Anti-social behaviour has long been an issue on public transport across the country, but most recently, issues with teen gangs intimidating passengers at DART stations has become a common conversation online.
People have been sharing their experiences on social media, and despite an outcry from the public, the National Transport Authority said it does not believe transport police are necessary.
One passenger took to Ireland’s Reddit forum to detail their experience this week getting the train to Howth Junction, where a gang of teens blocked the entrance and were intimidating people who were simply trying to leave the station.
READ MORE: Two men and woman assaulted by gang at DART station just hours after Bray chaos
They wrote: “Just yesterday I was getting the dart to Howth Junction and getting off on on the Donaghmede side only to find the main exit out of the train station was being blockaded by a gang of teenagers.
“There was about 7-8 lads all 15-16 big enough fellas blockading the stairs in the station. They were banging bottles on the wall, cat calling people and screaming and roaring.”
They went on to say that the only way to get out was for passengers to group together and push through the group of teens who “would jeer and keep trying to jump at ya to start a fight.”
The Reddit user went on to say: “A lot of these lads were big enough as well, easily bigger than quite a few women who came off the dart. If you were on your own coming off it would be absolutely terrible.”
They said the Dart station “had zero staff around, no security or anything in place to clear them out or even stop people like that occupying the station in the first place.
“This is a consistent problem that I've seen in DART station over the years and it seems bizarre that there is no appetite to do anything about it.”
They said they plan to write to their local TDs and Councillors about their experience and “how unacceptable it is that people should feel intimidated just trying to use public transport to go home after a long day at work,” and are encouraging other people to do the same.
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