Grand Canal Cycle Path - Be Careful

Corca Baiscinn · 20-08-2018 9:57pm

A lot is being made of the fact that when the canal cycle routes are finished people will be able to cycle from Dublin City Centre to Clondra, Tullamore or wherever bu itt doesn't seem very likely that ex Dublin will become a route for Irish or overseas tourists, if local commuters are forced to avoid it. The claim mentioned by a poster of a woman finding that no garda station accepted responsibility for a section of the Royal Canal needs a PQ or something to ascertain who's responsible for which stretch.

LennoxR · 20-08-2018 10:43pm

velo.2010 wrote: »

Its two distinct socio-economic worlds in this country now and current economic policies mean those two worlds are drifting further apart. That type of crime and intimidation nonsense just wasn't as prevalent 20 years ago.

20 years ago is 1998. My memory is that back then the anti-social behaviour was exactly the same, if not worse. Around 1996 I played a schoolboy football game out in Bluebell and, as a sub, my main job was to stop the local kids from robbing our players coats and bags (and spare footballs) on the sidelines. I played for a club from Tallaght and some of our lads were no angels either in fairness, but Bluebell was definitely the roughest spot I remember.

Yes it's a long standing social problem, but it goes back much further than the Celtic Tiger etc. You can probably go back as far we have records, Dublin has always had an under employed underclass and high level of petty crime.

But anyway, just on the grand canal route; I've posted on this before here, no doubt the root cause is a deep social malaise. I was attacked there once myself in about 2011. I still use it now and again though and apart from minor hassle, no major issues since.

But the issue here is, the Gardai have a duty to protect law abiding citizens who use this amenity. And it's clear that (a) they are not making any effort to do this and (b) because of the impunity this gives the trouble makers, their behaviour is worsening and the threat to public safety is escalating. So really, it's time for some Garda foot or bike patrols on the grand canal path. It wouldn't take much and it would stop a lot of the nonsense that's been happening there.

LollipopJimmy · 20-08-2018 10:57pm

I was entering the path at Kylemore this evening - I live in the area - and 4 came at me trying to take my phone, I tried to just walk on and ignore when I got hit across the back with a stick. One of them now has a broken nose judging by what came out of it when my elbow connected clean the rest ran off then, not away from me but they were running to get reinforcements, luckily for me a taxi driver stopped and roared at me to jump in and he got me out of there and home. I'm actually fairly shaken and pee'd off now. These weren't kids, early 20's lads.

The 130quid a month to SBG became very worth it tonight though.

Brainz · 20-08-2018 11:01pm

I was attacked here about two months ago cycling from town towards clondalkin.
A group of lads were walking on the path and they moved off into the field at bluebell, as soon as I got up to the location one of them stepped out in front of me.
I jamed on the brakes and stopped a few feet away from him and he started swinging punches at me and tried to smash my bike up whilst abusing me calling me a fat b***ard and to watch where the fcuk I was going. I'm not one to back down and would have taken the little scrote out only for there was about 10 of them, luckily got on the bike quick enough and sped off with the little scummer trying to catch me. In hindsight I should have let him get as near to me as possible then teach him a lesson but was happy to get out unscathed.
I havent cycled that route since nor will I ever.

Bob24 · 20-08-2018 11:09pm

mloc123 wrote: »

Bob24 wrote: »

In the short term yes. But in a civilised country the police wouldn’t be required to ensure people can use a cycle path, so the problem goes much deeper than a lack of police presence.

I don't know. The problem stems from the fact the scumbags know nothing will come of their actions. If they feared the guards, judges and jail they would not be out mugging people and robbing bikes.

The guards do not actively enforce against "minor" crime in this country, unlike other first world countries.

Agreed this is a problem, but I don’t think it is contradictory with my point.

gk5000 · 20-08-2018 11:27pm

J'...s your scaring me. I have to cycle it tomorrow and most week days - no real problems.

Seem two guards walking it last Friday - first time ever.

Anyway, if you are heading over the Kylemore road going out of town - just after the style there is an apple tree on canal side with ripe apples. One of the locals threw me a few a few weeks ago and they were nice, but not fully ripe. Only problem now is that all the ones within reach are gone.

I shall continue to cycle it twice a day - and as I have said on another thread on this - head up, slow down and acknowledge the locals.

n!ghtmancometh · 20-08-2018 11:38pm

Brother is a guard and warned me to avoid the area when cycling. Group of teens/early 20's lads on a rampage most of the summer between mugging people on the canal & the luas from Blackhorse-Drimnagh and just generally being scum. He's personally brought one of them to court for such, and they were back out on bail in a matter of hours.

LennoxR · 21-08-2018 12:34am

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

Brother is a guard and warned me to avoid the area when cycling. Group of teens/early 20's lads on a rampage most of the summer between mugging people on the canal & the luas from Blackhorse-Drimnagh and just generally being scum. He's personally brought one of them to court for such, and they were back out on bail in a matter of hours.

Man, that is depressing.

dhaughton99 · 21-08-2018 11:25am

4 yolks on bikes gathered behind the gate at 11 am this morn.

average_runner · 21-08-2018 11:45am

dhaughton99 wrote: »

4 yolks on bikes gathered behind the gate at 11 am this morn.

Can we not throw these people into the canal with rocks tied to them. We be doing the country a favour.

LollipopJimmy · 21-08-2018 1:11pm

average_runner wrote: »

Can we not throw these people into the canal with rocks tied to them. We be doing the country a favour.

I'm happy to continue practicing my elbows. I have bruising on my back from the stick though

Nika Bolokov · 21-08-2018 7:59pm

Broken glass at most of the kissing gates this evening and the usual horses roaming about . Area beside Labre park an open rubbish tip with feral dogs picking at God knows what.

Such a sad waste of a great resource

Tigerandahalf · 21-08-2018 8:45pm

Nika Bolokov wrote: »

Broken glass at most of the kissing gates this evening and the usual horses roaming about . Area beside Labre park an open rubbish tip with feral dogs picking at God knows what.

Such a sad waste of a great resource

Is there any way the canal could be closed off with high fencing on its sides?

Nika Bolokov · 21-08-2018 9:48pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Is there any way the canal could be closed off with high fencing on its sides?

There's already a lot of fencing along the sides sadly.

Yet the horses and mini motorbikes get through

ED E · 21-08-2018 10:02pm

Fencing won't solve this unless you want to close it off to the public entirely.

mloc123 · 21-08-2018 10:05pm

The issue is the kissing gates. Cyclists have to slow and/or dismount giving the scumbags the perfect opportunity to attack.

ED E · 21-08-2018 10:06pm

mloc123 wrote: »

The issue is the kissing gates. Cyclists have to slow and/or dismount giving the scumbags the perfect opportunity to attack.

They're meant to have been removed as a matter of national policy but WI/DCC are lazy gowls.

irlirishkev · 22-08-2018 11:53am

ED E wrote: »

They're meant to have been removed as a matter of national policy but WI/DCC are lazy gowls.

Last I heard was that Waterways Ireland said that the gates would not be removed, and that any antisocial behaviour was a matter for the Gardai.

So.. nothing will happen :mad:

onmebike · 22-08-2018 12:04pm

mloc123 wrote: »

The issue is the kissing gates. Cyclists have to slow and/or dismount giving the scumbags the perfect opportunity to attack.

I don't think it's just the kissing gates. It serves as a current focal point but if those gougers are intent on having their fun by intimidating people or robbing them, then they can easily force somebody off a bike or get up to other things that I can imagine.

The gates are probably useful in that they stop cars from being driven up and burned out.

In my view, it's f*ed as an amenity.

De Bhál · 22-08-2018 12:20pm

If you're from the area you should complain to your local Councillor or TD.

SPDUB · 22-08-2018 9:26pm

irlirishkev wrote: »

Last I heard was that Waterways Ireland said that the gates would not be removed, and that any antisocial behaviour was a matter for the Gardai.

So.. nothing will happen :mad:

Why would WI care ? They have keys to open the locks on them so they can drive their cars through

Nika Bolokov · 22-08-2018 11:17pm

It's only a matter of time before there is a really serious incident on this cycle path.

As another poster has suggested I would encourage anyone who is being plauged by the anti social behaviour on this stretch and the general disgraceful state it's in from Ballyfermot down to Bluebell to get on to their local Councillor.

yer man! · 22-08-2018 11:36pm

I cycled this once last summer and was a bit terrified to be honest. Near clondalkin I was almost driven into the canal by a lad on a dirt bike doing wheelies and trying to play a game of chicken with me coming in the opposite direction. Noticed lots of gangs at the locks too just hassling. Will never cycle it again but for what's it's work I thought it was a fantastic piecenof infrastructure and despite the people was very peaceful and scenic.

mloc123 · 23-08-2018 9:34am

yer man! wrote: »

I cycled this once last summer and was a bit terrified to be honest. Near clondalkin I was almost driven into the canal by a lad on a dirt bike doing wheelies and trying to play a game of chicken with me coming in the opposite direction. Noticed lots of gangs at the locks too just hassling. Will never cycle it again but for what's it's work I thought it was a fantastic piecenof infrastructure and despite the people was very peaceful and scenic.

This is the kicker. I used to cycle along it ~6am and it was great. Quiet, no cars... wildlife to look at etc.. it is the ideal route into town apart from one issue, the scumbags

Tenzor07 · 23-08-2018 10:10am

A lot of these issues could be resolved by CCTV along the canal, as well as regular Garda bicycle patrols until the local scrotes moved on..

It seems that councils and Garda aren't interested in spending the money to stop places from becoming No-Go Areas..

forward8 · 23-08-2018 2:06pm

Tenzor07 wrote: »

A lot of these issues could be resolved by CCTV along the canal, as well as regular Garda bicycle patrols until the local scrotes moved on..

It seems that councils and Garda aren't interested in spending the money to stop places from becoming No-Go Areas..

There are cameras every ~200 meters along the Bluebell stretch on poles with speakers but I've no clue who owns or operates them. I was always told they were there for either boats or to stop illegal dumping into the canal (I frequently saw adults tossing black bags in at night though).

As for the guards, I used to ring them whenever there was joyriding in the estate but half the time they never showed up or would appear 45 - 60 minutes after and by that time the cars were on fire near the kissing gates of the canal.

The area is a black spot for crime, these thug teens can see guards approaching from either direction and know they can out run them by running over the narrow locks into the industrial area of Ballyfermot across the canal.

benjamin d · 23-08-2018 2:34pm

This is a more general question than for this thread but is there any recent precedent for an area that was a complete no-go zone for the average citizen actually being sorted out and cleaned up? Surely these types of areas have been cleared of scum before? What worked and what didn't work in other locations?

silverharp · 23-08-2018 4:59pm

I don't know where the cycling collective hive mind operates from but if enough people support it but an informal timetable between 7am and 9am going west and 5pm to 7pm going east where groups would head off every 10 minutes or so would be great. maybe "safety in numbers" would just be a challenge and would backfire?

benjamin d · 23-08-2018 5:04pm

silverharp wrote: »

I don't know where the cycling collective hive mind operates from but if enough people support it but an informal timetable between 7am and 9am going west and 5pm to 7pm going east where groups would head off every 10 minutes or so would be great. maybe "safety in numbers" would just be a challenge and would backfire?

Sounds like something the IBikeDublin crowd could get on board with, maybe lining the route at morning and evening rush hour.

Cabaal · 23-08-2018 5:09pm

benjamin d wrote: »

Sounds like something the IBikeDublin crowd could get on board with, maybe lining the route at morning and evening rush hour.

Be a great way of bringing attention to it in the media, give stories about the injury's etc people got and thefts.

Grand Canal Cycle Path - Be Careful

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