Bothered or not?

Got chatting to a man who came in to do some checking and maintenance when I work, hard working polite, all round nice person, would have had to have lot of technical ability to be employed in what he does.

For some reason it came up in the conversation that he grew up what would be considered one of the 'worst' areas of Dublin got me thinking does it annoy anyone that some areas are automatically associated with crime or the word ' scumbag' despite the vast majority not being like that, especially if you grew up in such an area?

B.A._Baracus

I grew up in a council estate here in Dublin and I didn't get annoyed when people called it a kip because they were right... It is a kip.
That's not to say everyone was a scumbag living in it. But you can't whitewash over things too. Have to call a spade a spade.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

A lot of 'posh' accents and mannerisms are far more grating than 'working class scum' accents and mannerisms.

Allinall

It's the area that's associated with crime, not the people.

Allinall

Allinall wrote: »

It's the area that's associated with crime, not the people.

Good point that!

MilesMorales1

I grew up in Birkenhead in England, anyone who knows the area will know its known for being an area of scumbags and crime and ****, even though its blatantly not true.

eviltwin

I live in an area with somewhat of a reputation. It does bother me when I hear people say it's full of scumbags cause its not. Most people here are good and kind and decent. It's the minority who give it a bad name.

donegaLroad

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

A lot of 'posh' accents and mannerisms are far more grating than 'working class scum' accents and mannerisms.

yip, I always think that people with affected accents who subscribe to snobbery, are not being honest with themselves and are trying to hide something....

you probably have a better chance of finding a straight up, honest person from an area that is rough around the edges.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

SEPT 23 1989

The majority of people from so called rough areas are fine mainly law abiding people trying to bring up families but the few headcases who should be in mental institutions certainly not living in any community drag the whole thing down

MilesMorales1

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I grew up in Birkenhead in England, anyone who knows the area will know its known for being an area of scumbags and crime and ****, even though its blatantly not true.

Come clean, I bet you're from Port Sunlight! :pac:

MilesMorales1

Deleted User wrote: »

Come clean, I bet you're from Port Sunlight! :pac:

****ing wool, I'll have you lad.

r93kaey5p2izun

Generalisations about the area don't bother me in the slightest - they're only telling the truth! I'd be more annoyed by those who try to gloss over all the massive problems and live in denial, talking like it's a great place to grow up. It bothers me when people are snobs though who judge individuals based purely on being from here or accent or whatever - plenty of them around unfortunately.

Shint0

FizzleSticks wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

There used to be much more class distinction back in those days. Now it's all socioeconomic strata - same thing but without as much significance as the old days.

Hercule Poirot

This thread immediately made me think of Limerick - a friend of mine lived there for a few years and we had many a good night out down there, he reckoned it was a sound place to live but at the time the media would have you believe that you could get stabbed just for poking your head out the door

conorhal

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

The majority of people from so called rough areas are fine mainly law abiding people trying to bring up families but the few headcases who should be in mental institutions certainly not living in any community drag the whole thing down

An area gets a 'reputation', not due a minorities constant anti-socaial behaviour, but because the majority of 'good, honest people' in the area let it go unchecked and it becomes acceptable.

My point is that in some instances it come across as as similar to casual racism, a new housing estate is built and you will get a comments: its is near x ( x being somewhere with a reputation ) don't buy it or don't buy in such and such an area it got a reputation or ask someone who runs an under age sport team from x, about the kind of comments they come across even from children.

theteal

People are who they are, not where they're from. Anyone who has an issue with where someone was raised needs to have a look at themselves.

dr.fuzzenstein

Hercule Poirot wrote: »

This thread immediately made me think of Limerick - a friend of mine lived their for a few years and we had many a good night out down there, he reckoned it was a sound place to live but at the time the media would have you believe that you could get stabbed just for poking your head out the door

Been working in Limerick for many years now in various jobs. Some of the soundest, most hardworking and decent people I have met came from some of the worst areas here. And the good ones. Plenty of scumbags live in posh houses, drive fancy cars and wear an expensive suit. They're the worst.

philstar

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

A lot of 'posh' accents and mannerisms are far more grating than 'working class scum' accents and mannerisms.

you must have found the past few days very grating, with Annalise

Elliott S

Imagine being from Ballymun? It's such a stigmatised place.

There is another narrative developing on this thread: that it is only snobs say anything stigmatising about an area thats not true, for example you come across lots of casual narratives that say everyone or almost everyone in x is a lone parent or on the dole and if in the course of small talk you offer a alternative view they don't want to know, it so ingrained in them as view of x.

Or the other one this one make me laugh: a garda, or teacher or social worker grew up in x and you will here it casually remarked 'you know they grew up in x' as if no one in x ever went to college or had a career.

Wigglepuppy

mariaalice wrote: »

There is another narrative developing on this thread: that it is only snobs say anything stigmatising about an area thats not true, for example you come across lots of casual narratives that say everyone or almost everyone in x is a lone parent or on the dole and if in the course of small talk you offer a alternative view they don't want to know, it so ingrained in them as view of x.

Or the other one this one make me laugh: a garda, or teacher or social worker grew up in x and you will here it casually remarked 'you know they grew up in x' as if no one in x ever went to college or had a career.

You kinda said that though about the guy you were speaking to, when you made the point that he was polite, nice, hard-working and technically adept.

Wigglepuppy

Wigglepuppy wrote: »

You kinda said that though about the guy you were speaking to, when you made the point that he was polite, nice, hard-working and technically adept.

I know that that is why it got me thinking, but it is interesting how we absorbent casual narratives about all sort of issues, however I also know I am smart enough to question stereotypes.

I'm at an age where my coupled-up friends are starting to buy houses and apartments. The unbridled snobbery that some househunting couples feel appropriate to unleash on their friends is astounding.

One couple refuses to venture across 'the dark side of Clanbrassil Street' when house-hunting (the Liberties, Drimnagh, etc). At first the heavily affected snobbery was a bit of a joke in the group, now it's getting tedious, especially because of their unrealistically small budget.

I'm tired of their endless vacillations over shoebox apartments and 'bijou' mews properties. They're all lovely people, but there's something about househunting that unleashes a bonkers level of snobbery in people. Thinking of buying a 400k former stable, ffs, just because it's in Dublin 6. A horse lived in that for Christ's sake.

Yes I know there are good reasons to discriminate between areas of the city, but there's no need to incessantly expose everyone around you to that.

Olishi4

Am I bovvered? Am I bovvered though? I ain't even bovvered! Don't tell me what to do, are you telling me what to do? Are you disrespecting me? I don't care though, I ain't bovvered!

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

philstar wrote: »

you must have found the past few days very grating, with Annalise

Well that's interesting you said that, because our other silver medallists, the rowing lads from Skibbereen, got an enormous amount of attention due to in no small part because of their accent.

I think there are more parallels than not between a country/county Limerick or Cork accent, or a working class Limerick or Cork accent, or a posh Limerick or Cork accent.

Would love to read a good book on Irish accents actually.

Wigglepuppy

conorhal wrote: »

An area gets a 'reputation', not due a minorities constant anti-socaial behaviour, but because the majority of 'good, honest people' in the area let it go unchecked and it becomes acceptable.

Probably some truth in that at times but the intimidation caused by, and power held by, such scum, even though just the minority, can be quite remarkable. You do hear of vigilante groups forming though when people have just had enough. I wouldn't blame people - especially e.g. someone living alone/with young children being too scared to stand up though.

I think the blame lies primarily with the troublemakers, and some also with the local authority for not vetting properly.

Your Face

Sounds like the start of a porn film.
To be fair though, a high quality porn film.
To be fair.

Elliott S

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I'm at an age where my coupled-up friends are starting to buy houses and apartments. The unbridled snobbery that some househunting couples feel appropriate to unleash on their friends is astounding.

One couple refuses to venture across 'the dark side of Clanbrassil Street' when house-hunting (the Liberties, Drimnagh, etc). At first the heavily affected snobbery was a bit of a joke in the group, now it's getting tedious, especially because of their unrealistically small budget.

I'm tired of their endless vacillations over shoebox apartments and 'bijou' mews properties. They're all lovely people, but there's something about househunting that unleashes a bonkers level of snobbery in people. Thinking of buying a 400k former stable, ffs, just because it's in Dublin 6. A horse lived in that for Christ's sake.

Yes I know there are good reasons to discriminate between areas of the city, but there's no need to incessantly expose everyone around you to that.

I have a cousin who is incredibly snobbish about the Northside. Like, if he checks in on Facebook at a Northside location, he's say things like "Taking my life into my own hands". You would think he'd be more understanding, as he bought his first house last year in a southside part of the city that I know well lots of people would in turn be sniffy about. But nope, to him, the Northside is uniformly a wasteland. Postcode politics is so superficial. Me, I think there are nice locations in every postcode. I lived in a lovely house in Phibsboro for five years and detected sniffiness towards that from people in college.

BrokenArrows

Problem areas are usually somewhere which is majority rented.
Renters have zero personal investment in an area and dont want to cause problems by complaining about the minority trouble makers or spend money maintaining an area that they dont own and landlords want to spend the bare minimum.
The cheaper and ****ter a place gets then builds its own momentum by attracting the wrong type of people who want/have no choice to live there.

The back of my rented apartment is shared by about 7 other rented properties and 3 businesses who also rent, but the ground is just a potholed mess of cement and gravel and soil.
Ive complained many times about the state of it but i never get anywhere because you need to get the agreement of 10 landlords who dont give a **** and dont want to spend money improving the location when they can rent it at crazy money anyway.

theteal

theteal wrote: »

People are who they are, not where they're from. Anyone who has an issue with where someone was raised needs to have a look at themselves.

That's it really. Not everyone from a more 'challenging' area is either a scumbag or a solid-gold-salt-of-the-earth type, and not everyone from a 'smarter' neighbourhood is a snobbish shark or pillar of the community.

Most people are averagely nice, wherever they're from and whatever their background.

Dublinensis

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I'm at an age where my coupled-up friends are starting to buy houses and apartments. The unbridled snobbery that some househunting couples feel appropriate to unleash on their friends is astounding.

One couple refuses to venture across 'the dark side of Clanbrassil Street' when house-hunting (the Liberties, Drimnagh, etc). At first the heavily affected snobbery was a bit of a joke in the group, now it's getting tedious, especially because of their unrealistically small budget.

I'm tired of their endless vacillations over shoebox apartments and 'bijou' mews properties. They're all lovely people, but there's something about househunting that unleashes a bonkers level of snobbery in people. Thinking of buying a 400k former stable, ffs, just because it's in Dublin 6. A horse lived in that for Christ's sake.

Yes I know there are good reasons to discriminate between areas of the city, but there's no need to incessantly expose everyone around you to that.

I may have a lot of issues with my parents, but at least they had the minimal good sense to bring me up on the right side of Clanbrassil Street. :pac:

Seriously, though, what would you have them do? Buy the kind of houses that you'd be content to live in?

Dublinensis

Dublinensis wrote: »

Seriously, though, what would you have them do? Buy the kind of houses that you'd be content to live in?

No, to do exactly what I said in my last post: Live wherever they want, for whatever reason they want, but not to expose others, who do not care, to these social hierarchies.

House-hunters can be a bit like new parents, they often tend to assume everyone else should be interested in whatever is consuming them, including location snobbery.

Dublinensis

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

No, to do exactly what I said in my last post: Live wherever they want, for whatever reason they want, but not to expose others, who do not care, to these social hierarchies.

House-hunters can be a bit like new parents, they often tend to assume everyone else should be interested in whatever is consuming them, including location snobbery.

Fair enough. I would imagine, though, that it is fairly dominating their minds at the moment. Shortfalls between expectation and reality are never pleasant, particularly those relating to significant milestones in life.

endacl

eviltwin wrote: »

It's the minority who give it a bad name.

By nicking your post?

:pac:

Tombi!

My understanding of bad areas is that's it's mostly either organized crime related or just simply overall very poor and hasn't been fixed up.
While no doubt some scumbags certainly exist in practically every area, I tend to realize where I grew up was a kip.
It was a kip then, was a kip when the council "renovated it" and probably will always be a kip.
Doesn't mean the people there turned out to be scum. A lot of people are on drugs, sure. But I can name a lot of people on there who went on to finish school and make something out of themselves.

It's down to your upbringing.

Larry SR

I think one of the problems is that people from 'bad' areas who do well for themselves (get a 'professional' job for example) rarely stay in that area to start their own families.
I've seen this where I was brought up and have done the same myself.

I knew someone who worked in Cork Prison and he used to mention that there is a school behind the prison and that they really should just expand the perimeter of the prison compound to include the school as so many of the inmates are former pupils!

steddyeddy

conorhal wrote: »

An area gets a 'reputation', not due a minorities constant anti-socaial behaviour, but because the majority of 'good, honest people' in the area let it go unchecked and it becomes acceptable.

What are you doing to combat crime Batman?

fleet_admiral

Its not where you are from its who you are from

Crea

As a person from Limerick, reputations can be very tedious, especially when they are wrong.
I lived in Dublin in the 90's and the "Stab City" comments were rife.

maudgonner

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Its not where you are from its who you are

FYP.

Hercule Poirot

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Its not where you are from its who you are from

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Its not where you are from its who you are from

maudgonner wrote: »

FYP.

That defines you............

Jawgap

Larry SR wrote: »

I think one of the problems is that people from 'bad' areas who do well for themselves (get a 'professional' job for example) rarely stay in that area to start their own families.
I've seen this where I was brought up and have done the same myself.

It is a problem alright but to be honest I grew up in a pretty notorious area of north inner city Dublin and while I do miss aspects of the area (the fantastic sense of community being one) I wasn't going to move back and raise a family there - one of the reasons I worked hard to get the ol' education was so I could move away - i know that sounds inherently contradictory, but I'd say the area where I grew up in is great to visit, but I wouldn't live there by choice.

I am quite proud of being from the area in question and I do get a certain sense of enjoyment watching the faces of various interns and assorted others in our place trying to figure out how a skanger from near the Royal Canal got to be in charge and work all over the world without "Mommmy and Doddy's help" - the look of utter bewilderment when I revert to my original accent (it's softened over the years) just adds to the my internal giggling!

Diemos

I grew up in a council estate in a small town and the parish priest would bleat on for 10 minutes if any of the kids form the estate did anything wrong. However if one of the kids from outside the estate did anything wrong he would never mention it. Drove my dad crazy, my parents worked long hours and supported all of us and made sure we did well in school, it really pissed him off to hear our area get shouted down to the community on a weekly basis.
So much so, he stopped going to mass, then said we didn't have to go either. Brilliant

Came from a council estate that was and still is a kip.
It's hard to find many places in Dublin that haven't got some sort of "kip" problems.

Area branding shouldn't matter, as its brand awareness.(dragons den fan)

Penny Tration

I live in an area with a very poor reputation.

Yes, it irks me when people assume I'm a scumbag based on where I live. That said, I don't encounter that attitude very much at, because I don't have the accent that is prevalent in my area.


At the same time though, my area has a bad reputation for good reason. Unemployment is huge, social welfare fraud is huge, drugs are everywhere and crime is really high.

So while I don't like the assumptions made about people in my area, because the vast majority are lovely people, I can kind of understand it.