Begging around bus station

rurallake

Was at the bus station today in the space of 5 minutes get begged by 3 different people one of them on more than one occassion even though I gave him the €2 he earlier required. Made me feel very uncomfortable.

Mc Love

Why do you give them money!?

Insect Overlord

Yeah, you shouldn't have given any of them anything.

Poxyshamrock

I've been to stations in Dublin, Belfast, Rome, London, New York, etc., and there has been beggars at all the stations I've visited!

It happens everywhere unfortunately.

A woman at Euston in London even threw her shoes at me! :P

marketty

Same thing happened to me when I fed a stray cat, he's still coming back 2 years later

Comhrá

Same thing happened to me when I fed a stray cat, he's still coming back 2 years later

At least the cat doesn't want money for drink. I'd have no trouble giving him food.

Mc Love

When I was in Secondary school - a lad from Focus came in and talked to us and said the best thing to do is offer to buy them food instead of handing over money as you are only helping them buy drink and drugs. And bankrolling the drug dealers in the process.

If they refuse food - then they are not worth it.

constantg

the security in the station is hopeless....the security in heuston is far more effective imho

i was hassled for cash by the same guy twice recently....now whatever hope he had the first time, the second time he hadn't a cat in hell's chance, seeing as he was clearly too stoned to realise i'd already told him to f**k off...

maryk123

not even just around the station though. i went to town the other day - i have not been in ages and met 5 beggars between william street and o connell street - that and knackers o my god the place is full of them. it opened my eyes- young giels pushing prams-the tracksuit brigade-it was an awful sight and it doesnt help there are so many pound shops in william street attracting them. oh i got the shivers.

Ellis Dee

Giving money to beggars is like leaving out food for rats. Something your neighbours would hardly thank you for. If everyone in Ireland decided not to give a cent - ever - to a beggar, there wouldn't be a single one left in a week's time. but when you give them money, you are in effect helping make life more difficult for your fellow-citizens, many of whom are old, infirm and more easily intimidated than the rest of us.:D

I never, never give to beggars in Europe. I do in India, but only in the places that are reserved for them outside temples, and I know the temple authorities only allow genuinely needy ones to beg there. Chancers are soon sent packing.

Just ignore beggars in Ireland. If one clutches at you, scream to high heaven for the Guards. You own them nothing, least of all your time and attention.:rolleyes:

Ireland is a welfare state, and no one really needs to beg, as hard as life is for some. If you feel bad about not giving to beggars, you can always pop into a church and put something in the poor box, or give it to that admirable body the Vinnies or their Protestant equivalent, or help out some people you know are genuinely in need and not just feeding a drink or drug problem.

The Snipe

On Tuesday, I was asked by the same guy twice in a half hour outside Pennys - couldn't help but piss myself laughing :P

HorseRadish

Fella in the station asked me for 50c for tea then 30 seconds later he asked the person beside me for 75c for tea. On asking me again,I just said "Man,I havent got it for myself".

roast

maryk123 wrote: »

not even just around the station though. i went to town the other day - i have not been in ages and met 5 beggars between william street and o connell street - that and knackers o my god the place is full of them. it opened my eyes- young giels pushing prams-the tracksuit brigade-it was an awful sight and it doesnt help there are so many pound shops in william street attracting them. oh i got the shivers.

Wtf?

RonMexico

William Street is like Fifth Avenue for the tracksuit brigade.

Kess73

RonMexico wrote: »

William Street is like Fifth Avenue for the tracksuit brigade.

Nah it is their Rodeo Drive, with O' Connell Street being their Santa Monica Boulevard



O' Connell Street in Dublin is the tracksuit Fifth Avenue.

europa11

Tracksuited f*cker outside Centra on O'Connell st. last week as I was passing during the early evening, the usual "Giss a euro Bud"......"No" says I walkin past "You're a mayyn fuggin'cuunnin' parik" (skanger-english trans. = you are a mean ***** penis).
:cool:

Like a fool I then decided to call him something in his own language and briefly felt like going back to allow him to feel the weight of my sportsbag before common sense descended and I walked on with further insults being directed at me.

So what. Well now imagine that rare breed, a tourist, running into the same piece of shlte and multiply his/her experience by many more drug tappers up, down O'Connell Street and off it. then consider by contrast the number of Gardai on foot-patrol at any given time on our main street....:rolleyes:. and we wonder why our image is so negative.

As for the area around the Railway Station. Christ on a bike, talk about "cead mile failte"......in our case it's "gimme the price of a can, bud" that greets arrivals at one of the main entry points to the city. At least it might stop them observing the abandoned Corporation flats on exiting the Bus Station on the left, another gem in that area.

Limerick City Council, Shannon Tourism, CIE and Gardai - hang your heads.

ZombieBride

With Beggars on the side streets off Cruises Street, then you hit the Cruises Street Chuggers, and onto the William Street tracksuits, while avoiding the O'Connell Street Socialists, actually I haven't seen the Anti-Abortionists lately, though the Bible Bashers are out in force, then there are the doorstep tables for "charity" outside Easons/Tescos, and finally at the bottom are the Charity Can shakers.

Is it any wonder that people prefer to shop in the freedom of the supermarkets, than to be harassed at every step in the city centre. Thank goodness for headphones.

hattoncracker

The first time I ever visited Limerick I was really nervous, given all the negative publicity! I only got out of the train station and someone was asking me for money!

V offputting, but it's the same in Dublin, worse even!

constantg

I was on Patrick Street in Cork one day, just window shopping and some guy approached me with a duffel bag and asked would I have the price of a ticket home for him....reeking of drink and clearly hammered and glassy eyed.

Really weird experience tbh, very out of the blue, didn't see him approaching anyone else before he came to me either!

phog

Anyone worried about begging in Limerick would want to avoid the ticket machines at the LUAS stops in Dublin. It's like bears to honey there.

constantg

phog wrote: »

Anyone worried about begging in Limerick would want to avoid the ticket machines at the LUAS stops in Dublin. It's like bears to honey there.

Same with the machines in Limerick station.....comes back to the same thing again and again....security there is sh1t!

Aglomerado

There's a guy who hangs around at the traffic lights at St Mary's in Athlunkard Street... when traffic is stopped he shakes a paper cup at all the drivers. He seems harmless enough, but I'd rather give to the Simon commuity or SVP than encourage begging!

Jeebus

I have been to many bus stations in my time. Limerick station is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most horrible, dingiest and disgusting one I have ever had the pleasure to use.

I'm not sure if it's because of all the dodgy, imposing people around that it is so horrible. Or it might be that I was held at knife-point ten seconds after walking out of my bus a few years back. It could be the multitude of knackers waiting around the corner to harass you. It might be the huge number of beggars inhabiting the place - far more than I have encountered anywhere else, with one of them being the fine fellow who pulled a knife on me.

I've been to some dodgy places in my time, and even as a Limerick native, that bus station is still the place I feel most uncomfortable. Horrible, horrible station in need of knocking down, relocating and a new car park!

Kess73

Limerick station is a dump. It is more like a back water railway/bus station than one that services a city.

I see that Belfast station got mentioned in this thread. As someone who uses the Belfast station every month I fail to see anything that station has in common with Colvert station. It does not have beggers going around inside the station, the security there is visible and very proactive, and the station itself is modern and clean.

Mc Love

Jeebus wrote: »

I have been to many bus stations in my time. Limerick station is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most horrible, dingiest and disgusting one I have ever had the pleasure to use.

I'm not sure if it's because of all the dodgy, imposing people around that it is so horrible. Or it might be that I was held at knife-point ten seconds after walking out of my bus a few years back. It could be the multitude of knackers waiting around the corner to harass you. It might be the huge number of beggars inhabiting the place - far more than I have encountered anywhere else, with one of them being the fine fellow who pulled a knife on me.

I've been to some dodgy places in my time, and even as a Limerick native, that bus station is still the place I feel most uncomfortable. Horrible, horrible station in need of knocking down, relocating and a new car park!

the greyhound station in LA is probably on a par with in terms of being dangerous and full of homeless, skobes and beggars, but much better in terms of facilities

justbmad

The original poster was some muppet for giving one of those skangers 2 euro instead of telling em to f**k off, as for giving money to svp, a lot of what they get goes to buying cigarettes with your hard earned money & dishing them out at night , probably to the same skanger who demanded money with menace in the first place.

constantg

justbmad wrote: »

The original poster was some muppet for giving one of those skangers 2 euro instead of telling em to f**k off, as for giving money to svp, a lot of what they get goes to buying cigarettes with your hard earned money & dishing them out at night , probably to the same skanger who demanded money with menace in the first place.

A trifle angry are we? Bit of a difference between giving homeless people on the street a few fags and maybe a quid or two at night and giving cash to some gowl in the station, CLEARLY off his head on something that comes from a syringe!

Melion

Aglomerado wrote: »

There's a guy who hangs around at the traffic lights at St Mary's in Athlunkard Street... when traffic is stopped he shakes a paper cup at all the drivers. He seems harmless enough, but I'd rather give to the Simon commuity or SVP than encourage begging!

My daughter calls him the no money man. If we pass and he isnt there then she asks "Where is the no money man?" Hes a horrible individual, i dont even shake my head at him to say no more anyway. Its been nearly 4 years ive been going in and out that road every day and he still stops at my window every time. Its what he does to women in cars alone that annoys me.

Kess73

Melion wrote: »

My daughter calls him the no money man. If we pass and he isnt there then she asks "Where is the no money man?" Hes a horrible individual, i dont even shake my head at him to say no more anyway. Its been nearly 4 years ive been going in and out that road every day and he still stops at my window every time. Its what he does to women in cars alone that annoys me.

What does he do?


I know that there were some regular beggers at Punches cross some time back, as well as down near where the Lobster Pot used to be that turned into real wannabe hard men when any lone woman would not roll down the window of her car. Had words with two of them at Punches cross when I saw them banging the bonnet and window of a car with a woman on her own inside of it.

Melion

Kess73 wrote: »

What does he do?


I know that there were some regular beggers at Punches cross some time back, as well as down near where the Lobster Pot used to be that turned into real wannabe hard men when any lone woman would not roll down the window of her car. Had words with two of them at Punches cross when I saw them banging the bonnet and window of a car with a woman on her own inside of it.

If he goes to a car with a man driving and is told no, he stands there for a second and then moves on. Different story if its a woman on her own though, he will not leave the window for at least 10 seconds while pleading with her and shaking his cup, now i know that doesnt seem like a long time when you read it but id imagine its very intimidating for women. Im talking about the foreign guy in the grey jacket, not the fella selling the books of poetry.

All this just reminded me that it will be window washer season soon, fúcking cúnts.

Kess73

Melion wrote: »

If he goes to a car with a man driving and is told no, he stands there for a second and then moves on. Different story if its a woman on her own though, he will not leave the window for at least 10 seconds while pleading with her and shaking his cup, now i know that doesnt seem like a long time when you read it but id imagine its very intimidating for women. Im talking about the foreign guy in the grey jacket, not the fella selling the books of poetry.

All this just reminded me that it will be window washer season soon, fúcking cúnts.

10 seconds or more of intimidation from a person to whom you have already said no to, is a long time.

source

That guy is a bloody plague, he's a professional beggar. Lives somewhere up in the midlands. I encountered him a number of times in my former profession, him and a number of the other roma gypsies get dropped off here to beg and steal and then they get picked up and back up to the midlands.

Aglomerado

Melion wrote: »

If he goes to a car with a man driving and is told no, he stands there for a second and then moves on. Different story if its a woman on her own though, he will not leave the window for at least 10 seconds while pleading with her and shaking his cup, now i know that doesnt seem like a long time when you read it but id imagine its very intimidating for women. Im talking about the foreign guy in the grey jacket, not the fella selling the books of poetry.

All this just reminded me that it will be window washer season soon, fúcking cúnts.

Yes he did this to me on Monday, lingered for about 10 seconds (I'm a woman). I thought it was just me as I'd intended to hit the lock button on my door when I saw him (just in case) and ended up hitting the button that winds down the windows :eek: (I'm not fully accustomed to the electronics in my car just yet). So I was fiddling a lot with the door. Made no eye contact with him though, just stared straight ahead.

I hate those window washer bástards as well. Got my windscreen washed at Punches Cross a couple of years ago by one of them, despite shaking my head vigorously to say no! Didn't pay him though -the lights went green!

source

On the topic of the window washers, when they approach, just use the washer on your car and turn the wipers on full. They'll just walk past you.

The Snipe

source wrote: »

On the topic of the window washers, when they approach, just use the washer on your car and turn the wipers on full. They'll just walk past you.

If they still try.. Reverse the car.. and run em down!

Pandiani

There is a beggar who hangs around outside the entrance to Cruises Street Car park beside Z We Ton on little Ellen Street with his any money to help a homeless man spiel, I walk past him almost everyday and he really annoys me, he is wearing a different shiny tracksuit everyday, someone must be giving him money if he is always there.

zuroph

He lives/stops in castletroy actually, regularily meet him and his daughter shopping in superquinn/ lidl. saw him only yesterday.

curry_person

i was sitting outside cafe on Thomas street with a friend drinking coffee when a Romanian women gave me a note saying how she had no English and needs money for food, i told her no, she had the bestest english then when she tried to hassle us for money!!! i wouldn't give them money ever! like previous posters say if people keep giving them money, they wont stop!!! it will be like south park where we will have them coming from everywhere!

also had 2 beggars sit down beside me drinking beer talking to me while waiting for bus i sat there for ages thinking security in my eye line will tell them to piss off! no they didnt! i had to go walk away and hide in a different bus stop and hope they didnt see me hiding from them :O

Karmafaerie

Try living and working in Dublin mate.
I pass at least two dozen beggars a day.

Had people come into where I work and try beg of customers inside.
Have had the usual "need a ticket home", "need a cup of tea", even had the novel "I won't lie to you, I want to buy some Heroin."

It's actually a bit upsetting that I'm becoming so used to it since moving here.

angry kitten

Limerick is a nightmare for begging. It isn't just the beggars either, you've got chuggers on Cruises street and for Christ's sake I wish someone would put a stop to groups of teenagers in school uniform collecting for charity every few yards around the city. Lets be honest, there are plenty of charity shops in the city centre if people want to donate to charity. I'm all for supporting charity but I'm fed up of having buckets rattled at me. Don't even get me started on that pr**k from the Hanley centre, NO means No, No matter how many times I pass you.:mad:

RonMexico

angry kitten wrote: »

Limerick is a nightmare for begging. It isn't just the beggars either, you've got chuggers on Cruises street and for Christ's sake I wish someone would put a stop to groups of teenagers in school uniform collecting for charity every few yards around the city. Lets be honest, there are plenty of charity shops in the city centre if people want to donate to charity. I'm all for supporting charity but I'm fed up of having buckets rattled at me. Don't even get me started on that pr**k from the Hanley centre, NO means No, No matter how many times I pass you.:mad:

Cruises Street is empty these days. Thomas St. and Bedford Row is where the chuggers gather now.

Mc Love

RonMexico wrote: »

angry kitten wrote: »

Limerick is a nightmare for begging. It isn't just the beggars either, you've got chuggers on Cruises street and for Christ's sake I wish someone would put a stop to groups of teenagers in school uniform collecting for charity every few yards around the city. Lets be honest, there are plenty of charity shops in the city centre if people want to donate to charity. I'm all for supporting charity but I'm fed up of having buckets rattled at me. Don't even get me started on that pr**k from the Hanley centre, NO means No, No matter how many times I pass you.:mad:

Cruises Street is empty these days. Thomas St. and Bedford Row is where the chuggers gather now.

Not yesterday there was a group of them waiting in the centre of cruises st. Had to nip through boots to avoid them

IrishZeus

Chuggers = knackers with cans or people with collection buckets?

I used to live in Limerick until a few years ago and had the same experiences mentioned here. Never heard the term chuggers though....

europa11

Chuggers = "Charity" muggers, no money up front, usually have a clipboard to take down your bank details so that they can collect on a monthly basis from your a/c (and for the chugger, a fat commission), bright flourescent jacket and sickening disposition also de riguer.

As said, more prevalent at Bedford Row and Thomas St. corners, but have seen them daytime at the end of Cruises St, for a time they were patrolling by O'Mahony's Bookshop too.....thankfully no more at that shopfront.

Annoying twats with their mock cheerfullness, big "hello, how are yooouuuu?" before attempting the sales pitch. Worse again with the wimmin.."Aren't you looking lovely today?"....jeesus wept.

One nice thing about Chuggers though, you just love telling them to F*ck off.

langdang

source wrote: »

On the topic of the window washers, when they approach, just use the washer on your car and turn the wipers on full. They'll just walk past you.

Then get em with the headlight washers as they're level with your bonnet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZN3Bbz_Ds

Jamie Starr

I was walking around Limerick a few days ago and a woman from Romania came up and showed me a piece of paper explaining she needed money. I stopped to read it (thought she might've needed directions), and then moved on (which I probably got her hopes up unintentionally by doing). My Dad's been to some rough places in his time, and his advice has always been to never stop in the street to give anyone money, registered organisations or not.

First of all, you can get distracted by someone, and have your pockets picked. Secondly, you can get marked for a mugging once you've been shown to have some cash on you. Thirdly, most charitable causes out collecting on the street are genuine, but occasionally they aren't. It sounds really cynical, but that's it can be sometimes.

The best thing you can do is make a private donation of a €10 or something to Vincent de Paul for the year. At least you can be sure it goes towards something then, and you've given a bit to charity.

Limerick Station is intolerably bad though. I've been asked for money from skangers on a few occasions, and been threatened, but I've never given anyone money. It's only natural that it attracts those types though, because there's absolutely no effort made in that place by the staff. They only started taking steps to stop pigeons from landing, nesting, crapping around the station recently. I wonder what people visiting from other countries must think.

As some people said though, Dublin is far, far worse. The begging/homeless situation there is seriously shocking. Actually puts me off going to Dublin. (I'm forced to go to Limerick )

curry_person

Agnostic Mantis wrote: »

I was walking around Limerick a few days ago and a woman from Romania came up and showed me a piece of paper explaining she needed money. I stopped to read it (thought she might've needed directions), and then moved on (which I probably got her hopes up unintentionally by doing).

Had same kinda person!!! not sure if same woman! but when me and my mate said no she had perfect English to try and hassle money out us! rudeness :mad:

remember when i used to work on Thomas street there was a Romanian women begging for food she would go up to people sitting outside cafes eating food, first ask them for food when they said no she would proceed to put her hand in there food and take some !!!

people should be free to go out and not fear to get hassled like this!!!

maybe everyone on here should rise up against things like this and call gardai every time we see something like this happening?! wouldnt be long moving from Limerick!!! :P