First off I live in a sleepy suburb. It’s not known for antisocial behaviour and the whole scrambler thing really only started this week.
So it starts that these little scumbags from the social housing part of our estate getting their hands on a couple of scramblers and a quad this week (likely stolen). Our estate is full of new families and children out playing constantly. It’s a lovely area and I worked and broke my bollox to buy here.
Before you jump down my throat for saying the social housing part of our estate, let me clarify. There’s probably 2 houses in this part with constant trouble surrounding them, one house was moved here from another estate because they were causing too much trouble. So you know, move them into another estate that’ll fix the problem. Everyone in social housing is not some menace to society. Plenty of great families in this area that are top notch neighbours. Like anywhere there’s always one or two bad eggs fucking it up for everyone. I actually feel bad for the people living a quiet life being tarred and feathered by the actions of the few.
Anyway despite having access to fields both in front of and on the side of them they just love to show how “cool” they are by going through the estate doing wheelies and the likes on them at speed. Our kids are terrified of them and call them “the scramblers”.
We made multiple complaints this week to the guards with specific details around who it was and I even said “some kid is gonna get a bang of one” but nothing was done, not even a car sent round. Too low on the priority list I guess.
Well…
My son who’s 8 is in his front garden on Thursday evening and one of them loses control of the bike coming down the road and ploughs into my son in his own garden. What does this prick do? Runs away like the big coward that he is, gets into a car and drives dangerously away.
Absolute fucking scum of the Earth in my opinion. I’d at least have some respect if just after hitting a kid he at least checked to see if he was ok.
So are our kids not even safe in their own gardens anymore?
Anyway. Ambulance-> hospital-> 4 broken bones and significant mental trauma.
My lad had a fear and that fear became reality. How could he ever have a fear again and me tell him not to worry.
Garda took 1 hour and 38 mins to respond.
Ambulance 25 mins
Fire brigade (as the scrambler had petrol pissing from it) – 35 mins
(I know all these times as I caught the whole thing on my nest cam)
We actually got two fire brigades randomly.
As far as I can see our emergency services are completely mismanaged. Why 2 fire brigades? Don’t they talk to eachother? Also Garda mentioned a new dispatch that wasn’t in place 🤷🏻♂️ that would assign nearby cars as opposed to assigning the one or two cars available in the area. It all felt like bollox excuses though to a bigger problem. Could have been Garda nearby picking their holes but because they are assigned to another area they can’t be actioned to help.
You wouldn’t want to be reporting a crime in progress anyway. The burglars could cook a 4 course meal in the house, do the dishes and still get away.
So afterwards the mother of the boy who owns the bike comes around. I ask what is he doing going around an estate full of children and she says “I told him not to”
Oh great, well that’s your job done then. 🤦🏻♂️
They got the guy anyway and he’s 18 so will be charged. I’m also going to take legal action and make sure he pays for the damage he’s done.
Edit: anyone know if any legislation had actually changed since this? https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/qanda-will-government-plans-halt-the-scrambler-bike-menace-in-dublin/41576714.html
by Dante_9C
33 comments
Jesus that’s really not a good situation at all. I’m sick of them myself like everyone else and extremely frustrated that there seems to be nothing we can do to solve it.
I know in London when this stuff was getting bad a few years ago they trained up a whole new division of biker police on dirt bikes that could chase the pricks and actually arrest them, I’d love to know if it ended up working and if we could do something similar.
As a dad I’m not entirely sure I could be held accountable for my actions if this happened my son…
As a biker it’s shit like this that stops RESPONSIBLE ADULTS from engaging in a great hobby…
That’s shocking. No advice I can give, just hope your son recovers well!
Honestly do your level best to nail him to the fucking wall. Others might tell you to avoid the hassle but that your young fella was hit not anyone elses. I hope to fuck you get a decent judge because the biggest problem seems to be when they go to court they walk straight back out again. Hopefully he will get royally fucked that will scare a bit of sense into the rest of the dips around the place.
Sorry for your young fella. Kids are resilient in time he Will be fine.
Where was this? Fkin cunts are everywhere in this city
I see this craic ALL THE TIME around Blanchardstown. It’s often these idiots doing wheelies on the road, usually driving towards oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road like a game of chicken.
Really sorry to hear about your kid. I hope they get better and you’re able to get proper justice against the gobshite that hit him.
Feral scum. I wish the parents could be held responsible too.
Wow. I thought you were going to say one of yours got brushed but 4 broken bones?! I hope that your son has a speedy recovery and you can get some justice.
That’s awful, sorry to hear about your son. I hope the little scumbag gets prosecuted to the maximum degree and at the very least it stops them from doing it again. This is the problem with people who don’t control their kids and let them run wild.
Have you contacted all of your local TDs about it? Not saying they’ll do anything but you never know, they might put in a call to the local Garda station about it or something. You know Ireland, official systems often don’t work so maybe worth a shot.
At least at a young age like that, kids can heal quickly and are resilient enough that they often have a better capacity to move on from events than us adults.
And he’s 18? What an eejit
Absolutely gut-wrenching reading this…no one should have to deal with this situation…it could have been fatal hitting a little person of that age.
Did the Guards arrest him there and then what has he been charged with? I’d consult a Barrister to get guidance and representation on what avenues to pursue, you could end up having to pursue a case with motor insurance board…
God reading this I just feel so bad for your young lad. Hope he’s doing alright OP and do whatever you can to nail that prick in court.
Holy fuck. My son is 9. I’d genuinely would be up in court for what I’d do to that prick.
I’m beginning to wonder why vigilantism hasn’t taken off yet. If the law won’t protect you, then people will start to take matters into their own hands.
Wishing him a speedy recovery.
It’s really down to the laws around scramblers and the fact the government is doing nothing about it. I’ve heard so many horror stories of kids being hurt or even killed on them. Same with them bloody electric scooters. There’s not enough being done about it. I’m sorry this happened to you’re son.
Outside my house you constantly hear scramblers flying up and down the road it’s so annoying
I am so sorry this has happened to your family. Jesus. My son is 8. The poor little guy. I really hope he’s ok.
I actually can’t with what is happening and how people are getting away with this shit.
I’d do this idiot for EVERYTHING criminal and civil that I could manage. I hope the courts are sensible for you.
4 broken bones? What the fucking fuck. Hope that scumbag pays dearly for it.
I wonder if there is any chance of highlighting that the issue was reported to the Garda previously and nothing was done?
Go to the press!!
This is the right time to put pressure on the ineffectiveness of the police force in Ireland (I sympathize with their lack of resources and the fact that they may feel the judicial system is too lenient, by the way)
Man, I am so sorry for your son and your family. I hope he makes a quick recovery
I don’t know if you have money you are willing to spend on a solicitor, but worth seeking a consultation about taking action against the agency responsible that placed that kid’s family in that particular social housing. Once certain pockets are hit then action will be taken.
I seriously hope pressing charges will bring some jail time. If that scrambler was going any faster or a different direction, your kid could have been killed. Why leave it up for luck? These dickheads need to learn the hard way that their wreckless actions have consequences.
You are incorrect to claim the fire service were mismanaged, their response was as per standard guidelines. They would have gotten the report that a child had been injured in a traffic incident. They would have assumed that they may have to close a road. and it takes two appliances to do that safely inorder to keep the victim and the fire fighters safe.
e. Typo
Oh my god I am so sorry to hear that. Jesus what absolute fucks. Please give your son some cuddles from us.
Stop apologising about the social housing stuff ~ and before anyone say it’s not a few bad apples.
Folks behaving like this because they never had to work hard for what they have ~ many of them entitled and believe they earn the house just because they had to wait years to get it. There should be a policy around claiming social house back if the occupiers are anti social.
So sorry to hear what happened. Just came in to say you mention your son is traumatised, and how can he trust you. Don’t blow it off as kids are resilient and give all your attention to the joyrider, or whatever you’d call that idiot on the scrambler. Trust your instincts. See how your son is is, but consider play therapy for him to work through the trauma. He had a near death experience in his front garden, he may need some professional help to get back to his normal self.
It boggles me how nonchalant parents of these pos are over something as serious as this jesus christ. If my kid did that to another kid I’d kick his ass.
I’m so sorry this happened to you OP and I hope your son recovers. And I hope that prick gets charged.
Going to the media is a good shout that others have mentioned. As beating the fuck out of him isn’t an option I’d also sue the living shit out of him.
Anyone know technically the 18,yr old can be done for. Dangerous driving/wreckless endangerment?
I’m sure “seeing as it was an accident, his first offence and he’s showing regret…..” Etc etc.
Not sure if you’re in Dublin or not but if you are I’m in Dublin Fire Brigade. We’d sent two fire trucks for most Road traffic collisions especially with confirmed injury. I know it was in your garden(!) But we’d send extra just in case and turn back as required. All the full time dublin crews are paramedics and one of the trucks may also have an advanced paramedic on board to treat your kid.
Depending on what else is going on and your location in the city it can take that long for a response. For example lucan and beyond is very badly served as they’d come from tallaght or blanchardstown and if they are already at a call then crews may have to come from even further afield.
If you’re north county such as balbriggan then it’s the same thing plus the lads are retained firefighters so have to come from home.
Very sorry to hear what happened to you and your family. Its fucking horrendous and we see it everywhere. One or two little groups can destroy an area.
That’s awful. These families should be moved to a special estate that only had problem families. This bullshit of integrating them with decent hard working citizens doesn’t work; I know this from personal experience in 2 separate areas.
Hopefully he does some jail time and if you sue him his parents have to pay. Although they are probably useless fucks and you’ll get nothing from them.
All of this sort of trouble is the parents of the scumbags fault. But there’s not a lot that can be done with that so long as having a kid bumps you up the housing list
I kick up a fuss about the lack of Garda action on the first calls you made.
All of these calls are recorded somewhere. Write a written complaint to the superintendent of the station. If you don’t complain nothing will change.
It will have to be investigated and you given an explanation.
If it happens again you might get a Garda response a little quicker next time.
Loads of lads racing around on unlicensed scramblers where we are. Gardai need to take action.
Hope your son recovers okay 🙏🙏
God I’m so sorry for your son and your family. I hope to see this in the papers soon and read the scumbags name, I hope the whole country knows his name and he get treated accordingly.
Fucking hell.
I can’t even imagine how you or your young lad feels.
One tiny suggestion…put your young lad down for some counselling or play therapy for the possible PTSD.
I think if you take out the part about social housing, and send this into the papers, they could run with it. Media uproar is the way now. and I only say take the social housing part out cos the papers won’t go near saying something like this. This is an outrageous story and I’m shocked there arent more incidents (that I hear of). Also,, call out Helen McEntee and all her cronies and they’re promises and plans that never happen
Absolute scum and I hope your son gets better soon (physically and also from the trauma of it on his mental health). The guards are worse for the lack of prompt giving a shit.