LUAS: A Tale of Two Trams. RTÉ 1, Tuesday, 09 July 2013. 9.35pm

Saab Ed · 09-07-2013 11:34PM

Too many people also appeared to have fallin into the trap set by the program makers which was get people tut tuting about one thing and smiling bout another. Its not hard to find volunteers.

Some people are so easily fooled its pathetic. Everyone knows what side of the city is what. Its sad that the Makers had to play into the hands of the lowest common denominator all the same.

dealhunter1985 · 10-07-2013 12:32AM

srm23 wrote: »

trying to avoid work are we? :rolleyes:

not at all.
Just don't believe my friend is correct when he says foreign E.U nationals are only entitled to job seekers allowance for 12 months..
So would love if someone could clarify to me how it works exactly..

SpaceTime · 10-07-2013 08:55AM

leftwing cos youre broke wrote: »

it's amazing that Veolia can make a profit on the lines despite having to employ a small army of security guards and having high instances of fare evasion. Meanwhile those bone idle, subsidised sods in Irish Rail are increasing parking fees by up to 30% next week.

I'm not sure that they have higher levels of fare evasion than other open systems tbh. Most people have valid tickets.

They just do rather more effective and visible ticket checking than CIE do.

I'd much rather see Dublin Bus and Cork City busses etc moving towards that system and having way more doors. It is how busses work in many European cities and it works fine (as does the luas)

CIE and some British operators are obsessed with checking tickets at the door.

Imagine how quickly busses could pull in/out with the Luas style ticketing.

Cork busses are even more extreme where they give change and have no electronic ticketing so they actually obstruct traffic while they do the whole crazy shopkeeper routine with a whole stop load of passengers onto a double decker bus.

Only in Ireland! (really)

I do think they overplayed the social thing. There was a driver attacked on the Green line not too long ago for example

tunguska · 10-07-2013 09:44AM

tayto lover wrote: »

The abuse the foreigner workers take is unbelievable in this day and age. Very low and scummy.

Disgraceful. Was embarrassed hearing about the abuse the foreign workers got. Absolute scumbags.

Lucas Castroman wrote: »

I don't see what your problem is??? The red luas line is a cesspit, crawling with some of the lowest forms of life imagineable. This programme is an accurate representation.

I use the red & green lines and I think thats a fair comment. Feel uneasy and unsafe on the red line, always watching my back. Anytime I use it theres hassle, especially at the weekends. Theres a far safer atmosphere on the green line, you just dont feel like somebody could run you through with a box cutter at any moment.

stevedublin · 10-07-2013 10:17AM

Lapin wrote: »

They really are emphasising the differences between the social status of passengers on both lines.

Almost to the point that this is the motive of the whole programme.

The clue is in the name

FloatingVoter · 10-07-2013 10:37AM

From a technical point of view it would fail any TV production course at the most junior level. The sound quality was abysmal - did anybody even watch a rough edit of the footage broadcast - interviewing people no matter how well spoken on a noisy tram will not produce audible results. Transfer this to a soft spoken interviewee (the guy with the tattoo) and a mumbling junkie and the results (didn't) speak for themselves.
An outsider would have learned that the Red line is a nightmare journey into the heart of darkness. The Green line is a tranquil haven of peace and goodwill. Both are exaggerated codswallop.
The Luas workers pretending they were in Hill Street Blues or Darfur didn't help.
Was the show about abandoned stops, shopping centres, Abbey Street, the disconnect between the two lines, Dublin's drug problems or foreign workers adapting to casual Irish racism ? The documentary didn't appear to know itself so it covered a little bit of everything resulting in a show so poor as to be embarrassing.

nicowa · 10-07-2013 10:37AM

Saab Ed wrote: »

And you as repetitive, insular and narrow minded as the drivvle that defined you from the start.

You do realise that the people using the Green Line are hard working people going about their daily business If they have a bit more spending power than those on the Red Line who's fault is that (I'm not blaming the people or location - though you seem to be). "Those People" you're blaming for everything that's happening with banks and such, don't take public transport. They own big cars and they drive them to work. They don't rub shoulders with any of us.

I've been on both lines, usually on my own, daytime hours and I've rarely felt any unease. But then I've walked down some really bad areas of London with barely any unease. You react how you're expected to react most of the time. I didn't know I was in a bad area of London. I didn't know that as a regular Green Line user I wasn't expected to feel safe on the Red Line.

The only harassment I've had (on either) was a (possibly drunk/stoned) old guy asking for some chips off me (near Heuston st.) and a bunch of kids begging for luas fare on the green line - something that's happened me a few times.

Hematocyte · 10-07-2013 11:26AM

I wonder how happy are Veolia themselves with this documentary?

You can bet when they were approached initially they were told they'd be getting involved with an RTE version of BBC's "The Tube" from last year. In fact you can actually see the core elements still there in the finished RTE production (eg interviewing foreign born night workers, following teams as they inspect the lines etc).

However, clearly somewhere along the line (pun not intended) the decision was taken to turn it into "Joe Duffy fodder" by emphasising class division between red and green and then slap a title like "A Tale of Two Trams" on top in order to ram the point home.

seiphil wrote: »

Lazy stuff from RTE,unsurprisingly.Obviously nobody in Montrose bothered watching any of the BBC's recent (excellent) productions about public transport in London and the UK.

I'd suspect whoever made this program was fully aware of The Tube (and more than likely watched every single minute of it too).

Leslie91 · 10-07-2013 11:35AM

Not sure they meant it to be humourous at times but it was.

Cannot believe the scum that refuse to pay and walk off into the sunset cannot be detained by a ticket inspector or better still one of the STT lads in black. Something v wrong there.

As for the little scobie telling yer wan his da was Pat Kenny, FFS.

celt262 · 10-07-2013 12:30PM

Leslie91 wrote: »

As for the little scobie telling yer wan his da was Pat Kenny, FFS.

He could be telling the truth there is more than one Pat Kenny in the Phonebook.

Saab Ed · 10-07-2013 12:47PM

nicowa wrote: »

You do realise that the people using the Green Line are hard working people going about their daily business drive them to work. They don't rub shoulders with any of us

My sweeping generalisation was a response made to display the complete and utter ignorance of the few other posters who basically assumed all Red Line users were vermin.

I wouldn't mind but I don't use either line. Its of no consequence to me personally. It just really irked me that such an ignoramus was casting such aspersions.

Sorry if you took umbrage, in was not intended to cause actual insult, just to prove a point about stereotypes and generalizing.

squonk · 10-07-2013 12:54PM

Didn't see it but I'll try and catch it tonight. I've used the Green and Red lines in the past for commuting to work. The green line was a bit more hassle free but it was people heading to the business parks down in Leopardstown or people heading to Dundrum a lot of the time. The Red line wasn't ALL that bad though either. Admittedly I used it a long time ago now between '05 and '08 but I travelled every day with a big backpack and routinely used a large and fairly expensive MacBook Pro and it was never nicked, or did I get scummers giving me hassle. You'd get the odd bit of agro from time to time but it was rare in my recollection.

daheff · 10-07-2013 01:35PM

I saw this last night. To be honest it looked to me that whoever made the show had an agenda to say Green line =Good and Red line =Bad

You see the shots they had of the green line...all nice and bright, nice background music (like an elevator), uncrowded trams, no ticket inspectors/security problems/ fare evasion. The people they talked to were nice, well spoken people. Even the rubbish they showed was the Irish times paper (affluent association)

Now contrast that to the red line
A lot of junkies, no background music...sound of the tram grinding along a lot of the time, loads of ticket inspectors, security guards, trouble, junkies (again!) theft, Packed trams rubbish

I've taken the red line luas to commute to work on a regular basis. I agree there are junkies on it, I agree that its jammed and there are fare evaders on it....but I dont think its as bad as the show made it out to be.

If I were Veolia I'd be talking to my legal team about misrepresentation of the service by the TV show.

Collards · 10-07-2013 02:57PM

I have just written to RTE to complain about this programme based on its lazy, agenda-driven approach. I would encourage you to do the same - info@rte.ie.

A public broadcasting service for which we are about to be charged an annual "broadcasting charge" should get this kind of feedback - it shouldn't die a death on boards.ie.

The RTE radio documentary team produce such stellar programmes by comparison, I don't understand how RTE TV continues to air such sh*te. It's the "Apartment Kids" template all over again.

Patrick2010 · 10-07-2013 04:09PM

Haven't read the whole thread but did anyone else find the sound level atrocious?.
Very hard to hear the interviews over the background music and Luas noise.

FloatingVoter · 10-07-2013 04:26PM

Patrick2010 wrote: »

Haven't read the whole thread but did anyone else find the sound level atrocious?.
Very hard to hear the interviews over the background music and Luas noise.

Yes. I'd assume everybody (whatever their views on the content) had difficulty with the sound.

stehyl15 · 10-07-2013 04:53PM

celt262 wrote: »

He could be telling the truth there is more than one Pat Kenny in the Phonebook.

Yea but he was like eh eh eh eh eh eh pat kenny he was trying 2 make up a name

Lucas Castroman · 10-07-2013 05:06PM

http://http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-fighting-for-life-after-bottle-attack-at-luas-stop-29408485.html

This one's for you, saad ed and your delusional ilk. More propaganda from the media I suppose. The most dangerous thing you can do is deny there's a problem.

Saab Ed · 10-07-2013 05:38PM

Lucas Castroman wrote: »

http://http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-fighting-for-life-after-bottle-attack-at-luas-stop-29408485.html

This one's for you, saad ed and your delusional ilk. More propaganda from the media I suppose. The most dangerous thing you can do is deny there's a problem.

Ah I see. Well I suppose that's good enough reason to tar everyone with the same brush ( as you undeniably did) You still don't get it. The fact that you've resorted to petty slagging just proves your narrow mind. I suggest you stay well within the boundaries of your very sheltered life. Outside might scare the hell out of you.

SHOVELLER · 10-07-2013 08:38PM

As a regular user of both lines the programme was an accurate summation of the reality of the Luas. I cannot understand the posters here wanting to get worked up about perceived slights or agendas the programme makers had.

The employees interviewed would be the most qualified to comment and they have said what we all know to be the truth. That the Red Line has more problems than the Green Line.

What summed up this country for me was the foreign security chap commenting about the free entitlements here. Spot on.

What a country:eek:

Saab Ed · 10-07-2013 08:51PM

SHOVELLER wrote: »

As a regular user of both lines the programme was an accurate summation of the reality of the Luas. I cannot understand the posters here wanting to get worked up about perceived slights or agendas the programme makers had.

The employees interviewed would be the most qualified to comment and they have said what we all know to be the truth. That the Red Line has more problems than the Green Line.

What summed up this country for me was the foreign security chap commenting about the free entitlements here. Spot on.

What a country:eek:[/quote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3bfO1rE7Yg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

SHOVELLER · 10-07-2013 09:49PM

Saab Ed wrote: »

I wouldn't mind but I don't use either line. Its of no consequence to me personally.

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

Hyzepher · 11-07-2013 10:22AM

After reading this thread I decided to see the program for myself last night on RTE Player.

it seems to me that the makers of the documentary were more interested in showing the social divides we have within Dublin and the LUAS was an easy mechanism for this as it has two very distinct routes that seem to match this social divide.

The show was nothing to do with the LUAS per se apart from the fact that it was used to re-enforce the theme of the show.

There is no disputing that the Red Line travels through areas of the city that see more crime. I would imagine that their 75%/25% ratio for incidents is pretty much equal to incidents on Dublin Bus or other public access situations - shopping centres/pubs etc

The Green line has less problems as the people who use it are less likely to make trouble. It's nothing to do with the LUAS - just the divide within Dublin.

brennan1979 · 13-07-2013 10:38AM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

From a technical point of view it would fail any TV production course at the most junior level. The sound quality was abysmal - did anybody even watch a rough edit of the footage broadcast - interviewing people no matter how well spoken on a noisy tram will not produce audible results. Transfer this to a soft spoken interviewee (the guy with the tattoo) and a mumbling junkie and the results (didn't) speak for themselves.

That's what really struck me while watching the programme. Cheap is one thing but when the basic production issues such as audio quality are missing it is amazing it was even deemed fit for broadcast in the first place. As you said, it would have got a failing grade in a tv college course and RTÉ show it in primetime. Unbelievable.

ricero · 13-07-2013 11:50AM

The amount of foreign nationals working for the luas was quite shocking I thought they would have more irish nationals

SpaceTime · 13-07-2013 11:56AM

The female driver they had on was a fantastic spokesperson though. Better than many RTE and TV3 presenters!

Miguel_Sanchez · 13-07-2013 12:12PM

ricero wrote: »

The amount of foreign nationals working for the luas was quite shocking I thought they would have more irish nationals

Probably not as many Irish people going for the jobs I'd imagine.

13-07-2013 02:31PM

ricero wrote: »

The amount of foreign nationals working for the luas was quite shocking I thought they would have more irish nationals

Why?

13-07-2013 04:47PM

Saab Ed wrote: »

100% of net emigration is caused by crimes committed along the green line.

Not really though, is it?

mikemac1 · 13-07-2013 07:01PM

ricero wrote: »

The amount of foreign nationals working for the luas was quite shocking I thought they would have more irish nationals

You're in for a even bigger shock if you visit any hotel in Ireland so

LUAS: A Tale of Two Trams. RTÉ 1, Tuesday, 09 July 2013. 9.35pm

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