UCD Bum..again.

Pythia

The UCD bum has been around for more than 10 years. I know from personal experience.

Wow, people are stupid if they believe this guy is 28 and used to do Economics and Finance.

AlphaMale 3OO

stripedpyjamas wrote: »

You graduated in 2004, and you're still here most days of the week......is there any chance you ARE the UCD Bum? I know it would fly in the face of the my story, but its still a possibility.

wow you got me there, that was a good one. look most people are disagreeing with you so stop digging yourself a hole.

PennyLane

I don't know why I keep looking at this thread. It's like some horrible car wreck; I don't want to look, but I just can't turn away.

felletor

This thread has three groups of people on this thread:

1. The angry members who are using boards.ie as an outlet for an obviusly very troubled existance. These people could also be very stupid or just bored. These people see it neccesary to show disrespect to both contributors and the subject himself. All I have to say to you is that the UCD bum may not have money or possesions, but at least he has dignity.

2. Those people who are worried that taking a side in this thread will make them look stupid, so all they do is constantly ask for 'actual' evidance as they call it. You have neither the flair or courage to contribute to this topic.

3. The third group (of which i am a part of) are people who actually contribute to the thread. They know the story is largely true and simply want to discuss the finer details of it. A thread with just these people would be pleasant spirited discussion with no anger or stupidity.

I would urge anyone who are in the first two groups to stay away from this thread as your embarassing yourselves and taking away the enjoyment of the thread from group 3. I'm urging everyone to start being more mature and to take a more relaxed attitude.

simonrooneyzaga

elgriff

+1

simonrooneyzaga

what does that +1 thing mean griff, your always doing it.

Chakar

It means he agrees with a previous post. However that symbol is usually used in 'Forums' to indicate support for a forum.

elgriff

simonrooneyzaga wrote: »

what does that +1 thing mean griff, your always doing it.

Just trying to give you a bit of support!

simonrooneyzaga

+1

MistressPandora

Just to go back to the original point, what other stories are there? I've heard a good few from other members of staff, like how he used to be a professor in the college (possibly English literature) and one day he was let go. He lost everything he had, including his sanity so he returned to UCD. Nobody could remove him from the grounds and he's been here ever since.
My manager has been in UCD for about 9 years or so and he was definitely well established by then.

My first memory of him always cracks me up. I was walking past the computer centre and he popped his head out of the huge bins beside me. He looked at me, gave me a huge toothy grin, climbed out and wandered off. He scared the bejaysus out of me at the time!
He hasn't smiled at me since but I make sure I always have one for him.

AlphaMale 3OO

Thats hillarious! Has anyone here actually talked with him at any stage? I regret to say whenever I saw him I felt uneasy and just kind of shuffled by. I've seen him as far a field as Angelsea Road so he definately doesn't just confine himself to UCD.

Mr Minraise

I find it an absolute disgrace that the SU has decieded to install more of these dreadful things down in the Trap at the begining of this year. Is it not bad enough that one person has already ruined their life over these wrechted things without wrecking more.

I myself admit to finding these things highly addicitve. The first Tuesday back after Christmass i came in early for my 11 O Clock lecture one morning and decided to kill a few minutes down in the Trap.

3 hours later and €67 poorer i had to be dragged out of the place by one of mates.

Im sure im not the only who has spent their busfare trying to pot the black in the bottom corner one last time. (Dont want to go into this as its confidential, but my cousin whos helps out with the 'nite-line' service has talk to a few people who addmit that these machines have led them on to harder types of gambling, eg dogs, blackjack, etc.)

Im calling on everybody here to show there support for the UCD Bum by boycotting these Devil machines. . The powers of UCD implemented an 'anti-gambling policy' this year (banning Poker-Soc etc.) yet they still allow these machines to suck us into a life of addiction and sin.

I for one shall be sending an email to
Ms Ronnie Hayes, (i would contact Hugh Brady himself but i hear he holds a strong Anti UCDBUM stance), clearly outlinning my view on this matter. I would ask anyone else here who also feels strongly in this regard to do so aswell. Her contact details are as follows,



Ms Ronnie Hayes, Assistant to the President

Tel: +353 1 716 1668
Email: ronnie.hayes@ucd.ie


If somebody with a better way with words could compose an email that we could 'copy and paste'and forward on that would be brilliant.

I apoligise if people think im going a little overborad here. Its just that I myself am studying Economics and Finance, 18, and have a problem with these pool machines. You could almost say I am the Bum of 10 years younger.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

lol, I think some people just have addictive personalities, and to be quite honest I don't think everyone should suffer because of it. Although to be quite honest, I couldn't care less whether or not the machines are there.

Mr Minraise wrote:

3 hours later and €67 poorer i had to be dragged out of the place by one of mates.

What were you thinking??? A bit of willpower wouldn't go amiss.

ashyle

stripedpyjamas wrote: »

I know the topic of the UCD bum has been covered before, but I have received good information on his past and felt obliged to share with the forum. Whilst researching a paper for my elective in Art History, I somehow stumbled upon a scrapbook which appears to be the beginnings of an abandoned effort to document the lesser-known side of UCD history. The working title of the book was 'Urban Myths and College Legends: UCD's Hidden History', by a woman named Margarent Flanagan. I found this part particularly interesting. Based on an interview with Ann Waters, a former SU employee, Flanagan depicts this harrowing tale of wasted promise.

"A committed student, Benjamin scored very highly in his Leaving Cert, and came to UCD to study Economics and Finance. A bright and intelligent young man, he was well-groomed and generally maintained a sharp and presentable appearance. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to become class rep, but nonetheless endevoured to strengthen the bonds between his classmates, by taking a prominent role in the organization of class parties and trips. Well-liked by his peers, he was widely respected for his ability to juggle the stress of an active social life, outstanding academic record and a spot on the UCD U-21 Gaelic team; a quiet, yet popular, gent.
However, according to college lore, one blustery evening in early December, Ben was entrenched in UCD Library, busily studying for a tough taxation exam less than a fortnight away. Mentally exhausted after a binge of note-taking, he wandered down to the SU shop below the library, eager for a snack and light beverage. While consuming his Capri-Sun and Snickers, a strangely-hypnotic electronic sound drenched his ear-drums in temptation. Intrigued, he turned towards the brightly coloured machine from whence this noise was flowing. 'Pocket Money' it read; surrounding its title, an array of snooker parafonalia. '1 CREDIT - €1' it read. Never one to be sucked in by a fad, Ben dismissed it as folly. But he could not turn away. Its bright lights and unassuming manner transfixed him. 'Why not?', he thought. He rummaged through his jeans pockets, and his hand emerged clutching a €1 coin. He placed it into coin slot and began playing. It was the beginning of the end for poor Benjamin.
The premise of Pocket Money is quite simple. The player takes on the role of a snooker player. He is presented with a gold dial to choose his direction, and a 'shoot' button, to be pressed at precisely the moment at which the on-screen power dial has reached the required level. The player is also presented with a handful of blue balls on the table; the aim is to pot as many of these as possible. The more difficult it is to pot, the more money the shot is worth. One must amass as much money as possible in a minute and a half. Success grants access to level two, where you carry over your previous pot and are offered the oppurtunity to increase it. In addition, one must avoid hitting or potting the dreaded 'skull ball' (doing so empties your kitty or 'purse), and try to pot the covetted yellow 'double' ball (which, as one might expect, doubles your purse). Once your time runs out, you are moved on to the bonus round, where the aim is to land the white ball on de-marcated areas on a snooker table, each one carrying different rewards from €1 to €5, and one area rewards the player with the value of the purse they have hitherto amassed.
One game and Ben was hooked. He would repeatedly insert euro after euro after euro into the machine; occasionally an audience gathered, but in general he lost his money in solitude. Friends began to notice a marked deterioration in Benjamin, from his grades to his social life. 6 months passed and his addiction grew steadily worse. The legend goes that the SU even tried to have the machine removed, but couldn't, due to legal constraints. Ben's parents would frequently go up to 3 days without seeing him; Ben had an arrangement with the janitor that he could stay in the library basement overnight, playing the game. He would return home sporadically, merely to bath and eat, and sometimes change his clothes. He financed the operation through occasional wins and, more importantly, a substantial inheritance from a deceased great aunt. Within 3 years Benjamin was no longer a student; he couldn't remember the faces of his family or friends (who had long since graduated), recognising instead the faces of library regulars, who came and went regularly, but almost always passed a disgusted look or a whispered comment regarding his increasingly dishevelled appearance.
As the situation worsened, he realised he was on his own. He now claims squatters rights in the college, who have tried and failed repeatedly to remove him. It is believed that the authorities have accepteed that he is there for good, and so they leave him to wander the campus, wondering what could have been, his mind warped by the twisted world of Pocket Money. Despite his withered appearance, he is only 28 years of age; his wrinkled brow and greying hair possess a wisdom far beyond his tender years. If you're lucky, you may see him cast a sorrowful glance in the direction of the machine, and the music and sound effects will fill his senses, and he will once more think back on his wasted youth. Spare a thought for old Ben, and use this tale as a lesson in self-control and the importance of moderation in all its forms."

I love you

Brad Goodman

I don't know if this story has been told before but I have it on good authority that the "UCD bum" was in a successful business with his brother (possibly twin brother) when said brother ****ed him over, sold the business for millions and disappeared into the sunset with all the cash. This total betrayal sent the afforementioned "bum" over the edge and spiralling down to where he is now.

elgriff

that story is not untrue...

Dave!

I heard that the UCD Bum is actually Osama Bin Laden in disguise! :eek:

Riamfada

I heard that he is the second coming of Christ but no one believes him.

Jack Lynch

I've heard plenty of different stories about him from 'sources' within UCD, but two things I've heard that I believe to be true are that he's been in UCD for 26 years and in the winter he sometimes heads to a men's homeless shelter in Dun Laoghaire instead of sleeping in UCD. These two facts came from non-UCD sources, from someone who I believe and who is directly involved in homeless provision in Dublin. Everything else is hearsay.

Whatever happened to Hear'say?

TJJP

stripedpyjamas wrote: »

I know the topic of the UCD bum has been covered before, but I have received good information on his past and felt obliged to share with the forum. <snip> He rummaged through his jeans pockets, and his hand emerged clutching a €1 coin. He placed it into coin slot and began playing. It was the beginning of the end for poor Benjamin.

elgriff wrote: »

Arguably the stupidest point ever made in an forum.

HE CANT BE 28, ECONOMICS AND FINANCE ONLY CAME IN TEN YEARS AGO, WHICH WOULD MEAN HE STARTED IT AT 18, WHICH IS THE USUAL AGE TO BEGIN A DEGREE, MAKING HIM 28 NOW. CAN'T YOU SEE HOW IT IS MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE?

/sarcasm

For our best and brightest economists, I'd have thought the €'d given it away. A post 2001 UCD student, currently at their leisure isn't worth writing home about. An anyways, Norton been round for years, so just cause it wasn't a major, doesn't mean it aint so or possible. Ask McCarthy outside Newman when he's having a fag. He'll cut you short.

delta_bravo

Jack Lynch wrote: »

I've heard plenty of different stories about him from 'sources' within UCD, but two things I've heard that I believe to be true are that he's been in UCD for 26 years and in the winter he sometimes heads to a men's homeless shelter in Dun Laoghaire instead of sleeping in UCD. These two facts came from non-UCD sources, from someone who I believe and who is directly involved in homeless provision in Dublin. Everything else is hearsay.

Whatever happened to Hear'say?

I have it on good authority from Don Conroy that the man spends most of his time in UCD but in the winters months migrates to Africa for the warmer climate. Although Don may have been referring to swallows, cant remember exactly

liamygunner29

I would like to say that them 3 ejets that came in and got some people really worked up were hilarious. They really were clever and witty in their comebacks its hilarious to read the more experinced board members getting in a fluff.

On the subject of the bum. His my Dad, his not 28 his 44 and things went wrong when he got kicked out of "Blazin squad" a week before "crossroads" was realised and made 0 profit. He came to ucd as a mature student to get life back on track.

The story about saving the girls is true (mum) and they had a brief affair which produced me

Been an arts student he didn't have the prospects to be a Dad so decided to hit the machines just to pay for my first couple of months. He never stopped.

Mum left him and he doesn't know who I am *starts welling up*. He still trys to hits the machines hoping to find me one day and to pay for my trinity education. I approached him one day to come clean he wouldn't believe me and instead took my change and turned towards the trap with a tiny glimmer of hope in his eye.

I went the other way to theetere L for my first day in Arts in Ucd.

I cant believe I stayed up all night to do an essay and at 6 in the morning im doing this instead

simonrooneyzaga

how is the bum these days? Is the machine still active? How many more lives does it have to ruin before Hugh Brady and co finally see some ****ing sense and shut it down.

laserlad2010

in case anyone is interested, another piece of evidence pointing towards the truth of the rape preventing hobo (RPH, to those of us in the know) is that behind the astro GAA pitch, there is a little lane linking a pedestrian gate on roebuck road with UCD. The name of that lane??

Rape lane. No joke. Apparently thats the scene of the attempted rape, and RPH stepped in and saved the day. And I'm NOT trolling, I'm not intelligent enough to do it...:p

delta_bravo

Thats not the actual name of the lane! I think the reason for students calling that was that it was very isolated and I think some women had been attacked years ago there.

Chet T16

If only there was some way to communicate with this homeless person

laserlad2010

delta_bravo wrote: »

Thats not the actual name of the lane! I think the reason for students calling that was that it was very isolated and I think some women had been attacked years ago there.

Some women? Are you not drawing conclusions here? Clearly its the same women that RPH saved! Elementary my dear Watson!

Now, all we have to do is reveal the identity of the Cat Burglar...

delta_bravo

laserlad2010 wrote: »

Some women? Are you not drawing conclusions here? Clearly its the same women that RPH saved! Elementary my dear Watson!

Now, all we have to do is reveal the identity of the Cat Burglar...

So you're owning up to being the perpetrator then?

FarmerGreen

He is the 'Stig'