Blacklisted from Dublin accommodation

Karn09

Hi there,

A friend of mine was staying in a hostel in Dublin last week while looking for permanent accommodation. He had a bad week, broke up with girlfriend, found out a vulnerable family member is to have surgery. It's also a significant anniversary this year of a family tragedy.

Not being in the best mood he over reacted when asking rude reception staff to fix a shower and turn on the heat in his room for the second time. He threw a scarf at the male receptionist who came out from behind the counter to approach him. In the moment he punched the receptionist and the police were called. No charges were pressed and he was released with a warning.

Since then this hostel has emailed other hostels in dublin a picture of his drivers licence warning them not to take him in. He has been told by 2-3 hostels that they won't take him, he paid for one booking and they called him back to cancel the booking on receiving the email. I can understand the original hostel baring him from staying with them. He understands what he did was wrong and it was out of character.

My questions are is this a normal reaction/ procedure in this case? Should he just leave it be and accept the consequences or shoukd he seek advice? Is there a data protection issue here with sharing personal info/ID with other hostels without his permission. Does he have the right to ask to see the email about him?

Thank you

the_syco

Karn09 wrote: »

Since then this hostel has emailed other hostels in dublin a picture of his drivers licence warning them not to take him in.

Have any of them said this, or are you guessing it?

Karn09 wrote: »

In the moment he punched the receptionist and the police were called.

Looks like the group of hostels are taking a zero-tolerance approach to violence against their staff. I'm assuming any hostel he does get into will have people that got barred elsewhere for similar crap, so would advise him to watch his back in any hostel he does get into.

Karn09

He was called by a hostel who told him they received an email and would be cancwlling his booking. They agreed to give him a refund and when he went to collect it, he saw his drivers licence picture viable at reception for the staff.

Peregrinus

There's not a lot he can do about this. Even if there is a data protection or other legal issue with the way this information has been circulated (and I'm not saying there is) anything he does to obtain redress will merely call further attention to the underlying facts, which are that he assaulted a staff member. This is the last thing he wants attention called to.

He needs to lie low for a while, maybe go and stay with a friend. After a couple of months his name and photograph will not be on top of the pile of People Whose Bookings Are To Be Rejected, and his problem may start to abate. The more he shakes the bars of the cage just now, the more he cements in people's minds the memory of what has just happened.

Mr. Incognito

He was barred due to his own idiotic violence.

He needs to take personal responsibility for his actions besides looking to sue people.

hobie21

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

He was barred due to his own idiotic violence.

He needs to take personal responsibility for his actions besides looking to sue people.

The should count himself lucky he wasnt done for assault. He should get over it and accept the consequences of his actions.

Fred Swanson

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Mrs OBumble

Fred Swanson wrote: »

There are definitely data protection issues with what the hostel has done in circulating his details, but he would be well advised to lay low for a while.

Not necessarily. If the hostels are all different branches (brands) of the same company, then he may have agreed to data sharing when he checked in.

Fred Swanson

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draiochtanois

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Fred Swanson

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boombang

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Data protection seems to have massive over-reach. What about fair steps to physically protect staff and other hostel users?

Hope this lad learns his lesson.

Sleeper12

I run a shower repair company and I'm a member of a plumbing Facebook group with 2000 members. We regularly pass on details of troublesome clients. Time wasters, late or non payers etc.

I'd have thought it normal practice to share information like this

seamus

Karn09 wrote: »

My questions are is this a normal reaction/ procedure in this case?

I don't know much about the hostel business, but the answer is "probably". Much like shops and bars in a local area will alert eachother to shoplifters/violent people who are wandering around, it seems likely that hostels will make each other aware when there's a troublesome guest out and about.

Should he just leave it be and accept the consequences or shoukd he seek advice? Is there a data protection issue here with sharing personal info/ID with other hostels without his permission. Does he have the right to ask to see the email about him?

Data Protection is not as simple as "Thou must not share data". If the hostel takes the ID for security purposes, then it may be able to justify providing that data to other hostels on the basis of a joint community effort to prevent fraud and criminal damage.
Especially if permission to do so was provided on check-in.

He could also go to the data protection commissioner and ask their opinion.

Does he have a right to see the email? Yep.

But overall he would be better off focussing on his actual difficulties in life rather than feeling hard done by for making a tit out of himself.

Fred Swanson

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Subtle

I would guess that the original hostel tipped off other hostels in the first place not simply because of the assault but because your man was a 'difficult' customer in the first place...

Ash.J.Williams

Karn09 wrote: »

Hi there,

A friend of mine was staying in a hostel in Dublin last week while looking for permanent accommodation. He had a bad week, broke up with girlfriend, found out a vulnerable family member is to have surgery. It's also a significant anniversary this year of a family tragedy.

Not being in the best mood he over reacted when asking rude reception staff to fix a shower and turn on the heat in his room for the second time. He threw a scarf at the male receptionist who came out from behind the counter to approach him. In the moment he punched the receptionist and the police were called. No charges were pressed and he was released with a warning.

Since then this hostel has emailed other hostels in dublin a picture of his drivers licence warning them not to take him in. He has been told by 2-3 hostels that they won't take him, he paid for one booking and they called him back to cancel the booking on receiving the email. I can understand the original hostel baring him from staying with them. He understands what he did was wrong and it was out of character.

My questions are is this a normal reaction/ procedure in this case? Should he just leave it be and accept the consequences or shoukd he seek advice? Is there a data protection issue here with sharing personal info/ID with other hostels without his permission. Does he have the right to ask to see the email about him?

Thank you

none of the reasons you gave are grounds to excuse his actions.

benjamin d

Fred Swanson wrote: »

There are definitely data protection issues with what the hostel has done in circulating his details, but he would be well advised to lay low for a while.

It doesn't sound any different to the Pubwatch alerts system thats been in place for donkey's years to stop undesirables from getting served after causing hassle in a premises. If staff are in danger I think it's a great idea to put finances aside and share information with rivals.

By the sound of the OP's story this guy posed a high risk of repeating his behaviour with another innocent worker.

Fred Swanson

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Karn09

Peregrinus wrote: »

There's not a lot he can do about this. Even if there is a data protection or other legal issue with the way this information has been circulated (and I'm not saying there is) anything he does to obtain redress will merely call further attention to the underlying facts, which are that he assaulted a staff member. This is the last thing he wants attention called to.

He needs to lie low for a while, maybe go and stay with a friend. After a couple of months his name and photograph will not be on top of the pile of People Whose Bookings Are To Be Rejected, and his problem may start to abate. The more he shakes the bars of the cage just now, the more he cements in people's minds the memory of what has just happened.

Thanks for your help.

Karn09

seamus wrote: »

I don't know much about the hostel business, but the answer is "probably". Much like shops and bars in a local area will alert eachother to shoplifters/violent people who are wandering around, it seems likely that hostels will make each other aware when there's a troublesome guest out and about.

Data Protection is not as simple as "Thou must not share data". If the hostel takes the ID for security purposes, then it may be able to justify providing that data to other hostels on the basis of a joint community effort to prevent fraud and criminal damage.
Especially if permission to do so was provided on check-in.

He could also go to the data protection commissioner and ask their opinion.

Does he have a right to see the email? Yep.

But overall he would be better off focussing on his actual difficulties in life rather than feeling hard done by for making a tit out of himself.

He is also focusing on those things. Thank you.

Karn09

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

none of the reasons you gave are grounds to excuse his actions.

I'm not excusing them.

uck51js9zml2yt

I was in a chemist in the city recently who hadn't got the meds I needed. She phoned another chemist in the locality to check if they had it in stock.
On talking to the other pharmacist, he said the chemists in the city centre keep each other updated on what's going on as well as help each others customers.
I see no problems with it.
I'd not want a yob coming into my place of work.

weldoninhio

Karn09 wrote: »

I'm not excusing them.

So why bring them up??

the_syco

Karn09 wrote: »

Is there a data protection issue here with sharing personal info/ID with other hostels without his permission.

If he tries to sue them, the papers will have his photo front center saying "homeless man punches hostel worker and then tried to warn other hostels of his violent behavior".

Good luck in renting a room after that happens!

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Probably because they know it's pointless? Doubtful that he'd spend any time in jail, and would involve legal costs. Finally, if they classed him as homeless, they'd assume he wouldn't have much money.

splinter65

A complete change of location is probably the best idea.
A fresh start somewhere else.
He doesn’t need any sympathy he needs a plan and a total change of attitude.
Never any reason to lift your hand to anyone like that.

coylemj

Aren't there security companies who circulate information about known shoplifters to their subscribers around town? Security guards working in the major stores get a tip-off via an earpiece than so-and-so is in their area and describing what she's wearing.

Sounds like the same sharing of info. the OP is talking about and it's been going on for years.

Fred Swanson

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GerardKeating

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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I would have assumed more defimation that DP issue perhaps?

Pat Mustard

Karn09 wrote: »

Hi there,

A friend of mine was staying in a hostel in Dublin last week while looking for permanent accommodation. He had a bad week, broke up with girlfriend, found out a vulnerable family member is to have surgery. It's also a significant anniversary this year of a family tragedy.

Not being in the best mood he over reacted when asking rude reception staff to fix a shower and turn on the heat in his room for the second time. He threw a scarf at the male receptionist who came out from behind the counter to approach him. In the moment he punched the receptionist and the police were called. No charges were pressed and he was released with a warning.

Since then this hostel has emailed other hostels in dublin a picture of his drivers licence warning them not to take him in. He has been told by 2-3 hostels that they won't take him, he paid for one booking and they called him back to cancel the booking on receiving the email. I can understand the original hostel baring him from staying with them. He understands what he did was wrong and it was out of character.

Your friend has a problem and there are a couple of ways of looking at a solution.

One way is to go on the offensive, see a solicitor, take advice on his legal rights and enforce them to the hilt. However, that strategy needs to be thought through to its logical conclusion because it sounds like those hostels don't want to take him in and I doubt that they have any absolute duty to do so, either. This option is likely to cost him money but may achieve little, ultimately.

The other way is to clean up his act, take responsibility and make a sincere apology. He needs to be able to convince the manager of the first hostel that he is no threat to staff or anybody else, that there will be no repeat of his actions and that he is sorry for what he did. Maybe they'll take him back on some sort of probation then. If what you say is correct and that he has suffered quite a lot of misfortune this year, then maybe these guys will listen and give him a second chance. I would also suggest that an intermediary should make the initial approach to the manager of the hostel.

Your friend needs to take a look at how he got to this position. Going around assaulting people could land him in quite a lot of trouble and it doesn't sound like he needs any more difficulty other than what he has already.