The perils of commuting...

Setun · 05-11-2005 06:34PM

And I was going to tell everyone about an anecdote involving an American girl on the DART a few hours ago who couldn't pronounce "Killiney", then thinking she was in "Killarney". Splendid afternoon, 'twas.

I seem to have tip-toed around the scum of the stagnant pond of Dublin. Here-here!

ionapaul · 05-11-2005 07:39PM

And the crazy thing is, if you were to execute one of those scumbags, *you'd* be the one in front of the court! Instead of getting an award for community service and a tax credit for saving the state a lifetime of welfare and / or prison costs.

Supercell · 05-11-2005 08:03PM

The gentrification of the "noggin" in recent years is a good thing, scummers like this have mostly moved out.

That said I can't afford to live in an area i wouldn'd have dared live for free 15 years ago!

D-Generate · 05-11-2005 09:11PM

Dublin Bus sounds so much more horrible than the Buses in Cork. I've never heard of anyone been beaten up on one of our buses. Worst thing that i have ever seen is only someone throwing up.

Scraggs · 05-11-2005 09:24PM

On the eight train from carlow to heuston on sunday nights i've been felt up, held by the neck against the wall, drink spilled on me, been kicked and trodden on and to top it all off have to stand for an hour and a half!!!
o and the worst thing is nobody even stepped in to help me on any occasion ;[

Civilian_Target · 05-11-2005 10:55PM

Funny - I've never even seen anyone get beaten up on public transport (in Ireland anyways).

Worst I've had is some guy in the row in front having a **** on the bus, old-style swing doors failing to open right, crashing busses and old ladies kicking my legs on the Dublin->Belfast train.

Oddly, I tend to be one of those guys who always talks to people on the bus - if the person beside me seems normal (and smells OK), I'll talk to them, particularly on the drinklink.

Champ · 05-11-2005 11:47PM

Wow from all those stories i think i've had an unusually good experience with buses thus far.

I've used both Limerick Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus.
In Limerick, no fights etc and just the rare incident of dodging drunks and been polite to friendly inquiries by the odd old person regarding my life etc.. Nothing remotely close to what's been listed here! For 99% of the time the drivers are polite, efficent and the journeys satisfactory.. okay minus the delays but thats mostly due to traffice. I even had a friendly chat with one of the drivers who did a second pass to pick me up because the designated bus zone was occupied by an empty bus that shouldn't have been there! (driver on toilet break i think).
Ah Dublin Bus wasn't quite that bad. Let's see a fight upstairs which the guards arrived in 20 minutes to get that guy off. Smoking which the driver promptly stopped (must have been a camera as that guy was seating upstairs in the very back), that's one thing i'll say about the non-Irish drivers they stick to the regs very closely. A few tactical withdrawls from some suspect people better known as creating comfortable distance;) Apart from intense overcrowding nope i got away pretty intact.:)

Ah good stuff ciaran76. Good reactions, normally i wouldn't compliment people on headbutting others though he obviously left you little choice. Could actually become a bit blurry in court as you initially assumed he had a weapon and a verbal threat isn't quite tangible enough and it was only the aftermath that proved you right. Still only cowards victimise old people and so i was smirking that you ruined his plans, it doesn't get more vivid than him waving a knife with his bloody face screaming he'll have his revenge:). While the people present probably didn't appreciate the event, i'd say in the end analysis you deserve a pat on the back.. especially for coming to the defense of the stereotypical unappreciative old person;) .

Liquorice · 05-11-2005 11:49PM

I was in Holland over the summer and caught tonsillitis (sp?). Because we were in the last few days of the holiday, and really liked Den Haag, we decided to go back for a day because I was feeling a bit better. By the time we were coming home I felt really ill again because of the heat of the day. The only seats left on the bus we took home were at the back above the engine. This made matters worse. Eventually a seat further down was free so I sat there. After a minute or two I had to call down the bus for a paper bag from my parents and ended up throwing a tissue on the (empty) seat beside me and vomiting. Five minutes later I did it again. So there I am, sitting on a Dutch bus, shaking, with tears and vomit on my face, with middle-aged Dutch men staring at me. Not a nice experience.

I haven't had many bad experience on public transport here though. In fact, none other than loud obnoxious people or the occasional drunk, although I've heard of many.

Franky Boy · 06-11-2005 12:24AM

I've started to use the bike instead of paying crap fares.

Aisling(",) · 06-11-2005 03:50PM

I have some lovely stories from the 27 (the only bus that stops where I live)
I have been shouted at,kicked,spat at(they missed thankfully),had thing thrown at me,offered smokes hash drink crack coke etc.,been proposed to,asked out,been asked to have sex at the back of the bus,felt up etc etc.

One time i was sitting near thye back of the bus when her nose burst blood everywhere and the junkie sitting at the back that we had been talking to(you can have very funny conversations with random people) hopped up and went around every single person on the bus untill he got tissue for her.

The scariest hing that has happend to me not that I have seen happened around two weeks ago.I'd been in town with my mates but as they don't live near me i was waiting for the bus on my own.It was around 9 o'clock and I was waiting outside Bus Eireann and there was no-oe around and it was pitch black.I was just atnading there when this old man around 70 came over to me and started to talk to me and feel me up.I went and stood away from him but he came over and kept feeling me.I was soooo scared .Luckily his bus came soon but I had to wait for around 10 minutes for mine.I know this sounds like nothong but I was on my own and it was dark and scary.(Bet someone will say I'm a chicken)

hullaballoo · 07-11-2005 12:39AM

Aisling(",) wrote:

Bet someone will say I'm a chicken

Yeah, just like that game we all played in 1st year.

Nah (seriously), I'd say you probably were a bit unfortunate to be stuck alone at a busstop with a pervert.

Parenthetically, it's Baile Átha Cliath, just saying...

bounty · 07-11-2005 02:12AM

i hate getting the bus, but was forced to travel home from town on the 45 one saturday evening last year, there was only a few people on the bus and i went up stairs and sat right up the front, it was already dark outside, the lights when on inside and i didnt really notice anything odd about the few people who were sitting behind me

then i hear this kind of groaning sound from the back of the bus, i look around and i see the messy hairy from a person who appeared to be crouching in the feet area of the back rown, i just ignored it until i hear a long farting / spluttering sound and then suddenly the stink of shjt is everywhere, people began to go downstairs and as i followed them down, the dirty scumbag continues at it with a long splattering sound followed by a long gasp, when i got downstairs there was no seats left and the stink was beginning to fill up down there too, everyone was just sitting there ignoring what happened, no one said anything to the driver, i couldnt bare the stink any longer so i got off at the next stop, i cant believe people are so disgusting that they use the bus as a toilet, even dogs know where it is acceptable to go

hullaballoo · 07-11-2005 02:19AM

uch^^^

SprostonGreen · 07-11-2005 02:23AM

bounty wrote:

i hate getting the bus, but was forced to travel home from town on the 45 one saturday evening last year, there was only a few people on the bus and i went up stairs and sat right up the front, it was already dark outside, the lights when on inside and i didnt really notice anything odd about the few people who were sitting behind me

then i hear this kind of groaning sound from the back of the bus, i look around and i see the messy hairy from a person who appeared to be crouching in the feet area of the back rown, i just ignored it until i hear a long farting / spluttering sound and then suddenly the stink of shjt is everywhere, people began to go downstairs and as i followed them down, the dirty scumbag continues at it with a long splattering sound followed by a long gasp, when i got downstairs there was no seats left and the stink was beginning to fill up down there too, everyone was just sitting there ignoring what happened, no one said anything to the driver, i couldnt bare the stink any longer so i got off at the next stop, i cant believe people are so disgusting that they use the bus as a toilet, even dogs know where it is acceptable to go

Dirty filthy scummy ****!

Hugh Hefner · 07-11-2005 03:45AM

Well, I'm glad to say that I've never seen anything happening on public transport, but a girl I knew (14 at the time) was on the Luas when an old man sat beside her and started to feel up her leg. She got up and said something to the effect of, "**** off you ****! Stop ****in' touching me!" And then the astonishing part was that an elderly lady sitting near by told her off for making up such things about people. I think she then just got off and continued her journey on the next Luas.

Another girl I know masturbated twice on a single 2 hour bus journey from Dublin to Cavan. We (me, her and friends) were all around her and only the friend sitting next to her noticed something was happening. You know who you are!

Tiffany · 07-11-2005 04:44AM

Memorable for me was a time when a young chap with downsyndrome hopped on the transportation jalopy and decided to regail us with a karaoke session of his favourite S Club 7 tunes. It featured such classic toe-tappers as "Don't stop, never give up" and "Reach for the stars". Everyone applauded graciously at the end and begged for an encore, but alas the poor chap had to return to his dwelling for supper.

godtabh · 07-11-2005 12:42PM

If you think Dublin Bus is bad you should see other countries.

I lived in New York for a while. Some of the high lights include seeing 20 soldiers with m16s board the subway. First day in NY & this scared the crap out of my but it became a regular thing.

I say cops chase a group of "locals" up the train with guns pulled. We found out later that one of the gang shot some else and was trying to escape on the subway.

After a night out at about 4 in the morn we cot on a carriage were there was some dealing going on & we got politely asked to leave the carriage when they should us their guns.

I've seen people get the **** kicked out of them for their baseball gaps.

Oh the memories of the Woodlawn train!

whiskeyman · 07-11-2005 01:24PM

kearnsr wrote:

If you think Dublin Bus is bad you should see other countries.

Got the bus back from Haight & Ashbury a few years ago in SF... single decker bus.
I was sitting near middle and just a big black guy in the back.
Bus stops and skinny white skater guy gets on... fumbles for change.
A minute goes by... skater guy still cant find change in pocket... black guy gets aggitated and I can hear him starting to say stuff under his breath.
Another little while goes buy.. I see big guy walk beide me at middle of bus... and catch a glimpse of him pointing a gun at the driver while he shouts "drive muthaf*cka!".
Skater dude jumps off bus... driver closes door and gets moving.... big guy sits back down at back.
Didnt know what to do... more people come on at later stops and he gets off before I do.
Driver acted like it happens to whole time :v:

TomTom · 07-11-2005 01:45PM

Got missed so narrowly by someone puking and walking at the same time on the Woodlawn train.

On my first few nights in Dublin in college I sat on upper floor at the back of the 56a, two lads were shooting up and I was oblivious to this for half of the journey. Oh the naivety of me back then. Another occasion someone was stabbed on same bus route and the bus driver called the cops. They were waiting at the next stop and when they boarded the bus the knackers upstairs tried to rush them. They were all caught.

One funnier moment was when I was on the 56, again, and was sitting in the seats near the front. I was on crutches at the time and was not long out of hospital. I was also wearing glasses at the time. The bus was fairly full at the time and this old wan got on and not asked but demanded I give her my seat. I pointed out that I was on crutches and needed the seat and she said, 'Sur jasus ya have four eyes and four legs, what more do you want'

Was sitting on the dart one morning when i could smell puke. Looked down and there was a flow of vomit at my feet. I looked in the seat behind me and the guy was laughing and puking. Thank god i had headphone as the smell was bad enough without the hurling noises to boot.

Mr.Nice Guy · 07-11-2005 04:50PM

A few months ago I was waiting for the number 10 bus in O'Connell Street. It arrived eventually and me and a few other people were waiting to get on it when we noticed a very heated argument between the bus driver and this young woman with her man in tow (scangers). The woman takes her young child off the bus and then proceeds to yell profanities at the driver but the worst part was that the driver was egging on her on and yelling stuff back! She then tells her boyfriend to go over and hit the guy so the driver pulls up his protective shield thing and then starts making faces and laughing at them through it! The two scangers then start whacking the shield with their fists but they can't get to the driver who is sat there making faces like a 5 year-old while he calls her a scumbag! She then told the driver to watch himself and that she'd get him back.

It was surreal to see the driver act like that. It was like something from a sitcom! I found it all quite amusing and I eventually got on the bus when the two scangers left but a few of the other people at the bus stop decided to get on a different bus.

Never a dull moment in Dublin, eh?:D

tba · 07-11-2005 05:03PM

ah the 56 my story takes place on the same route

I was on that bus once. There was this man at the front, smoking and being abusive to the driver, after doing the rounds of everybody else onboard and falling down the stairs.. The Driver called central on his radio and said "crumlin station" A minute later he stops the bus right outside the garda station in crumlin. Quick as a flash four guards rush out and grab the bloke. Only he wont let go of the handrails, his screams were funny it was like he was been dragged of to die.
*sigh* I miss the bus..

Waltons · 07-11-2005 06:07PM

Some dodgy and hilarious stories so far!
One of the funniest things happened over the course of 2 bus journies for me. I was on the 75 going to the square and this lad hops on at Nutgrove. It's mid December so it strikes me as a little odd that he's wearing shorts.
Rest of the journey passes grand, I meet my girlfriend at the square and we do a bit of shopping and then hop onto the 77 to go back to her house. A few stops up the road the guy I'd seen earlier gets on the bus. He staggers upstairs with a few mates and navigates his way to a seat, obviously off his head on something.
Bus drives on a bit and his stop comes up. He legs it to the stairs, jumps down the stairs and runs out of the bus - headfirst into the busstop. Cue an almighty crash from the stop, the whole thing's shaking and the lad's sitting there flat on his arse laughing his head off.

It was a bit funny :v:

Ruu_Old · 07-11-2005 06:15PM

have had no bad experiences really. plenty of old ladies talking about whats happening on fair city and on one of the Dublin buses a bunch of lads had a cd player blasting out some rap music(mostly swearing in it). One old man talking to another fella he didnt know saying that he usually goes from Cavan to Dublin on the bus, "just for the spin"

jrey1981 · 07-11-2005 08:36PM

never thought this thread would be so popular...not the greatest promotion for Dublin Bus!

The perils of commuting...

Comments