Do you feel safe having a night out in Dublin city centre

Faith+1

Lux23 wrote: »

That's silly. I live in the city centre and yea there are probably 100s of scary types hanging around and they make the city look dirty and unappealing. But when I walk through it twice a day and I can count on one hand the amount of incidents Ive witnessed and that's over 7 years. And most fights I saw were between dodgy looking characters, not random assaults on individuals going about their business.

But there isn't an epidemic of violence in this city, it's not like normal people are suddenly turning on each other.

Yes there is, as I've said the majority of it goes unreported so we think it's a safe city. The changes I've seen in Dublin since 2000 is shocking.

prinz

Indoors yes.

Outdoors when it's relatively busy.... somewhat, keep your wits and it's generally alright.

Outdoors when it's more deserted no. Then I'd very much be on edge, feeling unsafe and making conscious decisions based on that (i.e. not using earphones, paying attention to anyone about/judging their distance away,direction of travel etc)

Then again there are places a stones throw from O'Connell Street which I avoid if at all possible and that's in broad daylight.

Lux23

Faith+1 wrote: »

Yes there is, as I've said the majority of it goes unreported so we think it's a safe city. The changes I've seen in Dublin since 2000 is shocking.

So normal, law abiding citizens are now turning on each other?

prinz

Lux23 wrote: »

So normal, law abiding citizens are now turning on each other?

I think the poster was referring to an epidemic of violence, and you don't need normal law abiding citizens turning on each other to have an epidemic of violence.

Today is the second day in a few weeks I watched a video of a street brawl in the city centre in daylight. Yes it's turning into a joke. I have lived a few places on the continent and I have never witnessed or experienced the kinda crap that you are expected to accept as normal here, not in the city centre of these cities. If you want to find trouble you'll find it, but tourist hotspots and decent residential areas are generally free from this kind of rubbish.

RebelButtMunch

I feel as safe as ever, but the problem is that it's seems to have never been easier to get away with randomly assaulting people

I am pie

Dublin is an extremely safe city by international standards. To suggest it isn't because of a few videos you have watched on youtube is complete lunacy.

There is categorically not an epidemic of casual violence. I've been here for 7 years, I haven't once been on the end of so much as verbal abuse. Any criminal statistics you want to reference in a world ontext would illustrate the point that assault or violent crimes are low, and in fact from Q1 2011 to Q2 2012 are decreasing.

Breathtaking insular, lacking in perpective views on display in this thread.

From the CSO.

Table 1.1 Recorded crime incidents classified by offence group,
annualised total1, Q1 2011 and 2012
ICCSq offence group %
2011 2012 Change Change
01 Homicide offences 86 65 - 21 - 24.4
02 Sexual offences 2,266 1,984 - 282 - 12.4
03 Attempts or threats to murder, assaults,
harassments and related offences 17,743 16,207 -1,536 - 8.7
04 Dangerous or negligent acts 11,631 9,665 -1,966 - 16.9
05 Kidnapping and related offences 128 100 - 28 - 21.9
06 Robbery, extortion and hijacking
offences 3,164 2,905 - 259 - 8.2
07 Burglary and related offences 25,962 28,781 +2,819 + 10.9
08 Theft and related Offences 78,019 76,114 -1,905 - 2.4
09 Fraud, deception and related offences 5,222 5,407 + 185 + 3.5
10 Controlled drug offences 19,494 17,762 -1,732 - 8.9
11 Weapons and explosives offences 4,108 3,341 - 767 - 18.7
12 Damage to property and to the
environment 39,261 34,828 -4,433 - 11.3
13 Public order and other social code
offences 55,271 47,150 -8,121 - 14.7
15 Offences against Government, justice
procedures and organisation of crime 11,261 9,504 -1,757 - 15.6

carlmango11

keith16 wrote: »

You wouldn't get it in the centRe of London (at least I didn't when I was there).

Oh yeah you would! London is my favourite city so it kills me to say it but parts of the west end feel very seedy at night.

prinz

I am pie wrote: »

Dublin is an extremely safe city by international standards.

Feel free to link to comparisons with cities of comparable size and population.

I am pie wrote: »

To suggest it isn't because of a few videos you have watched on youtube is complete lunacy.

Seeing as how I just referred to seeing videos I'll take it this is aimed at me. Nowhere did I suggest it isn't safe because of those videos, I merely referred to them because as one person can go 7 years without witnessing or being a victim to violence, another person might have been witness to the two incidents I mentioned in the space of about 7 weeks...

....and people brawling and beating each other with hurleys outside the GPO in daylight..... like I've said I've never seen anything like it at comparable sites in cities multiple times the size of Dublin.

I've been witness to and experienced anti-social, aggressive, violent and threatening behaviour more times than I can remember.

Lux23

prinz wrote: »

Feel free to link to comparisons with cities of comparable size and population.

Well can you show us any studies that say Dublin is more violent then similar sized cities??

sticksman

I've often walked home along the South Circular from Harcourt Street going through Dolphins Barn, Rialto and along the canal to Inchicore and have never felt threatened or unsafe.

prinz

Lux23 wrote: »

Well can you show us any studies that say Dublin is more violent then similar sized cities??

I haven't made that claim. I have given personal experience based on places I have lived. I never said Dublin is more violent than.........

However when a poster comes along and say "Dublin is extremely safe by international standards", I'd like to know what standards and using what comparisons.

stateofflux

sticksman wrote: »

I've often walked home along the South Circular from Harcourt Street going through Dolphins Barn, Rialto and along the canal to Inchicore and have never felt threatened or unsafe.

i also feel invincible walking home on pcp

Qualitymark

From today's Indo: fight in broad daylight on Talbot Street:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/video-messing-with-the-wrong-people-fight-in-broad-daylight-in-dublins-talbot-street-3165184.html

CeluiDuDehors

We should compare statistics with other european capitals pretty much the same size as Dublin (population estimate for Dublin metropolitan area: 1,477,000) like:

- Copenhagen: 1,881,000
- Prague: 1,669,000
- Glasgow: 1,395,000
- Helsinki: 1,285,000
- Riga: 1,195,000
- Zagreb: 1,107,115

I'll try to find some statistics about these cities but I am pretty confident they are doing worse than Dublin regarding criminality!

Rhand

Qualitymark wrote: »

From today's Indo: fight in broad daylight on Talbot Street:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/video-messing-with-the-wrong-people-fight-in-broad-daylight-in-dublins-talbot-street-3165184.html

My Brazilian roommate was on the street and asked the 2 Brazilians why they fought those knackers. And it turns out those knackers were mocking the Brazilian boys.

Maybe they'll think twice about mocking other people now.

Rhand

Here's an extensive research about standards of living in a lot of European cities:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fec.europa.eu%2Fpublic_opinion%2Fflash%2Ffl_277_en.pdf&rct=j&q=eurobarometer%20quality%20of%20life&ei=DUiGTpaTEMOrrAfEyay9DA&usg=AFQjCNEsmI1-NfTiPUuGUgOtgEMP6U5jLg&cad=rja

keith16

carlmango11 wrote: »

Oh yeah you would! London is my favourite city so it kills me to say it but parts of the west end feel very seedy at night.

Yeah, I would imagine in a city the size of London you do have your seedy areas. But it just feels so widespread in Dublin. Scummers absolutely everywhere and it's a shame.

keith16

CeluiDuDehors wrote: »

We should compare statistics with other european capitals pretty much the same size as Dublin (population estimate for Dublin metropolitan area: 1,477,000) like:

- Copenhagen: 1,881,000
- Prague: 1,669,000
- Glasgow: 1,395,000
- Helsinki: 1,285,000
- Riga: 1,195,000
- Zagreb: 1,107,115

I'll try to find some statistics about these cities but I am pretty confident they are doing worse than Dublin regarding criminality!

I wouldn't be so confident about Helsinki, one of the nicest and safest places I have ever been to.

CeluiDuDehors

You're probably right about Helsinki, actually i think Finland is the country with the lowest crime rate in the EU!

Pandoras Twist

I would say Copenhagen is quite low too. Was living in the city centre there for a short while and only ever saw a few winos

Faith+1 wrote: »

Are you for real? Scumbags are attacking innocent law abiding people every single day in the cc. And the reason it's not reported to the Gardai is because they can do f*ck all about it.

It's going to get to the stage where people will be concealing weapons for their own protection.

This statement shows a distinct lack of understanding of the situation

a) Every day? Bit of an overstatement.
b) I highly doubt physical attacks would go unreported, particularly serious ones.
c) An "innocent" person concealing a weapon is just about the stupidest thing someone can do. For one, you escalate the situation, secondly the average innocent person has no skills with a knife etc so you're basically just handing it to the attacker to use on you.

How much time do you actually spend in the city centre? Or are you basing this on reports from the likes of the sun?

AsianDub

Yes - always. Never had any trouble or got into a fight, thank God. I live close to the city centre (and I have lived in D1/D2) and have walked home after nights out. Some of it is luck and some of it is keeping your wits about you.

Just hope I haven't jinxed it now

ordinary_girl

carlmango11 wrote: »

In the City Centre I feel very safe. Out in certain suburbs is a different story however.

This. Obviously there's parts of the city centre I'd always avoid at night, like O'Connell Street and Talbot Street, but many times I've walked down George's Street, Dame Street and Stephen's Green while out of my tree and have never felt unsafe or had issues beyond another drunk person being annoying or yelling.

However, I live in a rough suburb and there's no way in hell I walk through there late at night anymore. In the past I've had to walk through the estate at midnight because I didn't have enough for a taxi but it's not worth the absolute fear. No matter how aware I was there are a lot of hidden corners and some of the things that have happened where I live are very unnerving at best.

tl;dr: town is grand, but for particular suburbs always get a taxi.

Rhand

Just came home, walking through Westmoreland Street, O'Connell Street and Talbot Street.

I'm still alive. Can someone notifiy a Heralds-journalist please?

carlmango11

Rhand wrote: »

Can someone notifiy a Heralds-journalist please?

That sort of nonsense doesn't sell papers.

stateofflux

Rhand wrote: »

Just came home, walking through Westmoreland Street, O'Connell Street and Talbot Street.

I'm still alive. Can someone notifiy a Heralds-journalist please?

sorry we need a minimum of 5 stab wounds before we go to print - Mr. Herald*

*Mr. Herald may be a fictional character

prinz

ordinary_girl wrote: »

This. Obviously there's parts of the city centre I'd always avoid at night, like O'Connell Street and Talbot Street, ...tl;dr: town is grand, but for particular suburbs always get a taxi.

Do you not find it kind of sad that we settle for saying Dublin is grand, but then make a mental note to avoid places like the main street of the country's capital?

starviewadams

O'Connell Street is quiter during the night then it is during the day with regards to addicts and drunks hanging around/begging etc.I've often walked from Fibbers on Parnell Street down O'Connell Street to my brothers flat on James Street and the only people I'd see would be people hailing taxis/buses and people getting food.Never any hassle.

Rags like the Herald have actually got people believing that the area is some sort of no go zone,which is ridiculous!

ThatsAWrap

I used to walk home from georges st area up to dorset st after a few and never got any hassle. Just keep your head down and avoid anyone who looks like trouble. But I know some people who literally will not cross the liffey even in broad daylight because its a 'no go zone'!

John_Rambo

prinz wrote: »

Do you not find it kind of sad that we settle for saying Dublin is grand, but then make a mental note to avoid places like the main street of the country's capital?

Most people don't avoid the main street.

christmas2012

Places to avoid: the quays,talbot street,westmoreland street,malborough street and of course o connell street,and so on..Once you get to know the watering holes and shoot up areas you just avoid like a bad plague..