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Sammy Akorede said that dealing with racism is a daily occurrence on Dublin's Luas network. Sean Murray/TheJournal.ie

'People throw bananas at you or tell you to go back to your country just for asking to see a ticket'

At the launch of a new anti-racism campaign on the transport network, we caught up with workers who described the abuse they’ve received.

SAMMY AKOREDE IS a revenue protection officer with Transdev, the operator of the Luas. This means part of his role requires checking tickets on trams to make sure people have a valid ticket to travel.

He’s lived in Ireland for 17 years, and worked with the Luas for 12. He has been promoted to a manager in his work but still inspects tickets on trams from time to time.

On Dublin’s Dame Street yesterday, at the launch of a new anti-racism campaign on public transport, Akorede told TheJournal.ie that racism is a problem that he and colleagues still face regularly.

“It affects my colleagues and I greatly to be honest,” he said. “Over the last few years, since the inception of Luas, we’ve encountered racial abuse the likes of which shouldn’t even be mentioned on tv.

It’s as bad as it could be… we believe that there is still much to be done to counteract racism in Ireland.

We asked Akorede how often he would have to deal with racist abuse.

“To be honest,” he said, “every day”.

“We operate an open system, which means the tram gets from one point to another. The driver just opens the door. So if someone has abused you, when you reach the next stop they just walk away.

[They go] without any consequences. They will definitely be back again and do it.

He explained how internal procedures are set in place to record incidences of abuse, including racial abuse, on trams.

Sammy said that, in most cases, the gardaí are not called as the abusers are often gone within minutes of an incident occurring.

“Cases like abuse, racial abuse – people just walk away,” he said. “They always come back and do it again, which is a problem. We need to have consequences for actions like that.

There’s no way to rationalise how you get over it. You just do. It’s an emotional thing. You’re there at work… and you get serious abuse. People throwing bananas at you, telling you to go back to your country just for asking to see a ticket.

He said that he has mainly experienced racism in his workplace since he came to Ireland from Nigeria.

He did say that experiences of racist behaviour have certainly decreased in recent years, but added that “there’s still a lot of work to be done”.

“I was spat at”

Sydney Mthi is a driver for Dublin Bus. He’s been with the company for the past 12 years.

mhti Sydney Mthi said that he often encounters verbal abuse on his bus routes. Leah Farrell / Rollingnews.ie Leah Farrell / Rollingnews.ie / Rollingnews.ie

He said that racism is not something that he would experience on a regular basis, “but it does happen, it exists”.

“Maybe once in a month you would have an incident,” Mthi said.

He said that most of the abuse he receives is verbal.

“If you approach someone about not paying a fare, then it can quickly turn into something racial,” he said. “You do get annoyed about it but at the same time there’s not much you can do.

You just have to let it go.

Mthi said that it’s something that can be reported, but the abuse he gets is mostly from young people and teenagers.

He agreed with Akorede that incidents of racial abuse have gotten less frequent over the years but said that there are still problems, and that he doesn’t encounter racist abuse that often outside of work.

Having said that, about two or three months ago, somebody spat at me on D’Olier Street. That was horrible. It stays with you a long time. I’m living in Ireland 17 years and that’s the worst thing that has happened.

Mthi added that often regulars on his bus route would speak up to defend him if another passenger has been abusive on the bus.

“We’re all made of the same stuff”

As part of the new anti-racism initiative on our transport network, a huge poster bearing the message “we’re all made of the same stuff… say no to racism” has been placed on Dublin’s Dame Street.

The diversity of the transport workforce was also highlighted at the launch of the campaign on the same street in the capital yesterday.

Ethnic minorities make up 17% of Dublin Bus’ workforce, for example. Bus Éireann counts staff from 33 different backgrounds among its workers, and 30 different nationalities make up the 264-strong Transdev (Luas operator) workforce.

In all, a total of 1,065 posters will be displayed on Ireland’s transport system promoting this anti-racism message over the next few weeks.

The campaign is coordinated by the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and is now in its fifth year.

Its CEO, Brian Killoran, told TheJournal.ie that 20% of the racist incidents that are reported to the Immigrant Council stem from public transport.

6307 transport anti-racism_90520513 Immigrant Council of Ireland CEO Brian Killoran Leah Farrell / Rollingnews.ie Leah Farrell / Rollingnews.ie / Rollingnews.ie

“The staff at the companies are much more diverse now than they were 15 years ago,” he said. “Sometimes they are targeted by members of the public, or sometimes it is members of the public on each other.

The nature of it varies from verbal things right up the way to assaults. The impact of it is always serious. If somebody is getting racially abused on a weekly basis in various settings, that has a massive impact on someone’s consciousness or just their ability to feel at home.

Killoran said that many instances of racial abuse do not get reported but that, through campaigns such as this one, there are often spikes in the number of cases brought to the attention of the Immigrant Council.

“People would say frequently to us ‘there’s no racism in Ireland’. We’d say it’s not to the same extent you’d see in other countries,” he said.

We don’t have organised racist parties, we don’t have an organised far-right and we don’t have anything like what’s going on internationally at the moment. But that doesn’t mean [racism] is not there.

Killoran said integration has happened naturally over the last few decades in many Irish communities, but that “we’re behind the curve” in having policies and diversity strategies in workplaces in this country.

“As an organisation we’re trying to work with companies to develop diversity strategies,” he said. “It may be seen as lower down the list of priorities, but actually now that staff are so diverse, it’s essential to get in before any tension starts.”

Read: ‘Yes, I’m Irish’: Mixed-race Irish people tell their stories of growing up in Ireland

Read: ‘Up Mayo’: How this documentary about GAA in Ireland’s most diverse town went viral

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146 Comments
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    Mute Andy Dwyer
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:08 AM

    These people will contribute a lot more to Irish society than the scroths who think it’s ok to abuse them.

    1196
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    Mute Emmet Dillane
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:08 AM

    @Andy Dwyer:
    Actually it’s been proven that the middle and upper middle class are the most racist in society. The working class and those in the lower socio economic strata absorb the full impact of immigration. The professional class in Ireland have always adopted a strong protectionist attitude to immunize themselves from the impact of immigration.

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    Mute Daithí Uí Ciarmhaic
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:09 AM

    @Andy Dwyer: I like that this is the most supported comment. It makes a change

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:11 AM

    @Andy Dwyer: because only white guys are allowed to abuse white women. Amirite!! You disgust me. Any man that that abuses women including you are worthless and in the past.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:20 AM

    @Deborah Behan: read his comment again..

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    Mute Andy Dwyer
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:35 AM

    @Deborah Behan: Take it easy on the loud mouth soup. Drunk SJW’s get offended by even the most reasonable of comments!

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:43 AM

    @Emmet Dillane: Like all those foreign-born doctors in the medical profession?

    How was Charlottesville btw?

    62
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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 5:05 AM

    @Andy Dwyer: who are these people that just have bananas after he asks for a ticket ? Im sure he gets comments but saying people throw bananas at him when he asks for a ticket ? They really carry bananas just in case he asks them for a ticket….bunch of lies

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 6:03 AM

    @Andy Dwyer: show me one case of a person bringing bananas onto a bus just in case the driver is black ? You really are stupid

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    Mute Donncha Ó Coileáin
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    Aug 15th 2017, 6:59 AM

    It’s fairly reasonable to think that in 12 years working for the Luas, that someone may (just may) have gotten on the bus with a bag of shopping that happened to have bananas in it. There’s been a lot weirder things on there.

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    Mute prop joe
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:10 AM

    @Diarmuid: where are foreign born solicitors, barristers, teachers. This racism council is only trying to justify it’s exsistance. Integration of fee paying schools not s priority? How about all the new Gael Scoils are they just a nice way of saying we want an all Irish person school.

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    Mute Joseph Bloggs
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:18 AM

    @Emmet Dillane: care to provide facts there Emmet?

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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Aug 15th 2017, 8:29 AM

    @Alt Left: I used to work in neilstown and saw with my own eyes them throwing bananas at black people. And following them round making monkey noises. I said it to one guy. How does he put up with it? English guy educated just said he barely heard it anymore.

    44
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    Mute Ben McArthur
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:33 AM

    @Joseph Bloggs: I see Emmet Dillane is still not providing any evidence for that big claim.

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:47 AM

    @Andy Dwyer: I ask you how is a Dublin bus driver checking tickets ? Did he just stop the bus and go looking for tickets ?

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 11:01 AM

    @Donncha Ó Coileáin: well honestly I have just read the full article and I feel stupid, I didn’t read it before, I just assumed he was a bus driver. Now after I see what his job is,im very very sure that the poor man deals with all that shit.

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 15th 2017, 4:09 PM

    @john Appleseed: hard to believe

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    Mute Noirin Kavanagh
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:52 PM

    @prop joe: i would say the Gaelscoileanna would be for Irish kids and be full of Irish kids, ones with white skin, ones with brown, ones with black and all shades inbetween, children whose parents may have come from anywhere in the world, speaking fluently in at least two languages, English and Irish but maybe others learned at home.. What’s your problem?

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 17th 2017, 11:14 AM

    @john Appleseed: bullshit

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    Mute oliverjumelle
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:26 AM

    racism in Ireland is something I’ve had to deal with too. While 99% of you are cool and lovely people. Back in 2010 I was working in Limerick. We had a bus driver working for the company. Who was classed as a boss so had more power. one day me and a group of lads were playing pool and he used the words cheating Frenchman to me. Referring to the Henry handball saga. This guy was a bully towards me even before then. Every time I made a mistake he would single me out as a loser in front of the whole group. To this day I still feel hurt even thinking about him. I knew I didn’t have a chance by reporting him. as he was related to one of the managers! This is a major problem in Ireland. if a workplace bully is related to anyone in management. Your screwed!

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    Mute Atheos Euripides
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:31 AM

    @oliverjumelle: Racism happens in Ireland unfortunately, that is true, although in France, I think they excelled at it during the 40′s with the Jewish people, and later in the 50′s in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia with the Muslims on a far grander scale. I’m sorry you got called a cheat.

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    Mute Jane
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:40 AM

    @oliverjumelle: Is that racism or more of a thick ignorant bully? I’m not making light of what happened to you. Bullying in the workplace can be devastating.

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    Mute Crawford Thomas Deacon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:44 AM

    @oliverjumelle: sounds more like a jack the lad with little to not brains.

    34
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    Mute oliverjumelle
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:00 AM

    @Jane: both. The fact that he used Frenchman makes it racism.

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    Mute Pablo Rojas Coppari
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:12 AM

    There’s a direct reference to the person’s nationality as an insult so I guess that pretty much constitutes racism. The man might have been a bully, racists often are. What I dont get though is the point on commenting on “the French” being racists in this context. I do hope no one is going to assist a person who is/was a victim of racism by saying “Sorry to hear about what just happened but by the way, in your country it is/was much worse” Not very helpful.

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    Mute oliverjumelle
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:27 AM

    @Crawford Thomas Deacon: it does. But he was in his 60s at the time. When he retired the company sent around a money collection basket for him as a leaving present. I refused to put anything into it. Why would I?

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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:45 AM

    @oliverjumelle: too right. Racist turd hole should have known better.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Aug 15th 2017, 6:51 AM

    @Atheos Euripides:
    What does French history have to do with Oliver being bullied?? Why even bring it up?
    Ironically that makes you akin to the bully. “I’m sorry you were bullied but….”

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    Mute Joseph Bloggs
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:16 AM

    @Atheos Euripides: the ‘your country is more racist than my country ‘ argument is not good tact in this discussion.

    51
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    Mute Andy Bennett
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:27 AM

    @oliverjumelle: if you’re classic calling someone a Frenchman as racism then I can confidently say that most of us are in some way guilty of being racist…

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:10 AM

    @oliverjumelle: I am sorry but what happened to you is not a case of racism, using someones nationality as an insult is not racism.

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    Mute Hatchjaw
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:31 AM

    @oliverjumelle: You don’t have to be a foreigner to be a victim of racial abuse in this country. I’ve had racist abuse hurled at me and on my way home through the city one night by 3 lovely African lads. But apparently I can’t be a victim cause I’m an indigenous white Irish guy.

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    Mute Colman gan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:02 AM

    @oliverjumelle: sorry to hear this ! We’ve all had bosses that are professional -but I for one know how you feel -one boss was an arsehole to all of us workers, he couldn’t keep staff -

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    Mute Nick Drake
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:11 AM

    @oliverjumelle: Hi Oliver, what is a major problem in Ireland’s workplace is the click culture, you’re either in or you’re out, if you’re in, very often no matter how inept you are, you’ll progress, if you’re not in the click no matter what your abilities, you’ll not progress and sometimes can be singled out for bullying and harassment. It sounds like you were being bullied at work over a period of time, I wouldn’t necessarily call it racism but actions of a few cowards who singled you out because of their own complexes. Maybe he saw you as a threat at work?

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    Mute oliverjumelle
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:48 PM

    @Jonny: read up racism on the internet and get back to me!

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    Mute Neville Bartos
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:43 AM

    When I sit next to a female on the train or dart they immediately move their handbag or personal belongings as far away from me as they can…when I’m in bars I often feel like the barman is serving everyone else first but me…many times when I have gone info a convenience store I notice the security guard hovering around the aisles looking at me…. when I have applied jobs most employers never even respond… over the years I have had foul mouthed youths threaten me in public places….I a middle aged white guy

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    Mute Filip
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    Aug 15th 2017, 8:51 AM

    @Nevillie Bartos: haha didn’t expect the end. Good job

    43
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    Mute Ernest Grinkas
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:12 AM

    @Neville Bartos: That can’t be….
    Whites are evil you know, they say that on the internets…

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    Mute Ivan Truckrcar
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:54 AM

    @Neville Bartos: I’d say that your a dodgy looking middle aged white guy.

    9
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    Mute Michael Frost
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:17 AM

    Yawn!! The Journal is really laying it on today. Its endless. Are they being cynical and using it all for clickbait?

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    Mute Jo Murphy
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    Aug 15th 2017, 2:28 AM

    @Michael Frost: Aren’tcha lucky it’s just something yawnsome for you, and not your every day reality?

    Or were you just hoping for something juicier when you clicked on the clickbaity title?

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    Mute Michael Frost
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:41 AM

    @Jo Murphy: Can you not see it just a quango justifying it’s continued existance (and big saleries) by portraying a subjective and selective number of allegations. Whether they are true or not doesn’t really matter as it is about the above. The Journal also love these type of press releases as they get a lot of comments.

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    Mute Tony Daly
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:11 AM

    Sadly, we have racists in Ireland but I like to think that the racists are a minority. Of course, one would have to be of a different race to know the reality in everyday life. The actual lived experience is the most revealing.

    122
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    Mute John B
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:16 AM

    @Tony Daly: so true: genetic analysis conclusively proves we all come from the same apes, we are all one race. Traits such as skin colour are merely that, skin deep.

    101
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    Mute Tony Daly
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:24 AM

    @John B: well put.

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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:50 AM

    @Crawford Thomas Deacon: been reading “the bell curve” I take it? Whites and blacks? are we going to be racist to the yellows and mochas now too? Wow you won’t even acknowledge the poor souls :(

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    Mute Atheos Euripides
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:08 AM

    @Crawford Thomas Deacon: You should crawl back into a cave and throw rocks at passing trains. Humans have always moved between continents, for tens of thousands of years, and they always will. You need to take your fragile beenie off and get into the real world.

    48
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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:13 AM

    @Crawford Thomas Deacon: you think? so who went into whose backyard again?

    18
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    Mute DaisyChainsaw
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:13 AM

    @Atheos Euripides: The further north our African forbears travelled, the less pigment their skin needed, so over time dark African skin mutated. Deep down we’re all descended from Africa.

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    Mute Atheos Euripides
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:17 AM

    @DaisyChainsaw: Who doesn’t know this? Racists it seems!

    23
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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:36 AM

    @Nyantoon Chol: whom* f ing grammar extremists :( no one is safe.

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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:42 AM

    @DaisyChainsaw: amen

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    Mute Tordelback
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:15 AM

    @Crawford Thomas Deacon: I cannot believe that The Journal is allowing your vile comments to remain up on their site. Enabling racism in its most pernicious pesudo-scientific form. You’re a disgrace to whatever race or nation you claim to belong, and The Journal isn’t far behind for tolerating your presence.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:45 PM

    @DaisyChainsaw: Actually that theory has recently been called into question with findings in Europe. It’s only been in the last few months that the findings were made and it was widely publicised. So it’s not likely we all descended from Africans after all.

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:31 PM

    @Tony Daly: and we are all part of the Human Race. Being from a different country does not automatically. qualify as being from a different race.

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    Mute Noirin Kavanagh
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:58 PM

    @Tony Daly: only one race, the human race. Only differences are skin deep

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    Mute Roger Clarke
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    Aug 15th 2017, 6:38 AM

    Body cameras followed by prosecutions and public naming and shaming.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Aug 15th 2017, 6:57 AM

    @Roger Clarke:
    Beat me to it. The public shaming on social media may be far more effective that a prosecution and paltry fine.

    On another note, you’ve gotta love the fancy new job title “revenue protection officer” instead of the good old-fashioned “ticket inspector”. Who gets paid to dream this stuff up?

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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cléirigh
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    Aug 15th 2017, 11:27 AM

    @Avina Laaf: and maybe I might apply for a job on the luas I used to be an ejection technician on a few club doors in town

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    Mute Alan Foley
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:57 AM

    The poor foreign taxi men will be on next telling us all how hard their life is and what a bunch of racists us Irish are… Give me strength… If your gonna work dealing with the public especially on crammed public transport your gonna have to listen to a bit of crap every now and again whether your black, white, orange, Irish, Polish, Russian or whatever.. That’s the nature of human interaction, mostly good but sometimes bad, that’s never gonna change no matter how many posters you put up so either accept that your in a foreign land and a minority of people aren’t going to like you, either get used to that fact or get a job in an office…

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 15th 2017, 4:18 AM

    @Alan Foley: so your comment boils down to “racism, get over it or fu(k off somewhere else” was that you intention or did you lose the run of it?

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    Mute Rehabmeerkat
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    Aug 15th 2017, 6:40 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe: harsh, think he’s pointing out that there will always be idiots. When u are in a public role, people will lash out and use language as a weapon to hurt & demean….. you don’t have to be a racist to use racist language

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    Mute Tordelback
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:22 AM

    @Rehabmeerkat: I doubt becoming a racist is much of a deeply-considered position: abusing people with racist language is one of the main entry criteria, I would have thought.

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    Mute Joseph Bloggs
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:22 AM

    @Rehabmeerkat: yes but if they are racist idiots it’s a different story.

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 15th 2017, 4:10 PM

    @Alan Foley: sensible words

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    Mute Dean Burroughs
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:11 AM

    You’re lucky it’s bananas try getting a potato thrown at your head while on holidays… The man has never had a banana thrown at him in his life,

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    Mute Christine Paulette Roche
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:13 PM

    @Dean Burroughs: you having a laugh mate,it’d been long ago,don’t be silly now lmao.

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    Mute Christine Paulette Roche
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:17 PM

    @Dean Burroughs: you having a laugh mate,it’d been long
    ate long time ago,don’t be silly now lmao.

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    Mute Filip
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    Aug 15th 2017, 8:46 AM

    What did you expect, would I expect that if I go to Africa that people treat me like I’m black?
    And yeah local people will feel more agrivated if a foreigner writes them a penalty in their own country.

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    Mute p kilgannon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:23 AM

    @Filip: You prob wouldn’t like it though if they threw potatoes at you though.

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 11:07 AM

    @p kilgannon: why not ? Free dinner ? And Africans wont be throwing spuds at anyone,they would eat the skin of a raw spud

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    Mute Time to Wake Up
    Favourite Time to Wake Up
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:37 AM

    Ireland is one of the most racist countries on the European continent as evidenced by numerous published articles re same. And there is nothing we can do about it bacause Racism and discrimination is in irish blood. :(

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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:03 AM

    @Time to Wake Up: nah, I disagree, we have laws prohibiting stupid crap, doesn’t mean they (the stupid crap) are innate. And thankfully can be discouraged, if not erased.

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    Mute James Keogh
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    Aug 15th 2017, 2:26 AM

    @Time to Wake Up: Why don’t you get off the Stage, you are stuck into every subject and add Nothing.
    Too many Clowns in the Arena the Circus can’t afford you all.

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    Mute Metempsychosis
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    Aug 15th 2017, 5:23 AM

    @Time to Wake Up: Your own comment is a clear example of racism. (i.e. It’s in our blood). That’s ridiculous.

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:39 AM

    @Time to Wake Up: I have a bag of bananas here, do you want a banana ? Apparently Irish people are going around with bananas in their pockets throwing them at black bus drivers. But only when the driver asks for a ticket…iv never seen a bus driver get out of their and they have protective glass,so how did people pull bananas out and throw them at him after he asked for a ticket ?on Dublin bus you pay at the door,there is no ticket check….the black man is a fraud

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    Mute The Bloody Nine
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:52 AM

    @Alt Left: he works on the Luas, he doesn’t drive a bus. Did you even bother to read the article or were you in too much of a hurry to spew scutter all over your keyboard?

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 11:04 AM

    @The Bloody Nine: I know that now,I was ignorant and just read the headline and assumed he was a bus driver

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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cléirigh
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    Aug 15th 2017, 11:32 AM

    @Alt Left: muppet

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    Mute AR Devine
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:40 AM

    Yes Ive seen & heard low lifes racially abusing ethnic minority workers on public transport.

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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:54 AM

    @AR Devine: its damn right stupid, one arrives, day one, with zero say over their bodily functions let alone the world but somehow our presence is offending to racist fu*ks.

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    Mute Coner Willis
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    Aug 15th 2017, 8:08 AM

    @the journal: Please stop deleting comments!!

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    Mute johnp
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:43 AM

    Unfortunately racism happens all over the world in every country I doubt Irish people are any more racist than any other country. Hopefully it will stop someday but I doubt it

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    Mute Tomasz Kuchnik
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:10 AM

    How do these Luas controllers even dare asking Anto and Tomo for a ticket? So so rude even approaching those pillars of society, Anto is right… foooooookin foooooooreigners

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    Mute Tom Tom
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    Aug 15th 2017, 6:53 AM

    Body cams and YouTube would be a good way to sort it.

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    Mute Dermot Keogh
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    Aug 15th 2017, 4:17 PM

    I’m sure they all have stories to tell but the race card is only used on one side,multi culture society never ever worked and I can never ever see it working human nature.

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    Mute gerry fallon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:08 AM

    The lowest of the low to spit at someone.
    And the man only doing his job.
    If someone spat at me I’d find it extremely hard not to punch the head off them.I don’t condone violence in any way but in that instance I would make an exception. Racism has no place in this country.

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    Mute Colman gan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 8:47 AM

    I would imagine that all these incidents are reported to Gardai

    Is there not functioning CCTV on Luas?

    I know CCTV records images only , but it only takes a qualified lip reader to “hear” what was said?

    What about Luas/Dublin bus training all staff in the use of citizens arrest?

    What about all Luas staff wearing body cams to help in prosecution of these people ?

    Seems to me that nothing has changed since the NTA last ran this advertisement a few years back !

    They probably only ran the advertisement to cover there arses in case of future litigation by racially abused staff.

    I honestly can’t see how people aren’t being prosecuted on a regular basis -Is it really as widespread as the NTA is making out????

    I want official prosecution figures from NTA/Transdev/Dublin Bus etc

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    Mute Colman gan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 8:58 AM

    I’d like to know how many prosecutions for racism has sammy akorede/Transdev/NTA been involved in ?

    If he’s being racially abused everyday there should be plenty of evidence documenting all prosecutions involving him/his employer?

    So once again NTA/Transdev/Dublin Bus prosecution figures please

    Then I’ll believe your Dame Street propaganda stunt

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 5:02 AM

    Bollocks. What do people just carry around bananas waiting to see a black person ? Seriously the biggest lie iv ever heard

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:33 AM

    @George Harvey: my reply to you my good sir is you need serious mental help

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    Mute Just2Comment
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:42 AM

    @Alt Left: or…or….or maybe they were shopping in town, bought some groceries (including bananas), got on the Luas, got asked for a ticket and pulled out a banana and threw it at him because they thought they were being super-duper funny but in actual fact they were being racist idiots.
    I don’t know really, it’s hard to think of a legitimate reason why anyone could possibly be carrying a banana in public… Leave it with me, I’ll try and find other reasons online why people carry bananas in public.

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    Mute Pat Troy
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:20 PM

    We Irish are the most two faced people ,after reading these comments.

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    Mute paul kelly
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:48 AM

    I don’t have time for the whole racism thing father.

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    Mute billy Dorney
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    Aug 15th 2017, 4:14 PM

    Amazing it’s always black people complaining,they are just as bad,seriously someone threw bananas in public,no CCTV to prove it,cany accept it sorry,comprnsate him quickly

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    Mute Paul
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:57 AM

    Sick of this rubbish journal but I will say those Luas lads can get a hard time.

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    Mute Christine Paulette Roche
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:02 PM

    At least he is getting one of his five a day,they don’t grow on trees ,they cost money ,if I was him I’d collect them all up.

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    Mute Colman gan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 11:33 AM

    So -People that have unfortunately been racially abused , report it to the immigrant council of Ireland and their employers .

    I hope these people are also reporting these incidents to Gardai-that can investigate these incidents and prosecute those involved.

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:57 AM

    Ok I have to apologize for saying that the man is a liar.I just seen public transport and assumed he was a bus driver. I didn’t read about the man and now I do believe he was abused like he said… im sorry for jumping to conclusions

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:57 PM

    @Alt Left: Well he hasn’t any reason to lie has he ? He just wants to get on with his job in peace. That’s not too much to ask now is it ?

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    Mute Colman gan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:10 AM

    Well said

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    Mute Stonerpug
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:09 AM

    So I hear you’re a racist now father..

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    Mute Coner Willis
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:13 AM

    @Stonerpug: The greeks invented gayness!

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    Mute Nyantoon Chol
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:19 AM

    @Stonerpug: never gets old :)

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    Mute Michael Frost
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:22 AM

    @Coner Willis: According to Basil Fawlty anyway.

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    Mute Alt Left
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    Aug 15th 2017, 5:10 AM

    Seriously who is stupid enough to believe that there is people getting onto buses with bananas and if the driver asked for a ticket they throw them at him ? He is a lier. Like what ? Leftist Ireland is dumb enough to believe that tho so go out and stop the sale of bananas because it might offended black people

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    Mute Francis Mc Carthy
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:09 AM

    @Alt Left: You seem to have got all triggered.Have a banana ice cream to cool yourself down.By the way,are you not allowed to bring ones shopping on buses in Dublin,anymore ? Genuine question.

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 7:47 AM

    He claims that he is racially abused on a daily basis, while the other says that he experiences racial abuse maybe once a month. I don’t believe that this man has had bananas thrown at him, in this day & age someone would have witnessed something like this & it would have been reported. While racial abuse does occur & should be dealt with accordingly, I believe that some of these claims can be made up & exaggerated.

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    Mute p kilgannon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:20 AM

    @Jonny: Ya you imagine and you believe but this man has lived through it. Disgusting.

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    Mute Gagsy 99
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:21 AM

    @Alt Left:
    Without knowing the man or understanding what he goes through, but because you think its improbable you’re calling him an out and out liar?
    Skepticism is fine but that you immediately and definitively dismiss what he says as lies perhaps reveals something about you.

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:30 AM

    @p kilgannon: I don’t believe him because something so horrible as having bananas thrown at him, in broad daylight, on a busy street, would be documented, it would not go unnoticed.

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    Mute p kilgannon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:36 AM

    @Jonny: Iv seen far worse and seen people ignore it. Its easy for people to do nothing. Would you help the man or would you do nothing.? Your lack of empathy upsets me to be honest

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:42 AM

    @p kilgannon: I have never found myself in that situation. You seem to be a big man of experience, so you tell us all what you have witnessed that can be considered far worse & what you did. I presume you donned your super hero racist combating cape & gave the bad racists a good talking to?

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    Mute p kilgannon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 9:47 AM

    @Jonny: I have experienced first hand the great lengths that bullies go to to make my life a misery. Some of the things that were done to me took a lot more effort than buying a banana with the intention of throwing it at a bus inspector. You have never been in that situation but if you were Il tell you what you would do. Nothing. Then you would have a laugh about it with your pals. Disgusting attitude, disgusting.

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:13 AM

    @p kilgannon: Stop trying to distort things, you said that you have seen far worse & seen people ignoring it, then when I ask for further details on what you have seen, you reply about your own personal experiences relating to bullying. How does that equate to racist abuse & the man’s banana incident?
    Also, don’t make presumptions about me, you know nothing about me or my experiences, I certainly would not be laughing about other peoples misfortunes.

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    Mute p kilgannon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:21 AM

    @Jonny: Fact is, you don’t believe this mans story. You assume him to be a liar based on nothing. Says enough about you to assume the type of person you are. I hope you are a nicer person in real life than you are here under an anonymous name. No need to continue this argument unless you can provide proof that he is lieing which you cant.

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:38 AM

    @p kilgannon: You said that you have seen far worse & people ignore it – I asked you to elaborate on this & it seems that you are unable to do so. Therefore I believe that you are not being truthful, much like this man & his banana. In saying that, I believe that the man has experienced some form of racial abuse, however I do not believe the banana incident, because such an incident would not go unnoticed. It’s worth mentioning, since you brought it up, the burden of proof does not lie on my shoulders, this man has stated that bananas were thrown at him, he is the one who needs to back his statement up with proof, did any anyone witness this event? It happened in broad daylight, on a busy street, therefore someone must have witnessed the event? Was this hate crime reported to the police & if so are the police investigating this horrible crime.

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    Mute p kilgannon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:50 AM

    @Jonny:
    https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0809/807965-racism-ireland/

    All liars I suppose? My god but you are naive.

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:19 PM

    @p kilgannon: There you go distorting again, I never said that racism does not occur, you need to try harder than that you fool. I am still waiting on you to reply re your experience & what you have done by way of intervention.

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    Mute p kilgannon
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:45 PM

    @Jonny: So you admit that racism is very likely to occur to public transport workers and yet you don’t believe this man. People get beaten up, get stabbed and yet you believe that throwing a banana is beyond the good people of Ireland. Your arguing a lost cause. Grow up. Disgusting attitude.

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    Mute Jonny
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:12 PM

    @p kilgannon: I have already outlined the reasons why I do not believe him, but here it is again, he is exaggerating, he claims that he is racially abused every day, while the other man says that his experiences are more like once a month. I find the other gentleman to be more credible. That’s it, I don’t really care about what you think on the matter, it does not bother me in the slightest, you are not willing or able to answer my question. I’m done, have a good day!

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    Mute Shelley Keary
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    Aug 15th 2017, 2:51 PM

    Please accept my apologies. I am horrified by the nasty, ignorant comments of some Irish people.

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    Mute Colman gan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 4:48 PM

    @Shelley Keary: Comments here I do not agree with in the slightest , a lot of them I detest .

    How dare you make an apology for anybody except yourself .

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Aug 15th 2017, 12:55 PM

    Abuse of any kind whilst trying to do your job is unacceptable but actually we seem to tolerate it far too much in this country. Ask any fireman paramedic or call centre worker. People will often go for any obvious trait to use as an insult …fat bald race religion accent you name it. It’s more a culture of accepting this behaviour that’s the problem here. Many of my Polish friends had the same issue when they came here first too.
    No one should be subject to physical or verbal abuse whilst trying to do their work. There should be better laws protecting workers not just anti racism campaigns because this isn’t just about race sadly.

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    Mute Dan Murphy
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    Aug 15th 2017, 10:59 AM

    I get called Gringo everyday here in Brazil and they call my son Gringinho (little gringo)! Find it hilarious,nothing like having a banana thrown at you.Thats nasty and disgusting.

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    Mute James Grant
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    Aug 16th 2017, 8:57 AM

    This is appalling. I give up. My heart is broken. I just hurt deep in my soul for these fellow humans. I think the best thing we can do at this point is to turn away any and all migrants trying to resettle in this backwards country because Ireland is just too hostile and racist to appreciate and love them. Let us rot here in this putrid little racist hell-hole of an island ALL ALONE! WE DO NOT DESERVE THESE PEOPLE!!! The only way to save them from US is for them to not be here at all. Take a stand against Irish white supremacy and stop all migration. Public transport will grind to a halt and pasty white men will have to go back to their donkey carts. We should also ban bananas.

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    Mute Colman gan
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    Aug 15th 2017, 11:37 AM

    So a

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    Mute Alan Keyes
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    Aug 15th 2017, 1:07 AM

    Sadly the Luas runs through the most knacker ridden parts of the country.

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