to feel intimidated by the local traveller camp?

[youarekidding]

To start with I am not intending to assume they aren't nice people - I am not someone to judge anyone for their life choices.

In our town we have a leisure centre, with small and large pool, gym and other classes running. It is set on council property where there is an expansive grassy area outside of it, 4 public tennis courts, a half pipe and a park. It has a cycle route through it as a short cut and pathways around it. The council also plant lovely dafodil/ flower 'displays' on it yearly. Because of it's location it's used frequently by school children from local schools on their way home, for people as a meeting point for picnics/ outdoor fun etc and by locals for dog walking, runners as it does a circuit etc. Also many families use it after swimming.

Just under 2 weeks ago some travellers moved onto the site. This happened about 5/6 years ago and a barrier was put across the car park for night time but they moved in during the day, bumping up the curb and driving through the dafoldil/ flower area and across the grass.

At the time the weather was 25°c+ and so they have pitched some of their caravans under the trees.

News of this travelled fast and many people who had planned half term meets began to suggest other places. I was a bit saying it's a large area 6-8 caravans shouldn't affect it. DS (7) swims at the leisure centre and I saw the site when taking him - this was after hearing about it and plans changing etc. It does overtake one of the grassy areas, especially when you add in all the work trucks and the tractor!

The problem is is where they've set up, and by using some of the trees they have their camp either side of one stretch of the path - the bit near the park that also feeds the local estate to the leisure centre if your walking.

So far there does not seem to be too much mess created by this - although the council have had to cut the grass around them and the rain today means I reckon the grass will get very churned up with driving on.

Anyway the location of their camp means that when walking along this stretch of path it feels very intimidating and as if your walking through somebody elses garden iyswim? This has caused many people, and increasingly more by the looks of it to avoid this area.

AIBU (and others) to feel this way?

I will add when I walked through a week ago they basically ignored us but one families very cute DD smiled, waved and said hello so we said hello back.

[cazboldy]

well they have to go somewhere I guess, and to be fair don't sound too bad so far.

Why should your or anyone elses right to use the place be greater than theirs?

Obviously council owned land? so I guess they will get moved on soonish....

[youarekidding]

I don't think anybodies right trumps there's or there's trumps anyone elses. Although it's slightly annoying it's our council tax paying for the area and the clean up/ restoration when they go.

It's more that it's set up means you are walking through their outdoor living area, through their outdoor tables etc.

I have camped alot and the general unspoken rule is you don't walk through someone elses camp area - it feels like this is what we're doing.

I just wondered if IABU to feel this way, and/ or hear others experiences.

[youarekidding]

theirs!

[SaggyCeratops]

YouAreKidding are you in a town beginning with C? I suppose the best thing to do is try and detour round them. If they are quiet and unagressive, then jus let them get on with it.

[amillionyears]

Think I would still walk through.Might be a bit more wary after dark as I would in any other public area after dark.

[SundaeGirl]

YANBU, although based on previous discussions you'll be told you are.

The kind of people who drive through flower displays to avoid barriers can be quite intimidating.

[morethanpotatoprints]

They will be gone soon enough. YANBU to be a bit wary, but you would be if you assumed they would make trouble. Knowing the travelling community as I do what gets their back up is people thinking any crime while they are there is down to them. Some is obviously, but not all.

[DizzyCow63]

YANBU op, I would be intimidated too, and. Why should they be permitted to damage Council land? You and I wouldn't be!

[looktoshinford]

You are being far far too nice and reasonable.

Complain to your council ASAP. The land does not belong to the travellers, and they are denying everyone else access by the very fact there are 6 caravans there now and people are feeling intimidated.

Over time the area will become less and less fit for public use. When they move on, they may leave the place needing thousands of pounds in repairs that you will all pay for through taxes.

[CrispyCod]

The land isn't intended for this use so they shouldn't be there. If you contact the local council they will visit the site and inform the travellers of the nearest available site for that use.

[youarekidding]

saggy not C no!

I don't go out after dark - mainly because atm it's not dark until 9pm ish.

They are not intimidating at all from what I've seen - it's more that I and others feel we are encroching on their space iyswim? That in itself feels quite intimidating - almost as if we are disturbing them? It's quite hard to explain.

I think if they had set up away from the path, park etc and no-one had to walk 'through' their camp it would feel less like they were on up public space and as if we were walking through their garden!

I get all the damge to the land etc, I don't think that's right, but I do think there are many people who don't live the way society dictates expects who do far more actual physical and long term harm/ damage that it isn't the worse infliction in the world.

I do not think this is a criminal bunch by any means. They seem to be young families in typical 4 berth type caravans (not huge ones) with children aged about 8ish and younger. They are obviously a hard working bunch if the work trucks are anything to go by. They are all pavers, tree cutters etc.

[ddubsgirl]

at least they didnt break in,thats what they do here,locks,fences,mud mounds are dug out etc :/

[youarekidding]

look council are aware and made a statement to say they would endovour to move them on in a week. A week went by then 4 days BH so I think that was a little opimistic!

Crispy I believe there are many permanent traveller sites near here.

I agree they shouldn't be there etc, they don't pay local taxes etc and won't be paying for the clean up. However, I am also not one to judge others life choices and so far they don't seem to have caused any damage and mess - so it could be worse.

However I don't live in that estate so maybe those who back onto the grassy area will be far more effected and more put out by it?

[CrispyCod]

They also have to respect our life choices too OP. Our choice to pay taxes towards the upkeep of these facilities etc. I respect them as you do but believe they should only reside at the sites allocated to them.

[youarekidding]

That's a good point crispy I was extremely interested when the whole Dale Farm story/ demolition took place. It opened my eyes to travellers and their lifestyle and also the effect it can have on whole communities.

I guess this situation doesn't seem bad because in comparison it's only a small, and fairly troublesomeless bunch.

There will be a lot of council taxes spent restoring the area though.

[youarekidding]

Well Lo and behold - today they have gone.

TBF to them it doesn't look damaged in anyway and the council have cut the grass. (I suspect they were moved on so council were ready iyswim?)

Thanks for all the replies. I know travellers have a bad press, which I suspect must have come from somewhere but know not to tarnish and all that. I just found my reaction to being intimidated by people who weren't actively or physically being intimidating strange iyswim? and wondered if IWBU.

[amillionyears]

They knew you were talking about them on MN and decided to move on

[youarekidding]

I don't think they were ever intending to stay that long tbh - no electric or any to steal! and they appeared after the local horse fair. They also obviously work/ have businesses goign by the vans. They were probably just having a holiday.

[ComposHat]

As a member of the travelling community I would like to relate my own expereince:

I was born in the wagon of a travellin' show
My mama used to dance for the money they'd throw
Papa would do whatever he could
Preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of
Doctor Good

Gypsys, tramps, and thieves
We'd hear it from the people of the town
They'd call us Gypsys, tramps, and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down.

YABU

[youarekidding]

I don't get it ComposHat Are you saying people complain about travelling shows but are happy to visit them and pay to use them? I often use visiting funfairs knowing they are probably a travelling community - I really am not judging their way of life and apologise if it came across that way. ( I don't agree with aspects of it but then I don't agree with aspects of many peoples lives )

I have not indicated I think they're thieves, there to cause trouble, or called them gypsies etc. It was more my own feeling of feeling like I was encroching on their space - which is actually public land. At first I poo poohed the locals who thought we should avoid the area and was quite astonished to find I felt intimidated and like a tresspasser despite the travellers not doing anything (by that I mean commenting or taking a threatening pose) to make me feel that way.

My boiler man is actually an ex-traveller (Irish). It's very interesting what he has to say - he does not intimidate me nor did the traveller family (think they are on a local permanant site) who did my friends trees.

[FrothyOM]

It's a cher song

It's God's earth and they have a right to roam it.


If you feel intimidated by a friendly, non-threatening bunch of travellers then take another route.


I expect lots of hard-working taxpayer posts...

[youarekidding]

I don't think there will be. I made it clear in my OP it wasn't what this was about.

They are free to roam - in fact I have had arguments with my father, my friend and her mum because I said they weren't harming anyone. Unfortunatly my friend was assaulted by a traveller who knocked her off her bike, stole it and threw it in a river - because it was their land (it wasn't) when she was 14yo. I thought the fear that every traveller would be the same was ridiculous as many house owning and dwelling citizins have done the same and worse.

This was more about me feeling like I was tresspassing when entering public land which legally/civally/ technically was being tresspassed on.

I actually do blame the media and cultural perception somewhat. Sometimes I do believe we are made to feel things despite us not actually feeling them iyswim? Its hard to explain.

They've gone now anyway.

[littleweed10]

YANBU but I would walk past with head held high say 'morning!' as you pass. If they are then horribly unpleasant then you have the right to feel pissed off, after all they have made a decision to park themselves next to the path. I am actually quite sympathetic to the travellers plight in terms of places they can go, but sympathy rapidly goes if they treat people rudely or leave a mess.

[LST]

YANBU Op. I'm in the same position too.

[inabeautifulplace]

I've had the same feeling when i first started cycling past a small but rough traveller camp locally. It was on my commute so i went past it very often. The feeling soon dissipated after a few hellos were exchanged.