Junkies at jervis Street last night

ian_m

Junkie Street all the way down to Stabbey Street, they've been around for as long as I can remember. In fact it used to be worse when they were buying and selling drugs on O'Connell St.

Ruski

I WANT MOARRR GEEEEEARRRRRRR.


WHERE'S MEE SYRIIIIINGE?

carlop

MementoMori wrote: »

Just a thought - would it not make sense to relocate these treatment centres from Marlborough St/Amiens St to someplace down close to Dublin Port?

I think this would be a better alternative than having them in the central business district near shops/offices etc locate them in a primarily industrial area.
At the very worst this would mean that at least some of their anti-social behaviour would be transferred into an area where it would affect a lot less people.

You haven't seen series 3 of The Wire by any chance have you?

Fajitas!

Tbh, I reckon the Gardai are at the point of being disheartened. Lock'em away, and they're either back out in a few hours, or a few weeks. In fact, the junkies are going to be back out faster than the Garda that has to write up the paperwork.

It's the judges we should be after, not the Gardai - There's only so much they can do.

The other side of the Gardai dealing with junkies is.. well.. sharp objects, especially those contaminated with god only knows what.

As said, putting them into rehab centres is no good unless they want to get clean. But if they tell a judge that they're starting rehab next Monday, well then leave them off, poor chaps. He's had a troubled life, eh? Besides, our prison systems are tied up :rolleyes:

bluemachaveli

Was in Dublin last Sat for the Heineken Cup. On the way into the city we were waiting in traffic outside the Train station when two, what i assume to be junkies started a full flight boxing match. Went on for about 5 minutes, they ended up rolling around the middle of the road.

At the end of it all some skanger one with a buggy showed up and the two of em got up and shook hands!

Crazy Stuff!

MementoMori

carlop wrote: »

You haven't seen series 3 of The Wire by any chance have you?

Nope - only seen series 1 so far. Why? {Without spoilers if possible, please}

MementoMori

bluemachavel wrote: »

Was in Dublin last Sat for the Heineken Cup. On the way into the city we were waiting in traffic outside the Train station when two, what i assume to be junkies started a full flight boxing match. Went on for about 5 minutes, they ended up rolling around the middle of the road.

At the end of it all some skanger one with a buggy showed up and the two of em got up and shook hands!

Crazy Stuff!

Just out of interest did you call the police?

This isn't directed at you BlueMacHavel, but I'm always surprised when people give out about anti-social behaviour in the city and yet never seem to give a moment's consideration to calling the police. I've come accross this a number of times from people and it just confuses me.

Given everyone has a mobile phone it's not as if it's that difficult.
It's not as if you have to even hang around - a quick call to the police saying something like "two guys are battering the hell out of each other outside the train station" might take thirty seconds.

There is always the chance that nothing will be done, but there is also the chance that there could be a squad car parked around the corner and they could be there in thirty seconds.

Even if at the very worst all the Gardai do at the time is record it, going forward when allocating staffing levels they are most likely going to take stuff like this into account. /Mini-Rant Over

arybvtcw0eolkf

bluemachavel wrote: »

Was in Dublin last Sat for the Heineken Cup. On the way into the city we were waiting in traffic outside the Train station when two, what i assume to be junkies started a full flight boxing match. Went on for about 5 minutes, they ended up rolling around the middle of the road.

At the end of it all some skanger one with a buggy showed up and the two of em got up and shook hands!

Crazy Stuff!

Would it be fare to say it was probably Tara St train station?.

That place is notorious for addicts, from there to the daily morning gathering on the bridge, over to Liberty Hall and onto Custom House Quay.

I'll try get some photos done during the week, but that whole area saturated with addicts plying their filthy trade and NOT ONCE have I seen a garda presence in the area.

.

Mind your not stabbed to death if the see you taking their pics:)

Pics would be great, especially if the ones with children with them could be identified by social services.

havana

Miller Loose Pirate wrote: »

I'll try get some photos done during the week, but that whole area saturated with addicts plying their filthy trade and NOT ONCE have I seen a garda presence in the area.

Do you mind if i take some photos of you and post them on the internet?

Oh yeah sorry. I forgot, certain members of society don't have the same rights as us normal folk.

dubtom

I was under the impression that the majority of the 'junkies' hanging around town/boardwalk/customs house/general quays area are more methadone users on the 'mend' rather than taking smack. People injecting usually don't top off the buzz with a few cans of beer or cider, they don't need to. The weight of these people is also a give away, their usually overweight, which is not a heroin users problem at the best of times. Which brings me on to my pet hate which for the life of me I can't get my head around. Why give a drug substitute to a heroin user who wants to quit? No other addiction is treated in this way. You don't ween an alcoholic off alcohol by giving them less or any for that matter. They must abstain before their even considered for treatment, the same applies to gamblers. But because going cold turkey is considered rather unpleasant and a bit painful, he abuser is topped up with an another drug which in turn could take several years to come off completely, all at the tax payers expense. Surely two weeks of unpleasantness would not only get the user completely drug free but they would learn a valuable lesson too, getting off drugs hurts, I'm not going to do them again.
After the cold turkey whatever counciling needed by the ex- user could be given along with an introduction to a self help group. They would more than likely realise that hanging around the streets drinking with the same people they used with is more than likely going to lead them down the same road again. I'm sure the HSE or whoever runs these programs have a minuscule success rate, it's obviously a politically based decision why they continue.

carlop

MementoMori wrote: »

Nope - only seen series 1 so far. Why? {Without spoilers if possible, please}

I definitely don't want to ruin it for you so I'll just say there is mention of a similar proposal to the one you talked about above.

Fajitas!

havana wrote: »

Do you mind if i take some photos of you and post them on the internet?

Oh yeah sorry. I forgot, certain members of society don't have the same rights as us normal folk.

Everyone has the same rights, whether a user on this forum, or some junkie on the streets, if you've your photograph taken in public, fair game.

January

MementoMori wrote: »

Just out of interest did you call the police?

This isn't directed at you BlueMacHavel, but I'm always surprised when people give out about anti-social behaviour in the city and yet never seem to give a moment's consideration to calling the police. I've come accross this a number of times from people and it just confuses me.

Given everyone has a mobile phone it's not as if it's that difficult.
It's not as if you have to even hang around - a quick call to the police saying something like "two guys are battering the hell out of each other outside the train station" might take thirty seconds.

There is always the chance that nothing will be done, but there is also the chance that there could be a squad car parked around the corner and they could be there in thirty seconds.

Even if at the very worst all the Gardai do at the time is record it, going forward when allocating staffing levels they are most likely going to take stuff like this into account. /Mini-Rant Over

And can I ask what the point in calling the Gardai would be? Chances are by the time he pulled his phone out of his pocket, called 11850 to find out the number of the nearest Garda station and rang the nearest Garda station to report the crime, that they were done fighting anyway. Not to mention the fact that if one of these guys or their friends overheard this man on the phone reporting it, they could have easily turned on him.

There should be a bigger Garda presence on the streets. I know this is easier said than done though.

Even if at the very worst all the Gardai do at the time is record it, going forward when allocating staffing levels they are most likely going to take stuff like this into account.

You do realise that this is Ireland... don't you?? The government are incapable of thinking like we do. Something as simple as this would never cross their mind!

arybvtcw0eolkf

havana wrote: »

Do you mind if i take some photos of you and post them on the internet?

Oh yeah sorry. I forgot, certain members of society don't have the same rights as us normal folk.

I couldn't give a rats arse what you put up on the internet about me, lord knows I've enough pix of me here on boards already.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Ruski wrote: »

I WANT MOARRR GEEEEEARRRRRRR.


WHERE'S MEE SYRIIIIINGE?

Staaarry Buuud, 'ere ya can use mine..

}====[////////]}

---

:P

InTranceWeTrust

Collie D wrote: »

Think of that if your car ever has a smash and grab done on it or your house is burgled. Decent junkies :rolleyes:

Twice I bought gear from a junkie who sold it to feed his habit. The third time he refused to sell it to me because I was "a nice young lad and (he) didn't want to see me get hooked".

Pretty decent of him I thought.

Degsy

InTranceWeTrust wrote: »

Twice I bought gear from a junkie who sold it to feed his habit. The third time he refused to sell it to me because I was "a nice young lad and (he) didn't want to see me get hooked".

Pretty decent of him I thought.

What the **** are you doing buying stuff off junkies?
not only are you helping to perpetuate the cycle of scumbaggery,but you're asking to get ripped off and probably cut up.

eddie.fandango

Guys, the entire justice system in this country is a mess. The Gardai and judges do what they can for the most part, but it's up to government ministers to amend legislation that will allow all criminals, not just junkies, to be taken care of, be that in the literal sense, or the "Tony Soprano" sense. Of course this won't happen, because no one wants to stick their neck out, that might cost them an election.

havana

dubtom wrote: »

But because going cold turkey is considered rather unpleasant and a bit painful, he abuser is topped up with an another drug which in turn could take several years to come off completely, all at the tax payers expense. Surely two weeks of unpleasantness would not only get the user completely drug free but they would learn a valuable lesson too, getting off drugs hurts, I'm not going to do them again.
After the cold turkey whatever counciling needed by the ex- user could be given along with an introduction to a self help group. They would more than likely realise that hanging around the streets drinking with the same people they used with is more than likely going to lead them down the same road again. I'm sure the HSE or whoever runs these programs have a minuscule success rate, it's obviously a politically based decision why they continue.

Unfortunatley its not that simple - a homeless drug user can be waiting months to get on with a counsellor or a methadone programme. And it's not so easy to become drug free when living on the streets or staying in a hostel. 2 weeks of 'unpleasantness' is no walk in the park, when you have the comforts of a bed and a warm house and food etc, never mind trying to do it sleeping in a doorway. And its so much more than just a physical dependancy, and without the adequate supports many will relapse. And all to often the issues that led to the drug use in the first place hurts alot more than withdrawals ever will.

I agree though about methadone being politically motivated. There are numerous other options out there, but if saying we have X amount of treatment places gets the votes then who needs to consider alternatives. IMO the availability of methadone places is more about that than ever considering the individual in question. Get them on the programme, stats look good, job done, with no thoughts of an individual care plan etc. Methadone has its place and it will work for some, but here the system is just one size has to fit all.

dubtom

Fortunatly (for them) the majority of drug addicts don't live on the streets,so picking a minority and using them as an example isn't really a fair argument. The reality is most probably live at home with mammy or whoever. The point is giving methadone daily to an addict and sending them on to the streets to do as they wish isn't helping them to kick the habit,it's just enforcing the idea in the addict that nothing has changed,just the manner in which they get high.Coolmine used an inpatient treatment (based on humiliation and other somewhat victorian methods) but had,and probably still does,some success.Mainly because the addict was completly drug free. I'm fairly sure if the HSE stopped using substitute drugs the money saved would probably pay for many inhouse treatment centers, there are plenty of vacant hospitals and soon to be a few more in Dublin alone.

Rob_l

havana wrote: »

Do you mind if i take some photos of you and post them on the internet?

Oh yeah sorry. I forgot, certain members of society don't have the same rights as us normal folk.

I think you'll find you are allowed to take pictures of public places

Degsy

Rob_l wrote: »

I think you'll find you are allowed to take pictures of public places

You're also allowed to take pictures of people in public places,you have no copyright on your appearance.
This is why i ended up in a photobook about dublin a few years back!

havana

Rob_l wrote: »

I think you'll find you are allowed to take pictures of public places

I didn't asked if i was allowed i asked if he minded if i posted them on the net. Which he doesn't but not everyone feels like that.

as to the point that the majority of drug users are not homeless- maybe not. But you can be fairly certain the 'visible' ones that were discussed in this thread probably are or are in unstable accommodation. Most users who have a home don't use or hang around on the streets.

Coolmine is one way of doing things but it will not work for everyone. That why as i said before we need more alternatives and wider thinking than we have in the current system

Rob_l

havana wrote: »

I didn't asked if i was allowed i asked if he minded if i posted them on the net. Which he doesn't but not everyone feels like that.

as to the point that the majority of drug users are not homeless- maybe not. But you can be fairly certain the 'visible' ones that were discussed in this thread probably are or are in unstable accommodation. Most users who have a home don't use or hang around on the streets.

Coolmine is one way of doing things but it will not work for everyone. That why as i said before we need more alternatives and wider thinking than we have in the current system

Just a suggestion, but perhaps the drug abuse leads to those unstable living arrangments.
And I think they must take some personal responsibility, I doubt very much anyone could justifiably claim that when they started taking heroin they didn't know how harmful and toxic it is.

Acacia

I hate walking down Talbot Street on my own precisely because of this problem. I just don't feel safe. I also think that they sometimes target girls on their own to ask for money because they know they'll be intimidated. Has happened to me a few times, not that they were rude or violent towards me, I just felt like I couldn't say no to them because I was on my own.

havana

Rob_l wrote: »

Just a suggestion, but perhaps the drug abuse leads to those unstable living arrangments.

Course it often does. But its a vicious circle. It's well research that being homeless often leads to increased drug use, making it then more difficult to get out of homelessness and so on.

Rosser

Jervis Street is a junkie haven, they sleep in front of the insurance company (thinks it's AXA and it's a cr*p looking building) that over looks the Jervis park.

Acacia

Rosser wrote: »

Jervis Street is a junkie haven, they sleep in front of the insurance company (thinks it's AXA and it's a cr*p looking building) that over looks the Jervis park.

Yeah that park always seems to be full of homeless people, don't know if they're junkies though. Always see a few auld lads sleeping on the benches with their cans of Druid's.

havana

Sorry won't let me quote the edited post for some reason but about personal responsibility. Absolutely. Without it you'll never get clean. But that does not diminish the fact the the system does not provide the necessary pathways out of drug use or homelessness for those that have decided it is time to do something about it. If someone has reached that point it's no good if they have to wait 6 months for some sort of treatment. Who knows where they will be by then.