What is wrong with Dublin City Centre?

MilesMorales1

I've always tried to see the best in town, but like. It's just awful at the moment, worst than its been before right? It's filthy for one. The endless road works and construction going on doesn't help the look, or the traffic. And the amount of 'anti social elements' seems to have increased recently, aggresive junkies being loud, starting fights. I was waiting at the bus stop opposite Connolly Station by the welfare office or whatever that is today, group of junkies were having a go at each other by shoving each and taking up the pavement, then as one group moved away they chucked two beer cans at the other groups, and walked away shouting.

I dunno, thoughts?

TheFitz13

There's junkies on nearly (if not all) European cities really. I happen to actually like town, the roadworks are just development, when it's all finished I'd say it will look better to you. I feel like town can have a great atmosphere IMO

fly_agaric

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

The endless road works and construction going on doesn't help the look, or the traffic

Yes, I'm really not sure it is worth the pain for the toy tram set. Good for people who can use the new line, but at cost of lost road space for busses (not "trendy", no minister photo ops but most people will still be relying on these) and more congestion in the city centre.

For the necessary public transport improvements that Dublin is going to need (sorry - needed years ago really!) the big shelved rail projects (rail interconnector, metro) need to be done. Whenever the powers that be finally admit defeat & build them everything has to be dug up + centre of the city becomes a construction site for years again. Great.

MilesMorales1

TheFitz13 wrote: »

There's junkies on nearly (if not all) European cities really. I happen to actually like town, the roadworks are just development, when it's all finished I'd say it will look better to you. I feel like town can have a great atmosphere IMO

I dunno. I'm sure you're right, but I lived in Liverpool most of my life, and I never noticed them as concentrated as they seem to be in Dublin.

PeadarK

Just wait till May comes around and it's sunny....that's when town is brilliant!

James 007

This girl does not seem to think it is that bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19A53SyAUak&list=RD19A53SyAUak#t=0

Hollister11

I've lived in Dublin all my life and the issue is that town is a kip.

It's full of fast food restaurants, pubs, junkies and ugly arictecture.

Hopefully the renovation of clearys will end up being a blessing. Imagine having high end offices, accommodation and dining facilities. It would transform the place.

humberklog

Other than the obvious mess the Luas is making at the moment I think Dublin looks better now than it has in my lifetime (I'm 47). In particular the mid 70's to early 90's was a particularly grim time in Dublin.

A lot of the buildings had fallen into disrepair and because of the economic situation there was very little interest in investment.

Beggers on the street has always been a problem in Dublin. Even going back to the 1840's when the African American Frederick Douglas came to visit he was taken aback at the amount of begging on the streets.

Dublin's not unique in having beggars but there is, I think, more indigenous Irish people begging than you get (for example) indigenous French begging in France or Dutch in Holland or Germans in Germany etc. You get begging in all cities but I'd see more immigrants begging in those countries. I don't see many immigrants begging in Ireland. Some of course but they're in the minority.

It's seems to be considered a viable way of topping up their already generous benefits but this isn't a new phenomena in Ireland by a long stretch.
I think we've a problem but I don't think the problem is any worse now than 25 years ago.

The heroin epidemic in the 80's was a brutal time in the city for junkies, beggars and muggers and the cityscape looked awful too.

MilesMorales1

humberklog wrote: »

Other than the obvious mess the Luas is making at the moment I think Dublin looks better now than it has in my lifetime (I'm 47). In particular the mid 70's to early 90's was a particularly grim time in Dublin.

A lot of the buildings had fallen into disrepair and because of the economic situation there was very little interest in investment.

Beggers on the street has always been a problem in Dublin. Even going back to the 1840's when the African American Frederick Douglas came to visit he was taken aback at the amount of begging on the streets.

Dublin's not unique in having beggars but there is, I think, more indigenous Irish people begging than you get (for example) indigenous French begging in France or Dutch in Holland or Germans in Germany etc. You get begging in all cities but I'd see more immigrants begging in those countries. I don't see many immigrants begging in Ireland. Some of course but they're in the minority.

It's seems to be considered a viable way of topping up their already generous benefits but this isn't a new phenomena in Ireland by a long stretch.
I think we've a problem but I don't think the problem is any worse now than 25 years ago.

The heroin epidemic in the 80's was a brutal time in the city for junkies, beggars and muggers and the cityscape looked awful too.

Be nice if there was no problem at all though :pac: Not that I know how to solve it.

humberklog

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

Be nice if there was no problem at all though :pac: Not that I know how to solve it.

It would but I'm all out of ideas too:)

boobycharlton

Addicts, homeless foks and people begging concentrating in the city is because majority of addiction services, homeless services and hostels are located there, and whenever a proposal to re-locate services to the suburbs is mooted it's shot down by residents of whatever area was proposed, so can't really win on that score. All the Guards can do is move them on really

Guts of the luas works are finished so won't be too long until the city is relieved of it's building site appearance too.

Other than that I don't think there's too much wrong with the place. Have had several groups of American & Canadian friends visit over the last 6 months and none of them had any complaints and they all loved the pubs, museums, walks, Breweries, Cathedrals, Liffey Cruise, Georgian architecture etc.

Del2005

fly_agaric wrote: »

Yes, I'm really not sure it is worth the pain for the toy tram set. Good for people who can use the new line, but at cost of lost road space for busses (not "trendy", no minister photo ops but most people will still be relying on these) and more congestion in the city centre.

For the necessary public transport improvements that Dublin is going to need (sorry - needed years ago really!) the big shelved rail projects (rail interconnector, metro) need to be done. Whenever the powers that be finally admit defeat & build them everything has to be dug up + centre of the city becomes a construction site for years again. Great.

Did you miss the Minster for transport taking pictures of himself on the bus and saying how good it is, at 10am during the working week!

Dublin will never get the infrastructure that it needs as it'll take longer than 5 years and no politician will sign it off in case they loose their seat and the next politician gets the credit. The other problem is that the majority of TDs are not from Dublin and keep saying no to investment in anything for Dublin unless their local village gets the same.

newacc2015

Go to any German City and you will see massive amounts of construction on par with Dublin. Half of Berlin is being rebuilt most of the time. Cities are supposed to be redeveloped all the time. The Luas works are due to be completely finished and the Luas running by Q3. If you look at O'Connell St, most of it now done.

IMO I don't think Dublin has looked so well. Grafton St looks extremely well since so much of it has been redeveloped. The likes of Dame St, Molesworth St are being heavily redeveloped and will look great in a year or two. Dorset St is improving. Capel St looks incredible versus 10 years ago. Its a pity Moore St looks like something from Angela's Ashes, but a redevelopment is on the cards which will also help O'Connell St.

Dublin needs some of the massive tax revenue it raises spent in it. But as long as rural driveways aka local roads are given massive budgets, we can't expect much for Dublin

tricky D

Echoing humberklog, the late 70s, early 80s were grim with things like glue sniffers conked out and the rent boys at O'Connell Bridge. The tenements situation was an awful blight too. Thankfully that has improved.

Del2005 has a point about proper infrastructure. Politics aside, Dublin has two major impediments to infrastructural development: the main thoroughfares were built in the horse days, so are thin, irregular and hard to expand; then for tunneling there's a problem with glacial till - simply put there's more boulders in the path which are expensive to tackle resource-wise.

The concentration of addiction service centres is also a problem. Treatment with more attention to care in the local community is obvious but barely practiced. A doctor in one leafy suburb did treat addicts years ago, but got vilified so much that one of the news programs did a hatchet job on him shortly after he died.

humberklog

On the Luas works: to my eye there is much more care taken with this phasing through the city than was with the original Red and Green lines. Well planned, staged and progressed. I worked on the original (not in the city) and it was haphazard at best. It is a bit of a pain but it's getting there and getting there well.

Hopefully it'll have the same effect on the Northside area (Moore St, Dorset St.) that Red line has had on Jervis to Benburb St.

@ Tricky D, jayzuz I'd forgotten all about glue bags and rent boys. In fact just on street prostitution (all but gone now) it makes for a much better place at night especially for women. I worked and lived around Herbert St.\ Baggot St. in the late 80's and at night around there and Fitzwilliam Sq. there was always an air of risk with kerb crawlers and that was as now one of the fancy places in the city.

El_Duderino 09

MilesMorales1 wrote:

The endless road works and construction going on doesn't help the look, or the traffic.

You're whining about investment in infrastructure in a thread about how crap the city is. It would be be cool if they could do the construction off site and airlift the completed luas overnight. But that's not how investment in infrastructure works

Wheeliebin30

We get rid of trams after decade's only to decide actually we should have kept them let's dig up the whole city again!

El_Duderino 09

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

We get rid of trams after decade's only to decide actually we should have kept them let's dig up the whole city again!

Ah jaysus. Cars became popular in the meantime. Then cars became a problem so they needed more public transport again.

I can't stand the mentally of looking to denigrate the city for reacting to demand. I'ts not perfect but it's not like they could have just plopped the luas on the old tracks without having to dig them up and re-enforce the foundations anyway.

fly_agaric

Del2005 wrote: »

Did you miss the Minster for transport taking pictures of himself on the bus and saying how good it is, at 10am during the working week!

Dublin will never get the infrastructure that it needs as it'll take longer than 5 years and no politician will sign it off in case they loose their seat and the next politician gets the credit. The other problem is that the majority of TDs are not from Dublin and keep saying no to investment in anything for Dublin unless their local village gets the same.

Yes, must have missed that! Yes these are the factors in the way. I think this infrastructure will be built eventually due to pressure from business, foreign investors etc. That's the only thing that can make it happen. I'll probably be drawing a pension (if such things exist) by then though.

Edit: Ha - I googled it.
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/banter/trending/transport-minister-returns-to-work-with-bizarre-bus-selfie-and-twitter-is-not-impressed-35337736.html Should have tried one of the long routes out to commuterville in the Evening rush hour and see what he thinks? 39A to Ongar at 5/6pm from the quays maybe?

Unfortunately he strikes me as a minister who has very limited interest in transport.
Much more interested perhaps when it comes to aspects of the law, judges and public appointments etc but unfortunately for us Justice was not put up by FG as a "sweetie" for independent support.

odyssey06

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Ah jaysus. Cars became popular in the meantime. Then cars became a problem so they needed more public transport again.
I can't stand the mentally of looking to denigrate the city for reacting to demand. I'ts not perfect but it's not like they could have just plopped the luas on the old tracks without having to dig them up and re-enforce the foundations anyway.

The trams were much loved at the time, and the city has been here for 1000 years. Yes you should react to demand, but not in such a way that it significantly constrains you from reacting to future demands. That's not denigrating the city, it's holding city planners to account.

El_Duderino 09

odyssey06 wrote:

The trams were much loved at the time, and the city has been here for 1000 years. Yes you should react to demand, but not in such a way that it significantly constrains you from reacting to future demands. That's not denigrating the city, it's holding city planners to account.

The fact that it's 100 years old is significant. It was built by Vikings who gave no thought to bus lanes and luas tracks. It's a bit of a nightmare to build on a city that was built haphazardly.

The current planners are putting trams back in but some people only want to give out about the inconvenience of the construction it as if it's a bad thing.

killbillvol2

Glad to see a bit of perspective in the thread.

I too remember Dublin 30+years ago and it was grim. It's a pleasure to walk around now even with roadworks. The choice of places to eat, drink coffee, have a beer has never been better.

I suspect that most of the whinging about begging /junkies/poor people comes from people with very limited life experience and no experience of other capital cities.

Brock Turnpike

Reduce number of bus lanes, improve train and Luas/tram links. Put actual cycle lanes in, rather than having lunatics ducking and diving in and out of cars.

odyssey06

Let's not lose sight of something, even if other European cities haven't solved the problems of junkies and beggars - they are still problems.
And our ones seem spectacularly unbothered by our police.

troyzer

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I've always tried to see the best in town, but like. It's just awful at the moment, worst than its been before right? It's filthy for one. The endless road works and construction going on doesn't help the look, or the traffic. And the amount of 'anti social elements' seems to have increased recently, aggresive junkies being loud, starting fights. I was waiting at the bus stop opposite Connolly Station by the welfare office or whatever that is today, group of junkies were having a go at each other by shoving each and taking up the pavement, then as one group moved away they chucked two beer cans at the other groups, and walked away shouting.

I dunno, thoughts?

A few years ago I was waiting for a bus on Westmoreland street and a guy came running out of Temple bar. Another guy was chasing him with blood down his face carrying an axe. I've never seen anything like it.

PeadarK

Brock Turnpike wrote:

Reduce number of bus lanes, improve train and Luas/tram links. Put actual cycle lanes in, rather than having lunatics ducking and diving in and out of cars.

By improving train and luas links town would look an even bigger mess till that would be finished

MilesMorales1

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Reduce number of bus lanes, improve train and Luas/tram links. Put actual cycle lanes in, rather than having lunatics ducking and diving in and out of cars.

I'd like more trains. I wish they'd done that Metro link to swords.

Dr Crayfish

killbillvol2 wrote: »

I suspect that most of the whinging about begging /junkies/poor people comes from people with very limited life experience and no experience of other capital cities.

I've lived in Canada, France, Spain, NZ, Australia, and the UK and never saw anything remotely close to how bad the junkie and begging situation is in Dublin city. It doesn't bother me that much personally, but people saying it's like that everywhere are 100% wrong.

I don't understand the begging thing and the Garda - is it not illegal? I work near Grafton St for nearly 3 years now and it's the exact same beggers in the area, in the same spot, every day.

cactusgal

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I've lived in Canada, France, Spain, NZ, Australia, and the UK and never saw anything remotely close to how bad the junkie and begging situation is in Dublin city. It doesn't bother me that much personally, but people saying it's like that everywhere are 100% wrong.

I don't understand the begging thing and the Garda - is it not illegal? I work near Grafton St for nearly 3 years now and it's the exact same beggers in the area, in the same spot, every day.

This is very true. It's funny how these days that if you say something negative about someone/something, those that disagree with you claim that you are a whinger/whiner/snowflake. Why is that? Is it not OK to have differing perspectives on things?

I wasn't in Dublin in the 70s and 80s, and it certainly sounds like it's improved since. But I also agree with the OP that the roadworks have literally been sitting there for years, and the drug addiction/homelessness in some parts of the city centre is pretty grim.

spatchco

is it just me why is the no luas work carried out at nite and weekend it bad enough to get through town [on ] a bus with out the s''t going on forever

newacc2015

spatchco wrote: »

is it just me why is the no luas work carried out at nite and weekend it bad enough to get through town [on ] a bus with out the s''t going on forever

It is carried out at night. I seen them late at night ie 3am working on the Luas works.

Dr Crayfish

I really wish they'd put in decent infrastructure for cyclists. It's crazy cycling in town now, a free for all ffs. With the amount of people on bikes they really need to invest in it. We have great weather for cycling and it's not a very hilly city so I don't know why we're not seeing it as the way forward, like in Holland and Denmark. I've had a few close shaves lately, it's only getting worse.

Ferrari3600

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I've always tried to see the best in town, but like. It's just awful at the moment, worst than its been before right? It's filthy for one. The endless road works and construction going on doesn't help the look, or the traffic. And the amount of 'anti social elements' seems to have increased recently, aggresive junkies being loud, starting fights. I was waiting at the bus stop opposite Connolly Station by the welfare office or whatever that is today, group of junkies were having a go at each other by shoving each and taking up the pavement, then as one group moved away they chucked two beer cans at the other groups, and walked away shouting.

I dunno, thoughts?

I made similar observations in another recent thread...and was told to butt out, that my negative opinions were not welcome.

cactusgal

Ferrari3600 wrote: »

I made similar observations in another recent thread...and was told to butt out, that my negative opinions were not welcome.

Yes, some posters get really angry if you say anything negative about Dublin. It's hard to have a balanced discussion about it.

Dr Crayfish

cactusgal wrote: »

Yes, some posters get really angry if you say anything negative about Dublin. It's hard to have a balanced discussion about it.

Try being a cyclist. Public enemy no 1 ffs.

cactusgal

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

Try being a cyclist. Public enemy no 1 ffs.

I am!

MilesMorales1

I'm not debating there's worst cities than Dublin. I have seen a lot of capital and or large cities in fact, spent a lot of time in London, New York, Washington, Paris, Belfast, Berlin, born and raised in Liverpool, etc. Dublin just seems to have paticularly concentrated from my perspective. I've never had hassle from junkies in any of those cities like I've had in Dublin from time ti time in the past 8 years. They also mysteriously disappeared during the celebrations for the rising last year.

PeadarK

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

Try being a cyclist. Public enemy no 1 ffs.

There is nothing scarier than cycling through town!

Dr Crayfish

PeadarK wrote: »

There is nothing scarier than cycling through town!

Well there is. It's ok if you keep your wits about you but it's not exactly pleasant, which a bicycle ride should be.

artemis268

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I'm not debating there's worst cities than Dublin. I have seen a lot of capital and or large cities in fact, spent a lot of time in London, New York, Washington, Paris, Belfast, Berlin, born and raised in Liverpool, etc. Dublin just seems to have paticularly concentrated from my perspective. I've never had hassle from junkies in any of those cities like I've had in Dublin from time ti time in the past 8 years. They also mysteriously disappeared during the celebrations for the rising last year.

I agree. I grew up in Australia and never really seen much antisocial behavior and criminal activity till I've arrived in Dublin. I've reached a point from these past 7 years being here where I'm just totally unfazed about anything I see here.

To give a constructive opinion, i'd say the problem is in the police and lack of funds.

Firstly, Police or garda here are nationalized, compared to other countries where the police is run by a centralized elected mayor of the city (as Dublin doesn't even have a mayor, just a ceremonial one). This means they aren't as pressured by the mayor or the electorate to solve petty crime and improve the crime stats in the immediate area.

Secondly, funds. Police here are just overstretched as it is.

Thirdly, probably culturally ingrained due to bad memories from a previous imperial regime oppression but the police and the rule of law here just don't get as much respect as they should. Antisocial behavior and littering are pretty rampant as a result.

Fourthly, unrelated to the police but I'd say the social housing is so concentrated in one area plays a factor.

Finally, The economy here isn't doing so great and fundings are needed in a lot of areas here. This again drives the inner city poverty and disillusionment around here.

All being said, this place is way better than Eastern Europe and there is still hope for the future yet.

punisher5112

Some serious changes I would make is the shambles of Georges st to rathmines as its too narrow and cyclists are using it 24 hours but yet double parking and park anywhere is allowed once it hits 7pm.
Westland roe is a street which needs barriers on both sides as people hear or see a train and just run or step of the path fcuk anything like a car or bus that would be beside them.

As above better cycle lanes and just a better traffic management system.

Lights should favour public transport and better speed of getting in and out should be priority for same.

Zero tolerance on anti social behaviour and stop the begging epidemic and I mean especially the professional scammer ones.

Have a better Garda presence as what is about is a no show.

Need more on their feet and push bike patrols as cars I see pass most of the absolutel sh1t going on.

Clean up O'Connell street and get it into a proper nice place to be.
Put on events and family friendly ones also.

Try and attract more tourists and give a little to get even more in spending and so on.

From what I see in a lot of cases the centre is quite run down and just not appealing.
Obviously there are nice spots and hopefully the Luas works will end and look well.

Its just sad we didn't keep the original trams in place even just for tourism as they would have been a great asset to have.

boobycharlton

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I've lived in Canada, France, Spain, NZ, Australia, and the UK and never saw anything remotely close to how bad the junkie and begging situation is in Dublin city. It doesn't bother me that much personally, but people saying it's like that everywhere are 100% wrong.

I don't understand the begging thing and the Garda - is it not illegal? I work near Grafton St for nearly 3 years now and it's the exact same beggers in the area, in the same spot, every day.

You've not visited the downtown eastside in Vancouver, or Barcelona on your travels then? Dublin's addiction problem doesn't scratch the surface to the misery of that particular section of Vancouver with people camped on the streets in tents, open drug dealing/taking, violence and prostitution plain as day 24/7, and I've never felt more preyed upon by pickpockets and scam artists than in Barcelona.

Begging in a non intimidating way isn't illegal, and if someone is begging near an ATM etc all the guards can do is move them on. If they don't move they can be fined if the guard would be bothered going to the trouble, but they all generally move on in my experience.

El_Duderino 09

El_Duderino 09 wrote:

The fact that it's 100 years old is significant. It was built by Vikings who gave no thought to bus lanes and luas tracks. It's a bit of a nightmare to build on a city that was built haphazardly.

1000 years old. Duh.

Ferrari3600

artemis268 wrote: »

I agree. I grew up in Australia and never really seen much antisocial behavior and criminal activity till I've arrived in Dublin. I've reached a point from these past 7 years being here where I'm just totally unfazed about anything I see here.

I knew a guy who was murdered in Australia decades ago....by a junkie no less...no shortage of criminal activity in Aus...I think they have gangland drug wars in some of the major cities.

But the issue in Dublin is, as many others have said, that it's tolerated in the city centre, in the CBD, in areas that might be considered tourist areas. I haven't encountered that anywhere else.

Stephen15

I reckon Dublin could nearly take a leaf out of Naples's book. While it isint spotless now it's a hell of a lot better than it was 10 years and the place hasn't lost any of its original character. Tourism is doing really well and the mafia is currently in decline there is a huge police and military presence on the streets which me worder if the guards were armed would junkies fear them a bit more and help us tare our streets back . I remember coming is incident where a man robbed a women's purse and when said she goingredients to call the Carabinieri he gave back fairly pronto.

Dr Crayfish

boobycharlton wrote: »

You've not visited the downtown eastside in Vancouver, or Barcelona on your travels then?

I have, I stayed in a hostel in the Downtown Eastside in 2001. It's a total kip yeah full of junkies. But it's a section of a huge city. It's not the historical and tourist centre. I have heard of scam artists and pickpockets in Barcelona but never encountered any myself, I've been there loads of times.

punisher5112

boobycharlton wrote: »

You've not visited the downtown eastside in Vancouver, or Barcelona on your travels then? Dublin's addiction problem doesn't scratch the surface to the misery of that particular section of Vancouver with people camped on the streets in tents, open drug dealing/taking, violence and prostitution plain as day 24/7, and I've never felt more preyed upon by pickpockets and scam artists than in Barcelona.

Begging in a non intimidating way isn't illegal, and if someone is begging near an ATM etc all the guards can do is move them on. If they don't move they can be fined if the guard would be bothered going to the trouble, but they all generally move on in my experience.

Go in behind clearys camped out there lanes in sh1te loads of places they don't only camp out in city but it suits them as they drink, shoot up and puke then piss and Sh1t anywhere and everywhere.

Roma are all over the place and not only the city they branch out use transport and hit areas checking houses and cold call begging also.

Dr Crayfish

Stephen15 wrote: »

Tourism is doing really well and the mafia is currently in decline there is a huge police and military presence on the streets which me worder if the guards were armed would junkies fear them a bit more and help us tare our streets back.

Junkies, from what I can see, just seem to sell each other prescription drugs and trade methadone and small amounts of heroin. That's not going to go away if the Garda have guns. What are they going to do, shoot anyone who looks like a junkie? It's probably down to the services for junkie treatment being in the centre, and probably just the centre is traditionally where junkies go to do their business, and a lot of the junkies are from the inner city, where heroin is rife.
The fact that the city centre is full of social housing, where people are more likely prone to use heroin, is also a major factor.

Berserker

newacc2015 wrote: »

Grafton St looks extremely well since so much of it has been redeveloped. The likes of Dame St, Molesworth St are being heavily redeveloped and will look great in a year or two. Dorset St is improving. Capel St looks incredible versus 10 years ago. Its a pity Moore St looks like something from Angela's Ashes, but a redevelopment is on the cards which will also help O'Connell St.

Grafton street looks well, nice and clean but I prefer the old look, if I am being honest. I still think that Capel st is best avoided. I am not seeing the improvement that you are talking about. You still have the seedy sex shops and Panti bar does nothing to improve that area. Moore St is a disgrace of the highest order. Most of it needs to be cleared out and proper commercial units need to be put in, it is a commercial area after all but the 1916 whingpots would prefer to leave it looking like a dirty dump.

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I've never had hassle from junkies in any of those cities like I've had in Dublin from time ti time in the past 8 years. They also mysteriously disappeared during the celebrations for the rising last year.

They were moved out of the areas concerned for the event in question, according to business people I know in the south inner city. The Talbot street area was swamped with them a few years ago and the police moved them to the south side to clean up that area. I am in the city centre very regularly and they are an absolute pain in the backside. Was out getting lunch the other day and one of them was trying to get money off us, whilst the other was vomiting a few metres away. Police came along on foot, so they moved on, thankfully.

Ferrari3600

Stephen15 wrote: »

I reckon Dublin could nearly take a leaf out of Naples's book. While it isint spotless now it's a hell of a lot better than it was 10 years and the place hasn't lost any of its original character. Tourism is doing really well and the mafia is currently in decline there is a huge police and military presence on the streets which me worder if the guards were armed would junkies fear them a bit more and help us tare our streets back . I remember coming is incident where a man robbed a women's purse and when said she goingredients to call the Carabinieri he gave back fairly pronto.

Well, if Naples can be turned around anywhere can.

Ferrari3600

Berserker wrote: »

Grafton street looks well, nice and clean but I prefer the old look, if I am being honest. I still think that Capel st is best avoided. I am not seeing the improvement that you are talking about. You still have the seedy sex shops and Panti bar does nothing to improve that area.

Oh please. Capel Street is quite safe. We can clean up the city without the puritanical sex-hating brigade.

I remember an idiot from the council tried to object when Ann Summers wanted to open on O'Connell Street. Presumably, he prefered the fast food restaurants and discount shops. It is actually one of the most respectable outlets on that street if you ask me.