Do you feel safe in Ireland?

maninasia · 15-12-2010 03:29PM

Princess Peach wrote: »

No guns, no poisonous snakes or spiders, no bears, lions or any animal who could really kill you, no hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, no chance of war being declared.

Pretty safe country alright!

But the question was is 'do you feel safe in Ireland'. I live in a country with almost all those issues...they are not common everyday issues. I feel much safer here than Ireland!

af_thefragile · 15-12-2010 03:33PM

I would actually like to live where there are bears, lions, tornados, hurricanes and such...
It makes the place much more exciting...

Or maybe its just me. I like extreme weather.
I also like places where people are nice, hospitable and don't harass you...

conorhal · 15-12-2010 03:34PM

Well it's not dangerous at all, as compared to say, Brazil.
BUT, it has become considerably more dangerous than it was even ten years ago.
There have always been scumbags, but these days they seem far more brash, leery and likely to get up in your face. There have always been scraps on the street, but what once usually started and ended with a few thumps traded now seems to routinely extend to stabbing a person or kicking them in the head while they lie unconscious on the ground.
What really scares me is how inured we are to it all, the prospect of being the subject of an unprovoked attack in broad daylight by a group of feral scumbags is less scary to me then the certain knowledge that we have become a society that look the other away or keep on walking in the event that it does happen. It's scary to think that nobody will help you.

maninasia · 15-12-2010 03:36PM

af_thefragile wrote: »

I would actually like to live where there are bears, lions, tornados, hurricanes and such...
It makes the place much more exciting...

Or maybe its just me. I like extreme weather.
I also like places where people are nice, hospitable and don't harass you...

Yeah you get to to 'surf' the earthquakes on the 20th floor, see the odd landslide or two during a typhoon...or a car floating by. But seriously you can protect yourself from these things very easily by living in a solid new building or away from mountains and rivers, it's the random violent attacks on people and their families that makes me feel Ireland is not particularly safe.

Pace2008 · 15-12-2010 03:40PM

Yeah, I generally feel at ease here.

With a bit of smarts you'd be unlucky to run into trouble. Only one negative incident in recollection, where I had my thumb half bitten off by a junkie. Didn't affect my attitude in any way; **** happens.

That was down near Connolly station at night, though, and I'd usually avoid those kind of locations after dark. The main streets in Dublin city centre feel safe enough, but stray off the beaten track and things go downhill pretty fast. Having council flats so close to the main streets is a terrible idea.

scientific1982 · 15-12-2010 03:41PM

In general I feel very safe in most parts of the country.

scientific1982 · 15-12-2010 03:43PM

Pace2008 wrote: »

Yeah, I generally feel at ease here.

With a bit of smarts you'd be unlucky to run into trouble. Only one negative incident in recollection, where I had my thumb half bitten off by a junkie. Didn't affect my attitude in any way; **** happens.

That was down near Connolly station at night, though, and I'd usually avoid those kind of locations after dark. The main streets in Dublin city centre feel safe enough, but stray off the beaten track and things go downhill pretty fast. Having council flats so close to the main streets is a terrible idea.

Bloody hell, thats nasty enough. Did you get it attached back on.

maninasia · 15-12-2010 03:44PM

Pace2008 wrote: »

Yeah, I generally feel at ease here.

With a bit of smarts you'd be unlucky to run into trouble. Only one negative incident in recollection, where I had my thumb half bitten off by a junkie. Didn't affect my attitude in any way; **** happens.

That was down near Connolly station at night, though, and I'd usually avoid those kind of locations after dark. The main streets in Dublin city centre feel safe enough, but stray off the beaten track and things go downhill pretty fast. Having council flats so close to the main streets is a terrible idea.

Actually that kind of **** doesn't really happen in most countries. You just got conditioned to it because you grew up in this situation. You also had a risk of contracting HIV and losing an appendage, that was a serious assualt.

If you have a family (I know many posters are quite young) you will think about safety more, not just your personal safety.

Also people need a frame of reference, Ireland might be safe compared to Brazil or South Africa (which are hellish in some respects), but not good overall compared to many Asian and European countries.

af_thefragile · 15-12-2010 03:44PM

maninasia wrote: »

Yeah you get to to 'surf' the earthquakes on the 20th floor, see the odd landslide or two during a typhoon...or a car floating by. But seriously you can protect yourself from these things very easily by living in a solid new building or away from mountains and rivers, it's the random violent attacks on people and their families that makes me feel Ireland is not particularly safe.

It makes for good TV atleast. Look at the shows on discovery channels where people go hunting down tornados or drive upto a volcano or go film lions or bears and stuff like that.

Like if you built a strong house with an underground bunker or something then it should be pretty much tornado/earthquake/hurricane proof.

But can't stop you getting harassed by a bunch of scumbags. Worse is you can't really do anything to them cuz if you fight them or beat up a bunch of kids, you'll have to deal with 10 bigger scummers... Its like leveling up in a game!!

common sense brigade · 15-12-2010 03:48PM

I have felt safe since I moved to the Country.Co Clare. Im originally from a big Town in Co Wicklow.This town has got lovely people but also a big criminal element and drug problem. It had a head shop but i am not sure if it still has. Here is a list of instances I encountered in last 4 months in my hometown.
Drug addict slit his wrists in a derelict building site next to my mothers house and called in and asked for help. Mothe rang am ambulance.
Brother in laws car stolen from front garden
Sister car stolen from her front garden
A recently let out drug addict wandering our road with a kitchen knife , running it up and down peoples gates and mumbling incoherantly
A postal robbery on the same road involving masked men and guns
My best mate was attacked getting off the local bus because he has long hair and was carrying a guitar. He was set upon and broke his wrist.
I grew up here and love the town but wanted a better life for my daughter so we made a new life, got new jobs and just left. I do someday want to return when my parents are older cos i wouldnt leave them alone in old age.

Pace2008 · 15-12-2010 03:49PM

scientific1982 wrote: »

Bloody hell, thats nasty enough. Did you get it attached back on.

Lol, hyperbole on my part. It was just a nasty bite I'd rather no have endured, didn't go through the bone or anything.

maninasia wrote: »

If you have a family (I know many posters are quite young) you will think about safety more, not just your personal safety.

The question was whether I felt safe in Ireland, so I addressed that.

Shenshen · 15-12-2010 03:52PM

maninasia wrote: »

Actually that kind of **** doesn't really happen in most countries. You just got conditioned to it because you grew up in this situation. You also had a risk of contracting HIV and losing an appendage, that was a serious assualt.

If you have a family (I know many posters are quite young) you will think about safety more, not just your personal safety.

Also people need a frame of reference, Ireland might be safe compared to Brazil or South Africa (which are hellish in some respects), but not good overall compared to many Asian and European countries.

How many people were beaten to death in broad daylight on public transport in Ireland last year?

I don't know what European countries you're comparing Ireland to here, but I can't think of many with lower levels of violent crime.
As for Asia, with the exception of Singapore, most of them would DREAM of peaceful conditions like Ireland.

Iguana Bob · 15-12-2010 03:54PM

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Yeah, but the cicas are hot!

checkmate, im stayin!!

prinz · 15-12-2010 03:56PM

Shenshen wrote: »

How many people were beaten to death in broad daylight on public transport in Ireland last year?

You are comparing a country of 4 million to a country of 80+ million... and it may not have occured on public transport but plenty of people have been beaten to death in Ireland in the last few years. The last guilty parties I saw up in court walked away with 4 and 5 year prison sentences for it.

As for public transport I have been involved in quiet a number of unsavoury incidents. Let's not pretend that a feeling of safety is only compromised by death. People are going on personal experiences, and in mine, yeah periods living in France, Belgium and Germany....and have never felt in danger for myself. If I don't feel safe because of anti-social little rats on the streets, looking up statistics isn't going to help, what do you want people to do? Print off stats and keep them in your pocket so the next time someone tries to intimidate you etc show it to them?

maninasia · 15-12-2010 04:00PM

You are wrong mate, as a long time resident of Asia I can tell you most countries are very safe (especially North Asia) random violence is very very rare. Drugs are strictly controlled, let me tell you it works well. Alcohol is not abused to the same extent, especially not by young people or women.

I visit Germany sometimes, it has none of the scumbags hanging around streets like in Ireland. Plus people don't get off their face on drink and drugs and then go around looking for fights. Most trouble in Ireland is caused by alcohol and drug abuse, it is the real shame of our nation.

prinz · 15-12-2010 04:03PM

maninasia wrote: »

I visit Germany sometimes, it has none of the scumbags hanging around streets like in Ireland. Plus people don't get off their face on drink and drugs and then go around looking for fights. Most trouble in Ireland is caused by alcohol and drug abuse, it is the real shame of our nation.

Agree and disagree. You certainly get the elements who would be 'scumbags' but they generally keep to themselves and stick to certain areas. What you don't get is people 10 years younger than you, in the middle of the day, basically attempting to threaten and intimidate you for the crime of walking down a residential street.

In smaller towns and villages around Ireland you won't get it either. But around the bigger towns and cities it's rife.

Shenshen · 15-12-2010 04:06PM

prinz wrote: »

You are comparing a country of 4 million to a country of 80+ million... and it may not have occured on public transport but plenty of people have been beaten to death in Ireland in the last few years. The last guilty parties I saw up in court walked away with 4 and 5 year prison sentences for it.

As for public transport I have been involved in quiet a number of unsavoury incidents. Let's not pretend that a feeling of safety is only compromised by death. People are going on personal experiences, and in mine, yeah periods living in France, Belgium and Germany....and have never felt in danger for myself.

Exactly. It's a small country, and I do think that does contribute significantly to the low numbers of crimes, not just as totals but also in relation to the number of inhabitants.
It seems to be a general rule that the larger the country, the higher the crime rates, although I wouldn't know the underlying social factors coming into play there.
I quoted the number of deaths simply because I don't know about the numbers of other violent incidents. I would guess though that there is a quite significant number of incidents and those two deaths weren't exactly coming out of the blue.

As for personal experiences, the only thing that ever happened to me was somebody trying to get into my house through an open window at night. When I noticed and started shouting at him, he legged it.

maninasia · 15-12-2010 04:07PM

prinz wrote: »

Agree and disagree. You certainly get the elements who would be 'scumbags' but they generally keep to themselves and stick to certain areas. What you don't get is people 10 years younger than you, in the middle of the day, basically attempting to threaten and intimidate you for the crime of walking down a residential street.

In smaller towns and villages around Ireland you won't get it either. But around the bigger towns and cities it's rife.

Do you get groups of junkies hanging around your capital's main streets in broad daylight, shooting up and harrassing people? Check out the Liffey boardwalk in Dublin. Dublin always had a junkie problem, it has just resurfaced now again.

Shenshen · 15-12-2010 04:09PM

maninasia wrote: »

I visit Germany sometimes, it has none of the scumbags hanging around streets like in Ireland. Plus people don't get off their face on drink and drugs and then go around looking for fights. Most trouble in Ireland is caused by alcohol and drug abuse, it is the real shame of our nation.

After having lived in Germany for well over 30 years before coming here, I cannot agree.
The number of scumbags and random violence is far higher in my experience than anywhere in Ireland.
The big difference is that the German media tend not to report on violent deaths unless they are particularly gruesome. Most of them will only show up in police statistics and the public never hears about them.

Shenshen · 15-12-2010 04:10PM

maninasia wrote: »

Do you get groups of junkies hanging around your capital's main streets in broad daylight, shooting up and harrassing people? Check out the Liffey boardwalk in Dublin. Dublin always had a junkie problem, it has just resurfaced now again.

Have you ever been to Berlin or Munich? If you have I cannot for the life of me imagine how you could ask such a question.

maninasia · 15-12-2010 04:16PM

I've not been to those cities but been to others numerous times, I've seen junkies in Frankfurt but only on quiet deserted streets at night. It does depend where you live in Ireland/Dublin too, but Dublin has always been a city rife with junkies and scumbags...take a bus or a train or walk the streets.. you will see them everywhere.

prinz · 15-12-2010 04:17PM

Shenshen wrote: »

Exactly. It's a small country, and I do think that does contribute significantly to the low numbers of crimes, not just as totals but also in relation to the number of inhabitants..

We're not just strictly talking about crimes though... personally it's all the low-level stuff of just people acting the bollix.

I don't feel unsafe because I am afraid of being murdered per se, or raped or burgled. I feel unsafe because it is so common to be put into situations where that is a possibility. Down the country you go about your business no one will bother you, I'm on the northside Dublin, I had that experience at the weekend, I have been spat on on Henry St. middle of the day, verbally abused countless times, nearly had my head taken off by a beer bottle thrown at me one day, I've lost count of the instances of witnessing verbal abuse (racism, bullying, etc), been followed home by a gang once because I wouldn't buy them drink, been given a kick in the back by some randomer... etc. I could go on and I am probably forgetting a few. What makes it worse is that almost all of the incidents involving myself were done by teens/early 20's, and all for no particular reason other than someone thought it would be funny/they were bored whatever.

and none of them you can actually do anything about, and when you tell people, the general advice is not to get involved, walk away etc.

af_thefragile · 15-12-2010 04:17PM

Is it just me or have scumbags become more hostile lately?

Like I remember a few years ago, back in the good happy ol boom days, the scumbags weren't really that bad. Like sure they'ld try to harass you and such but if you speak to them, they'ld be sorta cool at the end of the day and won't really harm you. Most of them atleast.

Now they're more looking for trouble and looking to mug you if they get the opportunity.

Or maybe i've just become more paranoid since Ireland has taken the plunge since the recession...

prinz · 15-12-2010 04:20PM

maninasia wrote: »

Do you get groups of junkies hanging around your capital's main streets in broad daylight, shooting up and harrassing people? Check out the Liffey boardwalk in Dublin. Dublin always had a junkie problem, it has just resurfaced now again.

I agree Dublin is a disaster, but I have to say there are places in German cities where you will also find junkies doing their thing, often around the main train stations for example. Not particular nice but I have never been approached or hassled by them. Not once. I mind my business, they mind theirs. Everyone's happy... if only that would apply here.

maninasia · 15-12-2010 04:20PM

prinz wrote: »

We're not just strictly talking about crimes though... personally it's all the low-level stuff of just people acting the bollix.

I don't feel unsafe because I am afraid of being murdered per se, or raped or burgled. I feel unsafe because it is so common to be put into situations where that is a possibility. Down the country you go about your business no one will bother you, I'm on the northside Dublin, I had that experience at the weekend, I have been spat on on Henry St. middle of the day, verbally abused countless times, nearly had my head taken off by a beer bottle thrown at me one day, I've lost count of the instances of witnessing verbal abuse (racism, bullying, etc), been followed home by a gang once because I wouldn't buy them drink, been given a kick in the back by some randomer... etc. I could go on and I am probably forgetting a few. What makes it worse is that almost all of the incidents involving myself were done by teens/early 20's, and all for no particular reason other than someone thought it would be funny/they were bored whatever.

and none of them you can actually do anything about, and when you tell people, the general advice is not to get involved, walk away etc.

This is what I mean by not feeling safe in Dublin. A lot of young people get kicks out of abusing other people, usually other young people. They don't fear the justice system or the Guards. There is no fear. Try doing that in the US or in Italy or France or many Asian countries...you will be sorted quickly! Every society should have a carrot and a stick but in Ireland the stick was abandoned completely due to false PC beliefs about how society and humans behave.

Pace2008 · 15-12-2010 04:21PM

I think in foreign countries, our perception of the general threat level may not be accurate.

It can go both ways: one might feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, and perceive a sense of danger when there is none. On the flip side, in Ireland I'd generally be able to recognise through experience a group of potential knackers by dress-sense, accent and mannersims, whereas in foreign countries I wouldn't be nearly as familiar with the tell-tale signs with which I could identify unsavoury sorts.

Shenshen · 15-12-2010 04:21PM

prinz wrote: »

We're not just strictly talking about crimes though... personally it's all the low-level stuff of just people acting the bollix.

I don't feel unsafe because I am afraid of being murdered per se, or raped or burgled. I feel unsafe because it is so common to be put into situations where that is a possibility. Down the country you go about your business no one will bother you, I'm on the northside Dublin, I had that experience at the weekend, I have been spat on on Henry St. middle of the day, verbally abused countless times, nearly had my head taken off by a beer bottle thrown at me one day, I've lost count of the instances of witnessing verbal abuse (racism, bullying, etc), been followed home by a gang once because I wouldn't buy them drink, been given a kick in the back by some randomer... etc. I could go on and I am probably forgetting a few. What makes it worse is that almost all of the incidents involving myself were done by teens/early 20's, and all for no particular reason other than someone thought it would be funny/they were bored whatever.

and none of them you can actually do anything about, and when you tell people, the general advice is not to get involved, walk away etc.

True, but as with the cases of people getting killed, to every serious crime there usually is a lot of minor crimes and antisocial behaviour. You don't usually get the more serious behaviour just popping up randomly.

Mister men · 15-12-2010 04:25PM

I've lived in several cities around the World in the last 20 or so odd years and per capita Dublin is the most violent city i've lived in. Problem is without a doubt getting worse. I've been attacked twice in the last 6 months for no reason at all, once in Rialto walking to the luas and once in a hospital A&E whilst working. I see a lot more young people are carrying knives around with them and are willing to use them also.:(

common sense brigade · 15-12-2010 04:26PM

Down the country you go about your business no one will bother you

This is true since I moved to a rural are in Co Clare , 3 years ago I have not witnessed a single episode of violence or minor abuse like kids slagging etc. Just every man /woman/child here seems to be able to live happily and peacefully. Even the teenagers are different, they are into their GAA and studies. My old home town is very scary compared to here. Im my old home town gangs of unruly teenagers would hang around the local shops intimidating people. And they are getting nastier and nastier. I was forever ringing the guards about anti social behaviour.

prinz · 15-12-2010 04:27PM

Shenshen wrote: »

True, but as with the cases of people getting killed, to every serious crime there usually is a lot of minor crimes and antisocial behaviour. You don't usually get the more serious behaviour just popping up randomly.

Yeah possibly but like I said, I haven't come across it where I've lived, and again my wife would think nothing of going on a night out in Dusseldorf and travelling back to Koln, or to visit friends late at night by walking across a city in Germany.

Right now, she doesn't want to take a 5 minute walk from our place in Dublin. She's not afraid of getting murdered or raped or mugged. She's basically afraid of bullies, who get their kicks bullying strangers on the street.

Do you feel safe in Ireland?

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