Late Night Flower Sellers Warning

mistdub

Not sure if this is worthy of a thread but couldn’t find anywhere else to post.

If you go out in Dublin you’ve probably encountered large groups trying to sell roses to patrons as they empty out of nightclubs.

Roughly a year ago I was leaving Button Factory a little worse for wear around 3am, there were lots of people gathered outside and the flower sellers were out in force. A gang of them approached (surrounded, kind of) me and a few friends and hassled us, brandishing flowers from all directions, we politely told them we weren’t interested. Next thing I know my phones gone. I grab a friends phone to ring it, no answer. Try ‘find my iphone’ it’s offline, try to ring it again and it’s turned off. This all happened in about 5 minutes by which time I put two and two together (should have known instantly but as I said, worse for wear), they were already gone. My phone was definitely taken in that 2 minute window as I remember calling a friend just beforehand, and most likely putting it in my back pocket.

Called the guards, tried to follow the sellers (a mistake but that’s what blind rage and the thought of €600 down the drain does to a man), long story short never got the phone back.

Now there may have just happened to be an opportunist thief around but I believe it was a coordinated theft by the flower sellers. This practice may be common knowledge but it was news to me, a man of university age. The only similar warning I can find online is an article from 2005.

I would urge you all to be weary of flower sellers, or anyone who approaches you late at night (or any time for that matter) and to watch out for your fellow patrons while they are around.

Now before anyone mentions it, yes the situation was avoidable. I made myself an easy target by being heavily intoxicated, probably having my phone in my back pocket and generally not having my wits about me. Also I didn’t have my phone insured. I do partially blame myself and have learned a few valuable lessons from the ordeal.

Now that was a bit long winded, but it saved me 15 minutes of studying and hopefully will save one of you your phone. I only wish I had posted sooner and not on account of procrastination.

km991148

mistdub wrote: »

Roughly a year ago I was..

...

mistdub wrote: »

Now that was a bit long winded

Working on that post for a while then?

(And sorry about your phone..Distractions are a common enough trick)

mistdub

km991148 wrote: »

...


Working on that post for a while then?

(And sorry about your phone..Distractions are a common enough trick)

Haha, I was actually watching videos of bike thieves being caught (have also had an expensive bike stolen in dublin) when it occurred to me that for all my anger about both situations I hadn’t really tried to warn anyone else.

Yes I should have seen it coming a mile away. Generally I’ve only heard warnings about pickpockets etc when going abroad even though it seems to happen quite a bit in Dublin. Both sisters have also had phones stolen from their handbags in the last year or so.

Samuel T. Cogley

I ended up mugged, then for good measure some fecking eejit punched me in the face for 'hassling the girl' who I know had just wandered of with my wallet. I'm sorry to tar everyone with the same brush but I avoid the Roma as a rule in Dublin.

Edit, the kebab in either hand might have been an invitation in hindsight.

Gavin "shels"

They're still about and still crowd around Button Factory, Workmans, and generally most of Temple Bar area. They're not out for selling roses at all - they're Roma gypsies and they're out to target people worse for wear. I've seen one of them (young lad) try pickpocket someone outside the Workmans - two undercover guards were more concerned with me approaching him rather than his potential robbery...

Dr Brown

Gavin shels wrote: »

They're still about and still crowd around Button Factory, Workmans, and generally most of Temple Bar area. They're not out for selling roses at all - they're Roma gypsies and they're out to target people worse for wear. I've seen one of them (young lad) try pickpocket someone outside the Workmans - two undercover guards were more concerned with me approaching him rather than his potential robbery...

Whoever thought it was a good idea to let Roma gypsies into Ireland ?

I can't see them contributing anything positive to Irish society.

Ireland should of used it's veto with the EU to stop the Roma coming here.

Gaspode

OK less of the bigotry please folks. Pickpockets and dodgy characters selling roses to eejits have been around Dublin long long before we ever had the immigrants to blame for everything. Like every other city in the world you've got to keep your wits about you at all times.
Since this thread is about a year old incident and not specific to Dublin per se, I see no point in having it here.