Mount Druitt is the ghetto, Sydney City is a dump too
January 18th 2008 06:30
I'm addicted to checking the latest headlines on Sydney Morning Herald and Ninemsn.com.au a few times during work days as a much needed 10 minute break in between doing actual work (I swear). And it's mostly depressing, lots of deaths, burglaries, rape, and recently lots of stories about what goes down in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, from Blacktown to Penrith with one of the worst areas, Mount Druitt, in between. It's mostly to do with bus drivers being attacked, robbed and/or assaulted and I give props to anyone who dares drive a bus in these areas. They should get paid a decent amount for sticking it out, being harrassed, a lot of the time by kids.
I'm at the mounty county often because my boy lives there, (and they have the best fried chicken and deep fried mushrooms) and I'm lucky to not have seen too much trouble being caused, but his mother has many stories of being robbed, witnessing robberies and bashings and 2 people throwing themselves in front of trains in separate incidents.
Then about over an hour away from the ghettos, you have Sydney City and it's actually a lot dirtier than the outskirts of town. Oxford St has "lost its mojo", George St and surrounding areas smell like piss and beer.
It's a shame what the City of Sydney (the City of Sin) has been reduced to, especially on Thursday-Sunday nights, witnessing many fights on the streets, badly dressed people, intoxicated teens and people who just don't care.
When I go home to the 'burbs and look back at the thick, smouldering fog of pollution that I breathe every weekday... I feel like leaving you Sydney.
Then about over an hour away from the ghettos, you have Sydney City and it's actually a lot dirtier than the outskirts of town. Oxford St has "lost its mojo", George St and surrounding areas smell like piss and beer.
It's a shame what the City of Sydney (the City of Sin) has been reduced to, especially on Thursday-Sunday nights, witnessing many fights on the streets, badly dressed people, intoxicated teens and people who just don't care.
When I go home to the 'burbs and look back at the thick, smouldering fog of pollution that I breathe every weekday... I feel like leaving you Sydney.
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Comment by Tammy
Comment by Tammy
Comment by natenelson
I have lived here since 1987 and the biggest happening thing that ever drew my attention was the huge turn out for the run through of the Olympic torch.
Although the kids on the buses do need a hiding and 2 people did throw themselves in front of trains here, that doesn't mean that this doesn't happen in other areas and more frequently.
I actually think that the people from this area are luckier than those closer to the city, our land rates and rent is so much cheaper that the city, the social expectations to have and spend money is less here, the pollution is less and that can be seen when you look up with the naked eye.
I know a lot of folks, who have lived here for decades, talking to them about this raised the point that there are a lot more quiet weeks and years than the times you speak about.
The thing that I have a problem with, is what you say, it's all hear-say, if you don't like Sydney, rack off. All you are doing is winging.
Along with the Emerton chicken and chip shop (I actually worked in that shop for 7 years!) there is numerous things in this area that are good things, maybe not tourist attractions but assets for the residents none-the-less.
I'm not saying everything you said is wrong but give us, out here, a fair go, aye?
we have done nothing to you to get slammed and I'd bet there is losers near every train station and last time I checked, assaults, murders and suicides were a nation wide issues.
Maybe the problem is with the media, I remember when the year below mine at Mount Druitt High were in the paper for having crap T.E.R scores, misplaced media focus about that one as well and it's obvious that the Media created more terror than any Muslim did over 9/11, I still remember the pop that the bodies made as they hit the ground, the amount of times it was shown those few days, who could forget it?
It just feels like people need to bitch about some one to make them selves feel better, that is pathetic.
Most people out here are beautiful happy people, please leave us alone.
Comment by Trina
Hiphop
Confessions of a Serial Dancer
Competitions
Clubbing
P.S. This is a blog. Bitching/ranting is allowed.
Comment by natenelson
I just want to apologise to you because not only was I uninformed, I was also wrong.
Mount Druitt is a Ghetto!
I don't know if you heard but there is a serial rapist that has made 6 attempts since mid april I think. Well the latest attack happened in my street, Woodstock Avenue. It was actually in the garden across from my home.
A month ago in the street behind mine, my brother was bashed by two Kiwi males.
I'm sick to death of finding needles when I walk my dogs, watching junkies and drunk hags fighting at the shopping centre, wannabe emo sadcases heckllng strangers and asking for ciggarettes, then ridicueling them after only giving them one free smoke near the westfields dawson mall entrance, even our local busker had to be a drunken mess when he was on that red faces show.
When I did a search to read about the rapists M.O, I found so many rape reports in the mount druitt area, a 14 yr old was charged for gang raping a 16yr old boy!!
I now feel sick and feel miserable about what the people of this town have become.
I'm not saying all people from this area are as crap as these criminals, but I am so sad and ashamed to be near the bad ones and can totally understand any fear or ill feelings towards the masses of this area.
Even though you corrected me on what you actually did mean, I now have the opinion that I first assume you held. I think I nolonger have hope for the improvement of this hole of a town.
If any fellow Mount druitt-ers read this, I'm sorry if my opinion hurts or offends you, that's not my intention, I have just given up on my patriotic stance, I want to move from here and never come back.
I know there are good, really good people here but that is so easy to forget when all we hear of is the lives that get distroyed and derailed from the track that they are on.
It's been so long since I've passed a pedestrian who's not too fearful to say hello or goodmorning back to me...that is heart breaking to me.
so, I just felt that I should tell you and your readers how I feel now, as i left the last one feeling quite different and thought it right to say this to you.
Sorry for any typo's.
Comment by islam
misplaced media focus about that one as well and it's obvious that the Media created more terror than any Muslim did over 9/11,
I was reading ur comments as i came across this sencence for a grown up person u should have known better than blame more than one billion people i was actually thinking that u were a gud person trying to defend mt druitt but you are worst than the jew who bombed 9/11 or may be the christians
mate u dont know for sure who had bombed the towers its just the media that told you it was muslim extremist and not all the muslims reading your comments makes me wanna spew up coz i hate to think there is people like you in australia specially next to my house coz i live in woodstock too may be you should educate your self alil bit more about muslim's and their peacefull religion by the way
may allah help you
Comment by nate
I'm sorry for wording my feelings incorrectly and for offending you, I showed this forum to some friends and family and they explained how what I wrote actually sounds, if people read it. it does sound rude and that wasn't what I meant.
I agreed with you about 9/11-" and it's obvious that the Media created more terror than any Muslim did over 9/11",
Maybe the confusion is because I was trying to keep the text as short as possible and not go-on for too long? I'll just go into everything from now on, to stop this confusion.
never the less, what I said was meant to imply that I don't have an opinion about who bombed what, I was implying that the media was the "bad guy", not people of any particular faith.
If you could hear the tone that would have been used if I verbally said it, it would have come across that I was saying "I wouldn't blame Muslims with the crap the media says, that's the pot calling the kettle black", that's more like what was meant.
If your feelings about me come from what I said about Mount Druitt, I won't apologise. everything I said is true, I will never shut up about my feelings or opinions as will you.
The state of this town is shocking to me and it makes me sad, if you disagreed, you'd have said it, but your problem seems to be about my comment on 9/11.
If you are offended about my sadness, that's your problem, you should leave my sadness with me. I will never shut up about my feelings. If you don't like it, don't read it or ignore it.
I was defending 'my town' in the first place then I guess I stopped lying to myself about this place, I'm just being honest about what I see with my own eye's.
if what I say offends you then you have the same problem I do, "on mass" -the people in this town 'seem' to be rude, heartless, opportunistic ungrateful and without morals.
I know there are other good people here too but I've yet to see it this time round. I know they exist but never see that, only see and hear about the crap here.
To me it does seem like a Ghetto, don't blame me for it. re-read what you said to me, you don't sound like a ideal/good example for the reputation for the people of Mount Druitt either or like a "gud" person, so don't expect me to.
I don't want that job because I have given up on this place.
No-one else cares enough.
why should I?
I used to care and have made effort to make it a good place, I just don't think it's worth the effort now and I give up.
So, sorry about any misconception about blaming Muslims, I don't at all!
I'm not sorry for my feelings about this hole of a town or it's low-lives here, at all.
So, maybe you should ask Allah to help you instead?
Comment by Anonymous
How can you defend Mount Druitt one minute and then change you perspective on it the next? You critisice Mount Druitt but who are you to judge? Your pretty much bagging out this place but you don't stop to think about evey other place in this country, let alone the world.
You say your "sick to death of finding needles when you walk your dogs, watching junkies and drunk hags fighting at the shopping centre, wannabe emo sadcases heckllng strangers and asking for ciggarettes etc."
Well what makes you think that that does not happen at every other suburb in Sydney. Search it up on Google or any other form of information you can find and tell me ONE suburb that has not had ONE thing wrong with it. I can guarantee you 100% that there is no way on earth you will find a suburb without unfavorable people living in it.
As for the raping that happened on Woodstock Ave. I live two streets away from there and I am a young girl who could possibly be a target for this rapist. This does not make me feel as if I should critisice my suburb that I have grown up in and lived in for over 17 years. Im sure if each teenage girl takes good care of herself and her surroundings then she will not be open to this particular kind of abuse.
Some areas like "Mount Druitt" are more targeted by the media than others. Why? Because when a unfavorable thing happens at one particular place the media aim to concentrate on that place and create a bad name for it. At least if they repeat various things at that one place, people will be familiar with the information the media has to supply rather than hear completely new news on some other place that they are unfamiliar with.
On another note you said "I want to move from here and never come back.'' Feel free to do so buddy, actions speak louder than words. If you really "want" something to a certain extent then you will get it so you best start looking for another "suburb" with NOTHING wrong with it and I highly doubt you will find one. Like they say, you can run but you can't hide. Move from Mount Druitt to another place, that does not mean you will be free of your misery and "sick feeling". Trouble is everywhere.
You'll probably reply to this and say that you did not say everywhere else is trouble free but just less trouble. Your words are already predictable. The only reason that you are now against this area is because your brother was bashed by two kiwi men like you said. You've just taken your anger out on the whole community of Mount Druitt and you have tried to find all the wrong-doings possible to criticise this suburb while making it seem as if your not.
If you have bothered to read this far, let alone read this at all, then I will also say that you could have used another example instead of the muslims and 9/11 incident. That's just going to stir shit up even if you did not mean it the way it sounded.
Sorry if I sounded like a bitch but I felt the need to put my 2 cents in and defend, if you like to say, my great suburb MOUNT DRUITT.
P.S. Trina - I personaly thought that your blog on Mount Druitt and the City of Sydney was great and perfectly worded.
Comment by nate
I do think about every other place in this country, and the world, but I live here and have all my life so I spoke about that, as it was the topic up for discussion.
who am I to judge? a resident of this town, like you! It's obvious that bad things happen every where but I cared about where My family and I live, I never said others here have to agree with me as I'm sure you don't.
For me, I was just acknowledging what this place is really like, I think I was deluded to think everything was nice here, what I wrote was more about admitting the truth, than about judging and bagging a town out.
About the rape paragraph, check out the police reports for every police station, through the local councils, the statistics say it all, I don't need to say anything, all I can say about that is our police in Mount Druitt are way busier than most other police stations.
I'm not the spokes person for all that don't feel at ease in Mount Druitt, I'm a guy who got defensive, just like you, then realised I was looking at my home town through rose coloured glasses- not a dedicated Mounty hater, so I can't answer all your questions because like every one else, I don't have the answers.
I'm just working my way through my feelings and thoughts like the rest of the world. All I can do is keep honest and stay open about changing my mind and learning more.
I hope your not trying to say "shut up and keep your opinions to your self" cause that would be hypocritical and stupid considering this is a public forum.
Yes, I could have bought up other examples of the media overdoing it and not "stirred up shit" but I'm not one to walk on egg shells and it was actually what I was thinking of at the time, maybe I'm not as rehearsed as you'd like but I'm happy being myself and only need self-acceptance, so what if it pisses people off and causes some discussion or confrontation, is that not a good thing?
I don't think I need permission to look for an other town to live in either, wasn't asking any one. I did get that you were making sure to "cover all bases", good job!!
Of course I would read what you wrote and reply, I want to discuss this, I want to hear that good people are here, there are others who choose to be here and like it, although you sound a tad hostile and so far seem to just want to argue, I don't think you sound like a bitch, I am hoping you're not a "typical Mounty hag", just defensive.
I don't think you really think I am predictable (not that it matters), if that were the case, you wouldn't bother to say anything because it would have been pointless, unless you are one of those hags just wanting to rant and rave for last word sake cause you're bored hitting your grotty kids at 17. I hope you are just defensive and understandably so.
I hope you reply and don't just want to argue and tantrum, I like your two cents.
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by nate
The urban dictionary says:
1. (n.) an impoverished, neglected, or otherwise disadvantaged residential area of a city, usually troubled by a disproportionately large amount of crime
2. (adj.) poor; of or relating to the poor life
And the Google definition says:
A section of a city where the Nazis forced all Jews to live. A ghetto was often sealed off with walls, barbed wire and armed guards, preventing people from entering or leaving.
So I guess all of us are a bit off with what we think it means, I'm pretty sure in this instance the term was used generally.
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by nate
I actually like living in Mount Druitt again! ha ha!
I got over it.
I think what it comes down to is when bad things happen, I think about bad stuff, when good stuff happens, I am happy!
I do still think that the wankers in this town must have chaffing, big time!
I just care about what they do when it effects me, who isn't the same?
thanks for your words!
Comment by Anonymous