Is O'Connell street that bad?

Danonino.

About 8 or so years ago i used to get a late bus home from lower Abby street passing along O'Connell street then across. Usually 11pm+ Never had any problems, never drew attention, I don't really stand out anyway. I always figured I could duck into a shop if things ever got hairy. Would be asked for change the odd time or a cigarette. Similar to the lady above I guess, but I'm a guy. Anyway.

A guy walked up to the side of me just as i reached lower abbey. Asked for change. I said I had only 3 something for the bus and apologised. Can't remember his exact response but he went to grab my wallet and threw the head, I leaned back shocked and missed the headbutt. I used to use a wallet chain and when he turned to jog off with it he landed on his arse spilling my very empty wallet (40c tops in the thing) everywhere (cards and the like), he took a serious bounce to be fair. I was surprised he got into my pocket that quick and that he went to headbutt me and then slapped of the ground... It was out of nowhere.

I went to pick the cards as he got up and remember saying i told you i had nothing. Then... I got a fecking can of Budweiser to the face from behind and to the right of me, there was a woman with him that I had no idea was there until I got that smack. Split my lip and caught me good.

I kind of just reacted then, I grabbed him and pinned him against the wall as the woman rummaged through the stuff on the ground. It was surreal because she kept saying to him I had nothing and that he should let me go, I had him up against the wall because I was holding out for some help maybe or was afraid to let him go, pretty sure he got a fright hitting the ground and was winded but I didn't fancy facing the two of them. At least I had one and could see the other clearly so I could make a break for it if things got even worse. (edit: I was also ****ting myself ha ha) Thing is, she just up and walks away, I was saying (well shouting) the whole time that I had no money and nothing for them knowing less than 15 feet away there was 10 or more people looking straight at us. Once she turned I pushed the guy towards her and picked up my stuff when I was sure they were far enough. Once they were a bit up Abby street they started roaring and shouting at each other pushing and shoving urrrggg



That was an embarrassing trip home nursing a split lip after the bus driver tried to refuse me a trip back as I had 'been in a fight'. The fact it happened less than 15 feet from the bus stop and everyone there had seen/heard exactly what happened yet nobody said a thing to backup what I was saying was the part that annoyed me most. Not during the scuffle (mugging, failed mugging?) A shout would have been nice but as I explained it to the bus driver, that would have been great ha ha.


Sorry about the long post, just read the thread title and was reminded of this glorious incident.

alastair

italodisco wrote: »

at least one very dodgy as in stab you in the face dodgy.

Ah I couldn't be bothered , all these passers through think they no better than someone that lives just off the street .

good luck

I've lived in the north inner city for fifteen years. Not 'passing through'.
Good luck yourself.

anncoates

Don't think anybody is saying you will never get attacked on the street or downplaying the experience of those that have been attacked as it happens.

Still doesn't make it an unsafe place overall or at least a less safe place than other cities

John_Rambo

Jumboman wrote: »

This simply would not happen in any other european capital

Really? No racial attacks in any other European capital?

SpaceTime

John_Rambo wrote: »

Really? No racial attacks in any other European capital?

Brussels is actually even worse.
I've seen fist fights in the middle of the day, you'd feel very intimidated around the Bourse area and many other parts of the city centre. The busiest mainstream shipping street Rue Neuve is horrible a lot of the time ... Bad paving, not very tidy, junkies, beggers etc

I had my phone stolen two seconds from the Grand Place and Gare de Midi / South Station which is the main international station is so scary outside you wouldn't even be comfortable walking to a taxi after dusk.

I was offered drugs and "help with my bags" by no less than 5 junkies in the space of a 1 Min walk to the taxi rank.

As for racist attacks one of my best mates is black and the racism he got from bouncers in that city was shocking.

Paris is also quite kippy in places.

The RER-B train that links Charles de Gaulle airport to the city is regularly full of drunks. I had to get out of a coach last year because a guy just started urinating against the wall!

Also EVERYTHING is covered in graffiti to the point that the suburban areas just lool ugly and depressing especially the public transport infrastructure.

They can't leave anything un vandalised anymore.

I'm not saying that makes Dublin's kippiness right but many cities have similar or worse problems.

O'Connell Street lacks shops and things to make it more used. It's turned into a bus station with fast food joints while all the shopping is up a side street (Henry Street) which doesn't make any sense at all.

italodisco

alastair wrote:

I've lived in the north inner city for fifteen years. Not 'passing through'. Good luck yourself.

I don't need luck chap , my eyes are wide open .

drumswan

italodisco wrote: »

I don't need luck chap , my eyes are wide open .

Why dont you move if its so bad? There are parts of Dublin a 10 minute WALK from where you live which are amazing.

alastair

italodisco wrote: »

I don't need luck chap , my eyes are wide open .

Is that supposed to mean something? Because it reads as gibberish.

smellmepower

italodisco wrote: »

at least one very dodgy as in stab you in the face dodgy.

Ah I couldn't be bothered , all these passers through think they no better than someone that lives just off the street .

good luck

I've worked on O'Connell Street,Cathal Brugha Street,Gardiner Street and Amiens Street (right beside the City Clinic) over the past 15 years or so.Also get either the Luas from Abbey or the 13/40 bus from O'Connell Street every day,so I'll trust my own observations thanks.

italodisco

drumswan wrote:

Why dont you move if its so bad? There are parts of Dublin a 10 minute WALK from where you live which are amazing.

why would I move ? I love it , the trouble doesn't bother me .

italodisco

alastair wrote:

Is that supposed to mean something? Because it reads as gibberish.

ya clown, it means that I'm streetwise , my eyes are open I.e I see what's around me and am aware/alert...

italodisco

smellmepower wrote:

I've worked on O'Connell Street,Cathal Brugha Street,Gardiner Street and Amiens Street (right beside the City Clinic) over the past 15 years or so.Also get either the Luas from Abbey or the 13/40 bus from O'Connell Street every day,so I'll trust my own observations thanks.

don't care where you worked chap, you don't live around there so don't compare workin there to livin there.

drumswan

italodisco wrote: »

don't care where you worked chap, you don't live around there so don't compare workin there to livin there.

Why do you live there then? Do you enjoy moaning about it?

Riverireland

cloud493 wrote: »

Just coming off the AH thread, is it that bad? I mean I won't lie and say I've never been hassled on it or its a place I'd want to eat my lunch on whatever, but I've never seen the 'hordes' of junkies or whatever people seem to imply there is, same with Henry street and Talbot street, the anti social aspect is totally blown out of proportion. Although I certainly couldn't deny more Gardai around wouldn't be a good thing.

Very, very occasionally I'll shop in th north inner city now because of the hoards of junkies and I used to like shopping there. The government need to tackle the drug and homelessness problem.

alastair

italodisco wrote: »

ya clown, it means that I'm streetwise , my eyes are open I.e I see what's around me and am aware/alert...

Nope still gibberish, I'm afraid. No matter how streetwise you believe you are, it's no substitute for luck. They're completely different concerns.

Well done on the streetwise thing though.

"Clown". heh.

alastair

italodisco wrote: »

don't care where you worked chap, you don't live around there so don't compare workin there to livin there.

I live here. Do you still?

italodisco

alastair wrote:

Nope still gibberish, I'm afraid. No matter how streetwise you believe you are, it's no substitute for luck. They're completely different concerns.

it's not luck. there's no such thing as luck.
then again you probably go to mass and believe in the tooth fairy so fair enough.

now disappear

italodisco

and I live right in the heart of it in the flats. let me guess, you live on the ballybock road or Drumcondra and think you are in town lol

alastair

italodisco wrote: »

it's not luck. there's no such thing as luck.
then again you probably go to mass and believe in the tooth fairy so fair enough.

now disappear

As I said - gibberish.

I'm not going anywhere btw.

alastair

italodisco wrote: »

and I live right in the heart of it in the flats. let me guess, you live on the ballybock road or Drumcondra and think you are in town lol

Eh, 'fraid not. How many ways do you intend to get it wrong?

'lol'.

tricky D

italodisco wrote: »

ya clown, it means that I'm streetwise , my eyes are open I.e I see what's around me and am aware/alert...

italodisco wrote: »

it's not luck. there's no such thing as luck.
then again you probably go to mass and believe in the tooth fairy so fair enough.

now disappear

Uncivil, personal abuse. Warning issued and don't post in this thread again.

italodisco

alastair please enlighten us, you say u live in Inner city ? so answer this, we're you born and raised there AND do you live in privately owned/rented or in social housing ?

I'd say you grew up in a middle class place with a handy enough life.

on here comparing yourself to people that grew up in and still life in the middle of the sh't.

italodisco

you'll do what yer told

alastair

italodisco wrote: »

you'll do what yer told

see ya.

tricky D

Mod note: italodisco ignored mod instruction, break from forum given.

Heckler

From Cork but was in Dublin regularly most weekends a couple of years ago. Never had a problem walking around anytime of the day or night. Heard the stories about the scary junkies, when I saw them I laughed. These junkies could barely walk never mind being a physical threat. You'd knock them over with a slap. Saw some fights but they seemed to be personal not just random attacks.

Never feared for my safety once up there. And I'm not a big fella or anything.

Danonino.

Heckler wrote: »

From Cork but was in Dublin regularly most weekends a couple of years ago. Never had a problem walking around anytime of the day or night. Heard the stories about the scary junkies, when I saw them I laughed. These junkies could barely walk never mind being a physical threat. You'd knock them over with a slap. Saw some fights but they seemed to be personal not just random attacks.

Never feared for my safety once up there. And I'm not a big fella or anything.

Not into scare mongering and all that nonsense but its not like desperate people throw a glove at your feet before declaring a fair fight for what they want. True many of the folks are harmless or hold no threat but there are plenty more who know exactly what they are doing.

I mean I get the not fearing for your safety part and don't think people should as it's not worth the brain power, but, i think avoiding an area know to be frequented by desperate people at night is just good street smarts. Its a lottery unfortunately, some get unlucky and others don't but those who attempt to avoid these areas are better off. I now avoid city streets at night unless I've some sort of transport or in a group. Of course I break his rule a lot and don't be fretting when I do but yeah, I think its naive to think that a city street is safe.

I don't think O'Connell street is as bad as many make it out to be, its no more dangerous at night than the majority of city streets, but like those other city streets there is a higher chance of it biting you in the arse and being close to drug rehabilitation clinics raises the chance of running into people who may be more willing to resort to violence etc. I posted a page or two back about the run in I had just off O'Connell street but I don't blame the street, or the individuals I blame myself for standing on an inner city street after 8 and frequently after 11pm almost every weeknight for just under a year, eventually something will happen if you're in that situation long enough.

Not directed at heckler in particular, I kinda ranted a bit to be honest. Also im probably just repeating what people have said in the thread a thousand times.

Esel

Danonino. wrote: »

Also im probably just repeating what people have said in the thread a thousand times.

I told you a million times not to be exaggerating!

DLMA23

Heckler wrote: »

Heard the stories about the scary junkies, when I saw them I laughed. These junkies could barely walk never mind being a physical threat.

Do not underestimate their ability to turn, it could be your downfall

I worked security on an inner city methadone clinic for nearly 2 years, blades etc. can be produced & used very efficiently when push comes to shove

I've witnessed it first hand, docile to dangerous in the blink of an eye