of Carlow being close minded. It's been the same since I was a teenager. I used to get terrible verbal abuse in school for, of all things, having shiny Doc. Martens. Seriously, the whole class used to stare at my feet at break time every day. I had to listen to comments about my shoes all day every day. Everyone seemed to think I was a freak of nature because I polished my shoes. Then one day I got my right ear pierced and people had something new to focus on. People would frequently say how much they hated me and wanted to beat me up just because I had a small piece of jewellery in my ear. That was almost twenty years ago now and it seems this generation isn't any more sensible. People in Carlow will find any excuse to make fun of people.

Don't you know thats the gay ear? :rolleyes: ...seriously heard a kid say that to a guy working in a shop recently. Anyways it not just Carlow, my OH has her septum pierced and even up in Dublin she gets some strange looks and comments and not so much off teenagers but more people our age and older.

Ishmael

Yeah, there is quite a bit of close-mindedness in carlow alright. It would irk me greatly if i lived there now, but its nice to go back every now and again to remember why i left in the first place. Its changing tho, its just taking its dam time about it.

Nead21

I dont think carlow is the only victim of small mindedness, unfortunately carlow's small town attitude is having grown in conjunction with the infrastructural changes.

As a native of carlow, i kinda feel that our experiences from school and being teenagers here may impact slightly on how we view the place......

JupiterKid

I know of a friend who was seriously verbally abused while down in Carlow town for a stag weekend. Why? Becuase he was wearing white trousers. Pathetic!

Carlow has reputedly one of the higest rates of underage drinking and alcohol fuelled assaults in the country. Sounds like the best thing that happened to Carlow was the new bypass.:eek:

eddiehead

JupiterKid wrote: »

Sounds like the best thing that happened to Carlow was the new bypass.:eek:

IMO we should bypass every town that has bad people in it

aynon

welcome to by-pass city.

Undergod

Good thing Carlow is bypassed alright, but we should just burn down Casteldermot and build a ****ing road over it. Held up the bus for nearly twenty minutes going through it the other week.

Yeah Carlow is full of scum, I got abuse all the time. No big deal.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Everywhere is full of scum, rubbish talk saying that carlow has more scum that anywhere else... I never witnessed any of the abuse some of you guys get...

The new houses/apartments that they built out in castledermot are looking quite nice. New little commuter town? Yikes.

McPants

Don1 wrote: »

God I love these people..........

I propose a Carlow vigilante group. Who's with me?

I'm with you all the way!