Do you feel safe walking around the city anymore

dfx-

I'd agree with irishbird, Dublin is a lot better since I've spent most of the day in the city centre, the past 9-10 years.

Even those who approach begging on the quays, Westmoreland St or the Boardwalk, they're getting more inventive (one lad looking to get back to Carlow every night in particular), but a simple no suffices. In my experience they don't linger like the OP describes.

That's not to dismiss that Dublin is safe or the OP's uneasiness though, I've felt a lot safer living in Munich last year, but not as safe in Nice.

arybvtcw0eolkf

dfx- wrote: »

they're getting more inventive (one lad looking to get back to Carlow every night in particular)

lol, I know the lad - we get him coming to the door every weekend with the same story

In my own experience Dublin city is one of a few cities in the world were one could walk five miles and never leave the scene of a crime :P

Yes I jest!.

Look, we're a capital city. We're big enough too, and as in most cities you've got to keep your street smarts about you.

Personally I think its going to get worse, people cried for a cut back in public services well they're coming.. Less Garda on the streets, less civilian employee's in the courts, treatment center's, hospitals and other catchment area's. Less street cleaners & caretaking, less park attendents & security - I personally think we're looking at some very mean streets in the years ahead.

Goldfingers

Kellan Silly Spaceship wrote: »

lol, I know the lad - we get him coming to the door every weekend with the same story

In my own experience Dublin city is one of a few cities in the world were one could walk five miles and never leave the scene of a crime :P

Yes I jest!.

Look, we're a capital city. We're big enough too, and as in most cities you've got to keep your street smarts about you.

Personally I think its going to get worse, people cried for a cut back in public services well they're coming.. Less Garda on the streets, less civilian employee's in the courts, treatment center's, hospitals and other catchment area's. Less street cleaners & caretaking, less park attendents & security - I personally think we're looking at some very mean streets in the years ahead.

Ha ha ha you're 100% correct.My present "day job" involves access to information and if people only knew how threadbare the public services are there would DRFINITELY be a revolution of some sort.I wonder how many Garda people think are actually available for the whole city from Friday to Sunday night?! How many staff are working through the nights over the weekens?! Firemen,Ambulancemen etc. The ironic thing is that the junkie that beat up your granny is just as likely to be on the same floor of the hospital as the pensioner he beat up on a Saturday night.The "cut the public services" mantra is another of Irish societys Russian Roulette attitude.You can only drill into your foundations for so long before they collapse.We tolerate what we see on the streets on a Sunday morninig 1 am to 6 am. There are no beds in hospitals.They are taken up by drunken & drugged perpetrators and victims of this "liberal society".Anywhere in Dublin is dangerous at night.I was attacked by a gang of 8 trackies in @ 6:30 in the summer in the middle of the city this summer & who helped me?! Nobody !! I expedited the situation and was slightly miffed I was hit twice but in the middle of O'Connell St on a sunny Saturday?! Dublin is dead.We are letting it happen.

D

I've been in Dublin for 6 years now. I have never had any problems. If someone comes up begging I just say no. That takes care of 99.9% of them, that other 0.1% need to be told no again and it has never gone further than that.

I do know that some guy made a grab at my girlfriend's ass one time she was walking home alone, and now if I can I see her to her door. That is the only incident I know of personally.

I think a lot of men do not realise how intimidated some women are from walking around at night. Most women will always take a taxi if they have to pass through certain areas. Also based purely on anecdotal evidence taxi drivers seem to keep a protective eye on women at night.

Relying on the average person's opinion on street crime/personal safety in Dublin is a poor choice. If you really wanted an opinion I would ask some one who works in the emergency services, who has access to data and/or first hand knowledge. Failing that someone who works regularly at night would be a second choice, late shift workers such as bar staff, bouncers, and taxi drivers.

Goldfingers

D wrote: »

I've been in Dublin for 6 years now. I have never had any problems. If someone comes up begging I just say no. That takes care of 99.9% of them, that other 0.1% need to be told no again and it has never gone further than that.

I do know that some guy made a grab at my girlfriend's ass one time she was walking home alone, and now if I can I see her to her door. That is the only incident I know of personally.

I think a lot of men do not realise how intimidated some women are from walking around at night. Most women will always take a taxi if they have to pass through certain areas. Also based purely on anecdotal evidence taxi drivers seem to keep a protective eye on women at night.

Relying on the average person's opinion on street crime/personal safety in Dublin is a poor choice. If you really wanted an opinion I would ask some one who works in the emergency services, who has access to data and/or first hand knowledge. Failing that someone who works regularly at night would be a second choice, late shift workers such as bar staff, bouncers, and taxi drivers.

Hi,have you read the 8 or 9 messages above? Basically you could be Chuck Norris or David Norris but its not gonna stop the current state of Dublins streets.Juxtapositioning wisdom of taxi drivers & doormen and ambulancemen is just irrational.Does an ass-whipped crack head give a damn if you're a girl or a bloke? You may not have seen/had experience of Dublin @ night but it genuinely sickens me.Another pub,another midnight mill - sad.I can give you more examples of things I've seen on the door that Tarantino wouldn't dream of.

gigino

Parts of Dublin are rough, there is no doubt about that. I think its got worse, the Gardai now do not seem to care. It must be difficult / confusing for some tourists.

dfx-

Kellan Silly Spaceship wrote: »

lol, I know the lad - we get him coming to the door every weekend with the same story

The last time he was around last week I was with a couple of friends and he didn't bother asking me..I felt left out. Same story though.

I don't think gardaí or emergency services people will have an accurate view either. If you're around 'incidents' all the time, it's going to sway you into thinking it's a war zone. It doesn't reflect on safety for the masses.

D

???

Goldfingers wrote: »

Basically you could be Chuck Norris or David Norris but its not gonna stop the current state of Dublins streets.

I never said anything about changing the state of Dublin streets, I just gave an insight into my own experiences, the same as other posters.

Goldfingers wrote: »

Juxtapositioning wisdom of taxi drivers & doormen and ambulancemen is just irrational.

I stated that the section on taxi drivers was anecdotal. As for ambulance men I would think that people employed in the emergency services would be able to give their opinions on whether or not Dublin is getting safer or whether there are more anti-social incidents happening seeing as they would more likely be involved than the average person.

Goldfingers wrote: »

Does an ass-whipped crack head give a damn if you're a girl or a bloke?

I'd guess no but then again I never said they did.

Goldfingers wrote: »

You may not have seen/had experience of Dublin @ night but it genuinely sickens me.Another pub,another midnight mill - sad.I can give you more examples of things I've seen on the door that Tarantino wouldn't dream of.

Once again I was talking about my own experiences. I feel sorry for you that you have experienced things that sicken you. You opinion is as valid as mine.

I have only talked about my own experiences and that of people that I have talked with first hand, naturally I did not mention events that I have heard of as I don't know how accurate they are. This is why I mentioned the opinion of the emergency service and people who regularly work late at night, they would have first hand experience.

I wasn't having a go at your opinion, just giving my own.

Goldfingers

D wrote: »

???

I never said anything about changing the state of Dublin streets, I just gave an insight into my own experiences, the same as other posters.
I stated that the section on taxi drivers was anecdotal. As for ambulance men I would think that people employed in the emergency services would be able to give their opinions on whether or not Dublin is getting safer or whether there are more anti-social incidents happening seeing as they would more likely be involved than the average person. I'd guess no but then again I never said they did. Once again I was talking about my own experiences. I feel sorry for you that you have experienced things that sicken you. You opinion is as valid as mine.

I have only talked about my own experiences and that of people that I have talked with first hand, naturally I did not mention events that I have heard of as I don't know how accurate they are. This is why I mentioned the opinion of the emergency service and people who regularly work late at night, they would have first hand experience.

I wasn't having a go at your opinion, just giving my own.

I was talking of my own personal experience as a first hand account from working late at night and day sometimes with the erroneous malcontents in Dublin city.I think that experience counts for kudos in a thread such as this,but I digress.The state of fear/anxiety in Dublin city late night/early morning is a tragedy in the true sense of the word.The general public appears to wash their hands while an attitude of "I'm alright Jack",until it affects their inner circle.It seems to predominately pervade in Dublin allowing this cancer to eat at the foundations.Dublin has got more violent with more occupants,anti-social elements,junkies,different races & cultures,alcohol abuse and with an overly PC attitude thrown in,its a lethal cocktail.People are welcome to their opinion but I think anyone else that sees these things on a regular basis would concur with me.

John Mason

Goldfinger, the problem is your reality is very different to the reality of a lot of people on this thread.

the old saying of "if you go looking for trouble, you will find it" applys very much here.

Your job is to look for trouble, so you find it everywhere.

the rest of us are not looking for it, so we dont see it.


That doesnt mean either side are right, it just means that we are subject to very different realities of Dublin.

In my experience, Dublin is one of the safest places i have live and nothing you can say is going to change that for me because that is my reality.

bluefinger

Lived in and around Dublin City all my life and have a tendency to ramble around at night with the dog quite a bit. have to say i thought the city was far more intimidating in the past in my experience. there's many a night i've been out and been quite shocked at how eerily quiet it has been in the past few years.

Goldfingers

irishbird wrote: »

Goldfinger, the problem is your reality is very different to the reality of a lot of people on this thread.

the old saying of "if you go looking for trouble, you will find it" applys very much here.

Your job is to look for trouble, so you find it everywhere.

the rest of us are not looking for it, so we dont see it.


That doesnt mean either side are right, it just means that we are subject to very different realities of Dublin.

In my experience, Dublin is one of the safest places i have live and nothing you can say is going to change that for me because that is my reality.

My job isn't to look for trouble.As a matter of fact you're agreeing with me as I've already said "he general public appears to wash their hands while an attitude of "I'm alright Jack",until it affects their inner circle" I hope you never see it in your reality.Shall I quote statistics about criminal activity in Dublin & environs for the last 20 years?

dfx-

You could probably state statistics for the last 100 years, Goldfingers, but it doesn't relate to how safe the city is for 'normal' people. There could be 500,000 crimes outside my front door, but that doesn't reflect how safe I feel. And that's what the thread and the OP is about, in my opinion. It's not about whether it's safe, it's about "do you feel safe".

bluefinger wrote: »

Lived in and around Dublin City all my life and have a tendency to ramble around at night with the dog quite a bit. have to say i thought the city was far more intimidating in the past in my experience. there's many a night i've been out and been quite shocked at how eerily quiet it has been in the past few years.

Except for Friday nights, it's eerily quiet in the city centre, especially Monday nights.

John Mason

Goldfingers wrote: »

My job isn't to look for trouble.As a matter of fact you're agreeing with me as I've already said "he general public appears to wash their hands while an attitude of "I'm alright Jack",until it affects their inner circle" I hope you never see it in your reality.Shall I quote statistics about criminal activity in Dublin & environs for the last 20 years?

you can quote statistic for the next 100 years but that is not going to change how i feel because it is a feeling, and feelings are not comparable with staistics.

I like living in Dublin but I am also aware that it is a city with the problems that are associated with all cities.

It must be horrible having to live your life scared of your own shadow and you do have my sympathies.

arybvtcw0eolkf

irishbird wrote: »

you can quote statistic for the next 100 years but that is not going to change how i feel because it is a feeling, and feelings are not comparable with staistics.

Stat's mean nothing to the man or woman on the street.

I'll just give my own experiences recently, from O'Connell Bridge to Parliment St. (south quays) most weekends I'll witness a number of assaults, a lot of drug dealing and some aggressive begging and I can bet my life that from one end of the evening to the early hours of the morning I won't see a Garda (on foot) along that area.

People who are assaulted usually want one of two things - home, or an ambulance. Since last Oct I've been asked to call the police just once.

irishbird wrote: »

It must be horrible having to live your life scared of your own shadow and you do have my sympathies.

+1 on this, and thats why I warned in this thread that someone wishing to do a self defence course pays a visit to the Self Defence & Martial Arts forum for advice first because there are people running these courses who are just exploiting people's fears - and in a lot of cases making them worse.

One of the moderators in the Self Defence forum - Yomchi - run's a very good and reputable reality based self defence group up in Cabra - he's the man to point anyone in the right direction for self defence classes.

John_Rambo

The city is a safe city. I feel safe in the city... There are people who will concentrate on the bad only. They are normally the ones that complain the most, but do nothing about it.

Using taxi drivers, barmen and bouncers to gauge the barometer of any city will give you a warped result.

arybvtcw0eolkf

John_Rambo wrote: »

The city is a safe city. I feel safe in the city... There are people who will concentrate on the bad only. They are normally the ones that complain the most, but do nothing about it.

Using taxi drivers, barmen and bouncers to gauge the barometer of any city will give you a warped result.

Using a Vietnam vet suffering a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress isn't much better .

BraziliaNZ

People talking about Barcelona, you do get street hawkers and non spanish immigrants there trying to pick pocket or pull a fast one on you. But if you keep your wits about you it's fine. There doesn't seem to be the same intimidating types and gangs of violent bravado kids you get in Dublin. I've never had any trouble, I just don't like looking at a city where these people are just rampant. Junkies, gangs of thuggish street urchins from the inner city throwing rubbish around and being anti-social, drunks, did I say junkies already... The city just looks appauling in large parts of the centre.
I live in London now, I'm not aware of any areas of the centre where anything on this scale goes on (West End I mean by centre). I live in what's considered a dodgy area, Brixton, and apart from the riots which spread around London I've never seen any trouble or ever seen anyone getting any hassle, even though you get a lot of people around the high st and town hall drinking etc, mostly Carribeans, they tend to just mind their own business. Now I know Britain is the home of ASBOs, but whatever it is the police seem to do, at least they seem to keep ASB away from the High Streets - huge problems here too but it's been kept under wraps in the massive council estates from what I can see.
There seems to be a mindframe of anti-social behaviour and disrespect for the city engraved into certain elements of Dublin society and it's endemic especially in the North Inner City. I worked around there for 5 years and it really put me off the city, so much so that I'm not going home for Xmas even. Yes I know, I wont be missed, hope I shut the door behind me etc - but seriously, I've lived all over and it's just depressing to see my own city like that.
No I didn't do anything to improve it but I did act like a good citizen and I expect that from others too, but there's something wrong with our society IMO.

youcrazyjesus!

John_Rambo wrote: »

www.ryanair.com

Your point?

I don't live in Dublin.

John_Rambo

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

apart from the riots

That's a bit of a big "apart" BraziliaNZ!! I think not visiting over xmas might have more to do with your personal life in Dublin, not druggies, but congrats on the move, you were not a happy man and it sounds like you are now. Delighted for you, just don't look back in anger too much!

youcrazyjesus! wrote: »

Your point?

I don't live in Dublin.

You said you have never been to a city that has worse harrassment than Dublin? I have. I got a Ryanair flights to them. I put up the Ryanair website as a little gag... you know, you can get flights to loads of cities with Ryanair quiet cheaply, wander off the tourist trail and get harrassed or worse to your hearts content! Where you live is irrelevant to the gag, but bully for you!

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Dublin isn't that bad, compared to most capital cities I've been in at least. If you are misfortunate enough to get in a scrape, chances are you'd end up with a black eye and a nosebleed at worse. But that's if you can look after yourself. You can be unlucky to run into a gang of lads but that's rare and can happen anywhere, including any town in Ireland
It would be a hell of a lot worse for anyone who feels intimidated because such low life, being animal like, can smell that and exploit it

Whilst Dublin isn't that bad I have to reiterate what a sh*thole north inner city Dublin is. My little sis just moved into a house off Mountjoy square and I'm pretty scared for her to be honest. She works in a bar and there's not a hope in hell she could walk home without getting hassled, the place is full of zombies. But when you look around it has the same beautiful georgian buildings and the same squares but it has been left to ruin. Criminal on DCC's part

Kintarō Hattori

I'm originally from here in Kildare (yes I'm a blow-in). It's small, very small, the kind of place where you knew almost everyone. As a kid, teen and young adult when I woke up in the morning I could see rolling hills, sheep and cattle in the not too far off distance. The cool thing was that the city centre was only 30 minutes away on the bus. When I got a job almost 10 years ago I moved up to the city rather than stay living with the folks.

In those 10 years I've lived in Rathmines, Balbriggan, North King Street, Church Street Upper, Prussia Street, North King Street (yes twice), the Navan Road and now Balbriggan again. I also happen to work everyday in the city centre on Parnell Street.

What can I tell you? As a country boy I've never felt unsafe on the streets of Dublin. I've been out when it's early, late, quiet and busy. It's a city, it's big and it's busy. It does have areas that aren't really safe so it's best not to go there- this is the same with any town or city all over the world and doesn't make Dublin unique. It has a lot of people. Most people on the streets are fine but you'll always get some undesirables. In saying that I've never been troubled by junkies/youths or anyone else while going about my business. I'm not a big fellow by any means so it's not that I'm intimidating. I just go about my business and thankfully no-one has ever really bothered me.

I think perhaps as we get older we notice more the bad things about the city, the fact that there is crime, that there's so many junkies, lots of drunk people, the lack of a Garda presence and so on. These aren't recent things though, they've always been there.... but perhaps are more commonplace now due to affluence and the fact that the city has grown in size and diversity so much.

We don't live in a Utopia. There are bad people and bad areas in any city. Don't go there, don't give folk attitude unnecessarily, don't be flashy with your belongings and you should be fine. Some common sense goes a long way.

chopser

I walk through O'Connell street, Parnell, Mountjoy Sq most days and feel safe all the time.

I do however notice way more junkies everywhere.(The area around luas stop on Abbey street is a disgrace to Ireland in that is what tourists all witness in that it is just off Irelands main thoroughfare and a disgrace to the Gardai that let it continue)

That being said I'm not scared of them and they don't in general seem to bother anyone. I agree with the Ryanair.ie dig. in that in some other Euopean cities you are constantly harassed.

My long winded point being that yes the appearance of inner city dublin is much worse due to the prevalence of drug users but I don't think that in comparison to its appearance, it is that much more unsafe.

JupiterKid

I've lived in Dublin most of my life and I remember the city well as a child in the 1980s - back then, the problems were derelict buildings and sites everywhere and begging. I have to say that the city centre, which went through huge improvements in the 1990s and early 2000s, has definitely taken a turn downhill in the past couple of years, especially since the recession hit hard.

There are definitely more heroin addicts and beggars visible on the streets now, and most seem to be concentrated in an around the LUAS red line/Abbey Street/O'Connell St/Liffey Boardwalk and Marlborough Street areas.

It's almost impossible to walk around the North inner city now without being stopped and asked for money at least once and I've been harrassed an a number of occasions. Town is still safe during the day, although the pockets of addcition and anti-social behaviour would turn many people off from making frequent trips into town.

By night, there is a definite sense of menace in the air. It's not so much actual attacks on people, but an air of decay and anti-social behaviour that would make anyone uncomfortable and I can fully understand the OP's concerns.

Goldfingers

irishbird wrote: »

you can quote statistic for the next 100 years but that is not going to change how i feel because it is a feeling, and feelings are not comparable with staistics.

It must be horrible having to live your life scared of your own shadow and you do have my sympathies.

Thanks for your sympathy.Your family have mine.Your childish repartee just proves that dyslexia and ignorance are good bedfellows in providing a painfully low social intelligence.I dont live my life scared of your own shadow but there are people who actually do live this way.If I recall correctly that is the fundamental premise of this thread.Dublin isn't a safe city.If everyone else thinks that it is,fair enough and best of luck to you.I'm finished with this thread as its pointless when it degenerates to a level where people cannot even acknowledge the fact that Dublin is a place that is unsafe and likening it to another city has nothing to do with the thread.Enjoy,and I hope nobody bursts your bubble and gives you reason to recognise what Dublin city is.If junkies,rapists,robberies,theft,assault,beggars don't embarrass and/or affect you - enjoy Dublin,and hey,maybe if you're sufficiently dim you'll still have the same point of view.I'm off to get my sawn off shotgun and balaclava,some of us have a date with the bank lol

Goldfingers

JupiterKid wrote: »

I've lived in Dublin most of my life and I remember the city well as a child in the 1980s - back then, the problems were derelict buildings and sites everywhere and begging. I have to say that the city centre, which went through huge improvements in the 1990s and early 2000s, has definitely taken a turn downhill in the past couple of years, especially since the recession hit hard.

There are definitely more heroin addicts and beggars visible on the streets now, and most seem to be concentrated in an around the LUAS red line/Abbey Street/O'Connell St/Liffey Boardwalk and Marlborough Street areas.

It's almost impossible to walk around the North inner city now without being stopped and asked for money at least once and I've been harrassed an a number of occasions. Town is still safe during the day, although the pockets of addcition and anti-social behaviour would turn many people off from making frequent trips into town.

By night, there is a definite sense of menace in the air. It's not so much actual attacks on people, but an air of decay and anti-social behaviour that would make anyone uncomfortable and I can fully understand the OP's concerns.

I spend 6 days/nights a week working in and around and totally agree with you but obviously I must be hallucinating as other people don't see or are unaware of what is happening to the anti-social behaviour.Its one way of solving a problem.Ignore it.A bientot mes amis.:cool:

_blank_

Quit with the personal digs

BraziliaNZ

John_Rambo wrote: »

That's a bit of a big "apart" BraziliaNZ!! I think not visiting over xmas might have more to do with your personal life in Dublin, not druggies, but congrats on the move, you were not a happy man and it sounds like you are now. Delighted for you, just don't look back in anger too much!

Yeah well in my opinion the riots were more of a racial thing, and I'm absolutely sure it'll happen in the future in Dublin - see North County Dublin.
I was happy enough at home but it makes it hard for me to enjoy the city when all I could see around me every day in town was scum, junkies, litter, and people with zero respect for the city.

John_Rambo

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

[ it hard for me to enjoy the city when all I could see around me every day in town was scum, junkies, litter, and people with zero respect for the city.

If that's all you could see it's a shame. I see the good too.

BraziliaNZ

John_Rambo wrote: »

If that's all you could see it's a shame. I see the good too.

well I worked in the four courts and frequented the cafes around abbey/caple st etc and cycled home via the luas line and up through amiens st etc. It's quite a feat if you can go around there ignoring the (junkie) elephants in the room!