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My shock at rip-off Dublin

Posted Thursday, May 7, 2009

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Dublin

I went down to Dublin on Monday with three other guys in order to see Bob Dylan on Tuesday night at the O2.

We travelled down by car.

I and my brother-in-law stayed at my sister's house in Dublin on the Monday night and the two other guys stayed elsewhere.

My sister wasn't back from work yet.

In fact she would be going straight from work to a gig she was playing at that night.

Takeaway

Her husband suggested a takeaway and we agreed to have an Indian one.

I had Chicken Tikka Massala with rice and Naan Bread.

My brother-in-law had the same with a vegetable samosa starter.

My other brother-in-law had a prawn dish with a vegetable samosa.

It came about 20 minutes later.

I was astonished when the guy delivering it asked for €52.50 for an Indian meal for three.

Taxi

Two of us then took a taxi into Dublin to the pub where my sister would play later on.

We were to meet one of the guys who had travelled with us there for a drink.

I was surprised to find that the fare was €11.45 for what seemed quite a short journey.

However, when we stopped the driver flicked a button and up went the fare to €13.45.

So, with tip, that came to €15.

My sister told me later that you have to pay extra for each person in the cab.

Why that should make a difference I don't know.

I lived in London a long time and was never charged that by any of the black cabs or mini cabs there.

Pints

We got to the pub and I ordered two pints of lager.

I had a tenner out ready to pay when I was informed it was €10.40.

We were about half way through our first pint when the guy came in who was meeting us there.

He pointed briefly to our two pints whilst heading to the bar.

If he'd actually said anything we would have told him just to get himself one.

Stunned

However, a few minutes later he came back with three pints of lager with a stunned look on his face.

I don't think he was expecting to fork out €15.60 when it would have cost him half of that in Derry.

He had travelled in by bus.

The fare was €1.60.

He handed over €2 expecting change.

Instead he was given his bus ticket plus a receipt for 40 cents.

Redeemed

It seems that they don't give out change and to get it redeemed you have to go to O'Connell Street and stand in a massive queue to get your money back.

No, they don't give you free bus trips to O'Connell Street to collect your money.

It is, of course, designed to rip off tourists.

Dubliners can save them up and take them along when they have a few.

However, it is less worthwhile for tourists and short term visitors.

Extracting Money

When they talk about rip-off Ireland it is really rip-off Dublin.

They have found so many ways of extracting money from you.

What must visitors think.

Music

Later on that evening my sister came in and the music started upstairs.

I went up and ordered two pints of lager at the bar.

When the barman had poured them I gave him the €10.40.

"It's €11 upstairs" he said.

More

That still wasn't the most expensive pint I had.

Next night at the O2 I had to fork out €6 for a pint.

I have to say that they do give you full pints for your money.

Perhaps they have to as people already paying a premium would demand it.

Deserve It

One almost feels that the businesses of Dublin deserve the economic turndown that they're getting.

They were far too greedy during the boom.

Greed was everywhere you turned from takeaways, to pubs, to taxis, to even bus companies.

Stayed Home

During Tuesday, whilst waiting for the Dylan concert in the evening, we just stayed home being tired of being ripped off.

As we walked to meet up with our friends before the concert we saw that Fish and Chips at chip shop was €10.

I saw a special offer at an off-licence of 5 bottle of Budweiser for €10.

You could almost get a case of them in Derry for that.

I don't know how people can afford it.

My sister and her husband got to and from the pub where she played by bicycle so perhaps the people who have to work there have ways of saving money.

Going Back

If I go back down again I should probably bring down a food parcel for my sister and her husband and a crate of beer too.

As I said, I had heard about rip-off Dublin and the prices there - but I wasn't prepared for how expensive it was and how endemic was the rip-off.

If I go down there again I'll bring most of what I need with me.