Exactly.
A few weeks ago I drove down the road from Ballymun to Finglas (where that body was found the other day) and I have to say, the state of the place is absolutely shocking. Unutterably filthy and disgusting, with huge piles of litter actually blocking one lane of the road in parts. Who’s to blame? It’s simple and easy to blame the local travellers, but I personally would reserve judgement until I know the whole story.
BTW, all this accusation of “PC” stuff is crap. I am not denying there are some serious and obvious social problems in segments of the travelling community, but there are in segments of the settled community. I just don’t like the use of broad prejudicial stereotypes and insulting language.
jjimm - I agree with you. This is also a massive hijack. Everyone knows that it’s not only the Travellers who beg. Indeed, it seems to be a very small percentage of the total. More and more of the beggers seem to be Eastern Europeans, Irish of the Settled Community, Homeless People, and Smackheads / Drunks.
There was no insulting language. After I apologised way earlier, I never used the word “knacker”. Even when I did use it, I wasn’t refering to the travellers.
Now can we please drop this hijack and get back to the rant about the fuckers asking me for my hard earned cash ???
jjimm if you’re talking about the Dunsink area, there’s been an illegal dump there for almost 30 years which Fingal County Council has done absolutely fuck all about.
You certainly can’t blame the Travellers for the toxic industrial waste that’s been dumped there over the years.
“And lest we forget, note all the fucking travellers. Fine they’re not all ignorant trash-scattering arseholes, but a lot of them are…”
No, no insulting language at all :dubious:
Tarantula, I’m wondering if there is a good cop/bad cop scenario, with two of you posting from the same user account.
Here you say “There was no insulting language”. Just a few posts above, you say “note all the fucking travellers”.
Are you a committee? Do you suffer from multiple personality disorder? Are you in the throes of cognitive dissonance?
“Note all the Fucking Irish” ??? That’s not insulting to me. Get off your moral high-horse and get with the program.
The ones I was commenting on are the trash-scatter ones, not the quiet well-behaved ones. Yes they’re travellers. Yes I called them travellers. My heart bleeds for them. I’m Irish, it’s not an insult if someone calls some ignorant fucking drunk Irish idiot “a fucking irishman”… that’s what he is.
As I said this is a hijack. Let’s get back to the job at hand…
To correct myself, it’s the road from Blanchardstown (not Ballymun) to Finglas.
Anyway, there you go: as I said, I don’t know the full story.
Whatever the story is, it’s a fucking kip and Fingal Co. Co. should be ashamed of itself.
Oprah? Is that you?
I think you’re looking for the thread about fat people - the one just above this…
Orstralian translation of ‘knacker’:
Knacker (Noun)…somewhere you send your dead 'orse or cow to be rendered down for blood’n’bone.
Knacker (Noun)…a place you threaten to send your mum if she breaks her hip one more time…(ala…“I reckon you’re ready for the knackery mum”.)
Knackered (Verb)…as in, “I’m knackered” which means, I’m very tired.
Knackers (Noun)…crude euphimism for testicles. And of course, when your knackers are knackered and ready for the knackery, you’ve had a very busy night.
Oh, and on the topic, I’m more than happy to give a dollar or three to someone who asks (if I’ve got a spare dollar of course). There but for the grace of Og etc etc.
Huh? Shouldn’t that read: pretty much like San Francisco. Period.
When I moved there in '96 I was completely shocked by the amount of homeless people there. Shocked. We lived downtown and every single corner from the union square area thru the embarcadero had at least one homeless person. This is not an exageration at all. Some parts of town did not have this problem: Jackson, the marina, the avenues… but for the most part, SF had (has?) a serious problem.
Prior to living in SF, I considered myself to be very understanding and giving. The one aspect I hated about SF is how this changed me. When you face, day in and day out, so many homeless people, it numbs you, sad to say. I hate to say this, but it wasn’t out of the ordinary to give directions using the homeless as a landmark.
I had to deal with:
homeless that were really verbally abusive.
homeless that were genuinely mentally ill.
homeless that would rush you, asking for money.
homeless that were the aforementioned “why lie, I need a beer” types.
homeless that were young.
homeless that were old.
homlesss trying to sell you stuff, esp bus transfers or obviously stolen stuff.
homeless hanging out by the ATM.
homeless trying to entertain you.
homeless that would follow you.
homeless with dogs that were scary.
homeless people selling kittens.
homelss standing out in the middle of the street, not allowing your car to pass.
My experience was that generally speaking, the more touristy the area, the more of a scam the beggars would try and pull on you. Usually, the genuinely ill and homeless were to be found ‘tucked away’ in the city. The only time I ever recall there being something done about thehomeless was the one time when there was a mayor’s convention in town. Suddenly, all the homeless were gone.
I mean, it’s just sad.
I can’t say I agree with all Tarantula has said, but if his experience is anything like mine, I can understand where he is coming from. When you are inundated day after day, there comes a point where you just can’t take it any more.
BNB,
I know the problem of which Tarantula speaks of, it’s just I can’t understand his virtriol. It’s rare that one of the pan handlers will become abusive. If you don’t want to give them spare change, don’t give them spare change. donate it to services that will help them. But rampaging in an OP like that isn’t going to do anything except make him look like a clod.
But, as for Chuggers, don’t get me started.
I agree, though I’ve been to San Fran recently, and I can assure you that Dublin is a picnic compared to that city. The only other places I’ve been that are comparable for SF’s level of hassle are Lisbon and New Delhi (though mostly in ND they were trying to scam me, rather than begging).
::crosses “Fat Knacker” off Band Name List::
Sorry about the vitriol in the rant. If you really want to see me “let myself down”, you should come on over to the “fat boy” thread currently raging in the pit…
Twistoffate,
I Understand your feelings refarding the virtriol. This is why I said I can’t agree with all Tarantula has to say.
As for his last post, it leaves me speachless. IMO, it seems almost like he enjoys being purposefuly confrontational. I don’t get the :D. What’s so :D?
He is doing it in that other thread he referred to, as well.
I reckon jjimm is right, he is two people.
Either actually or mentally.
Has he been pitted yet? That’ll be a hoot.
The is because of the band-wagon jumping that takes place as soon as I say it like it is.
How can you all refuse to realise the simplicity of the situation? No-one is saying it’s fair - it’s fucking LIFE. It’s not supposed to be fair. Jeez.
I just find it amusing. Hence the :D. Unfortunately just the one personality though…