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?
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?!
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
redbaron_99 wrote: » Sorry, it wasn't clear what you meant in your first post.
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.
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.
lolo62 wrote: » Seems logical but the prison system doesn't reform people. It's mental health and rehabilitation facilities that are needed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cazzoenorme wrote: » People fight occasionally, it happens. Read accounts from 100 years ago, there were far more street fights during the day time then.
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.
Santa Cruz wrote: » Have you tried smelling your kacks? Maybe you let a little out at the thought of being in Dublin without Mammy
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
