Is O'Connell street that bad?

Labarbapostiza

alastair wrote: »

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.

No, the reason the addicts cluster in the city centre is because that is where the people are. Most of the junkies beg to support their habits.

Would stopping begging get rid of them?......No, because they would just take up mugging to support their habits, and things would go from bad to worse.

The pick pockets and bag snatchers in the city centre, tend not to be junkies, instead they're habitual criminals. They're well dressed and largely invisible.

The heroin dealers are often heroin addicts themselves. Arresting them may seem like the solution to some rural FG TD thick, but it just sweeps the problem around the floor, not even under the carpet.

I believe more pragmatic solutions would only cost in the region of tens of millions. Maybe less than is collected in duty from nuisance drinkers. Far less than the cost of a gobshoit built ghost estate.

Quite a few of the people on the street are there because of completely inadequate mental health services. They beg and live like lepers, because essentially there's still a medieval attitude that leads to them being treated as medieval lepers, instead of the obviously very sick people they are.

smellmepower

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

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.

Any tourists I've seen on O'Connell Street,be it at the GPO,waiting for the sightseeing city tour buses,hanging around the Spire,photographing the statues or on one of the many walking tours, have not looked the least bit intimidated to me.

You need to open your eyes and realize that these unsightly yet mainly benign people exist in every major city in the world.Mainly due to the fact that the people in charge of these cities can't be bothered to deal with the myriad of problems that leads them down the path of addiction and homelessness,and are content moving the problem from one area to another every few months,like is currently happening now with the Gardai moving the addicts from OCS/Talbot/Marlborough St down to the Custom House.

Shakespeare's Sister

Not in my opinion anyway. I'm not from Dublin but lived there for a bit, and on the northside (Dublin 7) so was regularly on O'Connell Street. At night too. Now, not at 4am on my own, because that'd be stupid in lots of places, but 9 or 10 getting off the bus to Dublin that dropped me off on O'Connell Bridge of a Sunday night.
I genuinely didn't find it bad. Maybe it was because I didn't have any preconceptions? Certainly some of the streets off it are a bit dodge (Talbot, North Earl - yikes) and I'm not saying O'Connell Street is perfectly lovely either, but hordes of junkies and scumbags all over the place - definitely not my perception of it. Obviously not junkie/scumbag-free, but nowhere near like what some people say it is. Not saying that means therefore that it's a haven of safety, but there are degrees of bad, and I'm just saying O'Connell Street, in my experience, isn't as many degrees as what others suggest.

alastair

Just back from the journey of terror down O'Connell street after dark.

Some fairly frightening junior cert result young ones in impractical heels and red light district chic, but that was about the height of it. I survived yet another day.

Muahahaha

ror_74 wrote: »

Jumboman - theres no such thing as a no go area in Ireland.

Its a myth perpetuated by sheltered suburban/small town teenagers.

C'mon be real, there are small areas of Dublin that are no go areas for outsiders. Like you could go into these areas and maybe nothing will happen you, but you'd be advised not to do so in the first place. There's an area of Dublin I'm familiar with that is a public road/area but to go into it you'll raise the ire of an entire community, who are living on public land. I made the mistake one day when out for a spin on my motorbike and checking out lesser known roads, put it this way, I was pretty glad to have enough time to do a u turn and get the fcuk out of there pretty sharpish. This might have been a public road and public land but I was left under no illusions that I wasnt welcome from several bare chested men weilding weapons. So to say there are no no-go areas in Ireland is completely incorrect. Unless you feel you can take on an entire community of grown men on your own there most certainly are no go areas in Ireland.

wow sierra

Go there a few times a year to get the 3.30 NITELINK. At that time of the night I feel safe as a lone female. Usually get into weird conversations with other people waiting for NITELINKS. Don't feel threatened or unsafe - and if I did I would just go into Supermacs and stand near the Bouncers. I am really only familiar with that part of O'Connell st late at night.

I reckon most of the people giving out about O'Connell st aren't there regularly.

Granted I wouldn't get freaked by seeing a Junkie or a very drunk person and I would just walk away from them.

Also have people been out in Galway at a similar time - for a happy clappy supposed place it can be equally/more scary late at night.

italodisco

I'm from inner city Dublin, north side.
grew up around addicts , thieves etc etc.
to those of you that think o'Connell street is fine and the likes , you really have your heads up your a&#e for sure.

it's no war zone but it is crawling with addicts, dippers, phone snatchers, spotters .... I could walk down there at any given time and spot at least 1 person very dodgy from around my way.

I can tell an endless amount of horror stories , all fact, all occurring on O'Connell street ...but I won't bother because I'd only be hammered by ignorant folk .

beshoffs upstairs window seat , a real eye opener

Shakespeare's Sister

At least one dodgy person from your area? Hardly huge considering the amount of people that are there at any given time.

I am only going by what I observe and I'm not saying it's a safe haven but it does not seem as horrendous as some make out. Maybe I'm wrong but I can only go by what I observe.

italodisco

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

Shakespeare's Sister

No need to sneer at people just because you're from the area and they're not.

People were asked for their views on it - they can only go by their observations. Not all are saying they're definitely right, just that from what they can see it's not as bad as it's made out to be.
If anything, I'd have thought the people who aren't from there are the ones going on about it being such a war-zone.

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'.