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Bloomberg: Coke-Selling Beggars & Punch-Ups Plague Dublin

WILL NEVER LOG OFF

Bit surprised at this, especially since the writer lives in dublin and ought to have some concern over exaggerating the problem.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-23/coke-selling-beggars-and-punch-ups-plague-downtown-dublin.html

Dublin, which declares itself the “City of a Thousand Welcomes,” is baring more of its ugly side. Behind the recovering prosperity in a nation rocked by a five-year financial crisis, aggressive begging, drug dealing and violence can lend the Irish capital an air of menace.

i know it's an irritation but all capitals have blackspots. "Plague" really??

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DiegoCosta

Relatively speaking Dublin is a safe city. You'd be much more likely to be assaulted or mugged in London.

Trent Houseboat

The_Captain wrote: »

I know, pathetic. On-street dealing just doesn't really happen here like it does in US and Uk cities

This exact thing happened to me out side the Foggy Dew about a year ago. If it was the same guy then gap toothed may have been a kind description, yer man had about four teeth.

Asked me for money, I said no. Asked for a smoke, I said no. Asked me if I wanted some coke, I said no. He assured me it was good stuff, yet I declined.

I assume it's to lure you off the beaten track in the name of discretion, and then threaten you into handing over cash and phone.

Street dealing does happen in Dublin, it was a fixture of Marlborough street for years until the Luas works started. You can see it on the boardwalk too.

Having said that Dublin is a pretty safe place.

Son Of A Vidic

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Bloomberg:a station mainly watched by coked up,money worshipping psychopaths

I'd also throw narcissist into the mix there.

MOH

Billy86 wrote: »

From the article: A gap-toothed man with a beard approaches, asking for cash. Turned down, he offers the drinkers cocaine.

Excuse me a moment, my bullsh*t detector just exploded.

That happened us during the summer. Drinking outside a pub in town, guy asks for money, then heads off up the road. Comes back down the road a while later, asks us for money again, when we turn him down asks us if we want to buy cocaine.
Unless you were incredibly stupid (or amazingly drunk) you wouldn't in a million years think he was actually selling cocaine. It seemed more an spur-of-the-moment enterprising, if misguided, attempt to come up with something to offer us in exchange for money. Nobody actually took him seriously

Egginacup

Billy86 wrote: »

From the article: A gap-toothed man with a beard approaches, asking for cash. Turned down, he offers the drinkers cocaine.

Excuse me a moment, my bullsh*t detector just exploded.

It's like something Alison O'Riordan would write.

"...the German tourist complete with spectacles and lederhosen, replied with a polite but firm 'nein!' "

:pac:

Davarus Walrus

Spotted a couple of junkies buying their fix from a couple of skobies only 20 minutes ago. On the corner between the quays and Westmoreland Street. Done in public. So the open drug dealing is happening.

Yurt2

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

Spotted a couple of junkies buying their fix from a couple of skobies only 20 minutes ago. On the corner between the quays and Westmoreland Street. Done in public. So the open drug dealing is happening.

Yup, the exact corner I was talking about earlier on in the thread. They should just have a Garda there full time. Granted it will push the problem elsewhere but at least it would be less visible and less likely for pedestrians on a main thoroughfare to be hassled/mugged/pickpocketed/caught up in a junkie fight.

The Diabolical Monocle

WILL NEVER LOG OFF wrote: »

Bit surprised at this, especially since the writer lives in dublin and ought to have some concern over exaggerating the problem.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-23/coke-selling-beggars-and-punch-ups-plague-downtown-dublin.html

i know it's an irritation but all capitals have blackspots. "Plague" really??

Journalists.

Creative Juices

BoJack Horseman wrote: »

As an occasional city centre user, yes, Dublin had indeed a slight air of menace about it.

Locals may become immune over time, but for non-regulars it is apparent & disheartening how Dublin has receded.

My thoughts exactly. I used to love Dublin but it has changed.

Sunnyisland

Back in Dublin the last two weeks, have been walking from st Stephens green down and across to Parnell street and everywhere in between,seen a few beggars and homeless people around Nassau st and Pearce st,seen three lads be searched in fleet st but mostly I seen busy happy people going about there business,
The only time I got shouted at was when a group of people with Viking hats on went aargh at me.
Maybe I was just lucky :-)

The_Captain

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

Spotted a couple of junkies buying their fix from a couple of skobies only 20 minutes ago. On the corner between the quays and Westmoreland Street. Done in public. So the open drug dealing is happening.

I have no doubt that homeless/junkies buy and sell on the street to each other, but there's not guys dealing on the streets to 'normal people' like you get in other countries.

Berserker

I have never been offered drugs in Dublin city centre. I think people blow this stuff completely out of proportion. I lived and worked there for years before anyone asks.

SEPT 23 1989

Berserker wrote: »

I have never been offered drugs in Dublin city centre. I think people blow this stuff completely out of proportion. I lived and worked there for years before anyone asks.

why would a dealer take the chance that you might be a copper?

Berserker

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

why would a dealer take the chance that you might be a copper?

Exactly. This contradicts the line where the 'gap-toothed man' offered the drinkers cocaine.

Dayum

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

why would a dealer take the chance that you might be a copper?

A friend of mine is a copper. To be honest, as much as people might not like to think it but the fact is the coppers don't give a flying ****e about the dealers. They know them well. The majority of dealers around town give the gardai info on bigger fish. They couldn't care less who they're selling to and why should they?

It's not like Joe Smith out for a new pair of jeans is going to pass by one of these guys and buy heroin. It's the same people giving custom.

stevedublin

WILL NEVER LOG OFF wrote: »

Bloomberg: Coke-Selling, Beggars & Punch-Ups Plague Dublin

Fixed your title

Berserker

stevedublin wrote: »

Fixed your title

Pedant.

Putinovsky

I know of at least 2 regular beggars around the South William Street area that go around offering coke to anyone sitting out the smoking areas so it definitely does happen.

If you don't think Dublin is menacing take a walk through the city centre on a Saturday night when your sober. It is a bit unsettling.

SVJKarate

I walk around Dublin's Grafton Street / Nassau Street / Temple Bar on a daily basis. I regularly encounter 'homeless' beggars (some of whom seem genuine, others less so) but for the most part they are in fact very respectful and certainly never pursue me. I've even stopped and spoken to a few where I thought they were at risk, and discussed how they could go about getting help.

There are a few people clearly off their heads, but during daylight hours at least they never interact with me. Indeed they seem to be almost unaware of me as we pass each other.

Slightly more annoying and persistent than the beggars are the 'chuggars' . . . but in recent months there are far less of them about. O'Connell Street and its tributaries are a bit worse than my usual haunts, admittedly.

All of the above can make it slightly unpleasant to walk about Dublin, but I cannot say I have ever felt unsafe nor threatened by their presence. That does not mean others are wrong to feel that way.

Noticeably in other countries I see far less beggars, and those I encounter are usually silent - just using a sign to advertise their plight (except for the few who perform songs & music on the public transport then pass around the hat). The main streets are usually kept free of beggars, drug addicts etc. Dublin's lax approach could very well be intimidating to tourists, and we would be well served to deal with that problem even if we cannot easily find a solution to the underlying homelessness and addiction problems.

CelticRambler

Silentcorner wrote: »

This is an Irish issue, it is at its most obvious in Dublin ...

Ah heyor ... :pac:

It's not an Irish issue, nor a Dublin one - it's just normal "city" life. I'm a Dub by birth but haven't live their properly for more than twenty years. And despite numerous trips back, I've never been "accosted" in Dublin like I have in Paris. Anyone who thinks a few coke-heads wandering around is bad for the city image should try walking a few blocks in Paris from Gare du Nord with their 8-year-old daughter and explaining to her what all those "women of a certain character" are waiting for. And then there's the deaf-dumb-blind Roma men/women with the sick/handicapped child, or the bloke whose determined to give you back the gold ring you just dropped ...

As someone else said above, Dublin's in the ha'penny place compared to real black-spots.

Billy86

Putinovsky wrote: »

I know of at least 2 regular beggars around the South William Street area that go around offering coke to anyone sitting out the smoking areas so it definitely does happen.

If you don't think Dublin is menacing take a walk through the city centre on a Saturday night when your sober. It is a bit unsettling.

I went to college right by south William Street for a few years (both at day and later at night) and was there almost every day. I also worked on south William Street after that peropd for a good 7 months Monday - Friday. Can honestly say I was never once approached over drugs.

The_Captain

Putinovsky wrote: »

If you don't think Dublin is menacing take a walk through the city centre on a Saturday night when your sober. It is a bit unsettling.

Done it hundreds of times, don't find it menacing or unsettling.

I guess people who don't grow up in a city and aren't used to this way of life would find it intimidating but it's really just everyday life

Highflyer13

Was up in Belfast the weekend. City hall looked amazing at night and the city centre itself was immaculate. Obviously the surrounding areas still have their outstanding issues.

We came back via the port tunnel and quays into Dublin and I couldn't help notice the difference from Custom House and up O'Connell street. There were groups of junkies sitting at custom house and the building itself was very dark and not well lit. I was on one of the Paddywagon buses full of tourists and as the driver pointed out the Custom House I felt kind of ashamed. We got off on O'Connell street which was very dark and feels menacing and again a group of junkies squabbling at the drop off point. Awful again for the image. The Spire is also unlit for the last while which certainly doesn't help the mood.

We have a brilliant city in Dublin with lots to see and do but if the effort was made to actually clean it up think of how could it could be? The North city centre needs its image improved for sure.

Iwasfrozen

Areyouwell wrote: »

The very types who helped put the world economy on it's knees back in 2008.

The very type who are helping it recover in 2014.

Larbre34

No point comparing Dublin to other cities, it should be compared to itself, at its best, and thats not now.

I'm lucky enough to have visited a good many big cities, some comparable with Dublin, some way bigger, or more affluent, some dirt poor and crime ridden. They all have problems manifesting in different ways, but when it comes to Dublin, in the last ten years the city centre has turned into a sketchy kip and that compares badly with how it used to be.

I neither live nor work in the city centre, so im not in there particularly often, but in the last 5 months I have seen two junkies pull the clothes off each other in a fist fight outside a pub in Dame Lane, another one taking a dump in the street near the Irish Life Mall carpark entrance, been accosted on O'Connell Street by a soaking wet bare chested skobie who wanted to fight me for my taxi, clearly with several different drugs on board, and been followed by 3 different potential muggers in Henry Street because I had a jewellers shop bag in my hand - had to duck into department stores to give them the slip.

That Bloomberg article has taken a few poetic liberties, but not much. People need to acknowledge what a state the place is actually in.

Micky Dolenz

What is desperately needed is a AGS booth in temple
Bar. A lot of tourists only see temple bar and it's littered by junkies. Clear up TB and work your way outward.

BrokenHero

Billy86 wrote: »

From the article: A gap-toothed man with a beard approaches, asking for cash. Turned down, he offers the drinkers cocaine.

Excuse me a moment, my bullsh*t detector just exploded.

I have been asked for money many times in Dublin by beggers and when I just ignored them, was then asked 'Was I looking'.

Me_Grapes

27 years living in Dublin and I can honestly say, I haven't ONCE been approached on the street to buy any type of street drug. Compared to Amsterdam, where bearly 1 hour went by without being told by someone 'I can get you coke'.

But yeah, the junkie problem is getting out of hand on some streets in Dublin.

Billy86

Larbre34 wrote: »

and been followed by 3 different potential muggers in Henry Street because I had a jewellers shop bag in my hand - had to duck into department stores to give them the slip.

Out of curiosity, how were you sure they were all potential muggers?

Billy86

BrokenHero wrote: »

I have been asked for money many times in Dublin by beggers and when I just ignored them, was then asked 'Was I looking'.

Well fair enough, like I said I went to college in town for several years (the last of which was evening lectures) and worked there full time for over a year total (South William Street and Lower Leeson Street), as well as being out in town most weekends for the guys of a decade as well, and I've never once had this happen to me.