Does Cardiff city centre scare you at night?

[bendeus]

I think there are two sides to the Cardiff violence thing. Having lived for a few years in Liverpool (among other places) I would say that Cardiff doesn't even come close in terms of the sort of heavy duty, guns n' crack violence that characterises a lot of UK cities. I agree with Spacemonkey that there are very few areas of the city I'd feel particularly fearful of walking around after dark, and I'm not convinced that I know a single person who has been mugged here.

On the other side, it's obvious that by walking through the city centre at certain times you are running one hell of a gauntlet. I've always subscribed to the idea that you can 'feel' aggro in the air on Saint Mary Street of an evening. Some nights the whole area just seems sullen and vicious and ready to kick at a moment's notice. Other nights the prevailing vibe seems far more 'fun loving if a bit pickled'. It's the former type of nights you really want to avoid, and I remember a number of times running the gauntlet from the Mill Lane end of the street towards the sanctuary of the Toucan thanking my lucky stars that me missus was on my arm, thus lowering my kickinability profile sufficiently to afford me (barely) safe passage.

So, in summary I would say that in terms of drug-related and/or economically motivated violent crime, Cardiff is safe, but in terms of random, beer-fuelled and often quite vicious attacks within geographically defined areas of the city, its total shithouse

 

[spacemonkey]

Excellent post bendeus. I know Cardiff is known as a binge drinking capital but I still don't think it's that much worse than any other city of its size. Coventry is identical, has anyone been there for a drunken night out, it's the absolute pits....

 

[phildwyer]

So, in summary I would say that in terms of drug-related and/or economically motivated violent crime, Cardiff is safe, but in terms of random, beer-fuelled and often quite vicious attacks within geographically defined areas of the city, its total shithouse

Yes, that's about it. I've often thought the same of the UK as a whole in comparison to the USA. Obviously there's much more violence as a whole in the US, but there's much less *random* violence. I got punched, and knocked out cold, in the Big Windsor a few years ago, just for beating the guy's mate at pool. You never see that kind of thing in the US, I think because a lot of people go around armed, which tends to deter all but the most drunken of attackers.

 

[Biffo]

Check today's Echo - Cardiff is a 'model city' apparently. A Top US cop says so - so it must be true

If getting shouted at on your bike and being told 'Glastonbury is that way' constitutes being given 'grief' surely this topic should be renamed:

'Have I led a sheltered life?'

Cardiff is safe as fuck.

 

[zog]

Excellent post bendeus. I know Cardiff is known as a binge drinking capital but I still don't think it's that much worse than any other city of its size. Coventry is identical, has anyone been there for a drunken night out, it's the absolute pits....

see my previous post

 

[spacemonkey]

Oh yeah, missed that!

 

[Col_Buendia]

Check today's Echo - Cardiff is a 'model city' apparently. A Top US cop says so - so it must be true

If getting shouted at on your bike and being told 'Glastonbury is that way' constitutes being given 'grief' surely this topic should be renamed:

'Have I led a sheltered life?'

Cardiff is safe as fuck.

Hmmmm.... you don't think "safe as fuck" might just be overstating things a teensy weensy bit? Or haven't you been down Chip Lane after closing time?

So if it isn't grief, what is it? And if it makes the person on the receiving end feel intimidated, what does that mean? Or do you give a toss?

 

[Biffo]

Hmmmm.... you don't think "safe as fuck" might just be overstating things a teensy weensy bit? Or haven't you been down Chip Lane after closing time?

So if it isn't grief, what is it? And if it makes the person on the receiving end feel intimidated, what does that mean? Or do you give a toss?

I've lived in Cardiff for 17 years and have been known to frequent Caroline Street in the small hours to partake of a chicken-based delicacy. If you haven't heard the phrase 'safe as fuck' before during your stay in Wales then I apologise for making an assumption.

As for your final point, I feel you've answered the question I put forward in my previous post.

Be careful out there.... it's a jungle.

 

[Col_Buendia]

I've lived in Cardiff for 17 years and have been known to frequent Caroline Street in the small hours to partake of a chicken-based delicacy. If you haven't heard the phrase 'safe as fuck' before during your stay in Wales then I apologise for making an assumption.

As for your final point, I feel you've answered the question I put forward in my previous post.

Be careful out there.... it's a jungle.

We're obviously not on the same wavelength mate, I never made any mention of having heard or not having heard the phrase "safe as fuck", so I don't know what your assumption was and I don't know what you're apologising about! What I did suggest was that it might be overstating the case seeing as other posters have reported unprovoked attacks. Do you want to take those posts onboard and review your comment, or are you happy to ignore what other posters have reported?

Whether or not I have answered your original question I don't know, but you sure as hell didn't answer mine - what do you call what I describe, if you do not consider it grief. Others have taken it as banter, but you haven't bothered to say. And do you give a toss if the people you share the streets of this city with feel intimidated by some people's behaviour on those streets?

Just curious like, cos your dismissive tone sounds arrogant to me, but that might be a misinterpretation.

 

[Biffo]

We're obviously not on the same wavelength mate, I never made any mention of having heard or not having heard the phrase "safe as fuck", so I don't know what your assumption was and I don't know what you're apologising about! What I did suggest was that it might be overstating the case seeing as other posters have reported unprovoked attacks. Do you want to take those posts onboard and review your comment, or are you happy to ignore what other posters have reported?

Whether or not I have answered your original question I don't know, but you sure as hell didn't answer mine - what do you call what I describe, if you do not consider it grief. Others have taken it as banter, but you haven't bothered to say. And do you give a toss if the people you share the streets of this city with feel intimidated by some people's behaviour on those streets?

Just curious like, cos your dismissive tone sounds arrogant to me, but that might be a misinterpretation.

Do you like Goldie Looking Chain at all?

 

[Belushi]

You Cardiffians, cant walk past a mirror without ending up in a ruck

 

[Biffo]

You Cardiffians, cant walk past a mirror without ending up in a ruck

He started it. He made fun of how I pronounced my 'H's.

 

[Col_Buendia]

Do you like Goldie Looking Chain at all?

GLC is for the toffs in Grangetown. Over this side of the river we listen to proper 'ardcore And we don't smoke no soapbar neither.

 

[Biffo]

GLC is for the toffs in Grangetown. Over this side of the river we listen to proper 'ardcore And we don't smoke no soapbar neither.

Hooray! You knows it!

 

[RubberBuccaneer]

Nope, i feel safe as anything walking thro' town compared to years ago.
because I'm older I feel out of the game for the young lads, and a bit more nounce on avoiding trouble, but I do genuinelly feel it's safer.

I've had three bad kickings in 21 years, so that's one every 7 years, which I think are quite safe stats.

 

[phildwyer]

I've had three bad kickings in 21 years, so that's one every 7 years, which I think are quite safe stats.

"Safe" in what sense? Its probably average or typical, but its still a sad state of affairs when one has to be grateful to only receive a "bad kicking" once every seven years.

 

[jannerboyuk]

"Safe" in what sense? Its probably average or typical, but its still a sad state of affairs when one has to be grateful to only receive a "bad kicking" once every seven years.

I have to agree. I'm 33 grew up on a council estate and some pretty rough places around the country and if i had received three serious good kickings i wouldn't be counting my blessings at all. I prefer my record of no kickings and only the occasional punch (three in total i think, nothing even vaguely serious).

 

[Karac]

Cardiff can be a bit rough at night-but the only time ive had a serious kicking was in London (Kings x)-knocked one of my front teeth out as well

 

[nightowl]

cardiff being a fairly compact city probably makes it seem a bit worse and more concentrated.

 

[jannerboyuk]

cardiff being a fairly compact city probably makes it seem a bit worse and more concentrated.

Is it really that compacted compared to any similar size city? Thats never occurred to me to be honest as Cardiff seems to be the usual combination of a core city (essentially around the docks and a shopping area) and smaller villages that have been swallowed up over time.

 

[phildwyer]

Well the center of Cardiff is rather a long way from the Docks. Since the Cardiff Bay thing got going, its almost like there are two town centers. The Bay is much safer the the center, which is funny, cos when I were a lad it was very much the other way around.

 

[Col_Buendia]

Well the center of Cardiff is rather a long way from the Docks. Since the Cardiff Bay thing got going, its almost like there are two town centers. The Bay is much safer the the center, which is funny, cos when I were a lad it was very much the other way around.

Yeah but the Bay's fucking 'orrible... it even makes me want to start fights! All those bloody plastic bars with plastic poseurs hanging out on the balcony trying not to notice who is noticing them... bleurgh. The last time I was there there was even people so shameless they were sunbathing on the front of the miniscule little boat that they had moored at the "marina". Christ, St Tropez it certainly isn't. They should get over it.

 

[Dai Sheep]

You do get your arseholes in Cardiff the same as any other place, but I go into Cardiff city centre nearly every week and dont see much fighting. It depends what venues you go to - at the top end of st.mary street you get quite a bit around Liquid etc, mainly where all the '18-21 age groups' go. Caroline street is a magnet for every pissed up weirdo in a 1 mile radius. Maybe 24 hour licencing will stop the 'everyone out a 2am effect'.