Drunks on the train... Again

Eoin247 · 04-11-2013 01:59AM #1

I was taking the train back to Mullingar from Dublin on Friday. Being the 5:05 train it was packed and many people had to stand.

Anyway about twenty minutes or so into the journey two loud drunk men (in their mid-late forties I'd guess) made their way from the place they had been near the door, to stand in the middle of the train carriage. They were still drinking cans and cursing, and the smell off of them was terrible.

I decided to just ignore their drunken rantings (feeling very sorry for the people they were standing near) until I heard a woman with an American accent shout at one of the men to stop feeling her. The woman eventually moved, and the drunks continued to verbally and even physically abuse the nearby passengers.

From where I was sitting it was hard to see what was going on, so I had to go by what I heard mostly. Eventually a nearby man stood up to one of the drunks and told him that he should be ashamed of himself, unfortunately it seemed that all this served to do was make the drunk direct his drunken rants at him.

This is the third time I've seen drunks like this harass people on the train and I only use the train once a week. I also use Dublin bus on rare occasions, and I can safely say that when I've taken crowded night buses there's nearly always at least one drunk shouting or harassing people nearby. The trend seems to always be men in the late fourties to sixties bracket.

Anybody else have experiences like these? I think it's disgraceful, but I'm not sure what really can be done about it.

The Backwards Man · 04-11-2013 02:03AM

This is why I always travel first class.

General General · 04-11-2013 02:04AM

I've been somewhat surprised to find over the years that a good few guys in their 40s, 50s & 60s are arseholes on a par with the worst 'teenage lout'. These guys never 'grew up', it appears.

It still surprises me when I witness one being a total childish boll-ocks... God help those that they live with, if indeed they live with anyone.

General General · 04-11-2013 02:05AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

This is why I always travel first class.

Eh.. better class of feel up there in first class?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 04-11-2013 02:08AM

Eoin247 wrote: »

I was taking the train back to Mullingar from Dublin on Friday. Being the 5:05 train it was packed and many people had to stand.

Anyway about twenty minutes or so into the journey two loud drunk men (in their mid-late forties I'd guess) made their way from the place they had been near the door, to stand in the middle of the train carriage. They were still drinking cans and cursing, and the smell off of them was terrible.

I decided to just ignore their drunken rantings (feeling very sorry for the people they were standing near) until I heard a woman with an American accent shout at one of the men to stop feeling her. The woman eventually moved, and the drunks continued to verbally and even physically abuse the nearby passengers.

From where I was sitting it was hard to see what was going on, so I had to go by what I heard mostly. Eventually a nearby man stood up to one of the drunks and told him that he should be ashamed of himself, unfortunately it seemed that all this served to do was make the drunk direct his drunken rants at him.

This is the third time I've seen drunks like this harass people on the train and I only use the train once a week. I also use Dublin bus on rare occasions, and I can safely say that when I've taken crowded night buses there's nearly always at least one drunk shouting or harassing people nearby. The trend seems to always be men in the late fourties to sixties bracket.

Anybody else have experiences like these? I think it's disgraceful, but I'm not sure what really can be done about it.

Call the police station of the next stop, complain. You can get the station number from directory enquiries.

Cienciano · 04-11-2013 02:08AM

You should just man up, walk straight up to him and say "dad, go home, you're embarrassing me again"

policarp · 04-11-2013 02:09AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

This is why I always travel first class.

First class going backwards "Man?"

Strumms · 04-11-2013 02:10AM

I heard a similar story from a friend of mine on the same train line. Did these two dudes seem like they might have been a little 'hard of thinking' and reside at the states care of an evening ? That story involved them harassing a young teenage girl and then turning on my mate when he tried to help her before he smacked one of them across the length of the carriage in self defense... Either way not fun for anyone.

The Backwards Man · 04-11-2013 02:11AM

General General wrote: »

Eh.. better class of feel up there in first class?

Na, if I get drunk and piss all over myself in steerage economy I am labelled a drunken lout, in first class I am considered eccentric.

Mint Aero · 04-11-2013 02:15AM

Oh I know them! They're the ones who travel in pairs and happen to always meet another loner drunk on public transport.

They've connections in the ra you know

which is handy for threatening loner drunk with cos loner drunk always tries to either mate with one of the pair or exert his dominance as the new alpha drunk of the group thus causing some upset.

cloudatlas · 04-11-2013 02:16AM

Maybe a silly question but could you change carriage? A drunk came and sat beside me, I couldn't vacate my seat as he was blocking my escape. I was ridiculously polite in the hope that he would go away which he did however he was a bit more benevolent than the guys you describe and did not want to touch me.

Eoin247 · 04-11-2013 02:23AM

Strumms wrote: »

I heard a similar story from a friend of mine on the same train line. Did these two dudes seem like they might have been a little 'hard of thinking' and reside at the states care of an evening ? That story involved them harassing a young teenage girl and then turning on my mate when he tried to help her before he smacked one of them across the length of the carriage in self defense... Either way not fun for anyone.

Must have been different guys. Nobody got smacked from what I could see and they both got off in Mullingar. Goes to show that this thing is common enough though.

Newaglish · 04-11-2013 02:24AM

Nothing is worse than being trapped on a carriage with a hen party on their way to some glamorous location like Kilkenny or Waterford chugging away on Ritz and yowling at each other from far away tables

The Backwards Man · 04-11-2013 02:26AM

Newaglish wrote: »

Nothing is worse than being trapped on a carriage with a hen party on their way to some glamorous location like Kilkenny or Waterford chugging away on Ritz and yowling at each other from far away tables

Last time I saw someone drinking Ritz I was still in short trousers.

Last Tuesday.

Eoin247 · 04-11-2013 02:26AM

cloudatlas wrote: »

Maybe a silly question but could you change carriage? A drunk came and sat beside me, I couldn't vacate my seat as he was blocking my escape. I was ridiculously polite in the hope that he would go away which he did however he was a bit more benevolent than the guys you describe and did not want to touch me.

All the carriages were packed with people. Nearly as many people standing as there were sitting when the train moved off. The unfortunate people beside the drunks couldn't really move away.

Strumms · 04-11-2013 02:36AM

Newaglish wrote: »

Nothing is worse than being trapped on a carriage with a hen party on their way to some glamorous location like Kilkenny or Waterford chugging away on Ritz and yowling at each other from far away tables

Been there.... Kilkenny train too. They got onto the train first and they plastered all the windows with banners and posters even in some seats where they were not sitting... Balloons blocking the corridors... Bout 20 of them.... Like escaped convicts from a failed fat fighters class with makeup done by dulux instead of max factor... The ****in chimps in Dublin zoo wouldn't have made such a racket even if they hadn't been fed for a week..Thank Jesus for noise cancelling head phones...

I always travel first class on trains in Ireland when I can. For no other reason then that I can have a comfortable seat and a good chance of a peaceful journey without some mental case, hen / stag / scobie fest going on around me....

Doctor Strange · 04-11-2013 02:44AM

Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking drunks on this motherfucking train!

policarp · 04-11-2013 03:01AM

Drunks on the train.
Drunks on the buses.
Drunks on the LUAS.
Drunks on the street.
Drunks on the DART.
Drunks in pubs.
Drunks in clubs.
Drunks at parties.
Drunks on holidays.

Hard to miss "Drunks"

kneemos · 04-11-2013 07:23AM

policarp wrote: »

Drunks on the train.
Drunks on the buses.
Drunks on the LUAS.
Drunks on the street.
Drunks on the DART.
Drunks in pubs.
Drunks in clubs.
Drunks at parties.
Drunks on holidays.

Hard to miss "Drunks"

I'm waiting for the "Drunks on a plane episode."

Fr_Dougal · 04-11-2013 08:32AM

Eoin247 wrote: »

I was taking the train back to Mullingar from Dublin on Friday. Being the 5:05 train it was packed and many people had to stand.

Anyway about twenty minutes or so into the journey two loud drunk men (in their mid-late forties I'd guess) made their way from the place they had been near the door, to stand in the middle of the train carriage. They were still drinking cans and cursing, and the smell off of them was terrible.

I decided to just ignore their drunken rantings (feeling very sorry for the people they were standing near) until I heard a woman with an American accent shout at one of the men to stop feeling her. The woman eventually moved, and the drunks continued to verbally and even physically abuse the nearby passengers.

From where I was sitting it was hard to see what was going on, so I had to go by what I heard mostly. Eventually a nearby man stood up to one of the drunks and told him that he should be ashamed of himself, unfortunately it seemed that all this served to do was make the drunk direct his drunken rants at him.

This is the third time I've seen drunks like this harass people on the train and I only use the train once a week. I also use Dublin bus on rare occasions, and I can safely say that when I've taken crowded night buses there's nearly always at least one drunk shouting or harassing people nearby. The trend seems to always be men in the late fourties to sixties bracket.

Anybody else have experiences like these? I think it's disgraceful, but I'm not sure what really can be done about it.

Well you did the right thing by doing absolutely nothing 'til you posted on AH first.

michael999999 · 04-11-2013 08:42AM

kneemos wrote: »

I'm waiting for the "Drunks on a plane episode."

Didnt we have some cork radio presenter doing something on a plane last year?

i71jskz5xu42pb · 04-11-2013 08:52AM

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Well you did the right thing by doing absolutely nothing 'til you posted on AH first.

He is raising awareness.

gramar · 04-11-2013 09:03AM

Newaglish wrote: »

Nothing is worse than being trapped on a carriage with a hen party on their way to some glamorous location like Kilkenny or Waterford chugging away on Ritz and yowling at each other from far away tables

..that word gave me a laugh...yowling..great word..haha yowling...

Borderfox · 04-11-2013 09:26AM

9pm on TLC "when good drunks go bad"

AnonoBoy · 04-11-2013 09:30AM

policarp wrote: »

Drunks on the train.
Drunks on the buses.
Drunks on the LUAS.
Drunks on the street.
Drunks on the DART.
Drunks in pubs.
Drunks in clubs.
Drunks at parties.
Drunks on holidays.

I love that song. What's it called again?

Grab All Association · 04-11-2013 09:37AM

They all seem to carry purple tickets ie free travel.

jester77 · 04-11-2013 09:38AM

Why not say something to one of the conductors? They would surely then be removed at the next stop.

pebbles21 · 04-11-2013 09:44AM

This has being going on for years,I remember jumping on a bus to Dun Laoire (To pick up my my guitar)when a drunk sat beside me and told me how to get rich,Jaysus i'm glad I wasn't going to far ...

Savoir.Faire · 04-11-2013 10:02AM

Other customers is the main reason I never use public transport.

frag420 · 04-11-2013 10:22AM

policarp wrote: »

Drunks on the train.
Drunks on the buses.
Drunks on the LUAS.
Drunks on the street.
Drunks on the DART.
Drunks in pubs.
Drunks in clubs.
Drunks at parties.
Drunks on holidays.

Hard to miss "Drunks"

Drunks on Tour!!

April O Neill · 04-11-2013 10:24AM

*Hate* drunk people on public transport, so irritating and you're a captive audience for their eyeball-glazing witterings. Drunk people when you're not drunk = dull, repetitive feckers. And yes, I include myself in that evaluation of drunk people, which is why I try not to do it very much these days.

Drunks on the train... Again

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