Dubli,My Dublin! Not any more

therewillbe

Is it me or has anyone else noticed how Dublin is becoming a Dump.

Firstly , Stopped at lights(Tara st) someone decides to clean my windscreen:mad:

Parked the car (irishlifecarpark) Do I want the issue:mad:
Drug dealingl SKUM at the OConnell monument
The filth & dirt on the streets(rubbish)
Homeless x 3 on the Halpenny bridge
2 more in crown alley
Temple bar sq, Numerous amounts of the above
HEY, No Cops

DublinWriter

therewillbe wrote: »

Firstly , Stopped at lights(Tara st) someone decides to clean my windscreen:mad:

...and your problem is?

Nah, seriously, Dublin now is pretty good considering how it used to be in the 70's with tons of rubbish and glue-sniffing zombies.

therewillbe

I dont know about that , I am City Centre through and through and back in the 80s I would walk anywhere any time day & night.Yes there was the drugs but it was never in your face.

DublinWriter

therewillbe wrote: »

I dont know about that , I am City Centre through and through and back in the 80s I would walk anywhere any time day & night.Yes there was the drugs but it was never in your face.

You are kidding me?

Dublin City was smak-central in the 80's.

Alias G

The city is definitley a lot cleaner than it was in the 80's but you can see it starting to slip back again more recently.

Dublindude69

I don't like the leave the house at nights anymore. So much scum all over the city. Why doesn't the Guardi do anything about it?
If it was up to me, I'd select a small island anduse it as a dumping ground and dump all the scum there, let them **** their own island up. Rename it scum island. I think they would all be to afraid to go near water and are to dumb to build a boat/.

Mayoegian

You should know not to go out in dublin past dusk or before dawn.

Graham_B18C

therewillbe wrote: »

Homeless x 3 on the Halpenny bridge
2 more in crown alley

Do you want these to sleep out of sight?

I do agree about the place being quite dirty alright but I don't know what can be done about the homeless people. They can open more places for em to stay but I dont think it'll make a huge difference. Especially with the amount of people losing their jobs lately...

Mayoegian

Grahamo999 wrote: »

Do you want these to sleep out of sight?

I do agree about the place being quite dirty alright but I don't know what can be done about the homeless people. They can open more places for em to stay but I dont think it'll make a huge difference. Especially with the amount of people losing their jobs lately...

You're right. Just imagine how hard it is for homeless people, the humiliation of having to sleep out in the cold, little food, no money, stereotyped in every way. It's not something we can complain about the inconvenience of it all to us-imagine how they feel.

Dirk Gently

what a left handed **** of a thread. You'd swear we had a 28 days later situation everytime the sun goes down judging by some of these posts. Get some perspective.

DeVore

We are the freakin' hobbits and we live in the Shire. Go walk around Bangkok and see people die in front of you. Go walk in Washington if you want to feel scared. Try Marseilles for "undesireables". Seriously, *hobbits*.

DeV.

humberklog

A cleaner, safer city more now than ever in the last 25 years. I think it's more to do with ones own mood in how the city is working for you.
Yep there's junkies, yep there's homeless, yep some days I see it more than others and some days less but whenever I happen to get a Nightlink bus somewhere I'm reminded of how grotty, mental, dangerous and plain wrong the last bus (11.30p.m) was in 1986. Better city by miles.


And that's not even considering that Temple Bar was seriously dodgy back then. Now that was gothic.

damnyanks

I never see a police presence around unless the students from tempilville are let out or its christmas time.

sdanseo

damnyanks wrote: »

I never see a police presence around unless the students from tempilville are let out or its christmas time.

They use an awful lot of unmarked cars, I've noticed them because I've been looking out of curiosity. hard to spot when locked I'd say.

There do need to be a few more Gardaí around though, not enough in Dublin City at night.

Gaspode

Yay, another one of these threads!

Dublin is fine, as safe and as dangerous as most big cities.
Better than some, worse than so many more.

I was in the City centre on Friday and it was fantastic, I cant recall having a better atmosphere or feeling a safe in any other city I've been in.

Its far better now than the 70s or 80s were.

Meeja Ireland

OP, is it possible you are comparing a city in which you have an adult's awareness of the streets to one in which you were a child, and didn't notice these things?

I have to say that the unpleasantness of your thinking (calling everyone scum, not distinguishing between homeless people and drug dealers, etc) would make me more nervous of you than of any of the people you complain about. You sound, at the very least, in need of a holiday.

Seillejet

Good thread for a debate.

I love that element of our city which I know is weird. All part of the game, the lions and the gazelles and all that. I now work in the city centre after working in the suburbs for years. When I first started back I was like :eek: but now I love the vibe to it.

The city itself is no safer/ dangerous than it ever was imo just we change in that more aware etc.

I notice my Mrs who now works in the suburbs is very tense if we go into the city centre on a Sunday. She cant wait to get out of it.

I see OP is from Meath and I am not looking to trade insults here but I am very uncomfortable in the country towns. I find people treating me like a scobe and scanger as soon as I open my mouth. Couple of my mates bought the houses down there and do the commute. I used to head down at first but inevitably lost touch as I didnt really like the whole vibe which I know is a bit off topic.

damnyanks

You'll never remove crime so no point complaining about that. But the thing that really surprises me is at night in temple bar you'll rarely see any police walking around. If anything I'd expect them there either to help tourists or scare off the people who are going in to wreck some tourists holiday.

Unmarked cars are great and I'm sure the gardai are out fighting crime but I'm sure there are various studies into how a visible presence can deter or at least make it more difficult for some criminals to start their working day.

Graham_B18C

I must say, Temple Bar is one place I always see the Guards in the night time. I think on Friday's and Saturdays, there's quite a good Guardi presence.

lightening

Dublindude69 wrote: »

I don't like the leave the house at nights anymore

Are you serious? If you are, you have issues. Don't ever go traveling, you will sheet yourself.

Amalgam

Far better than what it was.. OP has to be fairly young. Even just something like the CCTV system in and round O'Connell street and beyond helped a lot.

Early to mid 90's, the Heroin problem and the various topers associated with that made walking around at night and living in the center of town the pits.

neil_hosey

they need to outlaw begging in all tourist spots..

in and around temple bar theres loads of romanian and irish beggars staggering around asking everyone outside every ****in pub for change, you can see the disgust in tourist faces...


Temple Bar is supposed to be a nice area, need to get rid of the low lifes and protect the tourism industry from these scum..

Graham_B18C

neil_hosey wrote: »

they need to outlaw begging in all tourist spots..

in and around temple bar theres loads of romanian and irish beggars staggering around asking everyone outside every ****in pub for change, you can see the disgust in tourist faces...


Temple Bar is supposed to be a nice area, need to get rid of the low lifes and protect the tourism industry from these scum..

Beggers = Scum??

I don't like the Romanian Gypseys looking for money with their gold teeth and all the rest, but there are some genuine beggers out there that don't want to be in that position.

Cop on to your self, put yourself in their position, no job, no home, no family, no money...and then people like you calling them scum...

I was in Lisbon two months ago...you think there's a lot of beggers here...you need to see other capital cities

dats_right

therewillbe wrote: »

I dont know about that , I am City Centre through and through and back in the 80s I would walk anywhere any time day & night.Yes there was the drugs but it was never in your face.

Rose tinted specs, me thinks! In fairness, there was probably more 'no-go' areas in and around Dublin City centre in the 1980's then there is now and the heroin problem was very much in your face. Anyway, I think the events you complain of in your first post would be fairly common sites in any large city throughout the world. Yes, I agree they aren't pleasing on the eye, but they are very much a fact of urban living, maybe, it's a case that all that time in East Meath has heightened your senses to things that you would in the past, when living in the City have accepted as par for the course.

neil_hosey

Grahamo999 wrote: »

Beggers = Scum??

I don't like the Romanian Gypseys looking for money with their gold teeth and all the rest, but there are some genuine beggers out there that don't want to be in that position.

Cop on to your self, put yourself in their position, no job, no home, no family, no money...and then people like you calling them scum...

You are right there is a small minority that are very unfortunate, and i have no problem giving them money.

Let me ask you this, I drink in temple bar quite often, as i like a few bars there. Daily i see scum asking people for money, then turn around and abuse them if they say no. Waiting outside the multistory carpark in temple bar, i was asked for spare change from someone who looked completely broke, when i said no, he asked if i wanted to buy any cocaine!

The vast majority of beggars in temple bar are SCUM, i see it every weekend. If you dont agree you are the one that needs to cop on, and walk around dublin ALOT more.

But you are correct, not all homeless people are scum, the way in which most approach you is though and how they react when they dont get their way.


EDIT: I dont really care about how many beggars are in Lisbon, the problem needs to be addressed in Dublin. I used see these same beggars dealing drugs along the south keys most days when i was working there.

Graham_B18C

I cant argue with some of your post, and I know the dude your talking about thats always at Fleet St Carpark, but the people that are in the doorways and what-not with a cup, that look for change is completely harmless IMO.

In Lisbon there was a serious amount of beggers, and dont get me started on Amsterdam...One begger followed us telling us he was going to stab us in Amsterdam...we have it handy in Dublin!!

lightening

neil_hosey wrote: »

Daily i see scum asking people for money, then turn around and abuse them if they say no.

So, daily, you are abused by beggars for not giving them money? This has only ever happened to me once and I am in town frequently. Would your reaction to them be bad by any chance?

Oh, anyone see the "leprechaun" guy strumming a broken guitar for money lately? Brutal.

neil_hosey

lightening wrote: »

So, daily, you are abused by beggars for not giving them money? This has only ever happened to me once and I am in town frequently. Would your reaction to them be bad by any chance?

Daily I WOULD see people being abused is what i said, i hope. It turned me off working in the city centre. I give no reaction anymore when approached i just say no, thats all.

There appears to be a a massively higher concentration of beggars in the parts of town I go. A simple solution would be to not go their anymore, but they are my favourite parts of town otherwise..

neil_hosey

Grahamo999 wrote: »

I cant argue with some of your post, and I know the dude your talking about thats always at Fleet St Carpark, but the people that are in the doorways and what-not with a cup, that look for change is completely harmless IMO.

In Lisbon there was a serious amount of beggers, and dont get me started on Amsterdam...One begger followed us telling us he was going to stab us in Amsterdam...we have it handy in Dublin!!

Ye I agree, thers a guy on kildare street in a doorway who looks as normal as anyone, but for some reason ended up stuck in the situation he is in.

At the end of the day, ANOTHER trait which the irish seem to have is comparing us to somewhere else and as long as we are not the WORST, itll do.


"Our beaches on the east coast are in the ****ter (no pun intended)" ... "ye but chernobyl ****ed up the baltic sea so we should count our lucky stars"



Youve got a few different types of beggar in dublin..

One sits in doorways with a cup, bothers no one.

One is from romania and travel in groups hounding people for money, making them feel uncomfortable into giving the money. (Im convinced they are all loaded!)

One is a junkie who, if you dont give them a smoke/money, theyll have a go at ye for being a prick!

One makes up some bull**** story about losing wallet and needs some change to get home.

lightening

Bummer for you. They don't really bother me, my wife would feel a bit off with some of them. They certainly wouldn't put me off visiting my favorite place in the city and I rarely see them abusing people, the last time was when someone told the beggar to go and fook off.

axer

Grahamo999 wrote: »

I don't like the Romanian Gypseys looking for money with their gold teeth and all the rest, but there are some genuine beggers out there that don't want to be in that position.

What makes you think that? There are services available for the homeless to help them get off the street. Those that still remain homeless are those with mental illnesses such as depression. Our social welfare system has means available to keep people off the street. We don't live in the likes of the USA. Those Roma gypsies are the worst of any though.

Graham_B18C

axer wrote: »

What makes you think that? There are services available for the homeless to help them get off the street. Those that still remain homeless are those with mental illnesses such as depression. Our social welfare system has means available to keep people off the street. We don't live in the likes of the USA.

But if thats the case then why is there people on the streets? Because they like it?!

Granted Drink and Drugs are a major cause but they're not all alcoholic's and drug addicts. I'd generally have a lot of time for homeless people...

axer

Grahamo999 wrote: »

But if thats the case then why is there people on the streets? Because they like it?!

Granted Drink and Drugs are a major cause but they're not all alcoholic's and drug addicts. I'd generally have a lot of time for homeless people...

I already answered that. If it is not drink or drugs, it is mental illness such as depression. From the point of view of failure. It is that our mental illness systems that has failed these people but there are many out there that are very hard to help unless they are locked up against their will which is not the best solution either.

EDIT: I have time for homeless people too but I refuse to EVER give them money when they are begging. It is only encouraging them to stay on the street instead of looking for help. Many have to hit rock bottom before they change (if they manage to change before hitting true rock bottom). If you want to give money then give it to St. Vincent de Paul or organisations like that. I have done fundraising for homeless organisations but I won't give money to a begger on the street.

adamshred

I recall once walking through central bank late at night and I saw a woman sitting limply with a cup in the usual begging spot just below that concrete bridge that runs overhead as you approach crown alley. Anyway, I had just about enough money to get a bus, but managed to drop a 5c coin into her cup ( its better than nothing I suppose) ; a couple of seconds later when I was walking on, I turned around to see that 5c coin rolling behind me and the woman saying " you dropped your money". She obviously wasn't pleased at the gesture and decided to reject my money. I'm always a bit weary of giving people money like that anymore.

John Mason

as girl i think dublin is a very safe city, i would have absolutely no problem walking anywhere in the city at night.

i have lived/visited in quite a number of cities around the world and trust me our city is fantastic.

try going out in Kingston and porto au prince now thats scary. you do not stop at red traffic lights after sundown in these places.

op, you yourself off and do some world travelling

Terrontress

irishbird wrote: »

as girl i think dublin is a very safe city, i would have absolutely no problem walking anywhere in the city at night.

i have lived/visited in quite a number of cities around the world and trust me our city is fantastic.

try going out in Kingston and porto au prince now thats scary. you do not stop at red traffic lights after sundown in these places.

op, you yourself off and do some world travelling

You can't compare Kingston and Port au Prince with Dublin. What is the GDP per capita in Jamaica and Haiti compared with Ireland?

lightening

Terrontress wrote: »

You can't compare Kingston and Port au Prince with Dublin

You can compare it with Milan, Rome Washington! Dublin is a safe city.

According to Mercer it's around 18th in the world.

1) Luxembourg

2) Bern, Geneva, Helsinki, Singapore, Zurich (tie)

7) Katsuyama, Kobe, Nagoya, Omuta, Osaka, Tokyo, Tsukuba, Yokkaichi, Yokohama (tie)

16) Vienna

17) Stockholm

18) Copenhagen, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Nuremberg, Oslo (tie)

ParkRunner

Dublin is pretty safe from my experience, but it does have some pretty bad areas. I signed a 1 year lease back in April for a place in East Wall but Ive broken the lease and am getting out never to return! I lived in Marino though too and that was grand!

utick

lightening wrote: »

You can compare it with Milan, Rome Washington! Dublin is a safe city.

According to Mercer it's around 18th in the world.

1) Luxembourg

2) Bern, Geneva, Helsinki, Singapore, Zurich (tie)

7) Katsuyama, Kobe, Nagoya, Omuta, Osaka, Tokyo, Tsukuba, Yokkaichi, Yokohama (tie)

16) Vienna

17) Stockholm

18) Copenhagen, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Nuremberg, Oslo (tie)

what year was that from because i have seen other surveys that have dublin as one of the highest crime rates in europe.


http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/dublin-murder-rate-is-one-of-europes-highest-1589449.html

Wishbone Ash

therewillbe wrote: »

Is it me

Yes - it's you!

therewillbe wrote:

Homeless x 3 on the Halpenny bridge
2 more in crown alley

Sure we can just bring in a ban on poverty and that will sort out the beggars and homeless!

caseyann

Not as safe as it used to be and it will get worse.

Latchy

adamshred wrote: »

I recall once walking through central bank late at night and I saw a woman sitting limply with a cup in the usual begging spot just below that concrete bridge that runs overhead as you approach crown alley. Anyway, I had just about enough money to get a bus, but managed to drop a 5c coin into her cup ( its better than nothing I suppose) ; a couple of seconds later when I was walking on, I turned around to see that 5c coin rolling behind me and the woman saying " you dropped your money". She obviously wasn't pleased at the gesture and decided to reject my money. I'm always a bit weary of giving people money like that anymore.

Suppose so but as Tom Petty sang

'' even the losers have a little bit of pride ''

lightening

utick wrote: »

i have seen other surveys that have dublin as one of the highest crime rates in europe.

I don't think that is the case, the murder rate is what is referred to in the Herald there, not the crime rate. That is bumped up by the ongoing Drimnagh feud, but it's pretty unlikely that you will get murdered if you go out tonight.

therewillbe

Meeja Ireland wrote: »

OP, is it possible you are comparing a city in which you have an adult's awareness of the streets to one in which you were a child, and didn't notice these things?

I have to say that the unpleasantness of your thinking (calling everyone scum, not distinguishing between homeless people and drug dealers, etc) would make me more nervous of you than of any of the people you complain about. You sound, at the very least, in need of a holiday.

I holiday quite a few times a year and whenever I travel to a new place the first thing I do notice within the Cities is the way they are kept clean and patrolled by VISIBLE police.Yes the Dealers are SKUM as for Beggers it should be made illegal again.I hung around the city most of my youth and never once was I attack or hassled for monies.Temple bar was flowing with addicts/dealers and undesirables .I love Dublin as it is a great City but I do think it is going backwards.Thats all.

Wishbone Ash

therewillbe wrote: »

I hung around the city most of my youth and never once was I attack or hassled for monies

I was never asked for money either when I was young but it's probably because I didn't have any. I'm sure it was probably the same with you.

You're older now and probably look a bit more affluent.

(Unlike today, in the 1980s there were parts of Dublin that I would have been recluctant to drive through, never mind walk through! :eek:).

lightening

In the 80s there were no go areas for the Gardai in the city centre. That is not the case now.

Here is the 2008 list compiled by Mercer.

* Map It! 1. Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
* Map It! 2. Bern (Switzerland)
* Map It! 2. Geneva (Switzerland)
* Map It! 2. Helsinki (Finland)
* Map It! 2. Zurich (Switzerland)
* Map It! 6. Vienna (Austria)
* Map It! 7. Oslo (Norway)
* Map It! 7. Stockholm (Sweden)
* Map It! 9. Singapore (Singapore)
* Map It! 10. Auckland (New Zealand)
* Map It! 10. Wellington (New Zealand)
* Map It! 12. Copenhagen (Denmark)
* Map It! 12. Dusseldorf (Germany)
* Map It! 12. Frankfurt (Germany)
* Map It! 12. Munich (Germany)
* Map It! 12. Nurnberg (Germany)
* Map It! 17. Dublin (Ireland)
* Map It! 18. Katsuyama (Japan)
* Map It! 18. Omuta (Japan)
* Map It! 18. Tsukuba (Japan)
* 18. Yokkaichi (Japan)
* 22. Amsterdam (Netherlands)
* 22. Calgary (Canada)
* 22. Montreal (Canada)
* 22. Ottawa (Canada)



* 22. Toronto (Canada)
* 22. Vancouver (Canada)
* 28. Brussels (Belgium)
* 29. Melbourne (Australia)
* 29. Perth (Australia)
* 29. Sydney (Australia)
* 32. Papeete (French Polynesia)
* 33. Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
* 34. Ljubljana (Slovenia)
* 35. Kobe (Japan)
* 35. Nagoya (Japan)
* 35. Osaka (Japan)
* 35. Tokyo (Japan)
* 35. Yokohama (Japan)
* 40. Berlin (Germany)
* 41. Hamburg (Germany)
* 41. Leipzig (Germany)
* 43. Glasgow (United Kingdom)
* 43. Hong Kong (China)
* 45. Lisbon (Portugal)
* 45. Prague (Czech Republic)
* 47. Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
* 48. Bratislava (Slovakia)
* 49. Adelaide (Australia)
* 49. Brisbane (Australia)

BraziliaNZ

Dublin is grand, same as any other western city. That list is interesting, can't believe Perth isn't near the top though, that place couldn't be safer if it was covered in padding.

anonymous_joe

DeVore wrote: »

We are the freakin' hobbits and we live in the Shire. Go walk around Bangkok and see people die in front of you. Go walk in Washington if you want to feel scared. Try Marseilles for "undesireables". Seriously, *hobbits*.

DeV.

Dublin;s the safest city I've been in.

Thing is though, been to Rio, Buenos Aires, dodgy, dodgy places like that, and while Dublin's nothing compared to them, the major difference is that in Dublin you're far more likely to have something happen to you in a safe area than in a lot of places.

There's a lot of people around píssed out of their minds at night who want to give and take a few digs or whatever. That's rarer in most places. In Rio someone will happily kill you if you don't give them your wallet, but they won't do it for no reason by and large.

adamshred

utick wrote: »

what year was that from because i have seen other surveys that have dublin as one of the highest crime rates in europe.


http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/dublin-murder-rate-is-one-of-europes-highest-1589449.html

I found this one too which focuses more on overall crime

http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_10008972.shtml

utick

lightening wrote: »

, but it's pretty unlikely that you will get murdered if you go out tonight.

well i agree with you on this point but the same could be said of any city in the developed world

Rashers

therewillbe wrote: »

Is it me or has anyone else noticed how Dublin is becoming a Dump.

Firstly , Stopped at lights(Tara st) someone decides to clean my windscreen:mad:

Parked the car (irishlifecarpark) Do I want the issue:mad:
Drug dealingl SKUM at the OConnell monument
The filth & dirt on the streets(rubbish)
Homeless x 3 on the Halpenny bridge
2 more in crown alley
Temple bar sq, Numerous amounts of the above
HEY, No Cops

Taking your points one by one....

Common enough except that cars were pretty rare, so instead the 'scum' walked into Tara St station and insisted on carrying your bag(s)

A paperseller on practically every corner.

No drugs, but lots of what were known as 'winos'.

Moore St on a saturday night -- the smell incredible!

Homeless everywhere. If you left your halldoor open they'd bed down in your hallway and even on the stairs.

Temple Bar... a depressing street as were the streets around it.

Cops? Some would walk by, or maybe give you a punch if you looked crooked at them.

So there.. would you change your Dublin of 2001 to the Dublin I was born to in the 1940s?

Could (some of) the modern youth be getting soft?

Or perhaps expect to live in Utopia?