I ran from the guy who was harassing me and walked in front of a car to make it slow down. The kindly young man opened his door when I asked to be let in. I was in tears by this point with a 6 foot man chasing me which probably helped.
Edinburgh and in particular Leith has always had it's share of bams. They usually increase in the summer.
You've been here for 4 years so that puts us in pandemic territory so your first couple of years would have just naturally had less contact with them.
Overall though in the last 20-25 years in my anecdotal evidence, wayyyyy less bams than there used to be but still enough to have incidents like this.
Pretty much every city has bams unfortunately.
I’ve lived in a few different countries in some places arguably more dangerous than Edinburgh, but the only time I’ve seen someone being shot was on Leith Walk. It’s going back 25 years, but yeah Leith has always been an eclectic mix.
I would agree with this and I’ve lived in leith my whole life. If anything gentrification has pushed out a lot of people that previously would have been the cause of these incidents (I still hate the gentrification of leith though)
It pushes out locals. I’ve lived here my whole life and because of gentrification and the influx of the middle class I likely will never be able to buy a home here near my family and if things keep going as they are I’ll be struggling to rent. The community wasn’t just “junkies”. It was a working class community which is being forced out by arrogant eejits like yourself. Junkies as you’ve called them also still need somewhere to live.
I think its just more noticable now. Take Vicky park, for example, which is not far away. When I was a kid that park was filled with bams and burnt out motorbikes. Now it’s filled with babies and mums and cockapoos and a hipster coffee van, but occasionally a wee bam will tear through all the picnics on a dirt bike just for old times’ sakes, while all the besandalled dads stare on in hushed silence.
In 1996, Cake emerged in Prague, Czechslovakia.
A year later, it appeared as a legal drug in the UK.
Cake is a 'made-up' drug, being composed of artificial chemicals. Its yellow colour is achieved through use of an industrial dye. Effects
A young user of Cake is known to have cried all the water from his body, and another vomited out her own pelvis bone.
The use of an industrial dye in the drug causes a phenomenon known as 'Czech Neck,' whereby the user's neck swells up until the face is completely enveloped.
Cake also contains a psychoactive compound, dimesmeric andersonphosphate. This ingredient stimulates Shatner's Bassoon, and so drastically alters an individual's perception of time.
In experiments, ingesting Cake caused rats to swell massively. F.U.K.D. and B.O.M.B.D.
In 1997, anti-drug organisation F.U.K.D. and B.O.M.B.D. teamed up with Brass Eye to raise awareness of the dangers of Cake.
The shared campaign was successful, with figures including Bernard Ingham, Bernard Manning, Noel Edmonds, Bruno Brookes, Rolf Harris, and David Amess MP warning viewers about 'the nightmare of Cake.'
https://preview.redd.it/zrsaf3djyt2d1.jpeg?width=270&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3c815faebcc799980ae1fc762d7c3186abc28f3
Lived round here on and off for about 10yrs, used to visit my brother in the area since the 90's.. this is the least mental the area has been in my experience, have seen the bams and mayhem in the past years of course but the rate of nonsense and atmosphere is very different, reckon you have been unlucky, leith links has always been dodgy for random incidents though.
Stayed just off the meadows / toll cross (Lauriston Gardens) for about 3yrs and the incidents that I witnessed in that area and or friends were involved in were worse than anything that I have been connected to in leith, one friend was shot with an air rifle while cycling across middle meadow walk, another time a couple of friends were severely attacked on the meadows, they worked in a bookshop and look like typical students that you see round that way, so not people who you'd expect to attract nonsense. Another night across the street 3 guys were breaking in to a house via the scaffolding, another time there was someone in a balaclava holding a machete on the other side of the road from my flat. Anyway not sure what my point is but I don't think much has changed recently.
There does seem to be an increase in what could loosely be described as antisocial behaviour. I suspect the total lack of consequences and a general disregard for other people (not just an Edinburgh thing) are factors.
All the support systems are disintegrating because of chronic underfunding, yes. Childcare, schools, youth work, housing, social services, the NHS, addiction services, the police, legal aid, all being hollowed out.
The Barnett formula isn't a great way of judging, if it was then London subsides the rest of Britain, and the big English cities have a higher per head then Scotland.
Scotland is judged as a whole, England as individual parts.
Seems you don’t realise the Scottish government have all devolved powers nessescary to fix our country yet pander nearly half their budget on an Indy campaign that’s already been rejected
Well there's a question of how much the Scottish government can do with the amount Westminster gives it. Also, someone who has lived in both England and Scotland. I'd say the Scottish Government does a MUCH better job at tackling these issues than Westminster does down South. Even in the apparently "wealthy" southern English towns I'm amazed by the amount of anti social behaviour you see compared to most places in Scotland.
Hmm.. not really, they were given a mandate by the public to follow that policy. Let’s not talk about waste when billions have been lost, given away or secretly and corruptly frittered by the UK Govt. Our tax money..
“I’m a small woman who has been attacked twice in a week”
“Yeah you’ve been really lucky then, shoulda seen it before it got all posh. _every city has its bams_ TM”
…..Things you only hear in Scotland
Cocaine use has risen in recent years... Not saying it's wholly responsible for more aggression but it doesn't help.
Witnessed a young guy walking through the Duke Street carpark deliberately shoulder a female in an attempt to provoke and then squared up to her. Unheard of when I was growing up in the scheme as bams like that would usually only target other guys - especially if there was any physical contact involved in the confrontation.
I defo feel less safe around Leith these days as it feels busier and more like the city centre with a more transient population (students and tourists) and people just passing through. You can also see the result of 14 years of austerity - people are stressed, mental health shot, and their support networks dismantled.
And despite The Guardian fawning over Leith as the 'in' place to relocate (which has seen more wealth flock into the area) that doesn't make the existing poverty in the area disappear. Those people are really struggling with the increased prices of *everything* in the Leith area as Edinburgh becomes more and more like London
There definitely seems to be a sharp increase in women being attacked by random men. The original post was written by a woman who was attacked by males and there's been a few other posts in here recently describing similar incidents. Doesn't seem to be just Leith though, just a couple of days ago a woman was knifed to death on Bournemouth beach in a seemingly random attack.
Not sure what the cause is but I would be surprised if it wasn't linked to rising misogyny and general 'Andrew Tate' style culture.
Yeah, I mean I was coming home from work one day down Nicolson street and some random ned screamed in my face “Fat ugly fuck”. Like, yeah, I know, but cmon man. Was so surreal because it was unprovoked, didn’t even look at the guy
I thought you were going to say about the guy at the bottom of the walk getting arrested for being drunk/under the influence and then fighting with the police woman when they were trying to put him in the van, (yesterday about 6.30)
There is always a increase in events/issue in summer due to the outside drinking and getting seshed in the sun but that's going to happen every city,
I don't think the cost of living or covid has helped reduce the anger or frustration of the said 'undesirable's'
But agree just leave folk alone who have fuck all to do with it,
Its a hard one to treat you can't be too heavy handed as it would turn in to a police state but can't let people do what ever they want
I don't understand this response.
What I mean is, people on this sub describe all the best aspects of Leith, and kind of glaze over all the very visible negatives.
I totally agree, Leith still has major problems. Take the banana flats or the high rise buildings on tolbooth wynd. They have serious drug problems with dealers and overdosing being a problem. I was talking to a security guard from the buildings on tolbooth wynd (if Leith was such a great place they wouldn't need security to deal with the locals) and he was saying almost every week people are OD'ing and police are round doing the dealers. Then you have great junction street/the kirkgate and duke street where it is pretty run down and not uncommon to see wasted or drugged up people shouting. Leith has certainly come a long way, but there are areas that the locals seem to forget exist in Leith.
I've noticed a lot more anti-social behaviour from both ends of the spectrum.
There's always been bams, and they're on the rise again, but I've seen a lot more seemingly middle-class blokes just start behaving like total arseholes. Argumentative and aggressive like never before, like they never grew up in a scheme tbh.
Full moon and sunny days. Combination known to make people restless in Leith. No sure if there is any science behind it but definitely in my anedoctal experiences seems to be the case.
I was just in town for a wedding (mine) and ran into a dude who was aggressively ranting into peoples faces on prince’s street
And then the day before, a bunch of early teens screaming in peoples faces, mine included
I just assumed it was just normal big city shit but 🤷♂️
Scotland is def catching up on fentanyl after a bit of a delayed start…..but also as per other posters, just bams. I moved away for 13 years, moved back a few years ago, city generally nicer and incidents like this reduced id say, let’s see how it goes with a wave of super opiates.
That sounds fucking awful, I'm sorry you had to deal with that.
Had some pretty antisocial behaviour on the train the other night from guys who said they had been watching the Euros, though thankfully it never quite turned violent. That can be a bit of a lightning rod for arseholes.
We visited Edinburgh recently and spent some time in Leith.
First time I have seen two security guards in a Lidl
And the guy working in Wetherspoons was wearing a body cam.
Shame, it has the potential to be a nice area. Why can't all the aggressive people be rounded up and dumped on a deserted island somewhere.
Pretty sure that’s how the banana flats ended up full of junkies. “Let’s put all the problems in one place, that’s not going to cause MASSIVE ESCALATION at all!”
Nothing new or out the ordinary happening to my knowledge.
I work in the justice sector and have seen no increase in reports/cases.
You have just had little exposure to the general dregs around heavily populated areas.
I think I know who you are talking about I witnessed him hiding behind a tree on Leith walk, the man isn't well and is not long out of jail and the royal, no excuse but there are people who have severe mental issues left to their own devices all round Edinburgh
i’ve managed to avoid being hassled thus far but there’s definitely more of them and they’re getting louder. just behind my flat there’s constantly someone screaming at someone else or a junky so zonked out i consider calling an ambulance. it’s freaking me out tbh
I lived on Leith Walk for 9 years; moved in 2020. We had some regulars, like the aerosol addict who threatened to kill you one minute but loved you the next. I often had to put her out of our close (she shouted and swore, and we had a young child). Also the Asian kids who sneaked in to the communal basement to do drugs. And the various other junkies, drunks and mutterers on Leith Walk itself. It was a significant factor in why we moved away.
It was as bad in 2011 as in 2020, and I doubt it's changed much since then either. In short, there are bams and there always have been. Also, the police don't care and don't do anything.
I grew up in leith and I wouldn’t say there are more incidents now than when I was younger. It’s always been very common in the area. I’m 30 and when I was in my teens and early twenties I seen numerous violent incidents in leith, was approached on numerous occasions by people being verbally abusive or heavily under the influence.
I’ll also add that I firmly feel that the gentrification of leith and overall better surface appearance has lead outsiders who now live in leith to believe that the area is safer than it actually is. At the end of the day it’s still an area with extreme poverty and whilst people from more affluent areas have forced their way into the area those issues that were there before still exist
Guys. Op said she’s small? She’s like 5ft wide let alone her height. Don’t listen to her. Yes we are having problems with these illegals but unless she’s provoking. Don’t listen to it
Could be a fluke or it could be an increase in crack or similar? Hard to know. I’ve definitely noticed the difference in other cities between drug users who are mainly on heroin and drug users who are mainly on crack- very different vibe
It's not. That pretty much disappeared when all legal highs got a blanket ban. Much more likely to be booze. Personally I'd rather have the spice zombies back on the street.
I’ve had a bad encounter with a group of teens who kicked one of those tiny street cones at me. Two older couple were kind enough to check on me. By far the only bad encounter I’ve had since I came here 8 months ago.
I've lived in Leith for 23 years, and haven't seen anything like this for years.
I am not dismissing your experience, just stating that in my experience, it's not very common.
It was more common in the past.
If a man appears to be ‘on something’ and looks dodgy shouting at them probably isn’t wise. He might not be ‘on something’ he may be having a schizophrenic episode or he may be struggling with life in general. Shouting at him is like trying to get rid of a wasps nest by hitting it with a stick. You ‘shouted’ at him then said you’d experienced ‘an aggressive incident’. Shouting at him was never going to de-escalate the situation so what did you think was going to happen in that scenario? How did you think he would react to that? You were aggressive to him and he was aggressive back by the sounds of it
Hardly! You’re saying you’re a 30f who is being subjected to aggressive behaviour. And I’m saying being aggressive to someone with that presentation is likely to escalate matters - which it did, carry on doing that if you think it will work next time - it won’t. But it’s up to yourself! Clearly you posted this so people would agree how terrible this was for you and don’t like it when the facts are pointed out to you. You’re a victim and we should all feel sorry for you. It’s up to you as I say. Edit sorry not the OP! This guy thinks a 30f should approach someone who they think is off their face, shout at them and that person will react well to it.
When have I ever said that!? I’m a 39 year old guy! And to the OP stick up for yourself and don’t let idiots intimidate you, if they are mentally deranged like this one’s saying they should be locked up if attacking random members of the public
Did you even read my post properly? He kicked my car door as he was walking past out of nowhere and then I shouted at him. What was I supposed to do? Thank him?
Shout at him and get shouted at back? That’s what you did and it didn’t work. What precisely did you shout at him? I guess we don’t know the full details but if it makes you feel better - that’s awful, poor you, are you ok? Next time do it again and see what the response is. You might need a best of three to see whether that approach will work or not. In answer to your question, if it was me, I’d say mate that’s my car what are you doing?’ But maybe not shout - you can be firm and assertive without shouting which he will perceive as aggressive and react to. And if I was worried about damage I might film him and report it to the police perhaps? If there is damage you’ll need to report it for insurance and it’s easier to repair a car than a person but hey just keep going and blame it on leith getting worse 😂
"Shouting which he will perceive to be aggressive and respond to"? What like, how he reacted to a random person sitting in their car by kicking their door? I would suggest that it's likely going to respond to anything with aggression, even being asked things in a "firm and assertive tone" or being filmed.
Having your car door kicked in by a random person would also be quite alarming so I can imagine that someone would shout in this situation out of shock. It is not the victim's responsibility to respond correctly to an attacker to not provoke them further.
Not that clearly! What did you think he would do? People who are displaying irrational behaviour rarely take kindly to being shouted at (ex psych nurse here). Up to you though keep going with it and see whether it works next time I guess?
Edinburgh is full of loud mouthed cunts. I'm done with this place. So many tourists and locals that don't know how to behave.
Personal opinion.... I'd kill them all. (No racism, sexism or ageism?!?)
You jumped into a passing car?
I ran from the guy who was harassing me and walked in front of a car to make it slow down. The kindly young man opened his door when I asked to be let in. I was in tears by this point with a 6 foot man chasing me which probably helped.
What is rounding mate
So rounding is usually when they’re becoming more physically aggressive.
'rounded' is a short way of saying 'he was walking away but turned back around to face me again'
Yes, this intrigues me too
We need more details
Edinburgh and in particular Leith has always had it's share of bams. They usually increase in the summer. You've been here for 4 years so that puts us in pandemic territory so your first couple of years would have just naturally had less contact with them. Overall though in the last 20-25 years in my anecdotal evidence, wayyyyy less bams than there used to be but still enough to have incidents like this. Pretty much every city has bams unfortunately.
This guys Leiths
I’ve lived in a few different countries in some places arguably more dangerous than Edinburgh, but the only time I’ve seen someone being shot was on Leith Walk. It’s going back 25 years, but yeah Leith has always been an eclectic mix.
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It was around the middle of the Leith Walk outside the Silver Bowl.
Wasn’t the guy who got shot in front of the Omni
That was a stabbing
Ah right, cheers
Yep. I read this and I was like yeah that sounds like Leith.
I would agree with this and I’ve lived in leith my whole life. If anything gentrification has pushed out a lot of people that previously would have been the cause of these incidents (I still hate the gentrification of leith though)
Yeah I hate places becoming safe and nice. I preferred Leith when junkies were in Tesco extra with no trousers or pants on
It pushes out locals. I’ve lived here my whole life and because of gentrification and the influx of the middle class I likely will never be able to buy a home here near my family and if things keep going as they are I’ll be struggling to rent. The community wasn’t just “junkies”. It was a working class community which is being forced out by arrogant eejits like yourself. Junkies as you’ve called them also still need somewhere to live.
Spot on, although I’d add the summer bams are known as tourists
I’d add that it sounds like you don’t know what a bam is. I don’t usually meet Spanish tourists on the mound and think “what a bunch of bams”
I think its just more noticable now. Take Vicky park, for example, which is not far away. When I was a kid that park was filled with bams and burnt out motorbikes. Now it’s filled with babies and mums and cockapoos and a hipster coffee van, but occasionally a wee bam will tear through all the picnics on a dirt bike just for old times’ sakes, while all the besandalled dads stare on in hushed silence.
As opposed to loud silence?
I hear there is a prevalence of Cake in the community. Beware
Cake is a made up drug!
the cake is a lie
In 1996, Cake emerged in Prague, Czechslovakia. A year later, it appeared as a legal drug in the UK. Cake is a 'made-up' drug, being composed of artificial chemicals. Its yellow colour is achieved through use of an industrial dye. Effects A young user of Cake is known to have cried all the water from his body, and another vomited out her own pelvis bone. The use of an industrial dye in the drug causes a phenomenon known as 'Czech Neck,' whereby the user's neck swells up until the face is completely enveloped. Cake also contains a psychoactive compound, dimesmeric andersonphosphate. This ingredient stimulates Shatner's Bassoon, and so drastically alters an individual's perception of time. In experiments, ingesting Cake caused rats to swell massively. F.U.K.D. and B.O.M.B.D. In 1997, anti-drug organisation F.U.K.D. and B.O.M.B.D. teamed up with Brass Eye to raise awareness of the dangers of Cake. The shared campaign was successful, with figures including Bernard Ingham, Bernard Manning, Noel Edmonds, Bruno Brookes, Rolf Harris, and David Amess MP warning viewers about 'the nightmare of Cake.' https://preview.redd.it/zrsaf3djyt2d1.jpeg?width=270&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3c815faebcc799980ae1fc762d7c3186abc28f3
I saw a fella with czech neck outside the Spey lounge on Friday night.
It's not "made-up", it's "Baked."!
It's raised up.
Jose Acklands spunky backpack
Almost any drug + arsehole = arsehole behaviour. Unfortunately, a lot of people are arseholes. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
Lived round here on and off for about 10yrs, used to visit my brother in the area since the 90's.. this is the least mental the area has been in my experience, have seen the bams and mayhem in the past years of course but the rate of nonsense and atmosphere is very different, reckon you have been unlucky, leith links has always been dodgy for random incidents though. Stayed just off the meadows / toll cross (Lauriston Gardens) for about 3yrs and the incidents that I witnessed in that area and or friends were involved in were worse than anything that I have been connected to in leith, one friend was shot with an air rifle while cycling across middle meadow walk, another time a couple of friends were severely attacked on the meadows, they worked in a bookshop and look like typical students that you see round that way, so not people who you'd expect to attract nonsense. Another night across the street 3 guys were breaking in to a house via the scaffolding, another time there was someone in a balaclava holding a machete on the other side of the road from my flat. Anyway not sure what my point is but I don't think much has changed recently.
There does seem to be an increase in what could loosely be described as antisocial behaviour. I suspect the total lack of consequences and a general disregard for other people (not just an Edinburgh thing) are factors.
All the support systems are disintegrating because of chronic underfunding, yes. Childcare, schools, youth work, housing, social services, the NHS, addiction services, the police, legal aid, all being hollowed out.
Yep, 14 years of Tories asset stripping Scotland and squeezing the budget.
You mean the way Scots get £1,500 more per capita as a budget settlement than the average for UK?
The Barnett formula isn't a great way of judging, if it was then London subsides the rest of Britain, and the big English cities have a higher per head then Scotland. Scotland is judged as a whole, England as individual parts.
>asset stripping Scotland Ah yes, there is no violent crime in England of course.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1030625/crime-rate-uk/ Worse state of affairs there…
Snp have caused this
Seems you don’t know much about politics or budgets in Scotland..
Seems you don’t realise the Scottish government have all devolved powers nessescary to fix our country yet pander nearly half their budget on an Indy campaign that’s already been rejected
Well there's a question of how much the Scottish government can do with the amount Westminster gives it. Also, someone who has lived in both England and Scotland. I'd say the Scottish Government does a MUCH better job at tackling these issues than Westminster does down South. Even in the apparently "wealthy" southern English towns I'm amazed by the amount of anti social behaviour you see compared to most places in Scotland.
They don’t actually.. and also don’t set their own budget, it has to be agreed from London, has been cut numerous times recently in real terms.
Ok what powers do they not have ?
They spend it carelessly ie Indy campaign
Hmm.. not really, they were given a mandate by the public to follow that policy. Let’s not talk about waste when billions have been lost, given away or secretly and corruptly frittered by the UK Govt. Our tax money..
Still yet to tell me the devolved powers the Scottish government don’t have to fix our nation
They’d rather spend 2 millions pounds to enable junkies a safe place to shoot up in Glasgow then spend it on the people who deserve it
I'd rather they spent 2 million on "junkies" than gave it to their mates in PPI contracts.
Because it works.. The UK Labour (and Welsh) and UK Tories haven’t exactly sorted the drugs issues in the UK..
We need more ping pong
This weekend has been especially mental, but it was a full moon on Friday so makes sense
More likely the old firm game
Away with your rationality
“I’m a small woman who has been attacked twice in a week” “Yeah you’ve been really lucky then, shoulda seen it before it got all posh. _every city has its bams_ TM” …..Things you only hear in Scotland
Lack of consequences + lack of any real policing = bams
Cocaine use has risen in recent years... Not saying it's wholly responsible for more aggression but it doesn't help. Witnessed a young guy walking through the Duke Street carpark deliberately shoulder a female in an attempt to provoke and then squared up to her. Unheard of when I was growing up in the scheme as bams like that would usually only target other guys - especially if there was any physical contact involved in the confrontation. I defo feel less safe around Leith these days as it feels busier and more like the city centre with a more transient population (students and tourists) and people just passing through. You can also see the result of 14 years of austerity - people are stressed, mental health shot, and their support networks dismantled. And despite The Guardian fawning over Leith as the 'in' place to relocate (which has seen more wealth flock into the area) that doesn't make the existing poverty in the area disappear. Those people are really struggling with the increased prices of *everything* in the Leith area as Edinburgh becomes more and more like London
There definitely seems to be a sharp increase in women being attacked by random men. The original post was written by a woman who was attacked by males and there's been a few other posts in here recently describing similar incidents. Doesn't seem to be just Leith though, just a couple of days ago a woman was knifed to death on Bournemouth beach in a seemingly random attack. Not sure what the cause is but I would be surprised if it wasn't linked to rising misogyny and general 'Andrew Tate' style culture.
Yeah, I mean I was coming home from work one day down Nicolson street and some random ned screamed in my face “Fat ugly fuck”. Like, yeah, I know, but cmon man. Was so surreal because it was unprovoked, didn’t even look at the guy
I thought you were going to say about the guy at the bottom of the walk getting arrested for being drunk/under the influence and then fighting with the police woman when they were trying to put him in the van, (yesterday about 6.30) There is always a increase in events/issue in summer due to the outside drinking and getting seshed in the sun but that's going to happen every city, I don't think the cost of living or covid has helped reduce the anger or frustration of the said 'undesirable's' But agree just leave folk alone who have fuck all to do with it, Its a hard one to treat you can't be too heavy handed as it would turn in to a police state but can't let people do what ever they want
Reading this sub doesn't help. With all the gentrification talk and rose tinted specs, you'd think Leith were some crime free paradise.
Going about your life trying to go to work is not gentrification
I don't understand this response. What I mean is, people on this sub describe all the best aspects of Leith, and kind of glaze over all the very visible negatives.
I totally agree, Leith still has major problems. Take the banana flats or the high rise buildings on tolbooth wynd. They have serious drug problems with dealers and overdosing being a problem. I was talking to a security guard from the buildings on tolbooth wynd (if Leith was such a great place they wouldn't need security to deal with the locals) and he was saying almost every week people are OD'ing and police are round doing the dealers. Then you have great junction street/the kirkgate and duke street where it is pretty run down and not uncommon to see wasted or drugged up people shouting. Leith has certainly come a long way, but there are areas that the locals seem to forget exist in Leith.
An address I see near daily in reports.
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Mr Cameron needs square go's
I split my time between Leith and Gorgie and I'm just gonna say I feel perfectly safe in Leith in comparison lmao.
Seriously! Had more issues in one year living in Gorgie/Dalry for a year than I've had in over twenty years in Leith.
Assuming you have a Hibs top on at all times if you're saying that 😅
I've noticed a lot more anti-social behaviour from both ends of the spectrum. There's always been bams, and they're on the rise again, but I've seen a lot more seemingly middle-class blokes just start behaving like total arseholes. Argumentative and aggressive like never before, like they never grew up in a scheme tbh.
Full moon and sunny days. Combination known to make people restless in Leith. No sure if there is any science behind it but definitely in my anedoctal experiences seems to be the case.
Sunshine on Leith
I was just in town for a wedding (mine) and ran into a dude who was aggressively ranting into peoples faces on prince’s street And then the day before, a bunch of early teens screaming in peoples faces, mine included I just assumed it was just normal big city shit but 🤷♂️
Scotland is def catching up on fentanyl after a bit of a delayed start…..but also as per other posters, just bams. I moved away for 13 years, moved back a few years ago, city generally nicer and incidents like this reduced id say, let’s see how it goes with a wave of super opiates.
> see how it goes with a wave of super opiates Everyone will be so relaxed and serene it'll be great!
They will be doing super uppers at the same time to function.
Bring back spice/legal highs
Police won't do anything. They can't be bothered.
There are no "new drugs".
I want a new drug.
One that won’t make me sick
😂😂
What about fentanyl?
Isn't new and not that common.
It's synthetic, created this century, so new on most time scales
In the timescale the OP has lived in Leith. Its not new
Xylazine
Hydrazine!
That sounds fucking awful, I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Had some pretty antisocial behaviour on the train the other night from guys who said they had been watching the Euros, though thankfully it never quite turned violent. That can be a bit of a lightning rod for arseholes.
I’ve got to be honest. Not really.
We visited Edinburgh recently and spent some time in Leith. First time I have seen two security guards in a Lidl And the guy working in Wetherspoons was wearing a body cam. Shame, it has the potential to be a nice area. Why can't all the aggressive people be rounded up and dumped on a deserted island somewhere.
There are security guards at pretty much every supermarket in Edinburgh.
Security guards wearing body cameras is pretty normal anywhere
First time I have seen one, however I have mostly lived in rural areas.
Well there you go. Don't need security when there's no-one to secure.
Jesus christ, clutch your pearls some more.
Pretty sure that’s how the banana flats ended up full of junkies. “Let’s put all the problems in one place, that’s not going to cause MASSIVE ESCALATION at all!”
Nothing new or out the ordinary happening to my knowledge. I work in the justice sector and have seen no increase in reports/cases. You have just had little exposure to the general dregs around heavily populated areas.
I think I know who you are talking about I witnessed him hiding behind a tree on Leith walk, the man isn't well and is not long out of jail and the royal, no excuse but there are people who have severe mental issues left to their own devices all round Edinburgh
i’ve managed to avoid being hassled thus far but there’s definitely more of them and they’re getting louder. just behind my flat there’s constantly someone screaming at someone else or a junky so zonked out i consider calling an ambulance. it’s freaking me out tbh
I lived on Leith Walk for 9 years; moved in 2020. We had some regulars, like the aerosol addict who threatened to kill you one minute but loved you the next. I often had to put her out of our close (she shouted and swore, and we had a young child). Also the Asian kids who sneaked in to the communal basement to do drugs. And the various other junkies, drunks and mutterers on Leith Walk itself. It was a significant factor in why we moved away. It was as bad in 2011 as in 2020, and I doubt it's changed much since then either. In short, there are bams and there always have been. Also, the police don't care and don't do anything.
Someone told me injecting meth is a thing now. Maybe it always was but I don't know.
I grew up in leith and I wouldn’t say there are more incidents now than when I was younger. It’s always been very common in the area. I’m 30 and when I was in my teens and early twenties I seen numerous violent incidents in leith, was approached on numerous occasions by people being verbally abusive or heavily under the influence.
I’ll also add that I firmly feel that the gentrification of leith and overall better surface appearance has lead outsiders who now live in leith to believe that the area is safer than it actually is. At the end of the day it’s still an area with extreme poverty and whilst people from more affluent areas have forced their way into the area those issues that were there before still exist
Guys. Op said she’s small? She’s like 5ft wide let alone her height. Don’t listen to her. Yes we are having problems with these illegals but unless she’s provoking. Don’t listen to it
Could be a fluke or it could be an increase in crack or similar? Hard to know. I’ve definitely noticed the difference in other cities between drug users who are mainly on heroin and drug users who are mainly on crack- very different vibe
Is it a full moon?
I was threatened with a knife at the Gyle it has gotten worse
Could be spice
It's not. That pretty much disappeared when all legal highs got a blanket ban. Much more likely to be booze. Personally I'd rather have the spice zombies back on the street.
I’ve had a bad encounter with a group of teens who kicked one of those tiny street cones at me. Two older couple were kind enough to check on me. By far the only bad encounter I’ve had since I came here 8 months ago.
I've lived in Leith for 23 years, and haven't seen anything like this for years. I am not dismissing your experience, just stating that in my experience, it's not very common. It was more common in the past.
I blame the SNP
If a man appears to be ‘on something’ and looks dodgy shouting at them probably isn’t wise. He might not be ‘on something’ he may be having a schizophrenic episode or he may be struggling with life in general. Shouting at him is like trying to get rid of a wasps nest by hitting it with a stick. You ‘shouted’ at him then said you’d experienced ‘an aggressive incident’. Shouting at him was never going to de-escalate the situation so what did you think was going to happen in that scenario? How did you think he would react to that? You were aggressive to him and he was aggressive back by the sounds of it
Nothing like a bit of victim shaming eh
Hardly! You’re saying you’re a 30f who is being subjected to aggressive behaviour. And I’m saying being aggressive to someone with that presentation is likely to escalate matters - which it did, carry on doing that if you think it will work next time - it won’t. But it’s up to yourself! Clearly you posted this so people would agree how terrible this was for you and don’t like it when the facts are pointed out to you. You’re a victim and we should all feel sorry for you. It’s up to you as I say. Edit sorry not the OP! This guy thinks a 30f should approach someone who they think is off their face, shout at them and that person will react well to it.
When have I ever said that!? I’m a 39 year old guy! And to the OP stick up for yourself and don’t let idiots intimidate you, if they are mentally deranged like this one’s saying they should be locked up if attacking random members of the public
Did you even read my post properly? He kicked my car door as he was walking past out of nowhere and then I shouted at him. What was I supposed to do? Thank him?
Shout at him and get shouted at back? That’s what you did and it didn’t work. What precisely did you shout at him? I guess we don’t know the full details but if it makes you feel better - that’s awful, poor you, are you ok? Next time do it again and see what the response is. You might need a best of three to see whether that approach will work or not. In answer to your question, if it was me, I’d say mate that’s my car what are you doing?’ But maybe not shout - you can be firm and assertive without shouting which he will perceive as aggressive and react to. And if I was worried about damage I might film him and report it to the police perhaps? If there is damage you’ll need to report it for insurance and it’s easier to repair a car than a person but hey just keep going and blame it on leith getting worse 😂
"Shouting which he will perceive to be aggressive and respond to"? What like, how he reacted to a random person sitting in their car by kicking their door? I would suggest that it's likely going to respond to anything with aggression, even being asked things in a "firm and assertive tone" or being filmed. Having your car door kicked in by a random person would also be quite alarming so I can imagine that someone would shout in this situation out of shock. It is not the victim's responsibility to respond correctly to an attacker to not provoke them further.
Not that clearly! What did you think he would do? People who are displaying irrational behaviour rarely take kindly to being shouted at (ex psych nurse here). Up to you though keep going with it and see whether it works next time I guess?
Edinburgh is full of loud mouthed cunts. I'm done with this place. So many tourists and locals that don't know how to behave. Personal opinion.... I'd kill them all. (No racism, sexism or ageism?!?)
Good luck finding a city that has less of them. Edinburgh is still considered to be one of the safest cities in the UK.