New alcohol ban?

[markpb]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

It is a serious issue in the late evening on DART/suburban services it is becoming quite unpleasant to travel when faced with gangs of youths clearly drunk jumping around and being generally disruptive

Like others have said, that's down to Irish Rail staff not doing their jobs and looking after their customers. Gangs of youths (oh I feel so old...) can be noisy and disruptive without being drunk.

[Mark Gleeson]

The fact staff have no legal authority to physically restrain or haul someone off the train makes life very difficult. Hasn't stopped staff from dealing with trouble makers though many have ended up in hosptial as a result. Of course the troublemakers rarely if ever get the full force of the law imposed and walk out of the cells the following morning

The gardai generally take forever to arrive and the last thing you need is for the train to sit in a station for a extended duration at which point all out hell breaks out.

Passengers in general don't want to be seen to seek assistance as that results in inflaming the situation and them being singled out.

Alcohol is cause in many cases its not unreasonable to seek a total ban on all suburban services, it is in the passenger interest and would go a long way to restoring passenger confidence after dark

[Oisin88]

Originally Posted by Mark

Is your work that bad packetswitch that you have to have a few swigs in the morning to get through the day?..

I've seen the ticket checker take drink of people on the 08:20 Dublin-Westport a few times. Told them they'd get it back when they were leaving the train.

In general though, wouldn't it be possible to ban some individuals from using the trains, i.e. some sort of injunction, like what they do in England to football hooligans when they are banned from all football stadia?

I have seen some of the staff on Galway/Mayo trains deal very successfully with bad behaviour on trains. Alot of people have had unplanned visits to Portarlington Station and presumably had to make their own way home from there.

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There is no byelaw to that effect, however all tickets sold for GAA specials are clearly stated as being dry trains

It is a serious issue in the late evening on DART/suburban services it is becoming quite unpleasant to travel when faced with gangs of youths clearly drunk jumping around and being generally disruptive

Just seen this notice at tara street it looks quiet new

Important notice

The consumption of alcohol in stations and on board Dart trains is strictly prohibited

By order: dart management

[Mark Gleeson]

Not a bye law

DART is a business name, doesn't exist.

All well and good have a notice, enforcement is a whole different ball game

[thedailygrudge]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The fact staff have no legal authority to physically restrain or haul someone off the train makes life very difficult. Hasn't stopped staff from dealing with trouble makers though many have ended up in hosptial as a result. Of course the troublemakers rarely if ever get the full force of the law imposed and walk out of the cells the following morning

The gardai generally take forever to arrive and the last thing you need is for the train to sit in a station for a extended duration at which point all out hell breaks out.

Passengers in general don't want to be seen to seek assistance as that results in inflaming the situation and them being singled out.

Alcohol is cause in many cases its not unreasonable to seek a total ban on all suburban services, it is in the passenger interest and would go a long way to restoring passenger confidence after dark

I agree. The Sligo service had a problem the other day where a man smashed a bottle in front of his "fiance" and was f**n and blinding her in order to intimidate other commuters and acted like he was in a local pub or worse. This just causes stress and fear amongst fellow commuters and caused a 30 minute delay.

The police entered the train with bullet proof vests on to break up the group of approx 7 people who were completely intoxicated & causing a "disruption" on the train.

I see no need for alcohol to be consumed on trains - there is enough drinking in Irish culture and one can wait until they get home or go to the pub if it stops the "troublesome" drinkers on trains from causing havoc to other commuters.

Maybe they could limit it to alcohol sold on the train because it is so expensive people wouldn't be buying much of it and to be honest there is no need to be drinking so much people become drunk on the trains. I do agree that a total ban would in general restore passenger confidence.

[Mark Gleeson]

Simplest solution is you can only drink what is sold onboard, it might be expensive but then again you can't walk into a pub with a case of cheap beer and drink away. Compared to some nightclubs the beer onboard isn't actually that pricy

Irish Rail really don't care, I've seen security and ticket checkers let people through platform gates despite being clearly drunk and carrying additional 'supplies'

I've no problem with someone have a beer, wine etc on a intercity train, I have a serious problem with the crew who show up with a case of cheap warm beer and proceed to get hammered

Solution up north is very simple, all internal trains are drink free, anyone with a open container which either is or believe to be alcohol will get thrown off or fined. Irish Rail management think they have this power, they don't.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by thedailygrudge

The police entered the train with bullet proof vests on to break up the group of approx 7 people who were completely intoxicated & causing a "disruption" on the train.

These would be stab vest which are quite common these days.

[ThomasJ]

There doesnt seem to be enough of security on trains whereas there is enough of them at stations!

Last sunday in pearse a lady in her 30 or early 40s small and harmless kicked a vending machine after it swallowed up her money.

Within minutes there was four or five staff including security kicking her out of the station!