Is cycling along Grand Canal safe?

justforgroups

Hi,
Does anyone know how unsafe it would be cycling from Park West to Portabello along the Grand Canal at night? Like from a "10" being "I'll Never Be Seen Again", to "1" being "It's Fine - You've More Chance of Being Robbed by a Nun in Lourdes".

Thanks!

PaulieC

safe as anywhere else if you keep your wits about you. There are a number of gates where you need to get off and walk around/lift bike over. They are a PITA and would put me off cycling that route more than perceived danger from locals.

Chuchote

When you say "late", how late are you talking about?

mloc123

I cycle along it around 6am and in the afternoon around 4pm and not had any issues. A couple of winters ago a ran along it.. d8 > hazelhatch around 7-8pm when it was dark, again it was fine but my wife would have preferred if I didn't.

justforgroups

Chuchote wrote: »

When you say "late", how late are you talking about?

Around 2200

Chuchote

My personal instinct would be to stick to more populated and well-lighted areas at that time. But this instinct is informed by a couple of years when I shared an allotment in Clondalkin, at Lynch's Lane, near the canal and railway line.
I was seriously frightened a few times there, to the extent that when I went to garden there by myself at a time when most of the other allotment-holders had gone home for their tea, I brought my big dog with me (against the Council's rules, but I felt safer with a dog).
There were some quite dodgy people living around there, and I don't think I'd like to cycle alone there. Not that I'm that much of a scaredy-cat, but there are some places that just give you a bad hunch.

Wishbone Ash

justforgroups wrote: »

Around 2200

Do you mean beginning at 22.00 and going overnight or up to 22.00?

(I'd be more concerned about getting a serious mechanical in the dark and being stranded where it may be difficult to get assistance rather than being 'unsafe'.)

justforgroups

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Do you mean beginning at 22.00 and going overnight or up to 22.00?

(I'd be more concerned about getting a serious mechanical in the dark and being stranded where it may be difficult to get assistance rather than being 'unsafe'.)

Hiya. I mean I would be cycling along the route at around 2200 for 30 mins or so.

justforgroups

fyi for anyone interested: I cycled the route this morning and was pleasantly surprised. There are lights, and CCTV cameras with loudspeakers, all along the canal every 100/200 meters or so, and at underpasses. Only two cameras approaching Kylemore Road bridge though <snip>. It's a bit dogey going under that bridge but once on the other side, it's fine, though the cameras do seem more spaced out. Cameras stop at Blackhorse, where the canal runs alongside the red line luas.

Other than some graffiti, I didn't see beer bottles or other such signs of antisocial behaviour. I would still be iffy about cycling it at night in the dark, just because, but if I had too, I wouldn't be as apprehensive about it as I was before.

justforgroups

Hi,
Just a follow-up, today I was assaulted (hit in the face) while just cycling home from work at 1900 this evening by some 12-15 year old scumbags, at the kissing-gates near Bluebell - just down from the traveler's encampment at Kylemore road.

They forced me off my bike, demanded money (fat chance) and one hit me taking me totally unawares. Evening was still bright, CCTV cameras up, and they still didn't give a toss. Just went laughing back to the gate to wait for their next victim, even though I walked away clearly on the phone to the gardai. The gardai pushed me around to different stations until one said they'd send someone up. No point is making a compliant given their total disregard to being caught.

Thankfully injury is not serious but I'm not cycling that way again. It's such a shame that location after location is being taken over bit by bit by what seems to be an ever growing army of scum, and the only 'solutions' seem to be more locks, more gates, more fences, more cctv... :-(


jfg

secman

justforgroups wrote: »

Hi,
Just a follow-up, today I was assaulted (hit in the face) while just cycling home from work at 1900 this evening by some 12-15 year old scumbags, at the kissing-gates near Bluebell - just down from the traveler's encampment at Kylemore road.

They forced me off my bike, demanded money (fat chance) and one hit me taking me totally unawares. Evening was still bright, CCTV cameras up, and they still didn't give a toss. Just went laughing back to the gate to wait for their next victim, even though I walked away clearly on the phone to the gardai. The gardai pushed me around to different stations until one said they'd send someone up. No point is making a compliant given their total disregard to being caught.

Thankfully injury is not serious but I'm not cycling that way again. It's such a shame that location after location is being taken over bit by bit by what seems to be an ever growing army of scum, and the only 'solutions' seem to be more locks, more gates, more fences, more cctv... :-(


jfg

Sorry to hear, cycleways like that could be more policed, there are guards on bikes that could be utilised.

smacl

@jfg, sorry to hear about the incident. I cycle this route every now and again as a leisure cycle out to the aqueduct, and while I've had the odd bit of lip from young lads, never anything more than that. Very annoying the Gardaí aren't taking much interest. Doesn't sound like you could have done any more than you did.

monument

justforgroups wrote: »

Hi,
Just a follow-up, today I was assaulted (hit in the face) while just cycling home from work at 1900 this evening by some 12-15 year old scumbags, at the kissing-gates near Bluebell - just down from the traveler's encampment at Kylemore road.

They forced me off my bike, demanded money (fat chance) and one hit me taking me totally unawares. Evening was still bright, CCTV cameras up, and they still didn't give a toss. Just went laughing back to the gate to wait for their next victim, even though I walked away clearly on the phone to the gardai. The gardai pushed me around to different stations until one said they'd send someone up. No point is making a compliant given their total disregard to being caught.

Thankfully injury is not serious but I'm not cycling that way again. It's such a shame that location after location is being taken over bit by bit by what seems to be an ever growing army of scum, and the only 'solutions' seem to be more locks, more gates, more fences, more cctv... :-(


jfg

Don’t hesitate to call 999 when something like this happens — it more than enough qualifies for an emergency and your type of problem of being put onto different stations is the type of thing 999 solves.

A number of users of the route I know or have heard of think the gates makes this kind of behavior harder to avoid and it encourages them.

It also stops motorbike Gardai from quickly responding.

LennoxR

justforgroups wrote: »

Hi,
Just a follow-up, today I was assaulted (hit in the face) while just cycling home from work at 1900 this evening by some 12-15 year old scumbags, at the kissing-gates near Bluebell - just down from the traveler's encampment at Kylemore road.

They forced me off my bike, demanded money (fat chance) and one hit me taking me totally unawares. Evening was still bright, CCTV cameras up, and they still didn't give a toss. Just went laughing back to the gate to wait for their next victim, even though I walked away clearly on the phone to the gardai. The gardai pushed me around to different stations until one said they'd send someone up. No point is making a compliant given their total disregard to being caught.

Thankfully injury is not serious but I'm not cycling that way again. It's such a shame that location after location is being taken over bit by bit by what seems to be an ever growing army of scum, and the only 'solutions' seem to be more locks, more gates, more fences, more cctv... :-(


jfg

I am very sorry to hear that, but not at all surprised unfortunately. Neither at what happened nor at the Garda response.

In 2010 on sunny summer Sunday I cycled that route with my sister, who was visiting from abroad. One the return trip near the Bluebell lock (where the big electricity towers are) a group of kids threw a shed door from the lock knocking me off my bike. I wasn't hurt apart from a few scrapes and caught one of them and he actually told me the name of the kid who had thrown the door. (I was younger and more hot headed, I probably wouldn't do this today).

So I rang the Guards, but like your story, they had no interest, said they knew the culprit and that he'd 'been at that all day' (I swear I am not making this up) but that there was nothing they could do unless I came in person to Ballyfermot Garda station and made a complaint. It's this Garda disinterest that allows anti-social behaviour to fester.

I still cycle this route from time to time as it's nice route away from traffic and a good place to take a new cyclist. But I'm always mindful of the anti-social element that lurks around parts of the canal path.

The last time I took it, largely without incident, I still saw groups of teenagers racing up and down it on motorbikes, and other groups pulling wheelies and stuff on mountain bikes trying to intimidate people. If it's not going to become a no go zone the Guards would want to show a bit of interest in policing it.

Nika Bolokov

Have cycled this a lot during the day , problem parts have been at Bluebell where you get kids and young teens mouthing off with the odd 'gimme your bike' comment which I'm not sure is serious.

Starting there at the anti gardai graffiti painted on the towpath up to the back of Bawnogue in Clondalkin is not a part I would cycle late at night in winter. Especially on an expensive road bike......unfortuantly that's most of the route

gk5000

I cycle this most days to/from work with no real problems. Sometimes have to run the gauntlet of the feral teens and a bit of lip.

My 2c is: Slow down and sit up - and acknowledge them if possible.
They don't appreciate people barrelling through, head down with attitude of owning the road - think it's a territorial thing.

Once, I did barrel through a gap when the gang was walking the other way, gave them a bit of a fright - so a chase ensued - to restore face.

AndrewJRenko

LennoxR wrote: »

but that there was nothing they could do unless I came in person to Ballyfermot Garda station and made a complaint.

I'm not justifying their disinterest, but there really is nothing they can do unless you're prepared to make a statement. If you won't make a statement, they can't prosecute.

onmebike

justforgroups wrote: »

Hi,
Just a follow-up, today I was assaulted (hit in the face) while just cycling home from work at 1900 this evening by some 12-15 year old scumbags, at the kissing-gates near Bluebell - just down from the traveler's encampment at Kylemore road.

They forced me off my bike, demanded money (fat chance) and one hit me taking me totally unawares. Evening was still bright, CCTV cameras up, and they still didn't give a toss. Just went laughing back to the gate to wait for their next victim, even though I walked away clearly on the phone to the gardai. The gardai pushed me around to different stations until one said they'd send someone up. No point is making a compliant given their total disregard to being caught.

Thankfully injury is not serious but I'm not cycling that way again. It's such a shame that location after location is being taken over bit by bit by what seems to be an ever growing army of scum, and the only 'solutions' seem to be more locks, more gates, more fences, more cctv... :-(


jfg

That's a real shame to hear. I started using that route this summer and found it an amazing alternative to the roads. I had one incident during the summer where one fat little bstard swung at me...more out of attempted intimidation than desire to actually hit me though.

Last week, I'm pretty sure I cycled through the middle of a drug deal near Inchicore.

Sad to say, I think that's enough to put me back with the trucks and buses :-(

LennoxR

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I'm not justifying their disinterest, but there really is nothing they can do unless you're prepared to make a statement. If you won't make a statement, they can't prosecute.

Prosecute is not the issue though. I don't care if they prosecute or not. the issue is that they send someone down there to stop these kids from assaulting passers by. They seemed determined not to do this though.

onmebike

LennoxR wrote: »

Prosecute is not the issue though. I don't care if they prosecute or not. the issue is that they send someone down there to stop these kids from assaulting passers by. They seemed determined not to do this though.

I'd prefer not to be assaulted over having somebody who assaulted me prosecuted.

lukegjpotter

Had a torrent of stones thrown at me as I waited for the lights to change. They bounced off the helmet. It wasn't nice.
It was in winter, dark maybe 18:30.

I found that the cars don't stop at the pedestrian lights.
The council hasn't cleaned up my FixMyStreet request to remove the broken glass that ripped my tyre at Bluebell.

check_six

I often wonder what kind of response you would get if you reported a group of youths harassing people on the canal and shortly afterwards rang back to say that they were being chased by a man with a machete.

"Can you describe the blade wielding maniac, sir?"

"Yes. He's got a got a really big knife in one hand, a telephone in the other. He's sitting on a bike and looks like he is in contact with the local Garda station right now. He also sounds exactly like me."

"I see...."

"So you'll send the lads around in the squad car pronto, yes?"

"Umm..."

tampopo

monument wrote: »

It also stops motorbike Gardai from quickly responding.

Motorbike access at Bluebell Community Centre by Grand Canal View apartments, behind the goal of the football pitch.

AndrewJRenko

LennoxR wrote: »

Prosecute is not the issue though. I don't care if they prosecute or not. the issue is that they send someone down there to stop these kids from assaulting passers by. They seemed determined not to do this though.

At a guess, they're not much they can do. They go down there, the lads do a runner for 10 minutes. Then when the Gardai go back to the station, the lads return to the usual spot.

onmebike

lukegjpotter wrote: »

Had a torrent of stones thrown at me as I waited for the lights to change. They bounced off the helmet. It wasn't nice.
It was in winter, dark maybe 18:30.

I found that the cars don't stop at the pedestrian lights.
The council hasn't cleaned up my FixMyStreet request to remove the broken glass that ripped my tyre at Bluebell.

I tried a FixMyStreet and got a mail back saying that it was referred to Waterways Ireland. I'm not sure if it's ever cleaned.

LennoxR

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

At a guess, they're not much they can do. They go down there, the lads do a runner for 10 minutes. Then when the Gardai go back to the station, the lads return to the usual spot.

A regular police presence in the form of a bicycle Garda patrolling the path would have a deterrent effect. As would responding to reports from people who are accosted.

Doing neither of these things allows the problem to grow.