Assault in broad daylight

underachieved · 16-05-2014 07:29PM

redbaron_99 wrote: »

I try my best to stay clear of Dublin city centre these days. I absolutely hate the place, night or day. But yesterday was one of those rare occasions when I had to go in.

So, I park in the multi-storey on Parnell Street and on walking through the exit I am presented with quite a sight. Two guys beating the crap out of another guy. All three were what I would describe as 'undesirables'. They had the guy on the ground and there was lots of shouting, and sitting right next to them on the steps was what appeared to be one of their girlfriends, smoking and texting as casual as you like. Not a care in the world.

This was not late at night. It was in broad daylight. Just after 6.30pm. And you know what, I just walked right past them. Didn't bother looking back. I just went about my day. And other people on the street did the exact same thing.

Basically there was nothing I could do. If I tried to intervene, I might have been beaten up or worse. All three of them might have turned on me (I've seen this type of thing happen before). Or if I knocked one of them out, I might have been up on charges.

I was going to call the gardai, but saw someone else on their phone and heard him reporting the assault. And so I went about my business.

But the incident is stuck in my head. I'm 36 years old, and even back when I was 20 this would have shocked me to see something like this on a busy street in daylight. Over the last 15 years this city, and country (you only need to look at the news today to see its nationwide) has become a very dangerous place. What is it going to be like 20 years from now???

I think we as a nation need to start thinking about where we're headed. This country seems completely rudderless. The authorities and government are not providing a positive direction and I can only see things getting worse.

You would think with the amount of taxes we pay, that we would at least live in a safe environment.

Thoughts?

Only 4500 prison places in Ireland. Multiple individuals walking around with multiple convictions. Nobody serving a full sentence. Repeat offenders with nothing to fear.

Practical solution. Build more prisons and make those convicted of crime serve their time.

Invest more in primary and secondary education

Stop giving millions each year to sporting organisations for projects not needed by society. Ie 30 million for panic ui caoimhe (spelling) when there's already 3 other 30000 sweater stadiums in munster

redbaron_99 · 16-05-2014 07:29PM

lolo62 wrote: »

I did, as I said to op duty done by making sure it wasn't left unreported. You wouldn't be looking for a fight yourself now would you?!

Sorry, it wasn't clear what you meant in your first post.

Boombastic · 16-05-2014 07:31PM

underachieved wrote: »

Only 4500 prison places in Ireland. Multiple individuals walking around with multiple convictions. Nobody serving a full sentence. Repeat offenders with nothing to fear.

Practical solution. Build more prisons and make those convicted of crime serve their time.

Invest more in primary and secondary education

Stop giving millions each year to sporting organisations for projects not needed by society. Ie 30 million for panic ui caoimhe (spelling) when there's already 3 other 30000 sweater stadiums in munster

or

1. invest more money in GAA
2. Give out free Hurleys
3. ????
4. profit & peace

Gongoozler · 16-05-2014 07:33PM

I work south side, live north side, and so I travel through town twice a day five days a week. Minimum. I also go out in the citycat the weekend. In fact I spend most of my weekend in the city. The spot in the OP is about a 7 min walk from my house. I don't recall a single incident like this or others in the thread in my > 3 years living here.

Bongalongherb · 16-05-2014 07:35PM

underachieved wrote: »

Only 4500 prison places in Ireland. Multiple individuals walking around with multiple convictions. Nobody serving a full sentence. Repeat offenders with nothing to fear.

Practical solution. Build more prisons and make those convicted of crime serve their time.

Invest more in primary and secondary education

Stop giving millions each year to sporting organisations for projects not needed by society. Ie 30 million for panic ui caoimhe (spelling) when there's already 3 other 30000 sweater stadiums in munster

Well according to the government, the economy is picking up, so if this is the case then why don't they immediately start building a new prison or two ?. Seems logical.

ToddyDoody · 16-05-2014 07:36PM

At least it wasn't an assault in narrow daylight

lolo62 · 16-05-2014 07:38PM

redbaron_99 wrote: »

Sorry, it wasn't clear what you meant in your first post.

No probs, it's **** to have to see that but i totally think you did the right thing and it's clear you did your duty regardless by making sure it was being reported before leaving.

lolo62 · 16-05-2014 07:40PM

Bongalongherb wrote: »

Well according to the government, the economy is picking up, so if this is the case then why don't they immediately start building a new prison or two ?. Seems logical.

Seems logical but the prison system doesn't reform people. It's mental health and rehabilitation facilities that are needed.

Don't Chute! · 16-05-2014 07:40PM

Yeah Dublin is like an absolute warzone, you cannot walk the streets day or night, even though i've been going in there regularly for twenty five years and never had a problem. Do people actually WANT Dublin to be that bad? Because there is enough people ****ing whinging about it.

Wicklowrider · 16-05-2014 07:47PM

Gongoozler wrote: »

I work south side, live north side, and so I travel through town twice a day five days a week. Minimum. I also go out in the citycat the weekend. In fact I spend most of my weekend in the city. The spot in the OP is about a 7 min walk from my house. I don't recall a single incident like this or others in the thread in my > 3 years living here.

http://bit.ly/1j3iABU

Bongalongherb · 16-05-2014 07:48PM

lolo62 wrote: »

Seems logical but the prison system doesn't reform people. It's mental health and rehabilitation facilities that are needed.

Rehabilitation facilities exist inside prison if prisoners want to use these, but a lot don't bother as they are just not bothered, and are just used to their criminal existence as a habit, and always will be. Not them all of course, but many. The prisons now, even mountjoy have a lot of good stuff to teach folk in relation to getting on with their lives as a decent member of this so-called decent society.

pragmatic1 · 16-05-2014 07:58PM

donegal__road wrote: »

some years ago in Letterkenny one night, I was standing at the bottom of the main street looking for a taxi when I noticed a garda coming running down the street with his cap under his arm towards me.

For a second I thought that he must have spotted some sort of altercation going on behind me and was rushing over to sort it out.. then I realised that he was actually running from a drunken mob who were chasing after him down the street. The squad car appeared at the bottom of the street, the garda jumped in and it sped off.

Yeah I've seen loads of fights on that mainstreet.

Whatsisname · 16-05-2014 08:00PM

I've only ever been to Dublin City twice and it seems to be kinda the wrong place at the wrong time kinda situations people get themselves into. For example, I went there last year as part of a college trip and it was my first time there without parents or anything and the amount of junkies and scumbags coming up to me begging for money, fags etc was unbelievable. I realised the second you stop walking, someone will spot you and come up to you and start it, depending on the street ofcourse. There was about 6/7 of us who got hassled by some lad in Temple Bar too, he would not leave us alone and its quite intimidating, I saw a guy wrapped in a blanket inhaling a can of something and that was it for me. Had scummy women shout at me and a friend for no reason to.

But then I went just after Christmas, just me and my girlfriend travelled up and we didn't encounter one problem, even after being quite turned off the city from my first time, not one person said a word to us and we were actually on the street OP said, without really realizing it has a bad reputation.

So like, it does have its problems, but doesnt every major city in Europe? It can be easy to feel a bit uncomfortable, but as someone said here, its best not to show fear cause its like a magnet for junkies, scumbags etc. A higher gardai no tolerance presence would be helpful but its not exactly feasible. Although it should be.

lolo62 · 16-05-2014 08:01PM

Bongalongherb wrote: »

Rehabilitation facilities exist inside prison if prisoners want to use these, but a lot don't bother as they are just not bothered, and are just used to their criminal existence as a habit, and always will be. Not them all of course, but many. The prisons now, even mountjoy have a lot of good stuff to teach folk in relation to getting on with their lives as a decent member of this so-called decent society.

I don't just mean prisoners, although there is only limited access to proper support for mental health issues and drug addiction in prisons.

I mean better mental health services and programmes for addicts so they don't spiral into the cycle of crime and prison in the first place.

danger_here · 16-05-2014 08:07PM

Nino Brown wrote: »

What can the Gardai do really? Its a lot of hassle to arrest them, they'd be out that evening. Better to let them fight it out, they might even do the gene pool a favour with a lucky punch.

While I agree with your sentiments about the gene pool, there is alot more the guards can do. The city (significantly larger than Dublin) I live on the continent has almost no crime yet cops are visible driving around all day picking their noses maybe but they are there. The St Patrick's Day parade of expats is accompanied by about 20 vans of riot cops, just in case. Of course nothing ever happens and the cops are friendly but they are still there and dressed like robocop.

The reality is that the guards are not properly equipped to be cops in modern Ireland.

Bongalongherb · 16-05-2014 08:25PM

lolo62 wrote: »

I don't just mean prisoners, although there is only limited access to proper support for mental health issues and drug addiction in prisons.

I mean better mental health services and programmes for addicts so they don't spiral into the cycle of crime and prison in the first place.

Well, 'if' an addict, then the addict is the only one that can seek help to go straight. All the help in the world forwarded to an addict will not work unless the addict his/herself wants to get helped and come clean.
Mind over matter..
With this attitude it's possible for an addict to get good help and sort themselves out. Not as easy as that of course, but it takes an immense amount of this mind over matter thinking to accomplish the goal and get clean. It's possible though, they just need to want to.

This sweet-shop distribution of methadone in Dublin city is not helping any-one of these people. They need to get off the crap altogether and integrate slowly back into society.

These folk need to help themselves first as a first step.

Santa Cruz · 16-05-2014 08:32PM

Bongalongherb wrote: »

In all fairness, Dublin city has gone to sh!t. Every time I'm in there I see problems. I'm just glad I don't live there. Once I hit O' Connell street I get a bang of pish in the air, not nice.

Have you tried smelling your kacks? Maybe you let a little out at the thought of being in Dublin without Mammy

cloud493 · 16-05-2014 08:33PM

The way people on here talk, you'd think Dublin city centre had turned into a no mans land or something. There's scumbags in every big city.

EyeSight · 16-05-2014 08:35PM

Whatsisname wrote: »

I've only ever been to Dublin City twice and it seems to be kinda the wrong place at the wrong time kinda situations people get themselves into. For example, I went there last year as part of a college trip and it was my first time there without parents or anything and the amount of junkies and scumbags coming up to me begging for money, fags etc was unbelievable. I realised the second you stop walking, someone will spot you and come up to you and start it, depending on the street ofcourse. There was about 6/7 of us who got hassled by some lad in Temple Bar too, he would not leave us alone and its quite intimidating, I saw a guy wrapped in a blanket inhaling a can of something and that was it for me. Had scummy women shout at me and a friend for no reason to.

But then I went just after Christmas, just me and my girlfriend travelled up and we didn't encounter one problem, even after being quite turned off the city from my first time, not one person said a word to us and we were actually on the street OP said, without really realizing it has a bad reputation.

So like, it does have its problems, but doesnt every major city in Europe? It can be easy to feel a bit uncomfortable, but as someone said here, its best not to show fear cause its like a magnet for junkies, scumbags etc. A higher gardai no tolerance presence would be helpful but its not exactly feasible. Although it should be.

Your post is fair enough. But the bit in bold is something many say but i disagree with.
If i went to certain suburbs of Paris I would expect it to be rough and dangerous. If you stand under the Eiffel tower or go to Times square in NYC, main tourist areas, you would never see this. You would see people selling cheap tat, but also a huge number of cops who crack down on criminal straight away. Compare that the OCS by the spire or Temple bar.
Even so, we know the problem is bad so we should strive to improve. It shouldn't matter what problems other cities have.
Not even just the tourist areas

Gran Hermano · 16-05-2014 08:43PM

Cazzoenorme wrote: »

People fight occasionally, it happens. Read accounts from 100 years ago, there were far more street fights during the day time then.

Donnybrook fair?

redbaron_99 · 16-05-2014 08:47PM

cloud493 wrote: »

The way people on here talk, you'd think Dublin city centre had turned into a no mans land or something. There's scumbags in every big city.

I'm not saying it's turned into a war zone. And we are discussing Dublin, not other cities.
But if you do want to discuss other cities, I can think of many that aren't awash with scumbags. Especially in areas that are popular with tourists.

You might think its ridiculous, but this sort of thing is happening regularly. I doubt you will think its ridiculous if a couple of scumbags decide to have a go at you some day. Because there's a very good chance that the street could be full of people and no one will come to your aid.

Bongalongherb · 16-05-2014 08:51PM

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Have you tried smelling your kacks? Maybe you let a little out at the thought of being in Dublin without Mammy

I grew up in legoland Darndale for 14 years and I've seen a lot, so mammy is not here to hold my hand when I travel into Dublin city. I'm just saying that many parts of Dublin city have turned into a sh!t-hole.

And it's true. I also understand that folk that live in the city will not like others to call it a sh!t-hole, because they have to live in it and don't want to even think about it.

The bang of pish must be the liffey so

mfceiling · 16-05-2014 08:52PM

Diego Simeone wrote: »

Irish people don't like paying taxes, any suggested increase is met with incredible hostility. Irish people don't like reductions in benefits, any suggested reduction is met with incredible hostility. As a result we have an underfunded police service that can't be expected to perform on a par with the best in Europe, countries where taxation levels are much higher.

How much more tax do you want us to pay.

One of the highest rates of income tax in europe - you're upwards on 50% in a blink. Then you've the made up USC, and PRSI, property tax, water rates coming, maybe compulsary health insurance, waste charges, carbon tax, high rates of motor tax - don't forget VRT - which is added to the car price and then the Vat goes on to that (double taxation), high tax on petrol and diesel and all the other nice little stealth taxes.

Where are we going to find more money to pay for more Garda? Believe me, i'd love to see more of them on the streets. Maybe if the lads in Leinster house stopped p*ssing our taxes against the wall then we could have a better country.

goz83 · 16-05-2014 09:01PM

Heat_Wave wrote: »

OP, I myself had a disturbing experience in town today.

I was walking down O'Connell Street this morning at 9am(very busy), and I dropped my student travelcard without realising. A cyclist then tapped me on my shoulder to inform me that I had dropped a card a good distance back. A junkie overheard this and chased me to my card! He had quite a bad limp so I got to my card first. I picked it up and speed walked off. However, he followed me the whole way down the street shouting at me 'what the **** did you pick up? what the **** is in your hand? don't ****ing ignore me etc.'.

I'm a young girl and I was absolutely petrified. By the time I reached work I was sweating like mad. I was shocked at how no one 'helped me' but having given it some thought I realised that there's actually nothing anyone could have done. What is he had a syringe or something on him?

Sad state of affairs when you're afraid to walk to work in the morning!

Abuse of the highest order there :rolleyes:

BrokenArrows · 16-05-2014 09:14PM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

I was coming out of work one night in Temple Bar I'll tell you when it was, around the time of the original Space Shuttle. Anyway right there on the pavement, crowds milling around oblivious, a fella is beating ten bells out of his female companion, she's croubched down with her hands over her head in the old atomic crash position.
Being fearless of course I immediately waded in to save my sister.
Up she gets like Lazarus waving an umbrella" geh away from my felllaaaa'. That told me.

Problem is that scumbags have scumbag girlfriends.

Similar thing happened to me last weekend. Came across a guy holding and girl on the ground shouting at her. I stepped in and the girl comes up screaming at me. The fact that this might happen crossed my mind before I stepped in.
So the next time I come across a similar situation I might just say "what's the point" and move on and that's when the papers report that no one did anything!

mickydoomsux · 16-05-2014 09:15PM

cloud493 wrote: »

The way people on here talk, you'd think Dublin city centre had turned into a no mans land or something. There's scumbags in every big city.

I've been to a lot of cities all over the world, most of them larger than Dublin.

Dublin is my least favorite by far. It's a scummy, run-down-looking place with a constant air of "something about to kick off" at all times.

I've been up a few times in the past fortnight to visit my father in hospital and i just want to be in and out as quickly as possible. I work in public transport so i'm well used to tanked-up/high scummers causing a problem but it's just rampant in Dublin.

A horrible kip of a place.

Nino Brown · 16-05-2014 09:17PM

danger_here wrote: »

While I agree with your sentiments about the gene pool, there is alot more the guards can do. The city (significantly larger than Dublin) I live on the continent has almost no crime yet cops are visible driving around all day picking their noses maybe but they are there. The St Patrick's Day parade of expats is accompanied by about 20 vans of riot cops, just in case. Of course nothing ever happens and the cops are friendly but they are still there and dressed like robocop.

The reality is that the guards are not properly equipped to be cops in modern Ireland.

That's because cops on the continent are allowed to do their job. If they thump a scumbag in Ireland the Guard ends up in court. No point giving them equipment they're not allowed use.

downonthefarm · 16-05-2014 09:19PM

Tail Docker wrote: »

No-one touched you. They were probably best of mates again when they sobered up. Which bit wasn't safe? Junkies/winos will tend to batter each other - no amount of tax money will stop that. They'd fight themselves if none of their mates were around.

Bum fights ftw

Bongalongherb · 16-05-2014 09:24PM

Obviously the more people crammed into a city will show more criminal and addict problems, but you get sick to fecking death of it all the time when you do see it constantly. It has nothing to do with how hard you are at the continuous/immune mind scenario, it's just a pain in the arse for folk.

A previous poster above said I needed mammy to help me along in Dublin city, but this is not the point. The point is that Dublin city in many parts are a bastard for tourists and folk that visit the city and also folk that live there with addicts and needles all over the place, and being pestered.

Have you ever walked along north lotts behind the hotel on O'Connell street ? the amount of tourist cards and handbags strewn along this back alley just shows there is obviously a lot of muggings here. I used to work there for 16 years on north lotts and the amount of addicts and needles is insane. Yes parts of the city are bad, and the gardai cannot be everywhere at once, but I have seen gardai walk by nasty fights with bottles splattered over peoples heads and they just walk away.

Dublin city north especially needs a spring-clean-up bigtime.

Vote for Bongalongherb in the coming general elections... vote No. 1. Independent, and I will clean it all up with a mini nuke.

underachieved · 16-05-2014 09:47PM

Nino Brown wrote: »

I agree, I know loads applied for the Garda jobs, but we don't have the money, it's not as simple as hiring everyone willing to it, but yeah I agree things need to change, we need bigger prisons, more cops, less lenient sentences, all of which cost money we don't have.

Just bigger prisons with people serving their sentances, read the paper, guards are doing their job. People walking around with 20/30/40/50/60/70/80 previous convictions.

Lock em up for a start and we're on the way!!

Assault in broad daylight

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