Won't somebody please think of the children? Adult Store opens in Drumcondra

One eyed Jack wrote: »

So he's talking nonsense with this then?

The company name on a big sign over the door, with the potential to be seen by 80,000 pairs of eyes, and all that traffic driven into the shop in a residential area, and that's 'low key' apparently?

It's just a name. Playblue isn't sexual, it's not provocative in anyway.

eviltwin wrote: »

It's just a name. Playblue isn't sexual, it's not provocative in anyway.

True, it's a shyte name for a sex shop, but this chap seemed to think that just the name alone on a big sign would be enough to attract the attention of 80,000 people and draw them into a residential area.

Sure what could possibly go wrong?

One eyed Jack wrote: »

True, it's a shyte name for a sex shop, but this chap seemed to think that just the name alone on a big sign would be enough to attract the attention of 80,000 people and draw them into a residential area.

Sure what could possibly go wrong?

He's not trying to get them into a residential area. He wants to direct them to his website. Hasn't it already been established that this premises is just a warehouse of sorts and not a public office?

TherapyBoy

One eyed Jack wrote: »

all that traffic driven into the shop in a residential area, and that's 'low key' apparently?

His quote said "drive traffic to the shop", maybe he meant their online shop. Their sign did said PlayBlue.ie

K4t

Thread title makes absolutely no sense unless they're selling child porn.

eviltwin wrote: »

He's not trying to get them into a residential area. He wants to direct them to his website. Hasn't it already been established that this premises is just a warehouse of sorts and not a public office?

TherapyBoy wrote: »

His quote said "drive traffic to the shop", maybe he meant their online shop. Their sign did said PlayBlue.ie

People will still have to come to said warehouse/sex shop/adult shop/whatever, to collect their purchases. I can see where the local residents and retailers are coming from that they wouldn't want a sex shop business bringing down the tone of the area and especially so near to a primary school.

The more I think about it, I have to say I wouldn't be too chuffed about having a sex shop/warehouse in my local residential community or anywhere near a school in the area for that matter. They're fine downtown where they are in the business district.

One eyed Jack wrote: »

People will still have to come to said warehouse/sex shop/adult shop/whatever, to collect their purchases. I can see where the local residents and retailers are coming from that they wouldn't want a sex shop business bringing down the tone of the area and especially so near to a primary school.

The more I think about it, I have to say I wouldn't be too chuffed about having a sex shop/warehouse in my local residential community or anywhere near a school in the area for that matter. They're fine downtown where they are in the business district.

Most items will be sent by post I imagine. Even if people collect so what....the items will be packaged discretely. What is your concern? The merchandise or the types of people who will buy them?

eviltwin wrote: »

Most items will be sent by post I imagine. Even if people collect so what....the items will be packaged discretely. What is your concern? The merchandise or the types of people who will buy them?

The types of people who but items in a sex shop are by and large normal and decent members of society who enjoy a bit of fun in the bedroom.
They are not sexual deviants. Anyone concerned (not saying you eviltwin) by those who buy anthing in a sex shop are well wide of the mark as to how they perceive these people which form a fair chunk of society I'd say.

Cienciano

Muahahaha wrote: »

Sex shops aren't good for property prices and many in Drumcondra are in huge negative equity. I don't believe this is only about the children tbh

Think you hit the nail on the head here. The locals thought the sex shop would lower the tone of the area and are masking it under "won't somebody please think of the children".
I've read all the posts and not one legitimate complaint about the shop.

MonsterCookie

Cienciano wrote: »

Think you hit the nail on the head here. The locals thought the sex shop would lower the tone of the area and are masking it under "won't somebody please think of the children".
I've read all the posts and not one legitimate complaint about the shop.

I can categorically say that property price has nothing to do with it from my perspective. But go ahead and explain how a sex shop would impact property price if you think it's a more realistic concern.

eviltwin wrote: »

Most items will be sent by post I imagine. Even if people collect so what....the items will be packaged discretely. What is your concern? The merchandise or the types of people who will buy them?

The whole idea tbh.

I mean, it makes no sense to me to locate a sex shop/warehouse in a residential area, nor near a school. I couldn't care less about the items being packaged discreetly or who goes in there (in fairness there's no particular outstanding demographic we could say purchases sex toys and other adult sexual material, from young men to old women, boiler suits to Armani suits). It's simply the presence of a sex shop in the area itself, when there are more suitable areas the sex shop could be located.

We're all adults here of course, but not all adults are interested in having a sex shop so close to a residential area, or so close to a school. It's difficult enough as it is already to protect children from the pressure of being exposed to over-sexualised imagery before they're at a stage where they're able to process it properly, so a big PlayBlue.ie signpost is going to arouse their natural curiosity, and I'd rather myself personally that they weren't exposed to that before they were ready for it.

If adults want to wear adult nappies or whatever the fcukmaster 5000 gets them off behind closed doors, more power to them, but the rest of the neighborhood doesn't need to know about it.

One eyed Jack wrote: »

The whole idea tbh.

I mean, it makes no sense to me to locate a sex shop/warehouse in a residential area, nor near a school. I couldn't care less about the items being packaged discreetly or who goes in there (in fairness there's no particular outstanding demographic we could say purchases sex toys and other adult sexual material, from young men to old women, boiler suits to Armani suits). It's simply the presence of a sex shop in the area itself, when there are more suitable areas the sex shop could be located.

We're all adults here of course, but not all adults are interested in having a sex shop so close to a residential area, or so close to a school. It's difficult enough as it is already to protect children from the pressure of being exposed to over-sexualised imagery before they're at a stage where they're able to process it properly, so a big PlayBlue.ie signpost is going to arouse their natural curiosity, and I'd rather myself personally that they weren't exposed to that before they were ready for it.

If adults want to wear adult nappies or whatever the fcukmaster 5000 gets them off behind closed doors, more power to them, but the rest of the neighborhood doesn't need to know about it.

No one will know about it. There is a sex shop in Phibsborough right beside the church, it's a residential area. It's been there for years, it's harmless. The people of Drumcondra have nothing to fear.

One eyed Jack wrote: »

The whole idea tbh.

I mean, it makes no sense to me to locate a sex shop/warehouse in a residential area, nor near a school..

I don't think locating it near a school was a determining factor in choosing the location. A residential area however...near people, people have sex....some people like to spice things up a bit...things you can buy in a sex shop...might be handy to have one close by...

eviltwin wrote: »

No one will know about it. There is a sex shop in Phibsborough right beside the church, it's a residential area. It's been there for years, it's harmless. The people of Drumcondra have nothing to fear.

Back to this again. The owner wanted a potential 80,000 people to know about it. That's not 'noboby' in fairness. The people of Phibsborough don't care about a sex shop in their area well that's their standards, but that shouldn't mean that the same standards would apply across the board to everyone. That's the assumption the shop owner made, and it turned out he was wrong.

I know what you mean when you say there's nothing to fear, but, well, it's not something I personally would get too excited about either really.

gramar wrote: »

I don't think locating it near a school was a determining factor in choosing the location. A residential area however...near people, people have sex....some people like to spice things up a bit...things you can buy in a sex shop...might be handy to have one close by...

A sex shop is hardly an essential part of any community.

Rough Sleeper

One eyed Jack wrote: »

A sex shop is hardly an essential part of any community.

It's proper bad form strawmanning someone based on two lines of text.

riclad

SO whats the big deal,
children wont be allowed in the shop,
its not like there,s pictures of nude women in the window,
Children in the school probably won,t know what it is .
ITS a bit like when divorce, gay marriage was discussed ,
it was said the sky will fall,
the whole structure of marriage will fall apart .
IF divorce,legal contraception was brought in .
perhaps we can just put all shops in dublin 1,
for those people who are too stupid to understand the concept of shops in your local residential area .
playblue could mean anything not necessarily sexual .
if they want to be discreet make the name of the shop sign smaller
than say a londis sign since its just a warehouse type shop .
The drivers and people who work there will know where it is anyway .
Theres a sex shop near clearys .
1000,S OF people, including young people, go thru o,connell st every day,
does ,nt seem to cause anyone any harm .

Rough Sleeper wrote: »

It's proper bad form strawmanning someone based on two lines of text.

I don't get what you mean really. I wasn't attempting any strawman, I was being honest. I get gramar's point that people like to use sex toys and all for whatever their reasons are (the only reason I say whatever their reasons are is because many of my friends use sex toys for solo activity when they just don't feel like having sex or they're not in a relationship, etc, I don't really care for their reasons really), but having a sex shop close by is not something like "I'll just pop down to the sex shop for a vibrator" or whatever. They can order it online and get it delivered to their door.

That's why I suggested that a bricks and mortar sex shop is hardly an essential part of any community like the local newsagents where you might pop in for a loaf of bread or a carton of milk and the whole community knows each other.

You don't get that sort of community atmosphere in a sex shop where as polite and professional and all as the staff are, it's just not the same feeling of community and the whole community isn't welcome in there, over 18's only.

whisky_galore

aloyisious wrote: »

Is that due to an accidental poke in the eye?

Only when it's cold.

Yellowblackbird

Can you imagine for any ropey pervs living around Drumcondra. Last week must of started as one of the most exciting of their life. Before turning to crushing disappointment. So near and yet so far. :pac:

riclad

Lets say there,s
a builders providers ,or car parts store theres no legal ban on children going in there ,
but children don,t normally go around buying parts for car,or cement ,sand, wooden planks etc everyday .
not every shop is designed for local people to meet and chat ,
some people go to a shop ,and buy stuff and leave .
I normally pay for my goods and leave as everytime i go to my local shops ,
aldi, tesco, etc there seems to be different people working there .

i know 2 people who work in my local shops and thats it,
eg 90 per cent of people who work there i would not know them.
Some shops are there just to provide a service,
i give you ,money , you give me bread, pizza etc .
There maybe limited rental units avaidable for that store ,
eg 300 sq ft etc
the rent in all area,s is different .
eg rents in grafton st are probably 10 times the average rent in drumcondra.
i presume married people use sex shops ,not just single people .

darkpagandeath

riclad wrote: »

Lets say there,s
a builders providers ,or car parts store theres no legal ban on children going in there ,
but children don,t normally go around buying parts for car,or cement ,sand, wooden planks etc everyday .
not every shop is designed for local people to meet and chat ,
some people go to a shop ,and buy stuff and leave .
I normally pay for my goods and leave as everytime i go to my local shops ,
aldi, tesco, etc there seems to be different people working there .

i know 2 people who work in my local shops and thats it,
eg 90 per cent of people who work there i would not know them.
Some shops are there just to provide a service,
i give you ,money , you give me bread, pizza etc .
There maybe limited rental units avaidable for that store ,
eg 300 sq ft etc
the rent in all area,s is different .
eg rents in grafton st are probably 10 times the average rent in drumcondra.
i presume married people use sex shops ,not just single people .

Single people having sex !!!! Call the clergy.

Cienciano

MonsterCookie wrote: »

I can categorically say that property price has nothing to do with it from my perspective. But go ahead and explain how a sex shop would impact property price if you think it's a more realistic concern.

As I said, it lowers the tone of the area. They're generally seen as things in rougher areas.
But your reasons don't make any sense to me. Lets see:

MonsterCookie wrote: »

So, we don't want our son to see the **** in the window or to encounter creepy characters that might be drawn to the shop.

So we have a "creepy" person "might" go to the shop and "might" encounter your child. That is the most ridiclious thing I've heard! To a high proportion of pedos go to sex shops or something?

MonsterCookie wrote: »

Yes it is. Within 100 yards and visible from yard where 1st and 2nd class kids play.

But I'm guessing you won't take my word for it.

MonsterCookie wrote: »

Was trying to answer your question which was multiple choice I.e. 'See stuff' or sneak in.

In general, sex shops can be discreet but don't have to be. Also, irish sex shops tend to be quite seedy and attract a wide range of types from the ordinary to the downright creepy.

Is it so hard to understand that a parent would want to at least make their feelings known? I understand you are in Berlin so would welcome your views based on your experience there.

Other arguments is your child might "see somthing". What do you think would be in the window of this shop?

One eyed Jack wrote: »

A sex shop is hardly an essential part of any community.

It's not essential but what is essential?

It's not about being part of the community...it's about being:

- close to a significant residential population from where they will get some footfall
- on a very busy road with considerable passing traffic with it's website address highly visible
- apart from sales it acts a store/showroom from where people can see/buy and the store can prepare online sales

The shop could be somewhere else...but it was chosen because the location had certain benefits over say an industrial estate, perhaps rental terms, size etc The shop window wasn't going to be full of plastic willies and furry handcuffs...they were discreet from the off until the concerned parents decided to lead their little lambs to the wolf's door so to speak with all the stink they kicked up.

The owners decided that it wasn't worth getting into a battle with the Carrigstown Crusaders and backed out but will be delighted by the publicity and I'll bet their website traffic was up a 1000% because of it.
Now they know that anytime they want a bit of publicity they just need to express interest in opening a shop in any residential area and they'll be front page news for a day or two.

SeanW

One eyed Jack wrote: »

A sex shop is hardly an essential part of any community.

Did anyone say it was?

gramar wrote: »

It's not essential but what is essential?

Whatever the people living in the community deem to be essential, whether that's a grocery shop, or a school, or a green area for the children to play on or in this weather the whole community gets together for a barbecue, those sort of things are just examples. Is a sex shop essential to the needs of a community? Some people in Drumcondra didn't think so, and they voiced their objections. Other people living in Drumcondra could have said that they do need a sex shop in their community, but they didn't, we only had one poster here on this thread who lives in Drumcondra say that s/he and her/his friends would have have wanted a sex shop in their community, but no use in telling people on the internet. They should have made their opinions known to the people who were objecting to the sex shop/warehouse/whatever.

It's not about being part of the community...it's about being:

- close to a significant residential population from where they will get some footfall
- on a very busy road with considerable passing traffic with it's website address highly visible
- apart from sales it acts a store/showroom from where people can see/buy and the store can prepare online sales

The shop could be somewhere else...but it was chosen because the location had certain benefits over say an industrial estate, perhaps rental terms, size etc The shop window wasn't going to be full of plastic willies and furry handcuffs...they were discreet from the off until the concerned parents decided to lead their little lambs to the wolf's door so to speak with all the stink they kicked up.

Yeah see that's where I completely disagree, in the respect that what makes up a community? The people who live there. All of the above you've mentioned are of benefit to the shop owner only who doesn't live in the community themselves, so would never have contributed anything to the community only taken all the benefits of customers coming and going all day picking up their purchases and no interaction with the people in the community.

I get the whole idea that the shop was going to be discreet and whatever, but that's really here nor there if the shop is supposed to be viewed as no different a retail shop than the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker. At least the other three are contributing to their community. The sex shop isn't contributing anything to the community, and all the profits are going back to the owner in Kilkenny.

There was no leading lambs to anyone's door either, and I personally at least have never lent any weight to the "as a parent" type of argument. They're adults, and whether they're parents or not is neither here nor there. They're adults with a different opinion to other people who are telling them they are busybodies, crusaders, etc, for having an opinion on what kind of a community they want to live in. Some people here think that their opinion should carry more weight than those people who actually live in the community. That's really not how it works, and if 'the silent majority who are 'stigmatised' (:rolleyes:) for buying sex toys', don't make their voices heard in the community, well, they can hardly complain then afterwards when a couple of crusaders speak for them!

The owners decided that it wasn't worth getting into a battle with the Carrigstown Crusaders and backed out but will be delighted by the publicity and I'll bet their website traffic was up a 1000% because of it.
Now they know that anytime they want a bit of publicity they just need to express interest in opening a shop in any residential area and they'll be front page news for a day or two.

I'd say you were being wildly optimistic there, but then again if the website had feckall traffic in the first place because their products are wildly over-priced, I suppose a 1000% increase in traffic wouldn't be that extroardinary given that people's curiosity will have been temporarily peaked by this news story. I don't think it made any of the front pages of the national media though, and there is that whole 'you can only do something like that once'. Preparing a retail outlet can be an expensive endeavour, and generated publicity doesn't always translate into an increase in sales, and it can also draw negative publicity on a business too. I'd say the business owner knew how far he could push it, and then backed down when he saw how much negative publicity his opening a sex shop near a school in a residential community could affect his business.

SeanW wrote: »

Did anyone say it was?

Eh? I'm simply making the point that it isn't, as opposed to some people here who I'm given the impression think that it is, or that their opinion should carry more weight than people who actually live in the community. The people living in the community are busybodies apparently, but people who aren't living in the community who will not be affected at all by the decision, they're not busybodies and crusaders at all of course...

Riiiight :rolleyes:

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Whatever the people living in the community deem to be essential, whether that's a grocery shop, or a school, or a green area for the children to play on or in this weather the whole community gets together for a barbecue, those sort of things are just examples. Is a sex shop essential to the needs of a community? Some people in Drumcondra didn't think so, and they voiced their objections. Other people living in Drumcondra could have said that they do need a sex shop in their community, but they didn't, we only had one poster here on this thread who lives in Drumcondra say that s/he and her/his friends would have have wanted a sex shop in their community, but no use in telling people on the internet. They should have made their opinions known to the people who were objecting to the sex shop/warehouse/whatever.

Some people mightn't think a launderette, a pub, a bookies, a school or a hairdresser are essential.

Do you think if it was a haridressers that was prevented from opening there would have been a crowd out protesting for it to be opened?

The fact remains that it is a legitimate enterprise that was forced not to open by a group of people with misplaced concern.

Daith

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Eh? I'm simply making the point that it isn't, as opposed to some people here who I'm given the impression think that it is, or that their opinion should carry more weight than people who actually live in the community. The people living in the community are busybodies apparently, but people who aren't living in the community who will not be affected at all by the decision, they're not busybodies and crusaders at all of course...

Riiiight :rolleyes:

You're the one throwing around phrases like "mob mentality". Living in a community doesn't give your opinion anymore weight. All it means is that you're more likely to voice your opinion.

It's the reason we have planning applications and objections. Not a Councillor and "concerned citizens" at a meeting pitchforks in hand.

gramar wrote: »

Some people mightn't think a launderette, a pub, a bookies, a school or a hairdresser are essential.

Do you think if it was a haridressers that was prevented from opening there would have been a crowd out protesting for it to be opened?

The fact remains that it is a legitimate enterprise that was forced not to open by a group of people with misplaced concern.

My point about saying the sex shop wasn't essential in the community is due to the way some people are arguing here as though it was essential for the community to have a sex shop in the area. You said yourself it would've been handy, and yeah, sure, it'd be handy, but it's not essential. Where I'm sitting right now I'm within a stone's throw of at least four sex shops (I've got a good right arm :P), but I'm in a residential area and there's no sex shops here. Come to think of it there's no bookies either, they're not popular in residential areas either, but there's a hairdressers, a laundrette, a pub, and a couple of schools.

The sex shop wasn't prevented from opening either. They were legally entitled to open the sex shop, but they chose not to. I can't say whether or not there would have been a crowd out protesting that a hairdressers should be opened in the area, all I can say is that in this case, there was nobody out protesting that a sex shop should be allowed to open in the area, yet we have all these people in this thread saying that the sex shop should have been allowed open in the area, but none of them actually live in the area, and when one poster who actually lives in the area came on here to say why they had an objection to the sex shop in their community, they were quickly rounded upon and told that they were wrong and they had no business objecting to something they didn't want in their own community. Yet not one of those people telling that poster they were wrong, actually bothered their arse to make their voices heard in Drumcondra, and would not be affected by the opening of the shop either.

That's the thing with people from outside the community telling people who live in the community what they should accept and shut up about it and they have no business objecting to what goes on in their community. What business is it of those people?

In your opinion their concern was misplaced. In their opinion their concerns weren't misplaced. Who's opinion do you think should carry more weight, the opinions of the people that live there, or the opinions of the people that don't?

I can at least tell you that if someone from outside my community were to tell me that I have no business or should have no say in what goes on in my own community, I wouldn't be long telling that person to fcuk right off. Simple as that really.