Taxi Ranks

[Neil]

Obviously though, because someone's bound to counter the above with this example, girls walking home on their own are allowed to get a taxi and not be called lazy. Even if they are really.

Exactly. And what is also worth considering is where is the place you're most likely to see trouble after a night-out? No, not walking home. It's waiting for a taxi in a queue with loads of other drunks.

[Jeanette]

It's also acceptable if it's raining.

Ah, but if the walking distance is shorter than the length of time in the taxi queue... then unless you have an umbrella, standing in the queue means you'd get soaked.

[Chris]

Ah, but if the walking distance is shorter than the length of time in the taxi queue... then unless you have an umbrella, standing in the queue means you'd get soaked.

True enough. But if you happen to come across a short queue it's acceptable to get a taxi home in the rain.

Of course I'm only using that example because it's the main reason I get a taxi back to my flat occasionally.

[Guest Jake Wifebeater]

where is the place you're most likely to see trouble after a night-out? No, not walking home. It's waiting for a taxi in a queue with loads of other drunks.

Exactly, so I find the best thing to do is flag one down on the way back. Got it down to a fine art now, stagger to Thain's for some mid-morning scoff then hail a taxi at Mounthooly. It's only 6, which is reasonable enough as I've been known to take 2 bloody hours to make it up George Street/Great Northern Road.

Never seen a hint of trouble doing it this way, mind you sometimes I can barely see the floor...

[Alan Cynic]

As I said earlier, I walk home all the time (unless I manage to catch the last bus about 11pm!!), but I can understand Lester not wanting to run the gauntlet that is Holburn Junction area late at night.

[Jeanette]

True enough. But if you happen to come across a short queue it's acceptable to get a taxi home in the rain.

Of course I'm only using that example because it's the main reason I get a taxi back to my flat occasionally.

That's very true. I'll let you off with that!

[Bigsby]

As I said earlier, I walk home all the time (unless I manage to catch the last bus about 11pm!!), but I can understand Lester not wanting to run the gauntlet that is Holburn Junction area late at night.

Especially with you hanging about.

And Peter Dow.

[Alan Cynic]

I don't 'hang about'!!!!!!!!!!..........I lurk!

Peter & I take a side of the street each...he hands out leaflets re the monarchy, Scottish army etc and I eat my white pudding supper, elegantly observing the mannerisms of the passing strands of humanity

Then I go home for a slash.

[Bigsby]

I don't 'hang about'!!!!!!!!!!..........I lurk!

Peter & I take a side of the street each...he hands out leaflets re the monarchy, Scottish army etc and I eat my white pudding supper, elegantly observing the mannerisms of the passing strands of humanity

Then I go home for a slash.

Why go home when you have the public lavvie just by the roundabout at Great Southern Road? Imagine, the convenience.

[Alan Cynic]

It's been shut for at least 5 years......usually, if I'm on my way home from Tunnels/Drummonds/Prince of Wales, and the bladder starts to act up I find O'Donoghue's a handy place! And then the chipper along the road...thereby missing out Holburn Junction completely.

[Guest treader.]

which public lavvie are you on about!?

[Alan Cynic]

There was a thread about this ages ago, I think....it's right opposite the 'wide' side of the Holburn Bar.

[Snowball]

My friends have taken to not bothering with the taxi ranks and either walking out of town up King St or past the theatre toward Rosemount. They've never had to go further than that Kury place that is now called something else or the theatre before they've managed to flag down a cab on its way back to the ranks. Most drivers say when thanked that they stopped because they seemed always reasonably sober and were walking along in a calm fashion and the driver reckons they'll get a quick and painless ~8 fare out of it. I can't believe they get away with not waiting in the queue like everyone else to be honest. I could walk home in just over 10 mins but it would involve cutting through the Morrisons car park and I don't always have the balls to do it so I brave the ranks and get insults shouted at me for taking up a cab by myself.

[Alah]

I could walk home in just over 10 mins but it would involve cutting through the Morrisons car park and I don't always have the balls to do it so I brave the ranks and get insults shouted at me for taking up a cab by myself.

What's wrong with going through Morrisons?

[Scootray]

Night time at Morrisons is never a good idea on your own.

It's badly lit and has had a few muggings/rapes in the past.

To be fair, I wasn't too fussed about it before, but if I'm on my own I usually avoid it late at night, or just prepare myself for getting jumped. Haha.

[Snowball]

Yeah it's just a bit gloomy late on. I don't have the "it'll never happen to me" attitude so much now I'm an old cronie.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

What's wrong with going through Morrisons?

Last year a lot of folk got mugged at that cash machine. Not heard of anything happen there in a while though.

[Chris]

I always think that Holburn Street after Little Italy is much scarier at night than the first stint.

Really? I usually feel the exact opposite. Once I'm past the bam bastions of Chicago Rock/Jumping Jacks and the dregs that are milling about Holburn Junction I usually feel like I'm clear all the way home.

[Guest treader.]

i usually walk up union street onto albyn place and then flag a taxi from there.

i used to always think that once i was off union street i was totally safe until i got home.

then one night i was walking up albyn place and i got jumped and kicked in, so there went that theory.

[Scorge]

I used to have to walk the whole length of Holburn Street back to my last flat in town, and barring the odd prostitute (take it the 'safe' zone is no more then?) and some surprisingly good heckling from passing car-dicks, I never had a problem. Drunk ASDA shopping for the win!

[Jeanette]

It's when you're relatively alone that I feel completely unsafe.

Yeah, it's really quite eerie once you pass Little Italy. I used to live off Broomhill Road, and the walk from Little Italy to there is a bit creepy. Too many dark corners. It does make you walk that bit faster.

Also, when I lived in halls the walk through Mounthooly wasn't much better. Even in a group. Again, probably something to do with not enough lighting and 'hidy-holes'.

[Chris]

I used to have some interesting walks home up George Street. Never seen anything remotely like the shit I saw there happen any time I've walked down Holburn.

[Chris]

I remember a couple of years ago I was walking from the top of George St very late at night and it had been snowing really heavily. So there were no cars on the road, just an even layer of white and a few hardy souls scattered around the street.

As I was walking down past Denzil's I noticed someone acting "strangely" a bit in front of me. He was walking from one side of the road to the other and generally bothering folk and getting into arguments. So I slowed my pace so as not to catch them up and passing one of his victims was simply told "Careful, there's a right nutter down there". Summed up George Street quite nicely.

[Guest treader.]

one time i saw a drunk man steal a bicycle after leaving the butcher's arms on george street only to ride it into the side of a stopped bus.

it was fucking ace.

[Cloud]

See, I actually think the centre of Aberdeen is far worse than the outlying areas - I've walked through Logie, Tillydrone, Bryon..etc late at night and never been bothered once, and I'm hardly a big scary bastard.

I did once see a pair of twats at 4am (while I was still stupidly drunk from an all-day drinking session) try and smash the windows of the Rosehill shops/bank. Was sober enough (just) to call 999 and tell them, and waited nearby while watching said twats. They walked off up...Rowan something?, but the police turned up, asked me where they went, then got another car after them. They then asked (very politely, it must be said) if I'd mind jumping in and identifying them as they'd just been caught red handed with two hammers in their hands. They drove past the other car slowly, then asked me if I'd seen them before. I grinned, told them "yes" and gave a statement with the help of them 'jogging' my memory. The worst thing was that there was no need for them to do it at all - I could understand trying to break into the chipper, but just breaking the glass was fucking pathetic.

Got a letter through about two months later from their solicitor, begging me to talk to them..ignored the letter, got another even-more desperate letter, then finally they sent a letter saying that the accused had entered a guilty plea, which was nice.

Flyering on Belmont Street will always hold a special memory in my heart though, just for the amount of violence for no reason whatsoever that you'd see.