Straight Talker wrote: » London Belfast and Limerick.I used to find Limerick to be alright but for a small city compared to Dublin and Cork it has a very high presence of undesirables loitering around the city centre.I was on a bus eireann expressway bus that had rocks fired at it by a gang of youths right in the centre of the city at the Mallow/Henry street junction at 5pm in the evening last December.More recently i encountered a gang of youths having a massive brawl outside the Arthurs Quay shopping centre at 3pm on a Friday afternoon.There was a glass bottle fired as well that missed my head by inches.I've never seen the likes of that happen in broad daylight in any other other part of Ireland.Limerick has a lot of great qualities but the amount of thugs loitering around the city centre has really turned me off the place.
Stavro Mueller wrote: » Barcelona - I can't quite put my finger on why I disliked the place but I did.
BuilderPlumber wrote: » Unfortunately, I have often come across the type of incidents you describe in ALL Irish cities at some stage. Rocks fired on buses from the street or from an overlying highly (a la the Toecutter's gang did to Jim Goose in the first Mad Max) outside of cities. This is not peculiar to Limerick I can assure you of this. The worst incidents I saw in Irish cities in no particular order happening between 2007 to 2015 approx: 1. Outside Dublin: rocks and metal hurled onto buses and cars from an overlying highway/bridge similar to that scene from Mad Max. 2. Cork bus station: a prolonged violent fight between a homeless wino type and a non-national. 3. Limerick bus station: prolonged argument where people laid down in front of buses because of some dispute over being allowed on a bus. Result was buses delayed for an hour. 4. Dublin: Violent fight inside and outside a pub in Templebar. 5. Cork (near UCC): 20 or so youths smashing bottles on the ground and firing them into the air. One was shouting I am ....ing twisted over and over. I turned back the other way! 6. Waterford: man beating a woman as they walked along a street near an estate. 7. Dublin: man drunk out of his mind and going to the toilet on a street and cursing. 8. Dublin, Waterford, Limerick, Cork: had an experience of Halloween or college organised so-called 'Christmas day' parties in all 4 and saw fights, rocks pelted, windows broken, taunting shouting, and other such incidents. 9. Limerick: man roaring at the top of his voice on Davis street at 1 in the morning. 10. Cork/Limerick bus: man and woman arguing with the man shouting and threatening to hit her before and after they get on the bus. They sit away from each other on the bus. I have been to many other cities in the world (some lovely, some horrid) BUT I guess the scariest scenes are these 10. Shouting and roaring on city streets after pub and club closing times is rife here and not anywhere else. I always avoid being out and about at pub or club closing times in Irish cities due to incidents 4,5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 above.
Two Sheds wrote: » Did you check your wallet? If you can't afford to lose it - leave it at home. City of Thieves.
Straight Talker wrote: » I don't hate Limerick.There aspects of the city i really like such as the riverfront and georgian architecture but the incidents that i described i have only encountered in Limerick.Cork and Dublin have their thug elements as well but for me Limerick stands out with regards to the quite high amounts of feral anti social youth's loitering around the city centre in comparison to other Irish cities.A few extra garda foot patrols around the city's main shopping areas would sort it out no bother.
Freddiestar wrote: » Budapest: the rudest people I've ever come across. Shops, restaurants, bars, spas, they hate you and don't care about letting you know. San Francisco: Nice to look at but Jaysus the beggars.
godtabh wrote: » Was in Budapest seeing friends who lived there. The people really hate foreigners. <snip>
munchkin_utd wrote: » was in a pub in Budapest and they didnt want to see us. Too late, closed etc etc etc. Somehow managed to mention that we were Irish (which in their minds means we are not English/ american) and suddenly they told us to sit down the back and have a complentary beer as compensation for the confusion. Left a couple of hours later and had no issues. Sure same in Madrid. Pub was "closed", but when they copped we were irish they made an "exception". They also werent enforcing the smoking ban, but at least there was beer! As for Barcelona, it simply isn't safe and you do have to watch your stuff like a hawk. I will definitely go back to have a proper snoop, but the 2 times Ive been there already (briefly), at least one robbery happened our group and I have a friend who was robbed at knifepoint with her boyfriend which was a scary story in itsself. The likes of prague has problems with pickpockets, but Barcelona is another level.
ben.schlomo wrote: » To you maybe, ive been twice and never had any kind of issue, great city and would go back in a flash.
Zaph wrote: » You could argue that all large cities, especially ones that attract a lot of tourists, are prone to pickpockets. I've been to Barcelona several times and never had an ounce of trouble. It's just a case of being sensible, in the same way I'd be sensible about my wallet walking down O'Connell Street.
bear1 wrote: » Vilnius - ill say nothing more
murpho999 wrote: » I do wonder how these victims of crime look as they wander around the city? Probably with big camera around the neck and obvious iPhone and wallet in a pair of shorts that just calls steal me.
AndyBoBandy wrote: » What was the issue in Vilnius? I lived there for 16 months (was assigned there with my job, to build a power station), and had the time of my life, brilliant city, great bar/club culture, cheap as chips, stunningly beautiful women, all very friendly people. in 16 months I/we never saw 1 fight, or had hassle from anyone, ever. maybe you just had a bad experience? were you there for a stag?
bear1 wrote: » Bratislava - just pure boring Lodz - never seen a more depressing city Riga - young guys seem to want to fight everyone Vilnius - ill say nothing more Charleroi - lived there for 6 months. In those 6 months I had the apartment broken into and left me with absolutely nothing, gang fights, we were followed a few times which I suppose led to the robbery, drugged up hookers everywhere during the day, ignorant people and just sweet f all to do. I cried the day I was able to permanently land in Dublin.
murpho999 wrote: » Been to Barcelona several times, in various parts of the city at day and night and never had an issue. I do wonder how these victims of rape look as they wander around the city? Probably with big breasts on show in low cut tops and obvious legs and ass in a pair of shorts that just calls rape me. Remember, you stand out like sort thumb as a tourist and the rapists target easy pickings. Take the sensible precautions as you would at home then the risk of something happens greatly diminishes the chance of anything happening to you.
bear1 wrote: » No stag night, just a visit for a weekend. I went in the winter so maybe that had something to do with it. Found it very dirty, people were quite rude, most bars recommended online had shut down and clubs weren't easy to get into.
snotboogie wrote: » Every cloud....
petty crime has become not only Barcelona’s primary nuisance but a threat to its tourism industry. In 2009, thievery (in Barcelona) had become such a problem that TripAdvisor dubbed Barcelona the world’s biggest haven for pickpockets.
Most people here have their own pickpocket stories. Some were robbed without realizing it until later. A friend of mine, Shayne Pavlić, had a guy come up, pretend to be wasted and try to dance with him. After the thief stumbled off, Shayne realized his phone was gone. A few months later, another hurtadora tried the same trick. This time, Shayne tried to push the man away, but the thief tripped him and stole his phone anyway.
