Grafton Street is not a safe place
There’s a gang acting around one of Dublin’s most known areas
“Sorry, but as I said, there’s really nothing I can do to help you ladies. Your stuff’s just… gone.”
It was the fourth time John repeated his excuses to that couple. At first, the two tourists were in a rage, but the blond woman was the one getting increasingly agitated while to her girlfriend, John’s second “sorry” had been enough to convince her they should drop it and move on. After all, there was a lot more to see in Dublin. “This city was supposed to be one of Europe’s safest!”, the other cried after she’d eventually come to terms with the fact that they’d have to leave John alone.
He shrugged. John was finally in peace, but he knew it wouldn’t last. As a Garda fixed on Grafton Street for 5 years, he’d become used to the action of what he’d himself nicknamed “The White Gang”.
It’s a group that act coordinately. An attack is usually initiated by one or two individuals, and once they knock the victim down, a bunch of others get around to take what they can. It’s really fast and by the time the person realises what happened, it’s already too late.
The gang don’t care if the sun is shining or the moon is glowing. The chosen victim being alone or accompanied doesn’t change their course of action, and they couldn’t care less if there is any Garda around. That street belongs to them. And, as John was now trained to declare, nothing can be done about it.
Or at least, nothing that wouldn’t afront those guys who make a living out of defending this kind. That doesn’t mean people are just watching, though.
In fact, The White Gang inspired one of those rare situations where McDonald’s and Burger King join forces to fight a common enemy as they agreed to have its bouncers looking after both restaurants’ takeaway customers. The order is to start with a discreet “Be careful out there” but escalate to a loud “Watch out!” if needed.
Walking up the street, oblivious tourists are shielded by similar arrangements made by Bewley’s, Gino’s and Subway. Even companies such as Brown Thomas, MAC and Victoria’s Secret took measures — though their customers aren’t exactly on the gang’s target.
It’s not that John doesn’t see any of this. In 5 years, he’s had all the time he needed to study those guys. The thing is, John simply doesn’t care. What’s worse, at least in one occasion he went to the point of bursting into laughter after seeing the gang taking a Big Mac from this guy’s hand and tearing it apart in front of him. He’s not a sadist, though, he’s more like a cynical. Your man was causing trouble with a group of teenagers and, because of the gang’s action, John didn’t have to move a finger for the scuffle to dissolve before it even started.
Every day is the same for the officer. He starts his stroll up and down Grafton at 7 am, when the street is waking up. Beginning the patrol by the top, he looks up and observes as the gang warm up in the morning. From 9 to 10 am, the most eager among them — usually the youngest — start diving towards people’s shoulders, making the day’s first victims. At midday, most of the group cruise around making children scream — some with joy, some with fear.
But it’s the afternoon that puts them all into action; if you walk there from 3:30 onwards, you’re probably being watched. You can bet that when Ed Sheeran met the Galway Girl, they were both targets themselves.
Someone once asked John the reason why he’s not bothered by this situation and he replied that it wasn’t always like this. “I used to get upset and embarrassed,” he said, “I get loads of complaints because of those guys.”
So what changed?
“I once told a Garda from the St. Stephen’s Green that I’d seen a gull attacking a kid and he said: ‘Well, I wish the park’s birds would only steal people’s food, but those feckers are at war! I’ve lost track of how many times I saw one of them drowning a duck or hitting a pigeon’s head against the floor.’ So yeah, it could be worse. I rather deal with thieves than murderers.”
Hi there! I am Leonardo Pereira, a Brazilian storyteller located in Dublin. You can find me at pereiraleonardo.com
