Should junkies get free travel?

denhaagenite · 21-05-2014 11:45AM

bumper234 wrote: »

You can picture the scene every morning as hundreds of junkies shuffle their way into town for their fix

http://davefarmersblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/zombie_horde.jpg

Those zombies look far too robust and healthy to be junkies...

Tony EH · 21-05-2014 12:15PM

The only thing that Junkies should get free is a state Cold Turkey program to get them off the skag.

PizzamanIRL · 21-05-2014 12:20PM

Newsflash - Junkies already get free travel. Not by law or anything. They just don't pay because they're junkies.

/Sweeping generalisation

Murt10 · 21-05-2014 12:27PM

As far as I can make out Free Travel Scheme was introduced by the late and much despised Charlie Haughey when he was the Minister for Social Welfare in the 1960s.

The Government was at the time, and still is, giving a subvention each year to CIE to keep it running unprofitable routes. Haughey noted that the CIE buses were going round empty most of the day, and he decided that the quid pro quo for CIE getting the money off the Government, would be that they would allow Old Age Pensioners to travel free off peak, ie after 10.00 am up to 4.00 pm and again from 7.00 pm to the end of the day, and all weekend.

Peak time did not apply to intercity trains as far as I know.

I presume the DA and other long term ill people were added at some stage later. Then, as part of other election and budget gimmicks, the peak time exclusion was abolished.

eisenberg1 · 21-05-2014 12:32PM

mikemac1 wrote: »

Most of their "clients" will be from the city centre so it is local to them.

Clinics exist outside the city centre too. Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot must be at least 8km from the city centre

Most "clients" are from city centre......just curious, are there statistics to back that up?

21-05-2014 12:37PM

bumper234 wrote: »

And when they intimidate paying passengers?

When they bring friends along for free?

When they sit upstairs and light cigarettes?

When they are generally making a nuisance of themselves during the journey by asking for money from passengers?

Make the ****ers walk, If they don't like it they can go without their drugs.

So every single last drug user is doing all of the above? wow :rolleyes:

bumper234 · 21-05-2014 12:40PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

So every single last drug user is doing all of the above? wow :rolleyes:

Doesn't matter if they do.all or just one, they shouldn't get free travel.to help subsidise the lifestyle.that they chose to live.

SEPT 23 1989 · 21-05-2014 12:41PM

Heroin addicts are on a disability allowance payment from the state and are entitled to a free travel pass

how are are they meant to get to and from their dealers patch without a free pass on the Luas or Dublin Bus,you cant expect those who are very unwell to walk

its only common sense

SterlingArcher · 21-05-2014 12:43PM

Look its a lifestyle choice. End of. Wrap your head around this fact and the answer is easy... Nobody claims Charlie Sheen is a victim?

FloatingVoter · 21-05-2014 12:47PM

Junkies are not entitled to free travel. They do use fake travel passes. The only people (outside of OAPs) who do get free travel are people on disability allowance. To qualify for that you'll need letters from a GP and have to go through a lengthy social welfare bureaucratic process.
More info here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/extra_social_welfare_benefits/free_travel.html

What you do have is one or two smackheads with genuine passes lending it out to their mates. If drivers checked the passes or better still, inspectors actually did a days work then it wouldn't be an issue.
I've travelled almost daily on the Tallaght to City centre bus route (27,77,151 etc.) over the last 5 years and only seen inspectors on two occasions.
If the OP wants a proper debate on this it could be moved to State Benefits or Commuting and Transport. Or we can make **** up and hope some idiot swallows it as fact.

ScumLord · 21-05-2014 12:53PM

I'd really like a free bus pass but I don't know if I have the time and perseverance to become a full time junky. Can I get like, a discount for being a recreational user? Or better yet can I put it towards diesel for my car?

I didn't even realise the government had categorized junkies and had made special benefits package for them.

Boombastic wrote: »

Why can't they walk, it's not like most of them have jobs to go to or much else to be doing.The exercise would do them good.

If they don't eat much they probably don't have the energy to walk.

Dan_Solo · 21-05-2014 12:53PM

I assume they get free trains then too?
Sometimes I'm on the Inter City and I'm the only person in a carriage of 30 or more who has a real live paid for ticket. Everybody else flashes some battered plastic wrapped cardboard, and they don't all look like they're on business trips either.

Dan_Solo · 21-05-2014 12:55PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Junkies are not entitled to free travel. They do use fake travel passes. The only people (outside of OAPs) who do get free travel are people on disability allowance. To qualify for that you'll need letters from a GP and have to go through a lengthy social welfare bureaucratic process.

Yeah, but the GP will just put them on disability won't he, so same difference.

suicide_circus · 21-05-2014 12:56PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Junkies are not entitled to free travel. They do use fake travel passes. The only people (outside of OAPs) who do get free travel are people on disability allowance. To qualify for that you'll need letters from a GP and have to go through a lengthy social welfare bureaucratic process.
More info here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/extra_social_welfare_benefits/free_travel.html

What you do have is one or two smackheads with genuine passes lending it out to their mates. If drivers checked the passes or better still, inspectors actually did a days work then it wouldn't be an issue.
I've travelled almost daily on the Tallaght to City centre bus route (27,77,151 etc.) over the last 5 years and only seen inspectors on two occasions.
If the OP wants a proper debate on this it could be moved to State Benefits or Commuting and Transport. Or we can make **** up and hope some idiot swallows it as fact.

And yet i was on the 747 Airlink to the airport few weeks back and had my ticket checked. me and the middle aged german tourists. checking for tickets on routes notorious for non payment and anti social behavior sounds a bit too much like hard work i imagine.

as for free travel for addicts, as you say it's probably mostly stolen/fake passes. but we've built up a culture here in which everyone is afraid to confront these people. they roam around with impunity intimidating, stealing, disturbing the peace and no one, let alone the police, seem to have the inclination to deal with them.

nc19 · 21-05-2014 12:56PM

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I work hard, pay my taxes and abide by the law.

They don't work, they don't pay taxes and they break the law.

I have a car I have to pay for and provide with petrol and if it breaks down I have to pay for the bus.

They get free public transport.

A question. Am I the eejit here?

They should all be sterilised and dumped onto an island somewhere

Dirty scumbags everyone of them. If you dont agree then you are one or know one.

i cant stand the sight of them. Contributing absolutely nothing of value to the world.

delw · 21-05-2014 12:57PM

I have a travel pass but im not a junkie & never was so it's nice to know that im tared with the same brush

Smidge · 21-05-2014 12:58PM

Can we not just have one Megathread for Junkies?
It would save people starting threads on them every couple of days.

jimmii · 21-05-2014 12:59PM

El Horseboxo wrote: »

Is there some sort of junkie form I can fill out? And are they strict with checking up on you?

Its easy you just find someone with a pass already and photocopy it seems to do the trick for most of them.

RobbingBandit · 21-05-2014 12:59PM

OP thought you have a hand up your rear end not a stick, down with these sort of threads, they are getting off hand at this stage.

suicide_circus · 21-05-2014 01:00PM

delw wrote: »

I have a travel pass but im not a junkie & never was so it's nice to know that im tared with the same brush

no one ever said everyone with a travel pass is a junkie, stop looking for reasons to be offended.

ScumLord · 21-05-2014 01:00PM

nc19 wrote: »

They should all be sterilised and dumped onto an island somewhere

How do you think we got in this mess? Someone tried to sterilize drunks but accidentally used heroin and dumped them on this island.

neamhspleachi · 21-05-2014 01:01PM

Setting up mobile treatment clinics may be an alternative to having methadone clinics in the city centre.

A fully fitted out mobile treatment unit, similar to the breast check/screening units for example, with qualified staff, located within the grounds of an already established DHSS health centre on a weekday basis, to dispense methadone to the clients from the area & surrounding areas.

This would facilitate clients in their home areas, negating the need for travel & the unecessary gathering of undesirables within the city centre.

Dan_Solo · 21-05-2014 01:02PM

delw wrote: »

I have a travel pass but im not a junkie & never was so it's nice to know that im tared with the same brush

All of X are Y is not the same as all of Y are X.

21-05-2014 01:02PM

delw wrote: »

I have a travel pass but im not a junkie & never was so it's nice to know that im tared with the same brush

May I ask who was complaining about people who need it getting a free travel pass? from what I can see people were really only arguing whether drug addicts should get them or not. I am only asking cause I genuinely don't see who was tarring you with the same brush.

bumper234 · 21-05-2014 01:05PM

neamhspleachi wrote: »

Setting up mobile treatment clinics may be an alternative to having methadone clinics in the city centre.

A fully fitted out mobile treatment unit, similar to the breast check/screening units for example, with qualified staff, located within the grounds of an already established DHSS health centre on a weekday basis, to dispense methadone to the clients from the area & surrounding areas.

This would facilitate clients in their home areas, negating the need for travel & the unecessary gathering of undesirables within the city centre.

Because people would start complaining about the influx of junkies from surrounding areas invading their areas.

21-05-2014 01:08PM

nc19 wrote: »

They should all be sterilised and dumped onto an island somewhere

Dirty scumbags everyone of them. If you dont agree then you are one or know one.

i cant stand the sight of them. Contributing absolutely nothing of value to the world.

I don't know any of them and I am definitely not one of them and I know they cause trouble wherever they go but they are still human beings. I think there has to be some level of sympathy shown though, they are really messed up and with some help they can go on to become functioning members of society.

At the same time if they are committing crimes they should be sent to jail for a period depending on the crime and there should be more effort to make sure there is no drugs in jail.

Honestly I don't know what to do but just calling them dirty scumbags or dump them on an island is not going to help and is really ignorant.

Boombastic · 21-05-2014 01:09PM

ScumLord wrote: »

....
If they don't eat much they probably don't have the energy to walk.

nothing like a good walk to work up an appetite

Sir Gallagher · 21-05-2014 01:14PM

nc19 wrote: »

Dirty scumbags everyone of them. If you dont agree then you are one or know one.

If somebody disagrees with you on the basis of knowing a junkie/junkies then you should probably listen to their opinion so you can reach at a less ignorant conclusion.

bumper234 · 21-05-2014 01:14PM

Government needs to go ahead build the prison in Thornton hall, make it single cells only and visiting strictly through glass. Let them have no physical contact with anyone and force them to partake in rehab programes to get them off drugs. Bring in a 3 strike rule and anyone caught gets auto 20.years inside with no parole. Then you will soon see drug addicts and crime in general.fall.

suicide_circus · 21-05-2014 01:15PM

Well I suppose the question is - is addiction a disability? If so, is it a significant enough disability to deserve a free travel pass?

Should junkies get free travel?

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