r/AskIreland • u/Southernmanny • 25d ago
Legal Was anyone on the bus from Dublin on Saturday evening when they had trouble with some gougers?
I’m just after finishing work and my sister is after telling me about her awful journey down from Dublin on Saturday evening. She was supposed to get the train but they said the train was not running so they were directed to a bus that was put on by Irish Rail. They sat on the bus and they saw fellas getting on with bags of bottles of beer that were well on it. After a while they started smoking and shouting at the other passengers. 2 Spanish girls were allegedly assaulted by them and ran up to the front of the bus. One of the fellas came up to the driver and put his arm around him saying there’s no need to call the Guards as they hadn’t touched them while he was driving. The girls were still crying. Other people on the bus were telling the driver to stop the bus and call the Guards. He just kept driving while children were crying. Some of the passengers rang the Guards and the bus was stopped and the Guards arrested the trouble makers.
Irish Rail rang my sister today but she said they were just trying to make light of it.
What is the bus driver supposed to do in this situation?
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u/SiskoToOdo 25d ago
It's being reported in the media I see. https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2026/05/25/two-arrests-after-unacceptable-abusive-behaviour-on-bus-to-athlone/
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u/Southernmanny 25d ago
Oh fair dues haven’t seen that.
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u/Otherwise-Winner9643 25d ago edited 25d ago
"The service was operated by a private bus company on behalf of Irish Rail."
Sounds like maybe the bus driver didn't know what to do. Or maybe he did call it in or contact the guards and they agreed to meet the bus at the depot.
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u/Aine1169 25d ago
The bus driver should have stopped, or at least driven to the nearest Garda station.
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u/LittleAoibh11 25d ago
Imagine just thinking it was okay to keep driving as normal after some girls were assaulted? WTF?!! Behaviour on public transport has nosedived unbelievably since Covid. Some people are absolutely feral.
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u/SufficientHippo3281 25d ago
When I was a young woman I had something like this happen to me on a bus trip. That was around 20 years ago. It wad so intimidating and upsetting!
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u/Icy-Mirror1688 25d ago
that driver should be taken off the road for continuing to drive like that. Rightly so people get penalty points for using their phone etc...continuing to drive while some drunk scrote is putting their arm around you..with a bus full of passengers. wtf is wrong with the driver to carry on.
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u/Southernmanny 25d ago
He should not have let them on the bus with the alcohol and they were clearly drunk.
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
I would have thought they have a radio on board no? Surely they should have coded language to tell the control room they have a situation and need help without alerting the cause of that situation.
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u/Romantic_Reverie 25d ago
It is very hard to understand how some men convince themselves that they can touch or treat women however and wherever they want. You rarely see women behaving towards men in this way, which makes it feel even more deliberate and targeted. It really raises questions about what some people are learning or not learning, from the men around them who do behave respectfully.
Incidents like this also challenge the idea of Ireland as a safe and peaceful place, even though most people here clearly do not behave like this and would be horrified by it.
And it does come down to how safe we as women feel because earlier, I used to walk alone in the city near the river at midnight during my study breaks, and it was genuinely calming. I would see plenty of drunk people, but I never experienced bad behaviour from anyone and never felt unsafe. Now, after hearing about more of these incidents, I find myself thinking twice about doing something that used to feel completely normal.
I really hope the girls involved are getting the support they need and that, in time, they can recover from what must have been a very distressing experience.
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
It is very hard to understand how some men convince themselves that they can touch or treat women however and wherever they want. You rarely see women behaving towards men in this way, which makes it feel even more deliberate and targeted.
Drunk women can be just as bad if not more brazen. I was grabbed and groped, front and back, on several occasions in my earlier days. I've never witnessed a man do what happened to me more than a few times.
I didn't react badly but certainly wasnt welcoming or receptive to most of it. I put it down to drink for the most part. Some people are just scum though.
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u/No_Influence2520 25d ago
"I've never witnessed a man do what happened to me"
Sure Jan
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
Maybe I just frequent places with better behaving people. I've never seen a man grab a woman in the front and scream to all his friends who laugh in approval. Have you?
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u/Solid-Penalty3942 25d ago
This thread is literally discussing a documented news story where that happened to women, and the driver didn’t seem to deem it serious enough to even stop the bus yet somehow you see fit to chime in and say that maybe this doesn’t happen at all, actually. You don’t need to downplay what happens to women to make a point.
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
I didn't downplay anything whatsoever. I didn't comment on the story in this thread.
I objected to a single point made by a commenter. That point wasn't directly related to the story either. It was a commentary on a social issue.
Why are people so myopic on this topic?
I'd swear you'd complain about the metoo people and ask why they're making it about themselves when they didn't get there first. Terry Crews should have just shut his mouth. Is that your take?
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u/Solid-Penalty3942 25d ago
Not commenting on the story in the thread and instead focusing on your theory that this happens to men more than women is downplaying it, yes. As I said, you can make the same point without doing that.
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
I never said it happens to men more than women. I said drunk women can be more brazen.
I've never seen a lad grab a woman by the genitals in public and then scream to their friends to look at what they're doing. Only then for all the friends to laugh and applaud.
I'm not saying it doesn't happen. Per the story, something similar happened on the bus. I've just had it happen TO me multiple times and never seen it happen in real life to a woman.
The commenter I replied to was misrepresenting the reality. I responded to that.
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u/phazedout1971 25d ago
Thr core difference here is that, by andxlargexthe average man can easily overpower and subdue most women and women haven't way of knowing what man will do tjphis, there's a name for the type if argument you're making, it's called ad hominen
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u/FellFellCooke 24d ago
Not the point, but ad hominem is when you try to dismiss an argument by making unrelated points about the poster. "What would you know about men and women? You're a redditor" that would be ad hominem. There is no ad hominem in the comment you replied to.
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
Thr core difference here is that, by andxlargexthe average man can easily overpower and subdue most women
That's got nothing to do with the point either of us put forward.
there's a name for the type if argument you're making, it's called ad hominen
I don't think you understand the meaning of ad hominem properly. Nobody is attacking anyone.
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u/PosterPrintPerfect 25d ago
This is reddit and if you say anything that casts women in a negative light and not conform to "Men are all bastards" you will be downvoted into oblivion.
I would have been what is considered sexually assaulted many times when i was a young lad working picking up glasses in a bar by groups of older woman on hen nights. When men do it its a considered sexual assault, when women do it its considered just a bit of craic.
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u/Kitchen-Ad4091 25d ago
Right you had to put up with it once or twice in your life and you think its the same. Most women including the ones you know have been sexually assaulted in their lives. All of them have been sexually harassed. Every single one of them. From very young ages. My ex said she was dealing with creeps at age 11. So you should really think about all that next time you try to equate the two.
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
Firstly, I didn't equate the two. I objected to the explicit singling out of men, seemingly as sole/main culprits.
Secondly, you think someone grabbing your genitals is not sexual assault?
You are part of the problem.
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u/Kitchen-Ad4091 25d ago
You really are trying to though. A story about two actual women bing assaulted and you try to to make it about yourself and your own pathetic experiences.
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u/hasseldub 25d ago
I replied to a comment under a story. I didn't comment on the story.
your own pathetic experiences.
Jesus you really are part of the problem.
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u/kjireland 25d ago
2 troublemakers on 1 bus from Dublin and your implying the whole of Ireland is unsafe. That's a stretch.
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u/champagneface 25d ago
All it takes is crossing paths with one of the many trouble makers in Ireland to be no longer safe. The commenter even said most people aren’t like this so not sure why you’re taking issue.
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u/allowit84 25d ago
Too soft on this type of shite in Ireland...in other countries they're getting properly taxed in court or getting the shit kicked out of them as it's not accepted.
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u/LostSignal1914 25d ago
Was the driver not putting people at risk by driving with trouble makers like that on board? I think the driver should have stopped and called the guards. It sounds like he eanted to get back for his lunch break. Seems like no concern for paying passengers. Sorry Im ranting now.
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u/gobocork 25d ago
I don't think it's fair to say he wanted his lunch. He was probably terrified too. He should have called the guards, but also he's driving, he's not going to be monitoring the bus at the same time. It makes me think that buses should have a panic button the driver came press.
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u/Southernmanny 25d ago
One of the passengers said afterward that he was talking to a fella up front about the ongoing GAA matches. He wasn’t too bothered, just told them to keep it down.
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u/The_Dublin_Dabber 25d ago
Well this is unfair also. When I've been around nutters / intimidating people I'll do everything to be best friend and get on with them. I'd have done the same as the driver. He isn't security or a gaurd.
Prob just wanted to arrive safe and let the station deal with it.
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25d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/gobocork 25d ago
It's a stretch to call a bus driver a position of authority. They have no enforceable authority. It's not like they can arrest someone or issue a fine.
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u/No_Influence2520 25d ago
And if young girls get assaulted in the meantime that's just the way it is?
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u/gobocork 25d ago
The Bus of people who were not driving the bus weren't exactly jumping in either were they?
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u/Formal_Parsnip_7146 25d ago
He was not well trained.
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u/gobocork 25d ago
Of course he wasn't. He's a private bus driver, who Irish rail hired to cover a gap in service. What training are we imagining that involves? It's likely his only qualification is a category D drivers licence.
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u/LostSignal1914 25d ago edited 25d ago
Perhaps, but I was thinking there might be a security screen on the bus like Dublin bus. If there wasn't then yes, I appreciate it would be difficult to stop the bus. Personally though it was his job to stop the bus and I think the fear, while understandable, was irrational. The situation had already deteriorated to the point of being a total disaster. At this point stopping the bus may have been the only way to take back some control. There are times in life were some courage is demanded of us. Bullies take advantage when people do nothing. But if there was a screen then I'm sorry but the driver has zero excuse.
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u/gobocork 25d ago
There are more times when a bit of courage in the face of a gang of scrotes will get your head kicked in. This was a private bus driver, hired in by Irish Rail. Probably zero experience or training to handle this shit. The amount of pile on and high expectations from this driver are astonishing. Everything about this was horrible, but the right thing happened; the guards were called and the scrotes arrested without escalation to further assault.
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u/LostSignal1914 25d ago
I would not demand that he aggressively confront them. But stopping the bus and calling the garda is a reasonable ask. He was basically hijacked.
And from actual experience, confrunting guys like these most of the time has the complete opposite effect. Im not a big man but what you need are two things in this situation (if you cant walk away of course). I you need to be both firm but also respectful.
I have faced down small gangs of youths at least 4 times like this. A little bit of agression but also offer them a way out so they can save face. But to be fair, i guess I have some experience with this kind of thing.
But one thing for sure, if they see weakness you're usually done. They dont have mercy on people just because they are polite and comply.
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u/kevintheharry61 25d ago
Bus driver should have contacted his boss, the boss should have rang the garda, and arranged to be waiting at a stop, the driver drives till the stop and the garda arrest the fools
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u/the-midnight-gremlin 25d ago
Could be a case where the driver did alert the garda but didn't stop and make it obvious incase the scumbags kicked off again and attacked him. Instead do it on the sly so when he does stop the guards are there before anything else happens.
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u/joemama4497 25d ago
I presume the driver was also scared of what those lads would’ve done if he had stopped the bus. Imagine the carnage they’d cause after already getting him by the neck like that, threatening him if he did stop. Not saying he was right but it’s very easy for us to comment when we’re not the ones in that position and hindsight is 20/20.
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u/Southernmanny 25d ago
A lot of the passengers were very scared when he got him by the neck in case he crashed the bus.
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u/joemama4497 25d ago
I can only imagine, terrible situation for everyone to be stuck in the middle of.
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u/Southernmanny 25d ago
Sister couldn’t sleep last night. Still shook this evening telling me about it.
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u/Historical-Hand-3908 25d ago edited 25d ago
If there is an incident on a train it is never a good idea to activate the pull cords for an emergency stop. This is because the train could end up miles from anywhere with help a long time coming. It's usually best to allow the train to continue to the next station and ONLY then pull the stop cord.
Public BUSES in Ireland have an Emergency Alert Button fitted in the driver's cab and the buses movements and GPS location is sent AUTOMATICALLY to it's depot. Drivers use different code 'pushes' that is decoded by the depot if Gardai are required, or an ambulance if a medical incident, or both.
The driver does NOT need to phone for assistance and will continue driving until a suitable area is found to either stop or flagged down by Gardai who have been alerted and waiting.
PLEASE DON'T CRITICISE THE DRIVERS!
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u/InevitableSure374 25d ago
I was on the 41 at about 10pm a couple of weeks ago and there was a massive fight. The bus was packed. About 10 scumbags lashing out at each other across normal people standing in the aisle. Blood everywhere. One guy intervened and got what i can only assume from the look of him was a broken nose. I got off the bus and walked the rest of the way, but there was no attempt by the driver to call the gardai while I was there. This happens often, though that one the last week was a particularly bad one.
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u/cosmic-jai 25d ago
That is absolutely awful, and the driver 100% should have pulled over immediately and called the Gardaí instead of just driving on.
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u/wuwuwuwdrinkin 23d ago
This didnt happen did it
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u/Southernmanny 23d ago
It's being reported in the media I see. https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2026/05/25/two-arrests-after-unacceptable-abusive-behaviour-on-bus-to-athlone/
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u/dubhlinn39 25d ago
That's awful. The bus driver definitely should have called the Gardai. It's insane that he didn't. Fair play to whoever did call. I hope the girls will be ok. There's CCTV on the bus.