Multitude of aggressive beggars City Centre

Hannibal_12

I've lived away from Dublin for 10 years..7 in the UK and 2 and half ish in Cork. I was catching a late train yesterday evening in Dublin and essentially the city centre resembles something out of Mad Max Fury Road. I was accosted several times by self entitled reprobates that seemed to be organised and exceptionally pushy..one even suggesting that I give her some of my drink!

Maybe I've been away too long and this is how things are now...I have to say it's not pleasant. Dublin is hardly a bastion of value so at the very least it should be relatively safe

Lurching

The costs of introducing programmes to help these people would pale in comparison to the tourism revenues that could be gained if Dublin city centre was void of this type of thing at night.

Muahahaha

Were they Roma women OP, they can sometimes be fierce pushy.

RTE had a report a few years back that showed Roma women getting dropped from vans in the city centre near OConnell bridge in the mornings by their men folk and are sent to beg all day long to fund the mens drink and drug habits. If they come home with little or no money in the evenings its likely they'll be beaten which might explain why they can be so aggressive when begging. Not excusing it but thats apparently how these begging gangs work, the women are desperate and can thus beg aggressively.

bmc58

Muahahaha wrote: »

Were they Roma women OP, they can sometimes be fierce pushy.

RTE had a report a few years back that showed Roma women getting dropped from vans in the city centre near OConnell bridge in the mornings by their men folk and are sent to beg all day long to fund the mens drink and drug habits. If they come home with little or no money in the evenings its likely they'll be beaten which might explain why they can be so aggressive when begging. Not excusing it but thats apparently how these begging gangs work, the women are desperate and can thus beg aggressively.

There are a number of Roma (men and women) regularly dropped from a mini van in my town to beg outside banks and other shops.They are not aggressive,but sit there all day in rain or sun.In the evening a " boss" collects them and they go wherever for the night.The next day they are back again after being dropped off again.Gardai don't want to know.They all have mobiles too.

Hannibal_12

Muahahaha wrote: »

Were they Roma women OP, they can sometimes be fierce pushy.

RTE had a report a few years back that showed Roma women getting dropped from vans in the city centre near OConnell bridge in the mornings by their men folk and are sent to beg all day long to fund the mens drink and drug habits. If they come home with little or no money in the evenings its likely they'll be beaten which might explain why they can be so aggressive when begging. Not excusing it but thats apparently how these begging gangs work, the women are desperate and can thus beg aggressively.

Nope, Irish. I was asked for spare change etc at least 4 times in the space of 30 mins, around Aston quay, abbey street and it's environs. Some of them as young as 17/18 I would guess. Substance abuse definitely a feature, I agree there most be a solution rather than lock them up. I'm 6'3'' and 15 stone so I can only imagine what they'd be like with someone vulnerable.

An Claidheamh

Hannibal_12 wrote: »

Nope, Irish. I was asked for spare change etc at least 4 times in the space of 30 mins, around Aston quay, abbey street and it's environs. Some of them as young as 17/18 I would guess. Substance abuse definitely a feature, I agree there most be a solution rather than lock them up. I'm 6'3'' and 15 stone so I can only imagine what they'd be like with someone vulnerable.

In my experience they are just opportunistic and chancing their arm.

There is no inhibition or shame in doing it for them.

It’s worth a shot.

Always believed, chancers should be photographed and put on a website for their identity to be revealed

People beg for the craic, nothing to do with poverty anymore

Fritzbox

Only solution to aggressive begging is for people to refrain from giving the beggars money.

Rodney Bathgate

One of the positives of COVID-19, I haven’t seen a beggar in 3 months as I haven’t been in Dublin City center since mid March.

Plus less junk mail.

The Nal

Hannibal_12 wrote: »

Nope, Irish. I was asked for spare change etc at least 4 times in the space of 30 mins, around Aston quay, abbey street and it's environs.

It has been junkie central for years now. Our capital citys main street is a no go after dark. Its grim, its full of junkies and theres nothing open.

Winetavern St area still a total kip aswell.

Its what happens when you have a methadone clinics and treatment centres in the heart of the city.

Lux23

It's not as bad as it was as nobody has any cash anymore. The lads that do ask you seem very desperate alright.

Muahahaha

Lux23 wrote: »

It's not as bad as it was as nobody has any cash anymore. The lads that do ask you seem very desperate alright.

Yeah contactless cards means that your excuse for beggars that you dont carry any cash is actually plausible, its what I always say to them anyway.

I've noticed the desperation on occasion myself, I presume that is lads needing a heroin fix so they have to beg for 30 or 40 euro to get it. Thats probably not easy when loads of people dont carry cash anymore, their hit rate goes way down so out of desperation they get aggressive.

Kamu

I live close to the city centre and experienced massive increases in the amount of beggars around local amenities during the lockdown; obviously they moved further out of the centre to where people were shopping.

There has always been about 4 in the local area, two proper beggars and 2-5 drunks sitting on the ledge outside lidl feeding on any scraps.

I've noticed an increase in desperation from the beggars also; a consequence of less people/less people with cash.

This desperation has led to them to be extra pushy, perhaps not quite aggressive, but getting there. Disgraceful.

I've used the (genuine) excuse, "sorry only card with me" just for them to respond, "I'll go the ATM with ya bud, please." ... Yeah, not a hope.

Spanish Eyes

What's the story with all the drug treatment centres if people are still begging for their fix. Maybe they can't get on any program, or maybe they don't like methadone.

I do feel sorry for those strung out with no idea where they are going to get their next hit. I don't know what the solution is, but there is an awful lot of publicity going on now for social housing when these poor unfortunates need help too. But some won't take it either, preferring to do their own thing.

I dunno. But it is not a good look in the city either, but who goes into town now anyway apart from those working there. I'm presuming the drug addicts live in the flats around the city. But some might take the LUAS from elsewhere too.

We are a very generous country. There is help out there for anyone who needs it in one form or another. I am very happy to pay that through my taxes, but sorry, I won't give a penny to tappers.

The Nal

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

but who goes into town now anyway apart from those working there.

Tourists.

"Oh lets go to Ireland main street for a walk.....URGH!!"

Lux23

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

What's the story with all the drug treatment centres if people are still begging for their fix. Maybe they can't get on any program, or maybe they don't like methadone.

Maybe the closed during the lockdown, they must have people weren't getting other treatments. I know someone looking for treatment privately, they tried in February, and the place is only coming up in September, and that is assuming Covid is suppressed.

L1011

The public treatment centers didn't close; and they actually increased capacity due to increased numbers as the supply of the actual drugs dried up.

the_syco

Fritzbox wrote: »

Only solution to aggressive begging is for people to refrain from giving the beggars money.

They usually prey on those that they can intimidate, or those who have can have their heart strings pulled.

Hannibal_12 wrote: »

II was accosted several times by self entitled reprobates that seemed to be organised and exceptionally pushy..one even suggesting that I give her some of my drink!

Work From Home now, but in the last few days before WFH, when I was in Dublin and the streets were bare, you'd see the scum walking around. They were very noticeable. The professional beggars/roma would be in their usual spots, and swapping shifts were more noticeable with less people about.

The homeless probably get less money from begging, but probably enjoy better sleeps at the weekends without the drunks annoying them.

cgcsb

I walked around a bit during lockdown and it seemed like junkie/beggar central. But I think that's because there's the same amount as there always is but the normals are gone so the dreggs seem to be the dominant group

Merowig

When I came first to Dublin I was shocked and surprised about the amount of beggars and I was giving out money often enough.
Stopped doing that now for a while but do occasionally exceptions. Some of them try to intimate you while you draw out money from a ATM...
Tourists coming to the City will be delighted about that....

cgcsb

Not sure what the fixation on tourists is? Dublin had way too much mass tourism pre-covid. The streets need to pleasant for Dubliners first and foremost, tourists are a secondary consideration.

A big part of the problem is Irish society isn't mature enough to actually tackle the issues around addiction and poverty. The government abandoned it's commitment to housing long ago and instead wastes money enriching landlords with HAP. Our current set up actually costs the state more money than providing sufficient social housing but right wing ideology opposes that so we have to blow money this way.

Nobody wants to go for the dutch model of supervised injection and accommodation in defunct suburban industrial estates because it's too practical so the net result is what we have.

The gardaí don't want to actually tackle begging because they know the services are poor / don't exist and many of these people have no alternative. Most countries have this issue but the police move them along sharpish.

Thirdly we don't have an immigration policy per say and no real effort is made to repatriate gypsies and the like. We've also the bizzar policy of offering roma state welfare, which surely will encourage more arrivals and and more procreation.

Lux23

Jaysus, I spoke too soon. I had an empty can of cider thrown at me by this mad fella on Grafton Street yesterday.

He asked for money, and I told him I don't carry cash, and he started following me down the street yelling about how I was part of the machine and a robot. Then he threw the empty can which wasn't going to hurt me, but still, he pursued me. A man then approached him and said, "did you just throw that can at that young woman because she wouldn't give you money?" And then the beggar squared up to him, screaming in his face and spitting! Luckily, a squad car came around the corner very quickly, but only because they were responding to a similar incident.

I haven't experienced anything like that in all my years living in the city, but I was delighted to be called a young woman!

the_syco

cgcsb wrote: »

Nobody wants to go for the dutch model of supervised injection and accommodation in defunct suburban industrial estates because it's too practical so the net result is what we have.

Ah here, you can't be bringing the "dutch model" into the thread, as their ideas work too well, such as the "if you bring a caravan in, you must sign the document to allow no warrant searches"... :pac:

whisky_galore

cgcsb wrote: »

Not sure what the fixation on tourists is? Dublin had way too much mass tourism pre-covid. The streets need to pleasant for Dubliners first and foremost, tourists are a secondary consideration.

A big part of the problem is Irish society isn't mature enough to actually tackle the issues around addiction and poverty. The government abandoned it's commitment to housing long ago and instead wastes money enriching landlords with HAP. Our current set up actually costs the state more money than providing sufficient social housing but right wing ideology opposes that so we have to blow money this way.

Nobody wants to go for the dutch model of supervised injection and accommodation in defunct suburban industrial estates because it's too practical so the net result is what we have.

The gardaí don't want to actually tackle begging because they know the services are poor / don't exist and many of these people have no alternative. Most countries have this issue but the police move them along sharpish.

Thirdly we don't have an immigration policy per say and no real effort is made to repatriate gypsies and the like. We've also the bizzar policy of offering roma state welfare, which surely will encourage more arrivals and and more procreation.

This, absolutely.
I don't know where this "will someone think of the tourists" comes from, probably some inbuilt Irish thing, afraid your house isn't up to scratch for the visitors.

We piss away more money trying to inefectually mop up the mess caused by scumbags in terms of criminal damage, policing, jail time, free legal aid etc etc than investing money in stopping kids turning into scumbags in the first place.

There needs to be public information campaigns as in other countries to discourage the giving of money to beggars, if you want to give something, give food, tea, soup, coffee. Give to a recognised charity. The bleeding heart brigade won't like that though.

Muahahaha

whisky_galore wrote: »

This, absolutely.
I don't know where this "will someone think of the tourists" comes from, probably some inbuilt Irish thing, afraid your house isn't up to scratch for the visitors.

yeah I hate this crap as well, that we should only tidy up the city for fear of looking bad in front of foreigners. How about we tidy it up for the benefit of the people who live here all year round. Theres a real bang of forelock tugging and doffing the cap off it.

Birneybau

Keeping 'the good' room for the priest.