No boozing on certain trains to the West

Purple Mountain · 05-10-2018 1:50pm #1

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.rte.ie/amp/1001158/

IE has banned the carriage on and purchase of alcohol on certain trains to Galway and Westport due to antisocial behaviour by a minority of people of these routes.
They claim it's down to large groups on board at carts in times.
I'm assuming it's stag and hen parties.
Is this a step too far in a nanny state or justified when the majority of other passengers are inflicted with noise and general shenanigans of a drunken group?
Personally I think no one should be allowed bring alcohol on board (no different to a plane) and that if you purchase alcohol on board,.there should be a designated area like the dining car to drink it and for over 18s only.

Graces7 · 05-10-2018 1:52pm

Purple Mountain wrote: »

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.rte.ie/amp/1001158/

IE has banned the carriage on and purchase of alcohol on certain trains to Galway and Westport due to antisocial behaviour by a minority of people of these routes.
They claim it's down to large groups on board at carts in times.
I'm assuming it's stag and hen parties.
Is this a step too far in a nanny state or justified when the majority of other passengers are inflicted with noise and general shenanigans of a drunken group?
Personally I think no one should be allowed bring alcohol on board (no different to a plane) and that if you purchase alcohol on board,.there should be a designated area like the dining car to drink it and for over 18s only.

Totally justified.

McMurphy · 05-10-2018 1:55pm

Ever been on a 2.5hr journey with a group of pissed up fúckwits sat across the carriage from you, and them playing dance music though the speakers of their phone?

Torturous.

Not sure about banning it outright, but definitely have a designated carriage for it.

seamus · 05-10-2018 1:56pm

It's always been a bit of a weird anomaly.

Allowing people in enclosed spaces on moving vehicles to consume as much alcohol as they like? Shure what could go wrong?

I've done it myself and it's a nice bit of craic, but not everyone can be trusted to be reasonable, and even sensible drinkers can be loud and annoying for everyone else after a few drinks.

I'm kind of surprised it took this long to be banned tbh.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 05-10-2018 1:58pm

It's not fun for the other passengers and staff when drunks are on board.

I'd be inclined to agree with Irish Rail.

SEPT 23 1989 · 05-10-2018 1:59pm

That's a shame love sitting back on a train having a few cans enjoying the scenery

TerrorFirmer · 05-10-2018 2:01pm

No problem with the ban. Nothing worse being stuck next to a group drinking on a bus/plane/train and the objective seems to be who can make the most grating, senseless loud noise possible.

Blahfool · 05-10-2018 2:03pm

Stag nights me hoop.
as a regular on the 7.30pm to Galway on Fridays you can always tell the difference between a group of men / women in good spirits and a group that are going to be make the whole journey a cringe. And yes, what's up with the phone music? It's like an 8yr olds birthday party!
must be a cultural thing.

Purple Mountain · 05-10-2018 2:04pm

I don't do rail travel often.
Maybe 3 times a year. Cork-Dubl8n route and always weekend travel.
Never once have I experienced anyone drinking (bar a business person maybe unwinding with one wine) let alone drunk.
I only once saw a hyper group of 30 something year old women gearing up for a Westlife concert but they were just chatting and giggling.
I must be very lucky to have escaped the torture!

elperello · 05-10-2018 2:06pm

Better to deal with problem passengers rather than impose drink ban on the decent majority.

rossie1977 · 05-10-2018 2:07pm

Most people who cause trouble on these trains are already drunk before they get on. Probably would be smarter to adopt a policy like the airlines where if someone is drunk they don't get on train.

Banning all alcohol will likely mean people will smuggle the heavier stuff on board.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 05-10-2018 2:08pm

elperello wrote: »

Better to deal with problem passengers rather than impose drink ban on the decent majority.

Maybe Gardai should have a rail police unit.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 05-10-2018 2:11pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

Most people who cause trouble on these trains are already drunk before they get on. Probably would be smarter to adopt a policy like the airlines where if someone is drunk they don't get on train.

Banning all alcohol will likely mean people will smuggle the heavier stuff on board.

I've seen this in the UK after football games.

Loads of people get refused travel for being too drunk.

But they've an entire transport police network to enforce these rules.

Mint Sauce · 05-10-2018 2:12pm

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

Ever been on a 2.5hr journey with a group of pissed up fúckwits sat across the carriage from you, and them playing dance music though the speakers of their phone?

Torturous.

Not sure about banning it outright, but definitely have a designated carriage for it.

Not sure about a designated carriage for consumption of alcohol, but maybe the re introduction, and expansion of a quiet carriage.

Feisar · 05-10-2018 2:21pm

I used to work in Belfast, would get the trin up on a Sunday evening for the week. Ham and cheese sambo, packet of crisps and four bottle of stout. Stick a film on the laptop and happy days.

incentsitive · 05-10-2018 2:27pm

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Maybe Gardai should have a rail police unit.

Nail on head. We need dedicated police on public transport, not mob rule which we currently have.

I have occasionally got the trains down west, generally on my own. The worst is when the music on the phone starts. That really grinds my gears.

It is a brave individual who will stand up and say anything to a group of p1ssed lads heading on a stag.

I did once take the train to Westport on a stag, we had a couple of cans and talked very quietly the whole way. Nobody batted an eyelid.

But if I know Irish Rail, they will bring in this law and nobody will police it.

greasy underpanse · 05-10-2018 2:31pm

Blahfool wrote: »

Stag nights me hoop.
as a regular on the 7.30pm to Galway on Fridays you can always tell the difference between a group of men / women in good spirits and a group that are going to be make the whole journey a cringe. And yes, what's up with the phone music? It's like an 8yr olds birthday party!
must be a cultural thing.

yes i cannot understand this phone music either, local youths where i live hang around street corners and do it too, its very embarrassing on themselves
its a pity they have to ban alcohol for those who want to enjoy a drink without ruining the journey for everyone but i agree with Irish Rail, its the only thing they can do to cut this out, there is nothing and i mean nothing worse than getting stuck beside a group of twits who cant handle their booze, it makes for a very very long journey, same goes for plane journeys as well.
one time i was on the sligo line and a bunch of hooligans were drinking cans and the windows fogged up so one lad decided to pee his name on the window, awful stuff

greasy underpanse · 05-10-2018 2:33pm

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Maybe Gardai should have a rail police unit.

here here, with the anti social behavior on the dublin lines its time this was put in place

incentsitive · 05-10-2018 2:34pm

There should also be plain clothes Transport Gardai (as well as the usual uniformed ones). I think things would improve significantly if this was the case. No point having a Garda with his yellow coat there!!!

05-10-2018 2:44pm

greasy underpanse wrote: »

here here, with the anti social behavior on the dublin lines its time this was put in place

Lol..."Dublin lines"........What % of train lines in this country don't go to Dublin?

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

That's a shame love sitting back on a train having a few cans enjoying the scenery

Few bottles/cans in the bag, Supermacs cup, fill it up in the jacks, sorted.

end of the road · 05-10-2018 2:53pm

the dry trains have been in a few years i believe. a couple of trains on the waterford route are dry trains as well. the services picked had quite the problems with drunken idiots apparently.
a designated carriage for drinking and a quiet carriage would be nice but unfortunately the country doesn't have enough rolling stock to allow for them.

elperello wrote: »

Better to deal with problem passengers rather than impose drink ban on the decent majority.

agreed.
strangely enough though, the uk has dry trains as well and they have staff on board most of their trains and a transport police.

elperello · 05-10-2018 2:54pm

The idea that IE staff will be searching passengers to see if they are carrying drink is just profoundly depressing.
It's just another example of our sad out of date attitude to drink.
What if you have a nice bottle of duty free coming back from your holidays?

wexie · 05-10-2018 3:00pm

I don't get the obsession with banning stuff rather than just dealing with problem behaviour.

This will achieve absolutely nothing but take away a little pleasure from the law abiding citizen. The people causing the actual issues will happily ignore this as it more likely than not won't be enforced and if it is enforced there will be little or no consequences for breaking the rules.

05-10-2018 3:06pm

This is good. I have endured many an awful train journey due to drunken eejits. Most of these times the eejits were men in their thirties and forties. The worst is when the train is filled with GAA supporters. The whole carriage gets turned into Supermacs on Eyre Square at 2 am.

The music player crowd I don't mind as much because I just ask them if they wouldn't mind turning it down. I've no tolerance at all for annoying behaviour on public transport.

greasy underpanse · 05-10-2018 3:28pm

Deleted User wrote: »

This is good. I have endured many an awful train journey due to drunken eejits. Most of these times the eejits were men in their thirties and forties. The worst is when the train is filled with GAA supporters. The whole carriage gets turned into Supermacs on Eyre Square at 2 am.

The music player crowd I don't mind as much because I just ask them if they wouldn't mind turning it down. I've no tolerance at all for annoying behaviour on public transport.

"The music player crowd I don't mind as much because I just ask them if they wouldn't mind turning it down"

Has that actually worked for you? you must be a body builder or something, any time i tried that I got the height of abuse!

05-10-2018 3:37pm

greasy underpanse wrote: »

"The music player crowd I don't mind as much because I just ask them if they wouldn't mind turning it down"

Has that actually worked for you? you must be a body builder or something, any time i tried that I got the height of abuse!

It has but I think its because I'm small and appear very nice and unassuming. So let's say a young wan is there with the music going, I say "do you mind maybe putting your earphones in? Its just that your music/show/whatever is a bit loud". This is said in a soft non-threatening manner. Of course what they don't realise is I am being deliberate in my approach because I know how charm can disarm

jack presley · 05-10-2018 3:39pm

Purple Mountain wrote: »

Is this a step too far in a nanny state

Nanny state would imply it's been done to stop the drinkers doing damage to themselves which isn't the case here at all.

Your Face · 05-10-2018 3:40pm

Good.

Nothing worse than these ball-bags.

incentsitive · 05-10-2018 3:45pm

elperello wrote: »

The idea that IE staff will be searching passengers to see if they are carrying drink is just profoundly depressing.
It's just another example of our sad out of date attitude to drink.
What if you have a nice bottle of duty free coming back from your holidays?

To be honest, I think it is a sad reflection of the lack of respect for fellow passengers and the problem on the train that they had to bring this in. Do you think they'd do it if they didn't have to?

I don't think they'll be literally searching customers.....

JohnCleary · 05-10-2018 3:59pm

I've been on 'dry' trains, sharing a bottle of wine with the missus. The ticket guy / whatever has never bat an eye lid... we're having a glass (or cup, tbh), munching on some crisps having a chat.... common sense has prevailed in my experiences.

That said, I could imagine nothing worse than being stuck in a carraige with a crowd of g0b****es that simply can't handle their drink.

For the rare time I use the train, if a total ban is introduced, i'll premix vodka / mixer... which ironically is more likely to get me smashed and start talking loudly than sipping on a bottle of wine.

_Brian · 05-10-2018 4:02pm

Why does there need to be drinking allowed on any trains - seriously, what sort of a degenerate country are we turning into.

05-10-2018 4:07pm

There doesn't 'need' to be anything. But having a drink after a long days work is relaxing. If you are going to be sitting in the one spot for a few hours, reading a book and having a couple of beers is a great way to pass the time. There's nothing degenerate about it.

What is your list of occasions / places where drinking should be permissible?

JohnCleary · 05-10-2018 4:09pm

_Brian wrote: »

Why does there need to be drinking allowed on any trains - seriously, what sort of a degenerate country are we turning into.

There doesn't NEED to be, however a person should be free to have a drink wherever they like.

If you think having a drink non a train is turning a country degenerate, I suggest you avoid Germany :pac: - Incase you're totally clueless, it's not rare to see someone walking down the street with a can, just like you'd see someone here with a bottle of water. When in Germany, after a night out, i've often bought a can from a corner store while waiting for a train... beside me there could be 10 others doing the same... all minding our own business.... with cans

IMO, the issue in Ireland is tolerance to alcohol. How come last weekend in Krakow, at about 2am, I was at a market where there was approx. 50 people waiting to get some munch before heading home. Everyone had been most likely drinking, yet everyone was Q'ing as normal, having a chat with their friends etc. Whereas in Ireland, you have this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IvxRsnMXF0 (I use this specific example, as I reckon the ages of people I mention in my example were all early 20's) - For a country who "drinks a lot" (according to the world), we can't handle it.

wexie · 05-10-2018 4:09pm

_Brian wrote: »

Why does there need to be drinking allowed on any trains - seriously, what sort of a degenerate country are we turning into.

Why not?

Drinking isn't the problem here, most responsible adults can manage it without making a nuisance of themselves.

It's antisocial behaviour that's the problem and that's what should be banned

road_high · 05-10-2018 4:09pm

Been like that for years on the Waterford line. Just common sense

incentsitive · 05-10-2018 4:11pm

JohnCleary wrote: »

There doesn't NEED to be, however a person should be free to have a drink wherever they like.

If you think having a drink non a train is turning a country degenerate, I suggest you avoid Germany :pac: - Incase you're totally clueless, it's not rare to see someone walking down the street with a can, just like you'd see someone here with a bottle of water. When in Germany, after a night out, i've often bought a can from a corner store while waiting for a train... beside me there could be 10 others doing the same... all minding our own business.... with cans

Yes but Germany is a civilised country, they wouldn't for example just leave a mess of cans and bottles on the train or throw it in the ditch between the corner shop and the train.

We are basically a country of louts.

Carsanal · 05-10-2018 4:12pm

Put 1-2 Garda on every carriage going forward.
Don't ban the drinking because the minority cause an issue.
15-20 Gardaí throughout the given trains would sort it.

McMurphy · 05-10-2018 4:18pm

incentsitive wrote: »

Yes but Germany is a civilised country, they wouldn't for example just leave a mess of cans and bottles on the train or throw it in the ditch between the corner shop and the train.

We are basically a country of louts.

You have no idea how much will power I just applied to stop me inserting a certain Fawlty Towers YouTube clip right here. :pac:

punisher5112 · 05-10-2018 4:18pm

Why not have it that there are drinking carriages or that you can book on one or book out a complete carriage.

Poor_old_gill · 05-10-2018 4:22pm

I was once on a train home to Kerry of a Friday and I ended stuck at a table of a 40-50 something woman from Dublin (kinda howiyas) - they were loud and fairly drunk but seemed sound overall- in the end though one of them passed out and p*ssed herself!

I was in my early 20s at the time so just found it funny but I can imagine a lot of others didnt- and I prob wouldnt now

whisky_galore · 05-10-2018 4:25pm

This is the fault of that subspecies of the population who think they're 'great craic' after a few drinks, but in reality they're about as insufferable as wasps at a picnic.

killanena · 05-10-2018 4:27pm

Why ban something out right because a minority of people are causing antisocial behaviour. This small group of people would either cause the same hassle if they were not drinking onboard (because they probably had plenty before they got on the train) or would just ignore the rule and drink anyways.

They would say they would remove these people if they broke this rule.
But my question is why not just remove them in the first place before this stupid rule? Only difference this makes is that respectable people who would like to have a drink on their trip now can't.

Its just another little freedom taken from us by an issue that could be solved without doing so..

facehugger99 · 05-10-2018 4:34pm

Once again the fcukwits ruin it for everyone else, but that's the thing about fcukwits, they're fcukwits.

elperello · 05-10-2018 5:22pm

incentsitive wrote: »

To be honest, I think it is a sad reflection of the lack of respect for fellow passengers and the problem on the train that they had to bring this in. Do you think they'd do it if they didn't have to?

I don't think they'll be literally searching customers.....

I think this is being introduced to make it look as if they are addressing the problem.

I hope you are right but this is what it says in the RTE report -

"Iarnród Éireann says any passengers boarding these services with alcohol will have it confiscated, and no alcoholic beverages will be sold on board."

How can they confiscate it if they can't see it?

DEFTLEFTHAND · 05-10-2018 5:32pm

I was on a train recently and noticed a pair of eyes starring at me from the luggage rack.

It was a cat in a travel bag. Poor little bugger looked frightened.

The owner should have have kept him down beside her.

wexie · 05-10-2018 5:36pm

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I was on a train recently and noticed a pair of eyes starring at me from the luggage rack.

It was a cat in a travel bag. Poor little bugger looked frightened.

The owner should have have kept him down beside her.

Cat would have been just grand if it could have had a little creme de cassis

DEFTLEFTHAND · 05-10-2018 6:15pm

wexie wrote: »

Cat would have been just grand if it could have had a little creme de cassis[/QUOT

Or a Tia Maria and milk with a bit of cat nip on the side.

OldMrBrennan83 · 05-10-2018 6:17pm

Yet more bullshíte. Punish the ones causing the problem and leave the rest of us alone. Country is gone a ****ing kip.

Edgware · 05-10-2018 7:28pm

elperello wrote: »

Better to deal with problem passengers rather than impose drink ban on the decent majority.

That isnt the way this country works. Punish the innocent and let the guilty go free. The dirtbirds will get their drink on some other way and dont expect C.I.E. staff to do anything.
I saw them one evening where an elderly couple had prebooked their seats only to find a few yobs sitting in them opposite their pals. The C.I.E. mans attitude when called was "possession is nine points of the law

Purple Mountain · 05-10-2018 8:22pm

wexie wrote: »

Why not?

Drinking isn't the problem here, most responsible adults can manage it without making a nuisance of themselves.

It's antisocial behaviour that's the problem and that's what should be banned

Because drinking isn't served on buses for one.

fryup · 05-10-2018 9:15pm

is it really necessary to serve alcohol on a train in the first place ?

No boozing on certain trains to the West

Comments