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AIBU?

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to think chavy, tacky hen parties should SOD off [Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

718 replies

CannoninD · 28/05/2019 23:11

I’m fed up.
I’ve lived in my beautiful, respectful and historic city my entire life .... but over the last year it’s been invaded by GOD AWFUL hen parties!

20+ strong groups of horrifically common (referring to behaviour not social class) women who inflict their horrific behaviour on everybody within reach.

They’re EVERYWHERE and I know it’s not just me as there are sunbstantial concerns being raised by residents all over the city.

I counted 23 large groups this weekend (I only walked into the (small ish) city centre on Saturday morning and witnessed the following behaviour-

  • Loud swearing (F and C word) right in front of/across young families and children just trying to enjoy a day out.
  • Shop doors slammed in elderly shoppers faces (too busy pratting around to pay any attention).
  • Stock being damaged by pratting about (and then hidden) to avoid paying.
  • Horrifically vulgar and inappropriate content being loudly discussed in family areas (a garden/park area) to the point that families got up and left.
  • Completely inappropriate Lingerie being worn in the street (before 2pm).
  • Vomiting in the street! Whilst being jeered by the rest of the group.

Personally I would rather bleach out my own eyes than go on a hen do like this- but honestly at what point do we just call the police on these ridiculous idiots inflicting such unreasonable behaviour on families and regular people? What’s worse is, I bet back home they’re perfectly normal women. They just all get together and come away from home and behave like total arseholes!

Being in a large group and celebrating an event- does not give you a hall pass to behave like scum. 😡

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 29/05/2019 21:47

Thesmallestpotato
There was a good deal of anger in Dublin about yobbish behaviour (and it must have been egregious considering that Dublin has its own home grown yobs) plus worry that other tourism was being affected. In particular, older tourists from the US and from the far east were completely unused to the sort of spectacle that greeted them on weekends in Dublin.

www.independent.ie/irish-news/last-orders-called-on-stag-and-hen-parties-26168209.html
Article from 1998.

...Dublin Tourism pointed out that stag/hen parties made up only 1pc of total overseas visitors. ``We understand Temple Bar Properties' concerns and we recognise the rights of hoteliers and publicans to refuse this business.''

The dramatic decision to ban the groups 93pc of whom are British came after a study showed that the unruly element is discouraging 13pc of potential tourists, or revenue worth £57m per year.

The study, commissioned by Temple Bar Properties (TBP), also revealed that 60pc of the stag/hen visitors pay less than £50 for their daily room and 31pc of them pay less than £30. The report estimated their total spending per day, including accommodation, is £100.

The report says Bord Failte and other marketing agencies should think again about highlighting Dublin pubs'' and Dublin as a party capital'' in the UK.

Spelling out Temple Bar's rejection of the partying groups sometimes numbering up to 15 at weekends, TBP's managing director Laura Magahy said: ``There is now a ground swell of public opinion against the crude and offensive behaviour often associated with stag/hen parties.''

The company met with every licence holder in Temple Bar over the past two weeks and they all agreed to the action now being taken.

Ms Magahy cited some examples of groups' behaviour; one man parading nude covered only in clingfilm, a man was left handcuffed to a lampost, groups often heard shouting and roaring on their pub crawls, intimidating other visitors.

Last night the Dublin Chamber of Commerce said time'' should be called on stag/hen tourism. This is not the type of business and behaviour Dublin needs,'' said president Jim Ryane.

In a further bid to maintain the area's image, publicans are paying £2,000 each per annum to ensure a morning street-cleaning operation.

Temple Bar was nothing only ten years before this article was written. It was a very neglected little corner of the city with a few pioneering boho type businesses and little restaurants. Once the Celtic Tiger years hit it took off like a rocket, but concern was great that the type of partying represented by stags and hens was going to kill it and cost businesses dearly.

Obviously, UK cities can't speak directly to a single company organising stag and hen dos the way various Irish or other chambers of commerce can. So you are left with city councils who seem spineless and policing that leaves a lot to be desired.

www.dailyedge.ie/irish-rail-ban-alcohol-train-galway-dublin-1336212-Feb2014/
Alcohol banned on certain Irish trains on certain days/times. This was a response not only to home grown drinking but also the stags and hens making their way to their destinations outside of Dublin.

Kilkenny used to be far worse according to relatives of mine in the Kilkenny/Carlow area, hellooosweetheart

Bezalelle · 29/05/2019 21:52

a group of repulsive Bulgarians pissing and vomiting everywhere.

Beside the point, but this made me roar!

Motherof3feminists · 29/05/2019 21:57

I think this thread sums up why I don't like cities very much and don't like going out drinking. Even in my younger days I still preferred a good book or the company of one or two friends to going out.
My hen do was a civilised meal at a local restaurant. Very dull I suppose. My shit chief bridesmaid didn't bother to organise anything but that's a whole other story.
I worry for my children growing up in this society we have now.

I was amazed at the HP stuff in the Shambles. So crowded, all selling the same overpriced stuff, and impossible to navigate with a buggy and a backpack. York is such a beautiful and interesting place. We visited the museum gardens at Christmas and it was magical. Maybe in December it is less likely to be spoilt by louts?

This thread has certainly put me off going back.

Pinkarsedfly · 29/05/2019 22:13

Maybe I’m an old fart, but I used to love hearing the tourist guides on Shambles telling the stories of the butchers’ shops, Margaret Clitheroe, ghosts, etc. There used to be a guy dressed as a Roman Centurion who used to match the school kids up and down, all chanting ‘Sinestre, Dextra!’

Now all you hear is ‘The Shambles was the inspiration for Diagon Alley...’

Was it bollocks.

Pinkarsedfly · 29/05/2019 22:15

Sorry, but. It’s awful in December too. Christmas parties. I went to pick my DS up from York Station at 6:30pm when he was home from uni for the Christmas holidays.

The platform was like a football crowd. One guy in his sixties was being held up by a mate and was bleeding from a head wound, another fella had pissed his trousers.

Police everywhere. Horrible.

Iamthewombat · 29/05/2019 22:21

Here’s where you should go if you want a nice quiet city centre on Saturday afternoons. Middlesbrough, Sunderland or Darlington. All their rowdy women are in York.

York is easy to get to from those places and, as other posters have noted, people think that going there for afternoon boozing renders them classy because it’s a destination city.

Someone was on the style and beauty board last year asking what to wear for an afternoon pub crawl in York. Posters were advising her to dress up because York was, they said, classy. HAHAHA! Wear your stab vest and earplugs, more like.

I’ve been to York races a few times. My mum (not from York) thought it sounded very posh and impressive. She didn’t see the bloke having a crap in the doorway of the citizens’ advice bureau at the top of Micklegate in broad daylight after the racecourse chucked out, or the women sitting on the pavement outside KFC stuffing bargain buckets into their gobs in between shrieking.

HPLikecraft · 29/05/2019 22:24

Ugh, the Harry Potterisation of everything is horrendous. I had no idea it had claimed The Shambles too.
Yet another reason I won’t be revisiting this once wonderful city.

Greenglassteacup · 29/05/2019 22:27

The OP should amend the title of this thread to ‘antisocial behaviour in York’ and alert the council to the thread

Pinkarsedfly · 29/05/2019 22:28

HPLikecraft people actually queue to get into the Harry Potter shops.

Meanwhile, Whistles, BHS, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Burgins Perfumerie, Crabtree and Evelyn, etc etc have shut down.

So depressing.

Greenglassteacup · 29/05/2019 22:28

The current title is really shite

AnneElliott · 29/05/2019 22:33

I thought of York as soon as I read this. We went a few years ago on a Saturday and were unprepared for the experience!

I agree that there's nothing wrong with judging people who behave as op described. A bit more judging earlier in their lives may have resulted in them not embarrassing themselves in public.

BroomstickOfLove · 29/05/2019 22:34

I don't mind The Shop That Must Not Be Named because they actually put a lot of effort into the shop, and recruited proper Harry Potter fans very and then the other shops just carried in on their success.

Motherof3feminists · 29/05/2019 22:37

@Iamthewombat wtaf?? Shitting in a doorway?! Dirty bastard. I was on a train with people going to York races via Sheffield and they were pissed by 9am. People dressed up looking lovely but behaving like trash.

Pinkarsedfly · 29/05/2019 22:45

A relative of mine used to work at York Racecourse. Shitting in bars etc became a pretty commonplace sight.

Pieceofpurplesky · 29/05/2019 22:47

To a PP - yes. Chester, particularly race days. Luckily you can escape it a bit.
I totally get what the OP is saying. It's just a nightmare whether posh/chavvy/upper class/middle class - the behaviour I witness in my beautiful city on race days is terrible. Women squatting and pissing on the ancient rows, men up the roman statues ... luckily it's not every weekend

TanMateix · 29/05/2019 22:54

You left off your list a couple of important things:

  • the bloody fighting, they fight and roll line cats on the street if a woman looks at them in a way they do not like (I have seen this as early as 7 pm)
  • the harassment of men, bloody hell, they are not only sexually aggressive, they physically attack them if the men decides to ignore them.

That’s the reason why I no longer go out on Fridays or Saturdays, but I am happy to see that nowadays some nice pubs and restaurants do not accept hen party bookings or let them go through their doors.

TanMateix · 29/05/2019 22:55

Like not line, rolling like cats fighting on the street... pulling hairs, scratching each other, etc.

DameDoom · 29/05/2019 23:13

CannoninD please do get the thread name changed - it will garner more attention with the CYC bods and be picked up by the Press and YorkMix etc if you could do that.
There hasn't been anything in The Press since Oct/Nov last year so something needs to get it back in the news.
Us Yorkies have had enough of the shame heaped on our beautiful city by this scum.

Iamthewombat · 29/05/2019 23:13

Yes, he pulled down his suit trousers and crapped in the CAB doorway. He was so drunk he looked like he didn’t know where he was.

Luckily my York races outfit featured pearls (fake grey ones) so I could clutch them! That was ten years ago and I bet it is worse now.

DameDoom · 29/05/2019 23:24

They used to abuse Purpleman on Stonegate. It was disgusting - although he went to help children in Syria another reason he left was because of the disgusting way he was treated by these foul specimens.

ineedaknittedhat · 30/05/2019 00:09

Nobody does rough better than the NE. I'm ashamed to be a geordie. I don't behave like that. York is a lovely place, the council needs to crack down on anti social behaviour though.

WeaselsRising · 30/05/2019 00:25

We've just come back from York. We were there BH Monday and there were hen parties wandering around in the early afternoon. Luckily we didn't meet any rowdy ones but the bride to be in all of them looked downright miserable. (I can see why now).

We once got stuck with a party of already falling down drunk screeching women on a train to Cardiff. I don't think you can get away from it anywhere these days.

SenecaFalls · 30/05/2019 01:16

Can i just throw in that is isn't the exclusive behaviour of British stags/hens. We were lucky enough to be on what I assume was partaaay floor of Caesars in Vegas. The American hens gave the UK ones you're describing a proper run for their money and won hands down. The men were steaming and just fell down

They don't make it to European cities for their stag/hen do's though do they? Whereas, sadly and embarrassingly, the Brtiish ones do.

They don't make it to other American cities on a regular basis, either. Maybe you see some Americans behaving this way in Sin City, but you won't see it in our other cities. I travel quite a bit and I have lived in several American cities, and I have never seen this kind of behavior.

I just wanted to defend my countrywomen. We have our faults certainly, we Americans, but defiling our ancient cities as part of a marriage rite is not one of them. Smile

donotcovertheradiator · 30/05/2019 01:46

What type of liver livered daft twat society have we become when we can collectively ignore a man shitting in a doorway in broad daylight or hear people shouting out, 'cunt' and 'motherfucker' on a Saturday afternoon.

The uncivilised are truly at the gates and we are quietly handing the keys over to them because we are too frightened to call them out on it. We all pretend to look the other way and don't back up anyone who doesn't.

Police my backside. They aren't around and, if they are, they are unlikely to round the fuckers up and dump them on the moors miles away from the rest of us and let them cool their heels walking back.

The appalling creature who shat in the street. Why oh why didn't someone bigger than him, go over, lift him up and rub his bloody nose in it, while the rest of us cheered. Probably because some daft twat-would have stopped it and/or called the police and the rest of us would have skulked away.

Rub their nose in their shit-literally or metaphorically is the only way forward. Is it coming down to their level? No, because we would be doing it to either teach them some manners so that they can become part of society or frighten them into never showing their stupid faces amongst us.

Do gooders who will object can wipe their objections to their arses as far as I'm concerned. They're part of the bloody problem that have landed us in the situation where major cities are fast becoming no go areas. Here's a suggestion to make them froth-bring back the stocks! Quick, effective and cheap.

dreichuplands · 30/05/2019 02:52

York is a fantastic city but hen parties are definitely out of control at the weekend. It seems impossible to control them, although I can't help thinking that a few weekends of arresting the worst culprits might help.

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