Christchurch - landmark or junkie central?

Repo_Man

First off, hello. Loooong time reader who was beginning to feel like a stalker, so now 1st time poster.

Has anyone else noticed the explosion of young lads trying to hawk gear around Christchurch and the Corpo buildings on the quays? There was always dealing going on here but in the last few months they are everywhere.

Everytime i walk past either building i have to go through the same routine:

Obvious Junkie: Sordy pal, have yer gorra smoke?
Me: Why yes young man. There you go. And here's one for your companion.
Obvious Junkie: Are ye lookin?

The thing is, the usual response of "nah you're grand thanks" doesn't seem to cut it anymore. Even if you give the usual "sorry i dont smoke mate" as you walk off looking like you have to be somewhere in a hurry, they scurry after you. I don't know if the etiqutte of refusing opiates from scumbags has changed on the streets of Dublin but now its harder than ever to get away from them. The responses i've gotten this week alone whave been:

A menacing "What?" - with the "t" sound exaggerated and followed by a long silence as i side step around him.

(After ignoring the question) "Here mister, don't yew be ignorin my mate or i'll burst ye.

A string of profanity that would peel pebbledash off a wall.

I have to get around the general area a couple of times a day and this seems to be all day every day. I would consider myself streetwise, and i never really feel intimidated or anything - but i can understand some people being terrified - its more of a nuisance. The cops walk past them in twos and take little or no interest. I've seen them once or twice with the little note book out - which, lets face it is enough to scare any man straight

The grass area behind / inside the corpo buildings used to be a great place to flake out on a sunny day but my advice: If you can avoid, avoid.

bombidol

Scumbag central

Tusky

I thought that was a nice enough area! hrmz.

MrNuked

I've seen them too, down on the quays by the big corpo building there, though luckily i don't look like a junkie, so they don't approach me.
They keep the gear in their mouths, so they can swallow it if a policeman comes along. The ones selling it are obvious scumbags, but this well dressed guy will come along with another well dressed guy, walk past the guy selling like they don;t know eachother, but the guy selling will pass money to him. that way if someone comes along there is neither money nor drugs to incriminate him. They appear to be operating out of a methodone clinic there too.

Repo_Man

MrNuked wrote:

I've seen them too, down on the quays by the big corpo building there, though luckily i don't look like a junkie, so they don't approach me.

I like to think i don't look like one either. Especially on the way in and out of work. Maybe i've just got a junkie face :eek: <-- bit like that guy.

Ste-

See I know where you're going wrong. You're answering them.

As they say, ignorance is bliss.

Kappar

The Merchant's Quay Needle Exchange is around there although I'm not sure if the junkies are there because the Exchange is there or if the exchange is there because the junkies are there.

MrNuked

I think the needle exchange is the building I thought was a methodone clinic then. You see them going in and out of the place.

there is th Merchent Quay project on the hill and a Eastern Health Board centre on Lord Edward Street. some days it's like a scene from 'the birds' with them all sitting on the wall at the quays.

On a side note, the stretch between christchurch and st. james gate is supposed to have the highest rate of muggings in dublin.

gnu

Harsh! I reckon the area is ok. I used to work on Merchant's Quay and live in an apt near Christchurch and never had any hassle.

i grew up around there. never had any hastle myself. but alot of tourists get mugged or have their bags snatched around there.

Dathai

Central bank is the funiest for scumbags though.Like the people are coming in with phones and money and are sitting among the scumbags who are looking for phones etc.FFS they should know by now that flashing phones around is a bad idea but to be sitting among knackers and scum with the phones out is just stupid.

Crash

that area between christchurch and james's isnt too bad - worked around there for a bit having to do daily or twice daily runs down to the civic offices and never got hassle. on the other hand lying on the grass at the civic offices one day a bunch of us got mugged by some guy who grabbed hold of a mate of mine and told us he had a syringe of blood. turns out he didnt and he didnt get much. however friends of mine and my gf got mugged in stephens green one time by four big guys who actually did have syringes.

Pigman II

I know what you mean! Scumbag etiquitte has really gone down the drain since the Celtic Tiger.

Back in the bad old days I can remember when a junkie on Merchants Quay would sell you a copy of the Irish Times AND give you a top notch shoeshine all for the price of some 'busfair' + a 'cup of coffee'. Nowadays you'd be lucky just to get an Eveling Helald and poorly delivered lecture in Scumbonics for that price.

boo4842

foreign wrote:

there is th Merchent Quay project on the hill and a Eastern Health Board centre on Lord Edward Street. some days it's like a scene from 'the birds' with them all sitting on the wall at the quays.

On a side note, the stretch between christchurch and st. james gate is supposed to have the highest rate of muggings in dublin.

I live on Meath St, and have to walk that whole stretch of road at least twice a day to get too and from work.

I get offered drugs about once every 2 weeks or so, which is tough to get used to as I am over from Canada, and have never been offered drugs on the street before. I'm moving back in 3 weeks so I can't say I'll miss the area.

I find the dog sh*t, the litter, and the smell worse than the druggies though. The smell from the Guiness brewery is enough to make you sick. I have never really had any hassle from anyone. No thanks, is usually fine to fend off the dealers.

Kone

There are a fair amount of junkies around there, however I find if you ignore them they go away.

VenusDiablo

My grandmother lives right beside the the corporation buildings and around the corner from the Methedone clinic. All her neighbours are all elderly and the whole street is terrorised by the crowds of junkies and scumbags. The area is definitely getting worse, especially over the last 18 months

What also attracts them to the the area is the fact that the chruch there on the Merchant Quay run a kitchen from out the back of the clinic and they feed them two or three times a day.

Ive also seen on many occassions brand new big flash cars pulling up outside the kitchen and the crowds just swarm towards the car to buy the drugs, the guards on many occasion have been around to see this, but they keep walking.

There are a couple of newsagents, i think its Spar and Centra along that strech of street between the corporation buildings and James's street, a word of warning, never buy the fruit in those shops that are on display the junkies stick their needles into the oranges and the lemons to clean their needles.

pork99

MrNuked wrote:

I've seen them too, down on the quays by the big corpo building there, though luckily i don't look like a junkie, so they don't approach me.
They keep the gear in their mouths, so they can swallow it if a policeman comes along. The ones selling it are obvious scumbags, but this well dressed guy will come along with another well dressed guy, walk past the guy selling like they don;t know eachother, but the guy selling will pass money to him. that way if someone comes along there is neither money nor drugs to incriminate him. They appear to be operating out of a methodone clinic there too.

Surely the Gardai could, if they really wanted to, launch a determined sting operation with undercover cops approaching them as prospective clients plus uniformed back-up to corral them as they try to flee?

Then they would be off to "special camps" for "re-education"

Maybe I'm being naive.

Third_Echelon

I live on cow's lane which is between parliament st and the corpo building. I have to say I haven't seen or been offered anything like this... I did see an empty syringe on the ground once on the way to the bus stop on wood quay there, but in general i wouldnt see a lot...

Apparently the summer time isnt too bad around were i live, but in the winter they try and take shelter in the alley beside my building... One of the guys who used to live with me used to throw water balloons down at them... He said it was very entertaining...

pork99

VenusDiablo wrote:

What also attracts them to the the area is the fact that the chruch there on the Merchant Quay run a kitchen from out the back of the clinic and they feed them two or three times a day.

Put strychnine in their soup! That would take care of the problem.

kida

I would agree - dress up a junkie and sell them gear that is laced with poison. Either that or clear the area and have a controlled explosion - have a remote conrolled merc drive up and when they all gather blow it up.

The area around Tara St,Liberty hall is every bit as bad. There was 2 of the scumbags today with hurleys.