Luas (Red Line) on Joe Duffy Show today

Fairfunk

highdef wrote: »

I see a lot of reference to the Red line being north side when in fact the vast majority is actually south side

A very good point

Drimnagh Road

I am fortunate enough that i no longer have to commute to Tallaght anymore. What used to p1ss me off big time was the ticket inspectors would simply tell the junkies who never have tickets to get off at the next stop, where as a regular commuter might be unfortunate to get caught one morning without a ticket because they genuinely hadn't got time to buy one on that particular morning. The STD lads seem more interested in checking their phones and hair in the reflection of the glass.

thomasj

Judgement Day wrote: »

highdef wrote: »

I see a lot of reference to the Red line being north side when in fact the vast majority is actually south side

Technically you're correct but most 'southsiders' would lump in the westside (Tallaght, Ballyfermot etc.) with the northside. Could we get the Liffey rerouted perhaps?

Shankill, ballyogan, dun laoghaire and even parts of bray come if you try to lump them with westside nevermind northside you need to go back to geography class!

MJohnston

My girlfriend and I moved house recently and one of the serious considerations made when looking for a new place to rent was "let's get somewhere that we don't have to travel on the Red Line". My girlfriend used to live out in Stoneybatter and work near Grand Canal Dock and I was forever anxious about her travelling on it, especially in winter when commuting times are in the dark. I mean, the whole experience is pretty grim if you're male, white and average, but must be a million times worse for any minorities or tourists and could be more threatening for females. If you board anywhere along the Liffey stretch between Heuston and Connolly, you feel unsafe at the stops, you feel unsafe sitting in your seat and you feel unsafe looking anywhere but at the floor sometimes.

This feeling of unease permeates a lot of the city centre in general, I know several people who have recently been mugged or assaulted around Abbey Street and along the Liffey boardwalk recently. Again, the most frustrating part of it all is the sense that nothing will ever happen to the perpetrators of such crimes because "sure this is Ireland".

Thankfully, we found somewhere to live in a lovely residential part of Dublin 3 and only need take the comparatively safe DART to work. Is it relevant to point out that the DART (and to a lesser extent even the bus) feel a lot safer because of the inescapable necessity of having paid to board?

To be blunt, I'm fed up of this wonderful city being hijacked and degraded by individuals and gangs - I'd love to contribute or see some kind of community led effort to reclaim it somehow.

Judgement Day

Reclaim the streets with a difference but it won't happen, and now we are to have the new cross city line for the skangers to penetrate new areas of the city.

Fairfunk

MJohnston wrote: »

My girlfriend and I moved house recently and one of the serious considerations made when looking for a new place to rent was "let's get somewhere that we don't have to travel on the Red Line". My girlfriend used to live out in Stoneybatter and work near Grand Canal Dock and I was forever anxious about her travelling on it, especially in winter when commuting times are in the dark. I mean, the whole experience is pretty grim if you're male, white and average, but must be a million times worse for any minorities or tourists and could be more threatening for females. If you board anywhere along the Liffey stretch between Heuston and Connolly, you feel unsafe at the stops, you feel unsafe sitting in your seat and you feel unsafe looking anywhere but at the floor sometimes.

This feeling of unease permeates a lot of the city centre in general, I know several people who have recently been mugged or assaulted around Abbey Street and along the Liffey boardwalk recently. Again, the most frustrating part of it all is the sense that nothing will ever happen to the perpetrators of such crimes because "sure this is Ireland".

Thankfully, we found somewhere to live in a lovely residential part of Dublin 3 and only need take the comparatively safe DART to work. Is it relevant to point out that the DART (and to a lesser extent even the bus) feel a lot safer because of the inescapable necessity of having paid to board?

To be blunt, I'm fed up of this wonderful city being hijacked and degraded by individuals and gangs - I'd love to contribute or see some kind of community led effort to reclaim it somehow.

This is a great post and mirrors a lot of my feelings. The point made about the bus feeling a lot safer because you have to pay is in my opinion 100% spot on. 90% of the reason that I am moving is because I want to move as far away from the red line as possible. Its such a shame because in theory its a great service ruined by a growing number of idiots. My parents are coming over to visit and there is no way I'm going to allow them any where near the red line. Can you imagine the stress?

n97 mini

The red line could be cleared up in jig time if the Gardaí were deployed on it in any sort of a serious fashion.

Proper transport gardaí are long overdue.

Sponge Bob

n97 mini wrote: »

Proper transport gardaí are long overdue.

As part of the Army Ranger induction course we could perhaps encourage Defence and Justice minister Shatter to send inductees on a week long travelling 'trial' on the Red Line. Call it 'urban survival skills 101' or something.

Whoever batters the most skangers for gratuitous skangery gets top of the class. Frankly I'd let them loose on anything 12 and over as an equal opportunities measure.

Once the scum hear the army rangers are onboard they will clear off sharpish.

Then we can offer the 'course' to every special forces inductee in Europe...export the fun eh!

AlekSmart

Sponge Bob wrote: »

As part of the Army Ranger induction course we could perhaps encourage Defence and Justice minister Shatter to send inductees on a week long travelling 'trial' on the Red Line. Call it 'urban survival skills 101' or something.

Whoever batters the most skangers for gratuitous skangery gets top of the class. Frankly I'd let them loose on anything 12 and over as an equal opportunities measure.

Once the scum hear the army rangers are onboard they will clear off sharpish.

Then we can offer the 'course' to every special forces inductee in Europe...export the fun eh!

Oh God...NO !

Whilst all the concerns about Increasing "Security" on Public Transport are entirely understandable,the reality is that every added Security Measure is an added cost and,in most cases,a decided lowering of the "Comfort Factor" for legitimate users.

The awful reality is that the "Ordinaries" have as big a role to play in this reclaimation as do STT or the Gardai or Luas/Dublin Bus/Veolia/DART themselves.

The process begins with the existing Bye-Laws,which in almost all cases are bang up-to-date.

All of the occurences described on Boards,Liveline and in thousands of anecdotal accounts everyday have legal responses in place.

Sadly however,few of the Comapnies appear willing to front-up to excercising their significant powers to impose order upon their customer base.

It does,y'see,require dispensing with much of the "Serving the Entire Community" dross in which much anti-social behaviour now comes wrapped up in.

The very notion that a violent substance abusing savage can lash-out at will,before retrospectively claiming that his/her status as "Disabled" effectively gives them immunity from being held accountable,just has to STOP.

In order for this process to commence,those vast majority of "Ordinary" users need to get behind the Operators and the Gardai/Security.

This does'nt have to involve getting involved in direct confrontation (REMEMBER: There's a very valid reason for STT personnel wearing anti-stab vests),but rather taking note of vehicle fleet numbers,and contacting the various control centre numbers with exact details of the various codologies being inflicted upon them.

It should also see the NTA establishing a full-time Public Transport response desk,with a simple FREE contact number and a live operator at the end of the line to take over the response management.

But,perhaps the single most important element of the response has to be the strong message to the perpretators of this savagery that they WILL recieve punishment if found guilty.

Whatever punishment is imposed should ideally be relevant to the infraction.

Drink/Drugs related stuff could result in periods spent manually cleaning-up "Dead-Dogs" (Excretea,Vomitus and other liquid expressions) with bucket,mop and disinfectant.

Destructive events could involve the the guilty parties being required to similarly clean up broken glass or other items using the most labour intensive methods.

In each case these punishments need to be fully publicised at time of imposition and during their execution,with identies and crime a matter of public record.

Much of the anti-social thuggery WE have to endure daily on ALL forms of Public Transport tends to revolve around a wildly inflated sense of self-importance or dominance on the part of the perpretrators (Although I know the Physchological folks will state the exact opposite in relation to Low Self-Esteem etc).

I'm sorry Sponge Bob,but bringing in the Ranger Wing just would'nt cut it for me...I'm firmly in the "Sherriff Joe Arapaio- "Put them in Pink Frillies and get them workin" camp.

foggy_lad

AlekSmart wrote: »

Oh God...NO !

Whilst all the concerns about Increasing "Security" on Public Transport are entirely understandable,the reality is that every added Security Measure is an added cost and,in most cases,a decided lowering of the "Comfort Factor" for legitimate users.

The awful reality is that the "Ordinaries" have as big a role to play in this reclaimation as do STT or the Gardai or Luas/Dublin Bus/Veolia/DART themselves.

The process begins with the existing Bye-Laws,which in almost all cases are bang up-to-date.

All of the occurences described on Boards,Liveline and in thousands of anecdotal accounts everyday have legal responses in place.

Sadly however,few of the Comapnies appear willing to front-up to excercising their significant powers to impose order upon their customer base.

It does,y'see,require dispensing with much of the "Serving the Entire Community" dross in which much anti-social behaviour now comes wrapped up in.

The very notion that a violent substance abusing savage can lash-out at will,before retrospectively claiming that his/her status as "Disabled" effectively gives them immunity from being held accountable,just has to STOP.

In order for this process to commence,those vast majority of "Ordinary" users need to get behind the Operators and the Gardai/Security.

This does'nt have to involve getting involved in direct confrontation (REMEMBER: There's a very valid reason for STT personnel wearing anti-stab vests),but rather taking note of vehicle fleet numbers,and contacting the various control centre numbers with exact details of the various codologies being inflicted upon them.

It should also see the NTA establishing a full-time Public Transport response desk,with a simple FREE contact number and a live operator at the end of the line to take over the response management.

But,perhaps the single most important element of the response has to be the strong message to the perpretators of this savagery that they WILL recieve punishment if found guilty.

Whatever punishment is imposed should ideally be relevant to the infraction.

Drink/Drugs related stuff could result in periods spent manually cleaning-up "Dead-Dogs" (Excretea,Vomitus and other liquid expressions) with bucket,mop and disinfectant.

Destructive events could involve the the guilty parties being required to similarly clean up broken glass or other items using the most labour intensive methods.

In each case these punishments need to be fully publicised at time of imposition and during their execution,with identies and crime a matter of public record.

Much of the anti-social thuggery WE have to endure daily on ALL forms of Public Transport tends to revolve around a wildly inflated sense of self-importance or dominance on the part of the perpretrators (Although I know the Physchological folks will state the exact opposite in relation to Low Self-Esteem etc).

I'm sorry Sponge Bob,but bringing in the Ranger Wing just would'nt cut it for me...I'm firmly in the "Sherriff Joe Arapaio- "Put them in Pink Frillies and get them workin" camp.

Cleaning up vomit and urine would never happen as this would be considered a dangerous occupation and there would be a risk to the health of the scumbags and the same would be said for the cleaning up of broken glass etc

All the operators have bye-laws which can be used to bar scumbags from using their services regardless of any disability or entitlement to free travel but strangly they refuse to use these powers.

Stopping the scumbags from travelling is the only cost efffective way of doing it! Proper checks at bus/train entry points and ticket barriers etc and on the luas STT/Veolia staff actually stopping trams on the street between stops to put the scumbags off immediately is what sends out a message that the operators are serious!

KD345

There was a report in the news this week how a young child picked up a used needle and syringe on a red line Luas. Just disgraceful.

So far this year there have been 680 reported incidents, some involving threats to staff.

Fairfunk

KD345 wrote: »

There was a report in the news this week how a young child picked up a used needle and syringe on a red line Luas. Just disgraceful.

So far this year there have been 680 reported incidents, some involving threats to staff.

I'd be surprised if you couldn't multiply that number by 5!

howiya

Fairfunk wrote: »

I'd be surprised if you couldn't multiply that number by 5!

The key word is reported. A lot of people probably don't report incidents

frag420

KD345 wrote: »

There was a report in the news this week how a young child picked up a used needle and syringe on a red line Luas. Just disgraceful.

So far this year there have been 680 reported incidents, some involving threats to staff.

Out of interest what responsibilities to public safety do the operators of the Luas have?? If i was to prick myself on a discarded needle left on the LUAS or be assaulted by a drunk tracksuit dwelling junkie can I take action against the operators?

By buying a ticket should I presume that I can avail of a safe journey to my destination? Or when we buy our ticket are we giving up any right to take action against the operators should an incident occour that causes injury etc??

Does anyone know of anyone who has tried to take a case against the operators for injury caused due to injury sustained while travelling on the LUAS (refering to injury caused by a third party on LUAS)

frAg

foggy_lad

frag420 wrote: »

KD345 wrote: »

There was a report in the news this week how a young child picked up a used needle and syringe on a red line Luas. Just disgraceful.

So far this year there have been 680 reported incidents, some involving threats to staff.

Out of interest what responsibilities to public safety do the operators of the Luas have?? If i was to prick myself on a discarded needle left on the LUAS or be assaulted by a drunk tracksuit dwelling junkie can I take action against the operators?

By buying a ticket should I presume that I can avail of a safe journey to my destination? Or when we buy our ticket are we giving up any right to take action against the operators should an incident occour that causes injury etc??

Does anyone know of anyone who has tried to take a case against the operators for injury caused due to injury sustained while travelling on the LUAS (refering to injury caused by a third party on LUAS)

frAg

I am no legal expert but because the operators are well aware of the problems and seem to be failing to properly handle antisocial behaviour and other criminal activity on the red line in particular I would think they are failing in their obligations to ensure the safety of their passengers which would leave them open to civil cases from assaults or needle-stick injuries etc.

Sure it will be grand

The private security are only a short term deterrent to these scumbags and the ticket inspectors are too scared to stand up to them.

Nothing is going to change until Garda Cór Iompair is put in place.

Repeat offenders need to be identified by Gardaí, taken to court and banned from using public transport using new powers from legislation.

Only then will we see a drop in anti social behaviour on the Luas Red line.

foggy_lad

Sure it will be grand wrote: »

The private security are only a short term deterrent to these scumbags and the ticket inspectors are too scared to stand up to them.

Nothing is going to change until Garda Cór Iompair is put in place.

Repeat offenders need to be identified by Gardaí, taken to court and banned from using public transport using new powers from legislation.

Only then will we see a drop in anti social behaviour on the Luas Red line.

The powers to ban anti-social passengers from rail and bus services are already in place but the wasters in charge don't have the balls to use them.

toastedpickles

I don't use the red line anymore, but I can nearly see what's going to be needed to make the companies take notice, someones going to be stabbed or killed or something and only then will they start taking action, it's the same with dangerous cross roads and people saying "oh there should be traffic lights there" person dies on the cross roads, boom traffic lights up the next day

MaxSteele

I'll be dead honest. I get the LUAS from the red cow, the odd time Tallaght and haven't witnessed anything much bar a few ****e talking junkies really.

Mind you, I've always felt uneasy on that strip between Blackhorse and Heuston station.

dazberry

MaxSteele wrote: »

Mind you, I've always felt uneasy on that strip between Blackhorse and Heuston station.

That's interesting as I would travel that strip a lot too, my perception of unease would be around James'(s) and Fatima. Beyond that I would have my perceptions/prejudices of where I'd imagine certain colourful characters would be alighting beyond Blackhorse but as I seldom need to travel beyond that point, I'll keep those perceptions to myself

D.

scoopmine

I travel from heuston to bus aras and back for work and have not had any trouble yet. Granted I have the headphones on at full blast!

Judgement Day

scoopmine wrote: »

I travel from heuston to bus aras and back for work and have not had any trouble yet. Granted I have the headphones on at full blast!

At least you won't know anything about it if you get mugged then.

dowlingm

Deploy all the guards you want, but unless the consequences from the Court system are negative enough that people will stop, it won't stop, it will just mean more frustration among the guards and the operators.

The reality is that the most powerful people in the country are in the Court of Criminal Appeal - when they reduce hard sentences the lower court judges hands are tied, it simply because an exercise in willy waving to impose one and the accused knows his brief will get it knocked down later. At the same time because of the crazy practice of imprisoning for debt the skangers know they will not serve even the normal discount tariff because of overcrowding in the prisons.

I would like to see expanded use of confiscation orders - take their flatscreens, their smartphones, their cars, anything else of a material nature that it will bother them to lose. There will be arguments of community property etc but that would be for SCAB (Skanger Criminal Assets Bureau) to figure out.