Is Limerick a safe place to stand out?

Freiheit

A lesbian friend was recently attacked, on Bedford Row on the basis that she stood out by wearing a suit and a short back and sides haircut.

I know Mr Gay Limerick a few years ago said he felt safe holding hands with his boyfriend walking down the street....but.....

based on my friends experience, I'm not sure how safe Limerick is.

What do others think?.

zuroph

no different than anywhere else in the world.

ham_n_mustard

scobes are scobes all over, probably no higher chance of being attacked in limerick than anywhere else. i wouldnt say it was your friends particular style that offended the scum so much, they just look for anybody standing out in any way

Kess73

zuroph wrote: »

no different than anywhere else in the world.

Oh I don't know about that. I reckon there are parts of the Middle East where it could be a lot worse to be a woman standing in public in a suit.

Kess73

Freiheit wrote: »

A lesbian friend was recently attacked, on Bedford Row on the basis that she stood out by wearing a suit and a short back and sides haircut.

I know Mr Gay Limerick a few years ago said he felt safe holding hands with his boyfriend walking down the street....but.....

based on my friends experience, I'm not sure how safe Limerick is.

What do others think?.

I think your friend's attack was more down to scum being total scum than anything to do with her being gay.

It could have been a guy wearing glasses standing there, and the scum would still probably do the same.


Any excuse will do for the type of vermin that attacked your friend.

Of course if the same scum got put in a one on one situation they suddenly would run out of excuses and slink away.

Hope your friend was not hurt bad though.

Raiser

Limericks Streets are widely and accurately regarded as being largely unpoliced and relatively speaking have a very high ratio of Scumbags to normal People trying to get on with life and mind their own business.

I don't think the issue is with sexuality in particular, the next time and for the next Victim it could just as easily be racism, theft, mindless assault ie. Scum simply passing the time between cans/shooting up/sniffing solvents etc.

pappyodaniel

I'd take Limerick over Dublin anyday of the week. I got on the Luas at the Red Cow on Sat, went as far as Connolly and then the Dart to Lansdowne Road. Our fair capital has so many scumbags just hangin' around causing trouble. Here's a quick list of the things I saw on my journey in the space of an hour.

1. The first thing I witnessed was a guy impersonating an Indian guy minding his own business, doing Apu from the Simpsons right into his face.

2. A guy at one of the stops puching his pregnant girlfriend in the face and then holding a can of cider under her eye to stop swelling (no bu!l****)

3. I seen 2 scumbags accosting 2 black teenagers, one of them had their shirts ripped and I saw him picking up his gold chain. The 2 attackers just breezed onto the Luas like nothing had just happened, i kept my head down.

4. I definately heard a gunshot when we were passing Fatima.

5. and finally Leinster jerseys everywhere, the horror, the ...........horror.

Berty

If I stood on the street in a hawaiian shirt for long enough I would surely bring attention to myself and draw on the "scobes"

That's just life, nothing to do with being a lesbian but Im sure it didn't help.

iguana

pappyodaniel wrote: »

4. I definately heard a gunshot when we were passing Fatima.

It's October. The smart money says you heard a firework.

pappyodaniel

iguana wrote: »

It's October. The smart money says you heard a firework.

You might be right, but everything else I saw appalled me, Dublin needs a Giuliani.

bazz26

pappyodaniel wrote: »

You might be right, but everything else I saw appalled me, Dublin needs a Giuliani.

Sure the Dubs have Jedward instead.

MissHoneyBun

zuroph wrote: »

no different than anywhere else in the world.

Yup, Limerick/Barbados -the very same!
I never get this logic, places all over the world are inherently different. Otherwise, no-one would ever travel. I don't understand the problem with acknowledging Limerick's high crime rate when clearly there is one. It's just calling a spade a digging implement at the end of the day. Nothing to get defensive or in denial about.

zuroph

MissHoneyBun wrote: »

Yup, Limerick/Barbados -the very same!
I never get this logic, places all over the world are inherently different. Otherwise, no-one would ever travel. I don't understand the problem with acknowledging Limerick's high crime rate when clearly there is one. It's just calling a spade a digging implement at the end of the day. Nothing to get defensive or in denial about.

so you think Limerick has an unusually large percentage of sexuality related crime?

MissHoneyBun

zuroph wrote: »

so you think Limerick has an unusually large percentage of sexuality related crime?

No Zuroph, crime in general, comparatively.

zuroph

But the topic asked is if you are at a higher risk of being attacked for being different, such as homosexual in Limerick. The answer IMO is no, you'll find homophobes the world over. The rates may be a little higher than other western countries, as we're still quite under the catholic thumb, but itd be worse in a country town than a city like Limerick. Try being gay in any small village or town in the west of Ireland, and you'll find Limerick a much more welcoming place.

Amazotheamazing

zuroph wrote: »

But the topic asked is if you are at a higher risk of being attacked for being different, such as homosexual in Limerick. The answer IMO is no, you'll find homophobes the world over. The rates may be a little higher than other western countries, as we're still quite under the catholic thumb, but itd be worse in a country town than a city like Limerick. Try being gay in any small village or town in the west of Ireland, and you'll find Limerick a much more welcoming place.

Sounds like there's a dark story and a lost weekend behind that memory Zuroph, a prank gone wrong?

Everyone knows if you're going to go gay for a weekend you pick Sydney, San Fran or Rio...

Nockz

zuroph wrote: »

But the topic asked is if you are at a higher risk of being attacked for being different, such as homosexual in Limerick. The answer IMO is no, you'll find homophobes the world over. The rates may be a little higher than other western countries, as we're still quite under the catholic thumb, but itd be worse in a country town than a city like Limerick. Try being gay in any small village or town in the west of Ireland, and you'll find Limerick a much more welcoming place.

I don't entirely agree. Walking into town normally gets me something thrown at me or stuff shouted at me (more so in the past as I avoid walking in as much as possible). So I like to wear black and liste to metal. Do I think that if I wore blue jeans and a plain hoody that I woud have never been 'noticed' as much by scobes. Yes. The more attention you draw to yourself, the more likely I find that hassle will go your way.

sunshineoh9

my fiance doesn't get much $hit... i mean people have talked $hit but never in a fight over it

iguana

zuroph wrote: »

no different than anywhere else in the world.

Tbh, I suspect that cities with very large homosexual populations are probably a lot safer and easier to be openly gay in than Limerick. Kemp Town in Brighton or around The Castro in SF for example. Also it's easier in much bigger cities, London, New York, Toronto, etc, as (if you can afford it) you could live your entire life in an area with a liberal population and rarely come into contact with scumbags.

zuroph

Nockz wrote: »

I don't entirely agree. Walking into town normally gets me something thrown at me or stuff shouted at me (more so in the past as I avoid walking in as much as possible). So I like to wear black and liste to metal. Do I think that if I wore blue jeans and a plain hoody that I woud have never been 'noticed' as much by scobes. Yes. The more attention you draw to yourself, the more likely I find that hassle will go your way.

its because you're young too, they're terrified of shaping up to anyone older. I used to have blue hair, by the time they came up with something smart to say, I' was long passed them, you could see them trying to come up with something in their head.. usually it was "You've got blue hair!!"......

iguana

zuroph wrote: »

its because you're young too, they're terrified of shaping up to anyone older. I used to have blue hair, by the time they came up with something smart to say, I' was long passed them, you could see them trying to come up with something in their head.. usually it was "You've got blue hair!!"......

I used to get a lot of "It's not Halloween!" Once someone even said it to me on Halloween.:rolleyes:

Freiheit

While in this instance it is an issue of sexuality, there is many reasons for which one can stand out...certainly in comparison to Galway (the only other city in Ireland I know intimately, only a passing knowledge of Dublin) there certainly appears to be a more visible delinquent element in Limerick. I'm not saying that something couldn't happen in Galway, sure it could, but it -feels- safer.

Raiser

Its the fear of punishment/repercussions that prevents Scumbags form acting on their urges.

- That fear is just not present in Limerick, honestly if you are in Limerick City Centre at any time of the day or night keep your head down, keep moving and don't draw any attention to yourself for any reason whether its because of valuables, cause you look like a soft target, you are not Irish or you are in any other minority that our Scum would consider fair game.....

Freiheit

That's sad Raiser isn't it?.:(

Raiser

Freiheit wrote: »

That's sad Raiser isn't it?.:(

Yes - They should honestly be booked for anti-social/public disorder offences or even loitering with intent and as a result have their Dole and other benefits cut off.

- There isn't many People who are anxious to get on in society, work, care for their Kids etc. and still have time to be drunk on our streets intimidating and harassing the very People who pay their every living expense via the PAYE system :mad:

Es ist sehr traurig.....

Amazotheamazing

Raiser wrote: »

Its the fear of punishment/repercussions that prevents Scumbags form acting on their urges.

- That fear is just not present in Limerick, honestly if you are in Limerick City Centre at any time of the day or night keep your head down, keep moving and don't draw any attention to yourself for any reason whether its because of valuables, cause you look like a soft target, you are not Irish or you are in any other minority that our Scum would consider fair game.....

That really doesn't sound like anything I experience in Limerick, can't believe you walk around in fear, course I don't look like and am not a soft target.

Actually, thinking about how you post here, I do believe you when you admit you walk around frightened.

Raiser

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Actually, thinking about how you post here, I do believe you when you admit you walk around frightened.

Reported this poor, half-hearted attempt at trolling/winding me up :rolleyes:

- You could have done better than that surely?

Amazotheamazing

Raiser wrote: »

Reported this poor, half-hearted attempt at trolling/winding me up :rolleyes:

- You could have done better than that surely?

How do you make out that that's trolling?

I'm comparing my experience in town to yours. It's a valid comparison, not everyone is frightened when they walk around town. Not everyone has to walk around with their eyes down etc.

Edit, let's be clear here, this is what you said
"honestly if you are in Limerick City Centre at any time of the day or night keep your head down, keep moving and don't draw any attention to yourself for any reason"

When I go to town I somehow survive despite keeping my head up, stopping and occasionally drawing attention to myself I guess by just being there.

Do you really walk around town with your head down?

Are you really that frightened to walk around Limerick?

Raiser

Amazo, if I remember correctly, you are unfortunate enough to be stuck with a Business in Limerick City and thus will go to any length to defend everything negative said about it no matter what the circumstances or how stark and grim the evidence is as its in your own personal and financial interests to do so.

- My posts above are unedited and don't happen to record me saying that I am terrified to walk around Limerick City etc. etc. Its just you using straw-man tactics in a thinly veiled attempt to mislead People.

I am just using my senses and sense to deduce that Limerick is far from being a safe, pleasant and desirable place to spend time - If you want to contradict the obvious then at least be up front about it, state your concerns and quote your Accountant or something.....

Insect Overlord

I spent lunch time in town today. Walked around Arthur's Quay, Cruise's Street, up William Street and down Lr. Gerald Griffin Street and back down William Street to Harvey's Quay. I stood tall and kept my eyes up the whole time and didn't once get accosted, or even thrown a dirty look.

I'd do the exact same any time I walk around town, be it on Henry, O'Connell, Catherine or Thomas Street with no hassle.

I've only once been intimidated in town. That was after eleven o'clock one night back in May. I guess three students walking around with Burger King crowns is probably considered asking for trouble though...

Amazotheamazing

Raiser wrote: »

Amazo, if I remember correctly, you are unfortunate enough to be stuck with a Business in Limerick City and thus will go to any length to defend everything negative said about it no matter what the circumstances or how stark and grim the evidence is as its in your own personal and financial interests to do so.

- My posts above are unedited and don't happen to record me saying that I am terrified to walk around Limerick City etc. etc. Its just you using straw-man tactics in a thinly veiled attempt to mislead People.

I am just using my senses and sense to deduce that Limerick is far from being a safe, pleasant and desirable place to spend time - If you want to contradict the obvious then at least be up front about it, state your concerns and quote your Accountant or something.....

I don't have a business here nor a house, I can leave in the morning. A lot of my family live in Cork and Dublin, my girlfriend lives in Galway, most of my friends from school live in London, I can live anywhere in the world I want to live, I choose to live in Limerick. Afaik, I can even get some sort of speeded up Canadian visa due to having a bit of family there, but I choose to stay here.

I think Limerick is safe simply because I walk around it everyday, your advice about keeping your head down just simply doesn't apply to me, nor to most people. I'm not contradicting the obvious, I'm pointing out how my experiences are very different to yours.

Just because you feel you need to keep you head down doesn't mean everyone does.