Luas Red Line security issues mega thread (read mod warming in post #1)

LXFlyer

AppleBottle wrote: »

I used the Luas for 4 years going to from town to Tallaght and witnessed all sorts. Most of which has been mentioned by others in this topic. Over the 4 years, it just seemed to get worse and worse.

One time sticks out for me. One evening on my journey back to town, I had gone and got food and got back on the Luas at Jervis. I sat down where two junkies (woman and man) were sitting in the seats across from me. The woman moved over beside me and asked me to give her the food she had just seen me put into my bag. (I would add she actually have a sandwich or something in her hand already!) I refused, went to move seats and she attempted to kick me as a walked away. She was so out of it, she actually fell over. In one of the standing areas just after the seats was 4 of the ticket inspectors & 3 security men. Nothing was done or said to me or the junkie as I walked past them. When the Luas got to Abbey Street, the pair got off and as they walked down the platform the girl saw me and started screaming at me. The woman was about to get back onto the Luas but thankfully the driver just closed the doors! She was still screaming at how she was going to kill me etc through the doors! The Luas took off and I got off at my stop safely. Before all this happened, the ticket inspectors did do their ticket check and just let the junkie and her boyfriend/friend/whomever away with not having a ticket. It seemed like the inspector knew them as he referred to the guy by his first name. I was kinda shaken by it, it was pretty intimidating. You never know what these people may do when they are in that state. I should have just given her the food...

I feel so uneasy using the Luas. By the end of the summer, it's looking like I will be back using the line for work. I'm dreading the thoughts of it.

Are there no bus routes you can use if travelling on the LUAS puts you off?


There are bus alternatives along most of the route.

AppleBottle

lxflyer wrote: »

Are there no bus routes you can use if travelling on the LUAS puts you off?


There are bus alternatives along most of the route.

Oh yeah! There are buses. I've actually been looking into it. Bus may take slightly longer going up the quays in the morning, but it would be worth it.

stehyl15

AppleBottle wrote: »

Oh yeah! There are buses. I've actually been looking into it. Bus may take slightly longer going up the quays in the morning, but it would be worth it.

Ive taken the red line a few times from jervis street to the point and ive never seen any trouble.

nullzero

stehyl15 wrote: »

Ive taken the red line a few times from jervis street to the point and ive never seen any trouble.

Not much of a case study so.
The red line is notorious for trouble and the newer security guards' lack of interest or ability to deal with it has been noted, not just by passengers, sadly the attitude of veolia is that the security is adequate. You'd want to be carrying a gun with you for safety on the red line these days.

punisher5112

nullzero wrote: »

Not much of a case study so.
The red line is notorious for trouble and the newer security guards' lack of interest or ability to deal with it has been noted, not just by passengers, sadly the attitude of veolia is that the security is adequate. You'd want to be carrying a gun with you for safety on the red line these days.

Veolia lost the contract a few years ago.

But there is trouble on it but also there can be trouble on the green line also and buses have trouble also especially certain routes.

nullzero

punisher5112 wrote: »

Veolia lost the contract a few years ago.

But there is trouble on it but also there can be trouble on the green line also and buses have trouble also especially certain routes.

Veolia Transdev rebranded as Transdev in 2011. Losing of contracts didn't factor, it's more in line with Marathon rebranding as Snickers; same nougat caramel and peanuts wrapped in milk chocolate just a different name on the wrapper.

As for there being trouble on buses, nobody would deny that, however the nature of a tram is different to a bus, a bus will allow scrote bags on and refuse to move if they do not pay. The same scrotes move uninhibited on trams. Also buses to not have well equipped security guards patrolling their routes. The trouble on the red line is more pronounced than that of the green line, the number of incidents on the red line has been way higher from the red lines inception.

stehyl15

Off topic but how come stt have lost the irish rail contract to brinks a few years ago

monument

SATSUMA wrote: »

They should just close the red line luas altogether and make it a bus lane! That way all the non paying cretins wouldnt get on the bus. Simple!

Infracted for not following the rules outlined in the opening post and referenced in the thread title. Reading the warning mentioned in the thread title is not optional.

-- moderator

nullzero wrote: »

You'd want to be carrying a gun with you for safety on the red line these days.

Cut out the hyperbole.

-- moderator

syklops

Just thinking out loud but would turnstiles improve the situation at all? To get through the turnstyle you must have a valid ticket. To quote Jack Nicholson in the Departed "No tickey, no laundry".

To answer my own idea, not really. Most of the tram stops are not designed with turn styles in mind, many wouldn't have the room for them. Plus the on again off again nature of the luas probably doesnt work with a turnstyle type of infrastructure.

stehyl15

syklops wrote: »

Just thinking out loud but would turnstiles improve the situation at all? To get through the turnstyle you must have a valid ticket. To quote Jack Nicholson in the Departed "No tickey, no laundry".

To answer my own idea, not really. Most of the tram stops are not designed with turn styles in mind, many wouldn't have the room for them. Plus the on again off again nature of the luas probably doesnt work with a turnstyle type of infrastructure.

And the fact that it would slow people down

syklops

stehyl15 wrote: »

And the fact that it would slow people down

Is that not another way of saying the on again off again nature of the luas probably doesnt work with a turnstyle type of infrastructure.

damanloox

Not strictly related to "Luas security" but perhaps someone can advise...
I live close (about 300m) to LUAS stop (red line) and their security messages seem to be excessively loud - and they can be transmitted at very late hours (eg. 23:30) several times in a row. They are so loud they are disturbing even when we close the windows in the house.
I can understand they are trying to scare whoever is (probably) trying to destroy their property but why do we have to suffer (and especially our 10 month old baby)? Is there anything we can do (apart from asking LUAS to stop doing this - which we did with no success)?

ED E

Raise a noise complaint with the DCC Environment office but dont expect to be successful. Par for the course when it comes to city centres.

trellheim

Have you complained - in writing - to LUAS Customer Care ? They should have policy in these regards

OldNotWIse

Assaulted and nothing was done about it. The driver just closed the doors on the crime scene and took off with potential witnesses on board.

They are more concerned with catching people out for fare evasion than ensuring any of us actually survive the f*cking journey.

OldNotWIse

6541 wrote: »

Is it really that bad ? What if ya told the Junkies to fook off ?

let me know how that works out

OldNotWIse

LXFlyer wrote: »

Are there no bus routes you can use if travelling on the LUAS puts you off?


There are bus alternatives along most of the route.

The bus takes 50% longer if I use it for the same destination. And why should we have to look at alternatives? Why cant the problem actually be addressed?

_Kaiser_

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Assaulted and nothing was done about it. The driver just closed the doors on the crime scene and took off with potential witnesses on board.

They are more concerned with catching people out for fare evasion than ensuring any of us actually survive the f*cking journey.

Sorry to hear that.. hope you're ok?

I agree though.. was on the red line LUAS there about 2 months back and a charming individual got on around James' shouting abuse down the phone to presumably his girlfriend and telling her had to go as he was on the LUAS surrounded by "all these poxy b@stards" etc. Several more phone calls ensued between there and Connolly. This of course is mild by some of the stories I read here.

As I've said before, I fully expect these lads to start taking "free" day trips out on the Green line once the cross-city (the real merit of which I've still to be convinced by) opens up. The only difference is I can't see the residents of the Green line putting up with it, and TDs will no doubt be forced to do something at ministerial level.

LXFlyer

OldNotWIse wrote: »

The bus takes 50% longer if I use it for the same destination. And why should we have to look at alternatives? Why cant the problem actually be addressed?

Firstly that post of mine was from 2015 - someone used an old thread recently instead of starting a new one.

Secondly - I was trying to be practical about the situation and provide a simple alternative.

Of course the problem should be addressed. But it's far wider than one that the transport companies can solve by themselves.

Addressing the problem would require society and our lawmakers to actually do something about the amount of substance and alcohol abuse in our communities rather than making bland comments and doing nothing as they have done over the years.

LXFlyer

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Sorry to hear that.. hope you're ok?

I agree though.. was on the red line LUAS there about 2 months back and a charming individual got on around James' shouting abuse down the phone to presumably his girlfriend and telling her had to go as he was on the LUAS surrounded by "all these poxy b@stards" etc. Several more phone calls ensued between there and Connolly. This of course is mild by some of the stories I read here.

As I've said before, I fully expect these lads to start taking "free" day trips out on the Green line once the cross-city (the real merit of which I've still to be convinced by) opens up. The only difference is I can't see the residents of the Green line putting up with it, and TDs will no doubt be forced to do something at ministerial level.

These individuals using the Red Line are making the same trips they made before but previously used the buses. But that's out of sight for many people.

I don't agree with your final paragraph at all - I think that you're not going to see them continuing south on the Green Line beyond the city centre - they tend to stick to where they normally go.

Del.Monte

LXFlyer wrote: »

Firstly that post of mine was from 2015 - someone used an old thread recently instead of starting a new one.

Secondly - I was trying to be practical about the situation and provide a simple alternative.

Of course the problem should be addressed. But it's far wider than one that the transport companies can solve by themselves.

Addressing the problem would require society and our lawmakers to actually do something about the amount of substance and alcohol abuse in our communities rather than making bland comments and doing nothing as they have done over the years.

It has little to do with society - unless you're suggesting we all react like Charles Bronson - and a lot to do with our lawmakers and the fat cats charged with running the Luas, CIE etc.

beauf

Can they not look at how these issues are sorted in other countries?

Del.Monte

beauf wrote: »

Can they not look at how these issues are sorted in other countries?

Obviously not, and if you are to believe some posters here there isn't a problem anyway.

LXFlyer

Del.Monte wrote: »

It has little to do with society - unless you're suggesting we all react like Charles Bronson - and a lot to do with our lawmakers and the fat cats charged with running the Luas, CIE etc.

It has everything to do with society.

The fact is that there is a massive issue with substance and alcohol abuse in this country and damn all has been done to deal with it, and what is being done is totally ineffective. A walk around any city centre will tell you that.

Focus on the source of the problems on the streets and on public transport.

But that costs a lot of money.

OldNotWIse

LXFlyer wrote: »

Firstly that post of mine was from 2015 - someone used an old thread recently instead of starting a new one.

Secondly - I was trying to be practical about the situation and provide a simple alternative.

Of course the problem should be addressed. But it's far wider than one that the transport companies can solve by themselves.

Addressing the problem would require society and our lawmakers to actually do something about the amount of substance and alcohol abuse in our communities rather than making bland comments and doing nothing as they have done over the years.

Sorry didn't realize it was an old post - I hate when people bump! Presumably the point still stands though?

For some, it is not a simple alternative. If I take the LUAS I can be at my desk exactly one hour after pulling my front door behind me. If I take the bus, I am looking at a journey of at least 90 minutes including driving to bus etc. and that is when the kids are not in school.

As another poster said, when these folk start venturing onto the green line something will probably be done.

LXFlyer

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Sorry didn't realize it was an old post - I hate when people bump! Presumably the point still stands though?

For some, it is not a simple alternative. If I take the LUAS I can be at my desk exactly one hour after pulling my front door behind me. If I take the bus, I am looking at a journey of at least 90 minutes including driving to bus etc. and that is when the kids are not in school.

As another poster said, when these folk start venturing onto the green line something will probably be done.

Of course it won't suit everyone to use the bus, that's why I put a question mark at the end of my post! But it is worth looking at if the OP doesn't want to use the tram.

For many journeys along the Red Line there are bus alternatives and for many the bus can be almost as fast.

As for the Green Line, as I posted above I don't see "these folk" venturing south in such large numbers as some seem to think - they tend to stick to their own patch which the Red Line runs through.

The Green Line can have its own issues along Ballyogan Road from time to time too.

OldNotWIse

LXFlyer wrote: »

Of course it won't suit everyone to use the bus, that's why I put a question mark at the end of my post! But it is worth looking at if the OP doesn't want to use the tram.

For many journeys along the Red Line there are bus alternatives and for many the bus can be almost as fast.

As for the Green Line, as I posted above I don't see "these folk" venturing south in such large numbers as some seem to think - they tend to stick to their own patch which the Red Line runs through.

The Green Line can have its own issues along Ballyogan Road from time to time too.

Suppose. I've my luas fare deducted at source and it is a yearly contract so I wont be changing! Unfortunately the assault was after I had signed up. I also wouldn't like to feel that these people who make life misery for everyone had somehow won and succeeded in chasing away normal decent folk paying our way and just trying to get to work or wherever.

LXFlyer

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Suppose. I've my luas fare deducted at source and it is a yearly contract so I wont be changing! Unfortunately the assault was after I had signed up. I also wouldn't like to feel that these people who make life misery for everyone had somehow won and succeeded in chasing away normal decent folk paying our way and just trying to get to work or wherever.

I understand where you're coming from and I'd agree. But if I'm honest I tend to use the bus myself when making journeys along the Red Line route more than the tram, quite simply to avoid these people.

As I say I was offering some practical alternatives.

But we need to tackle the actual root cause of the problem - that's not taking place.

Regarding your assault - did you not report it to LUAS - the CCTV should pick it up?

OldNotWIse

LXFlyer wrote: »

I understand where you're coming from and I'd agree. But if I'm honest I tend to use the bus myself when making journeys along the Red Line route more than the tram, quite simply to avoid these people.

As I say I was offering some practical alternatives.

But we need to tackle the actual root cause of the problem - that's not taking place.

Regarding your assault - did you not report it to LUAS - the CCTV should pick it up?

That's another story in and of itself. Of course I reported it. LUAS failed to preserve the CCTV footage despite being on notice of the exact time and location. :rolleyes:

Nermal

LXFlyer wrote: »

It has everything to do with society.

The fact is that there is a massive issue with substance and alcohol abuse in this country and damn all has been done to deal with it, and what is being done is totally ineffective. A walk around any city centre will tell you that.

Focus on the source of the problems on the streets and on public transport.

But that costs a lot of money.

The source of the problem is scrotes, not substance and alcohol abuse.

Dealing with it is not expensive, it just requires a visible transport police willing to crack a few skulls in the knowledge that the judiciary will back them up.

That's what we don't have and continental Europe does.