Is it just me or Dublin is experiencing an increase in antisocial behaviour lately?

andrewire

The worst thing about it is that not a single political party has any strategy to deal with these type of social problems. I do believe there's a solution, albeit hard to achieve, but Dublin is getting so rough I don't even feel like going out. Even in places where you wouldn't expect junkies they show up and threat people if you don't give them a cigarette or some money. Today I was on the Luas [green line] and a bunch of female teenagers were screaming and kicking people while playing Lady Gaga songs on their phones. They looked so young --probably between 12 and 14 years old-- and couldn't stop saying 'f*ck', 'c*nt', etc. Of course, the Luas security men were chatting and texting their buddies while passengers were being harassed. Some weeks ago a friend was attacked by some kids with blocks of ice; she defended herself and kicked one of the kids, while they wouldn't stop punching her. The more outrageous part of the story is that some passers-by told her to 'eff off' because she was defending herself! So people now can't even defend themselves against these troublemakers just because kids must have a freeway to do whatever they want. What are their parents doing? Pissing away the child benefit money they get from my taxes while their kids become professional antisocials. This is unacceptable!

squod

Dublin forum?

Riamfada

Happens all over the country to be honest.

Sea Sharp

yeah, i know what you mean. The police need to do some sort of zero tolerance clean up of the city.

starbelgrade

Grimes wrote: »

Happens all over the country to be honest.

I've never seen anyone misbehaving on the Luas outside of the capital.

Herb Powell

You know, I hear so many of these stories, and I always think, holy ****, people love stories and exaggeration. I have never (well maybe once) experienced any real trouble ANYWHERE. Sure, I'd get the odd bitta **** talk, and every day I'm asked for "skins". Maybe I'm just not easily put out by "dodgy looking" characters, cos most of the time that's all they are. I agree, I notice some knackery looking people, but that's it. All these tales of attacks and fights make the country seem way more dangerous than it is. Chill out and keep yer wits about you and you'll be graaaaaaaaaand

Riamfada

starbelgrade wrote: »

I've never seen anyone misbehaving on the Luas outside of the capital.

that level of humour should get a thanks!

Dudess

Herb Powell wrote: »

You know, I hear so many of these stories, and I always think, holy ****, people love stories and exaggeration. I have never (well maybe once) experienced any real trouble ANYWHERE. Sure, I'd get the odd bitta **** talk, and every day I'm asked for "skins". Maybe I'm just not easily put out by "dodgy looking" characters, cos most of the time that's all they are. I agree, I notice some knackery looking people, but that's it. All these tales of attacks and fights make the country seem way more dangerous than it is. Chill out and keep yer wits about you and you'll be graaaaaaaaaand

Agreed. Some people seem to thrive on drama and fear.

ian_m

Yes it is getting worse. Too many more important issues to address ie Banks.

2qk4u

Dublin and the rest of this country is a ****ing **** hole.

starbelgrade

Sea Sharp wrote: »

yeah, i know what you mean. The police need to do some sort of zero tolerance clean up of the city.

Zero tolerance doesn't really work. When they introduced it in New York, crime levels fell, but in that period, they also fell across the USA by much the same percentage - mainly due to an booming economy at the time.

All it did was create more work for the courts & cost more money to run the jails.

John_Rambo

Dudess wrote: »

Agreed. Some people seem to thrive on drama and fear.

And the annectodes. Stories about a "friend" and they said and passers by said....

andrewire

Herb Powell wrote: »

You know, I hear so many of these stories, and I always think, holy ****, people love stories and exaggeration. I have never (well maybe once) experienced any real trouble ANYWHERE. Sure, I'd get the odd bitta **** talk, and every day I'm asked for "skins". Maybe I'm just not easily put out by "dodgy looking" characters, cos most of the time that's all they are. I agree, I notice some knackery looking people, but that's it. All these tales of attacks and fights make the country seem way more dangerous than it is. Chill out and keep yer wits about you and you'll be graaaaaaaaaand

These aren't tales; it's what you live or experience living in Dublin. Of course it's easier to sit back and think they are just doggy-looking characters. That's why they are out there harassing people, because some of ye don't care. Social problems have to be faced or ignored, but you can't ignore them for too long because they will become too hard to handle. Those teenagers have irresponsible parents and what is the social welfare doing for them? Giving them money so they can keep pissing it all away in drink and cigarettes while the kids do whatever they please, at the expense of every normal citizen.

And then the government thinks tourism is going to solve all our problems! I'm pretty sure tourists are common victims of Dublin's antisocials.

COYW

Sea Sharp wrote: »

The police need to do some sort of zero tolerance clean up of the city.

Don't think that would go down too well. If they did crack down, all the do-gooders would be complaining about a nanny state etc. I was on grafton street yesterday afternoon and there was a serious amount of scroats loitering around the place. Saw one being dragged away by the guards at one stage.

TheVoodoo

I agree with the fact that a lot of stories get exaggerated, but i do notice a bit more 'yobish' behavior, probably because i'm thinking about it, so i tend to look out for it.

While it does happen that some innocent passers by can get hassle, the majority keep walking and pay no attention, which is exactly what I do. It's not worth it, when the majority of the time those involved are minors anyway. I'm not letting them walk over me or anything, just not biting the bait. The majority of problems that i have seen have come from people taking the bait, and it then turning into something more.

whiskeyman

Things always seem more dodgy and dangerous as we grow older...

bullpost

Thats true but a young guy I know has been attacked 3 times in the past year.
One mugging and two unprovoked assaults and all these in South Dublin.

whiskeyman wrote: »

Things always seem more dodgy and dangerous as we grow older...

Yillan

Read this thread and looked out the window at the snow. 10 young lads between 9 and 12 maybe are coming home from school, eager to do their homework. A woman walks past them as they head into their estate. She's pushing a pram. All the lads immediately start picking up snowballs and pelt her from 5 feet away. She pushes the pram away and turns around to tell them to stop. But they keep at it throwing the balls with real venom, hitting woman and baby. I couldn't believe it.

I was in Lidl recently and the woman in front of me had a child who spent the entire trip shouting. "We need beans!!" "We need tin foil!!" "We need pasta!!" " Mammy, look what I got!!!". When we got to the check out, he announces that he's going outside to throw snowballs at people. The mother replies, "OK, but not at me". So he has carte blanche to throw snowballs at anyone except his mother.

I leave my shopping on the checkout and walk outside. By the time the mother is finished, I'm standing beside a bin with 10 balls lined up on top of it, screaming, "MY MOTHER LETS ME THROW SNOWBALLS AT ANYONE BUT HER!!!!". And the pelting began until she apologised for having spawned such a child and promised to encourage all her friends to suitably discipline their children in future.

Gaspode

I think it is just you tbh.

You or yours have had some bad experiences so you think the world is gone to crap. Seems to me the same amount of scumbags are around as there usually is.

wes

I think its the same amount of scum bags. Look at it this way, there worthless people who will never amount to anything and will live miserable lives, which they deserve, due to there actions. Its best to ignore them imho. Having said that even if the scum are young, people have the right to defend themselves, if they attack them, as some of them will attack even if you ignore the scum.

spareman

I have to agree with op here, Im a bus driver in the city so probably see more than most, But definetly an increase in anti social behaviour.

I know there is an increase in general drunkeness/anti social behaviour at this time of year, Maybe Im just unlucky but in the past week Ive witnessed 4/5 acts of anti social behaviour, some quite serious.

On Saturday afternoon, in broad daylight, I had a passenger seriously assaulted on my bus by 2 young thugs in there late teens, Don't know if they used a blade or what, but the victim lost a good bit of blood from 3/4 open wounds on his head, These thugs think they are untouchable, Nobody intervened while the assault was in progress and the thugs warned everyone on the bus we will be next if we RAT to the Guards, before popping off the bus and strolling down the road. I waited 30 mins for the guards by which time the victim was gone to hospital and all other passengers were gone, not sure if the Guards turned up at all as I left the scene myself then.

Also last week I had a passenger become very aggressive with me because I wouldn't let him off the bus in between stops, He was not drunk or drugged as far as I could tell, He came up to me just after I pulled away from a stop and asked me if I could stop and let him out, When I tried to explain that I was not allowed to do this, he just flipped out and started hurling abuse at me and punching the security screen.

I know Im driving a snowball magnet, but some of the teens just seem very aggressive with the snowballs, they are not happy just to hit the bus with a snowball, They actually seem intend on causing an accident, Earlier this month I drove down the a certain road to find 6/7 youths standing in the middle of the road waiting to pelt my windscreen out of it.

stovelid

Don't think so myself but obviously that's just my perception. As somebody that's socialized/hung around in the city centre for the best part of 25 years, I don't really think there has been any marked increase in recent times.

John_Rambo

I think the Dublin Bike scheme is an indication of what way the city is going. I also feel people are a bit more intolerant to littering, vandalism etc and will say something to fookers.

RobbieTheRobber

John_Rambo wrote: »

I think the Dublin Bike scheme is an indication of what way the city is going. I also feel people are a bit more intolerant to littering, vandalism etc and will say something to fookers.

Sorry John , Im not sure i get what you mean when you say "I think the Dublin Bike scheme is an indication of what way the city is going."

do you see a problem with the DB's or is a positive thing?

John_Rambo

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

Sorry John

It's me who should be apologising for not explaining properly.

Deffo a positive thing, very few stolen, very few vandalised, most successful scheme in Europe.