Is O'Connell street that bad?

Tombi!

Jumboman wrote: »

O'Connell street also operates a "whites only" taxi rank.

It is one of the most lawless streets in the country.

Anybody who encourages tourists to visit there is being extremely irresponsible in my opinion.



http://www.herald.ie/news/divided-by-race-27961736.html

Right. We get it.
You're taking incidents that are far and few between and claiming it's official.
So unless you have a statement from government saying only white people are allowed to pick up/be picked up at the taxi rank or have a statement from the Gardaí saying they don't visit O'Connell Street after ten pm, kindly shut up with this incredibly ignorant claims.

Jumboman

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Right. We get it.
You're taking incidents that are far and few between and claiming it's official.
So unless you have a statement from government saying only white people are allowed to pick up/be picked up at the taxi rank or have a statement from the Gardaí saying they don't visit O'Connell Street after ten pm, kindly shut up with this incredibly ignorant claims.

The governement/gardai are hardly going to admit that they have lost control of O'Connell Street are they ?

alastair

Jumboman wrote: »

The governement/gardai are hardly going to admit that they have lost control of O'Connell Street are they ?

Given that they haven't, no.

Tombi!

Jumboman wrote: »

The governement/gardai are hardly going to admit that they have lost control of O'Connell Street are they ?

So you have no proof of these claims other than your own personal anecdotes? If so, my anecdotes of the girl I thought being raped and the times I've seen them break up fights between groups surely disproves your claims, no?

Jumboman

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

So you have no proof of these claims other than your own personal anecdotes? If so, my anecdotes of the girl I thought being raped and the times I've seen them break up fights between groups surely disproves your claims, no?

You must go around with your eyes closed. The street is a warzone at the weekends.

Jumboman

They should rename O'Connell Street to Scumbag Street atleast then people would realise what kind of street they are entering.

alastair

Jumboman wrote: »

O'Connell street also operates a "whites only" taxi rank.

It is one of the most lawless streets in the country.

Anybody who encourages tourists to visit there is being extremely irresponsible in my opinion.

Irresponsible? Racist taxi drivers are more than happy to bring dark-skinned tourists wherever they fancy. Unless you reckon said tourists might be likely to engage in a bit of moonlighting taxi business in competition with the closed shop rank at the Gresham?

alastair

Jumboman wrote: »

You must go around with your eyes closed. The street is a warzone at the weekends.

No it's not. But do carry on with this fantasy.

Tombi!

Jumboman wrote: »

You must go around with your eyes closed. The street is a warzone at the weekends.

Actually I think you're the one that does that. But okay. We can claim that everyone who doesn't agree with you that O'Connell Street is a no-go area for non-whites is walking around with their eyes closed.
I'm sure if I walk down there after ten I'll see hundreds of nice white robes and hoods. :rolleyes:

Jumboman

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Actually I think you're the one that does that. But okay. We can claim that everyone who doesn't agree with you that O'Connell Street is a no-go area for non-whites is walking around with their eyes closed.
I'm sure if I walk down there after ten I'll see hundreds of nice white robes and hoods. :rolleyes:

I said the taxi rank was "whites only" not the street.

alastair

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Actually I think you're the one that does that. But okay. We can claim that everyone who doesn't agree with you that O'Connell Street is a no-go area for non-whites is walking around with their eyes closed.
I'm sure if I walk down there after ten I'll see hundreds of nice white robes and hoods. :rolleyes:

I'll be walking the length of O'Connell street (again) tonight - including the all-important after ten'o'clock stint, so I'll report back on all and any crimes, butchered tourists, stone throwing, or other unsavoury acts I witness. Wish me luck!

Kermit.de.frog

I am very much a born and bred Dubliner.

So you think the state of O'Connell street and the surrounding environs is acceptable then and that nothing needs to be done. Just so long as we are clear about that.

Tombi!

Jumboman wrote: »

I said the taxi rank was "whites only" not the street.

Actually, I remember getting in a taxi one time there with a fella I used to work with. He was a black man from France and never had an issue
The point still stands: please present proof that your claims are fact.

alastair wrote: »

I'll be walking the length of O'Connell street (again) tonight - including the all-important after ten'o'clock stint, so I'll report back on all and any crimes, butchered tourists, stone throwing, or other unsavoury acts I witness. Wish me luck!

Careful now. Might get asked for directions to a pub. Wouldn't want that ruining your entire life.

tricky D

Jumboman wrote: »

They should rename O'Connell Street to Scumbag Street atleast then people would realise what kind of street they are entering.

Mod note: don't post in this thread again. Infracted.

Tombi!

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I am very much a born and bred Dubliner.

So you think the state of O'Connell street and the surrounding environs is acceptable then and that nothing needs to be done. Just so long as we are clear about that.

I think you're a bit over the top and your man with the culchie comment was a stupid comment but I agree in a way.
I don't use the luas myself but I do know from people who have used it, read articles, etc, know it's pretty much like the dublin buses: filled with skangers. Not all of it is like that but something should still be done.

FAILSAFE 00

What I see very often on O'Connell street in the afternoon...

Drug dealing
Fighting
Tourists being hassled by junkies.
Aggressive begging
Kids causing trouble in shops there.

It really took a nose dive since the Luas was introduced.

Kermit.de.frog

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

I think you're a bit over the top and your man with the culchie comment was a stupid comment but I agree in a way.
I don't use the luas myself but I do know from people who have used it, read articles, etc, know it's pretty much like the dublin buses: filled with skangers. Not all of it is like that but something should still be done.

You could go way beyond the scumbag problem though and look at other issues on O'Connell Street - the shoddy buildings and businesses (Dr Quirkys ffs) that in my opinion should be nowhere near the main street of our capital city.

Simple things like forcing property owners to up their game and maintain there buildings to a high standard including removing all the tatty signage can surely be done right away?

Basically we need to treat this area better if it is to be our main street. It's run down and shows a real lack of civic pride in the city.

Kermit.de.frog

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

What I see very often on O'Connell street in the afternoon...

Drug dealing
Fighting
Tourists being hassled by junkies.
Aggressive begging
Kids causing trouble in shops there.

It really took a nose dive since the Luas was introduced.

I said it before and i'll say it again.


If you build a tram line to the city center through Dublin's worst areas for drug abuse and anti social behaviour after you have located 20 + methadone clinics in the center and then top it off by putting it right by the childrens court - what did they think was going to happen!? The result is there for all to see but we could all have warned them about that. I saw that coming well before it was under construction. I'm not surprised at all.

Tombi!

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

What I see very often on O'Connell street in the afternoon...

Drug dealing
Fighting
Tourists being hassled by junkies.
Aggressive begging
Kids causing trouble in shops there.

It really took a nose dive since the Luas was introduced.

Eh... no. It's always been like that since say 2002 or so form what I remember going around town on my own.

The only thing that might have changed is the more aggressive begging due to a great amount of people doing it. Drug dealing has always been a thing. So has fighting. Junkies being junkies and scumbag kkids being scumbags.

It's nowhere near perfect but to pretend the LUAS just magically brought an influx to the problem is looking back with a bad memory.

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

You could go way beyond the scumbag problem though and look at other issues on O'Connell Street - the shoddy buildings and businesses (Dr Quirkys ffs) that in my opinion should be nowhere near the main street of our capital city.

Simple things like forcing property owners to up their game and maintain there buildings to a high standard including removing all the tatty signage can surely be done right away?

Basically we need to treat this area better if it is to be our main street. It's run down and shows a real lack of civic pride in the city.

On that one I think most everyone would agree. Quirky's isn't bad I don't think but I haven't gone in years. I think it'd be better if it was maintained to be a higher class thing for kids instead of the way it was where it was just like a day out in Bray.

Murray007

I live and work on the Marlborough st side of OC St during the week. I have seen some really awful sights but all without exception were the alco's, junkies, locals inflicting harm on themselves or their own type. When children are with them my heart bleeds.

However, I have only once felt really unsafe mainly due to a build up of happenings. On one 10 min walk, Four junkies breaking open a poor box in Marlborough place, three scummers standing in the middle of the footpath talking about waiting to dark to "do him" and then when they seen me they blocked my path and were generally intimidating, crossed the street and two guys coming towards me one said I have stuff "in me hole" do you want it to which the answer was YES! And then a group of alco's with a baby in a pram arguing and pushing each other around, they are regulars. There was a full moon, it's the only thing I could think that caused all types to be out and about. Glad to get home that eve.

In fairness, it is not pleasant and I am not a D4 type of person.

alastair

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

You could go way beyond the scumbag problem though and look at other issues on O'Connell Street - the shoddy buildings and businesses (Dr Quirkys ffs) that in my opinion should be nowhere near the main street of our capital city.

Simple things like forcing property owners to up their game and maintain there buildings to a high standard including removing all the tatty signage can surely be done right away?

Basically we need to treat this area better if it is to be our main street. It's run down and shows a real lack of civic pride in the city.

Dr Quirkeys have a very well preserved and maintained building tbh - are you sure you're not thinking of the Carlton? In fact there's not too many poorly maintained buildings on the street. If existing commercial tenants don't want to move their low-brow retail/catering businesses, then there's not much the city council can do about it, is there?

FAILSAFE 00

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Eh... no. It's always been like that since say 2002 or so form what I remember going around town on my own.

It's nowhere near perfect but to pretend the LUAS just magically brought an influx to the problem is looking back with a bad memory.

No pretending I am afraid.

While its always had problems they seemed to only increase once we created a transport system where people could wonder on and off at any point without paying and without consequences.

I have been on the Luas since day 1 arriving into the city centre and I have seen the difference unfold before my eyes.

Kermit.de.frog

alastair wrote: »

Dr Quirkeys have a very well preserved and maintained building tbh - are you sure you're not thinking of the Carlton? In fact there's not too many poorly maintained buildings on the street. If existing commercial tenants don't want to move their low-brow retail/catering businesses, then there's not much the city council can do about it, is there?

They can put in a new planning code and shut them down if they fail to comply. This is common practice in European capital cities.

Tombi!

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

No pretending I am afraid.

While its always had problems they seemed to only increase once we created a transport system where people could wonder on and off at any point without paying and without consequences.

I have been on the Luas since day 1 arriving into the city centre and I have seen the difference unfold before my eyes.

Even if that is true, how does that make it to be as dangerous as people were making it out to be?

Kermit.de.frog

The problem is not that O'Connell street is "dangerous" - it is the perception of it being dangerous that is the issue. Anyone who can not see why tourists, for example, would feel intimidated in that area really needs to open their eyes. As Murray007 it is not pleasant and definitely not what we should aspire to for the center of Dublin.

alastair

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

No pretending I am afraid.

While its always had problems they seemed to only increase once we created a transport system where people could wonder on and off at any point without paying and without consequences.

I have been on the Luas since day 1 arriving into the city centre and I have seen the difference unfold before my eyes.

Well, I've been walking around the city centre since the mid eighties. Crime has noticeably dropped since then - LUAS, or no LUAS. Visibility of addicts has increased, and the 'skanger' quotient seems no different than it ever was.

alastair

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

They can put in a new planning code and shut them down if they fail to comply. This is common practice in European capital cities.

A planning code that says what exactly? If McDonalds have a lease on their building, no new planning code regarding fast food on the street is going to have any retrospective force - it'll only be applicable to new lease arrangements.

Kermit.de.frog

alastair wrote: »

Well, I've been walking around the city centre since the mid eighties. Crime has noticeably dropped since then - LUAS, or no LUAS. Visibility of addicts has increased, and the 'skanger' quotient seems no different than it ever was.

Ok then what do you think needs to be done in the area?

Instead of telling us that our own main street is perfectly fine and we don't know what we are talking about then tell us what you would change?

I have said what I think needs to be done. What would you like to see happen?

Give us a list of things that would make the area better.

tricky D

Mod note:

Dear good posters of the Dublin City Forum,

We had a thread on this topic about 2 months ago which descended into a bit of farce and inevitably got closed. Same for the other one from a year ago. By all means have a civil discussion, debate and disagreement if needs be, but do bear in mind the contents of the DC charter and boards Terms of Use so that the thread remains open.

tl;dr Play nice.:)

alastair

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Ok then what do you think needs to be done in the area?

Instead of telling us that our own main street is perfectly fine and we don't know what we are talking about then tell us what you would change?

I have said what I think needs to be done. What would you like to see happen?

Give us a list of things that would make the area better.

Instead of putting words into people's mouths, surely you'd do better to engage with what they have actually written?

I'm not in favour of closing down methadone clinics (that would certainly spur on a nice crime wave), but clustering them in the city centre was/is foolish. The consequence however isn't danger - it's more nuisance than anything. Better run cities than Dublin have equal, or worse, junkie issues, so it's clearly not an easy problem to solve.

O'Connell street may improve with another retail anchor in the Carlton site, but tbh, it's unlikely to change that much. Locating the Abbey in the Carlton site, and re-invigorating the Academy as a theatre or rep cinema, might have helped re-start it's heritage as an entertainment hub.

Improved public transport (even from those suburbs you don't like) is a good thing, as is the intended re-development of Parnell Square. Same for the growth of the ethnic restaurant scene on Parnell street, Cathedral street, Moore street etc. Overall, I think 'non-nationals' offer the best hope for lifting the area in the short term.