im a traveller AMA

[TakeABreak2]

irish traveller ama

How can you home educate your own dc if you left school so early? What can you teach them?

Who provides the sites for you to live on? What do you pay for?

In a way I admire the way you can all move about all the time and not really be based anywhere. It must save you a fortune - for me, I like my base (home) too much. But if I had more money I'd be travelling about all the time!

The comment someone made about travellers leaving rubbish - if I'm being honest with you they do this when they park up in the area I'm in. I understand you are not all going to be like that. Why do you think some people find that acceptable? And by the way, I TOTALLY agree with the comment you made about people leaving public events / festivals a big almighty mess too - although some might argue those same people may pay into the tax system so are kinda paying to have it tidied up in a way (not that that makes it right!).

I'm not sure how your community makes money though - I guess if you do a business, you will also pay tax. Do any mobile travellers have static jobs? (I guess again that would be impossible). And how do you manage without getting any post?

This is interesting thanks for starting the thread.

gorgeoushazydaysofsummer

I'm pretty sure I've seen the OP answer all these questions in this thread, and I haven't even read all of it that carefully.

Do traveller women get jobs outside the home?
Do travellers work for employers or are they self employed?
Is it a stereotype that everything is cash in hand or are they registered for tax and NI?

MN is always the same when it comes to travellers.

I'm in the NE too, my mate is a settled traveler, her house is much cleaner and her children much better behaved then mine.

I've seen the racism first hand, a venue cancelled her daughter's christening when they found out about her family, she had it somewhere else and there wasn't a jot of bother. When another daughter was off school once the headteacher said that all "her kind" were liars.

Does it upset you? She is that used to it she just shrugs it off but it pisses me off.

How far do you travel in an average year?
Do you follow a routine of being in certain towns on certain dates?
Do you travel with the same group of other travellers, and if so are they all extended family (yours or your husband's)?

As I said when I lived up north the local travellers appeared in the summer holidays to work the harvest with their horse drawn caravans. They sold hand made pots and pans and my dad speaks of them fondly.

The ones in my village right now are nothing like that.

It is odd that people don't understand why some members of a community who are forever treated badly by the settled community might become antisocial. What is more astounding is how many do not.

I lived in a small town in Ireland where a contingent of the poshest travellers I have ever seen arrived. They had lovely caravans to die for, pristine clean and beautiful children. The town divided over the issue. I'm glad to say that 50% defended the travellers, but the pub-owner wouldn't talk to the shop-owner because he served the travellers. The children would go into the shop almost with their hands up to avoid suspicion that they were stealing.

Prejudice is such an awful thing. If society treats you badly it takes a superior person to stick to their principles and not put two fingers up to society.

Thanks OP, no I wouldn't be scared at all.

I just think that everyone should have a chance to fulfil their educational potential regardless of what community they come from. Nobody should have to leave school at 15/16 when they are incredibly clever and could have an amazing career.

But this isn't just about traveller communities, my DM had a friend who's family were devout Plymouth Brethren. The son was encouraged to go to Uni but their daughter was expected to stay at home after O Levels, even though she was far cleverer than her brother, as her goal should only be to get married. She took her own life aged 19. Heartbreaking. This was back in the 1980s. Her parents refused to complete the paperwork for her to get a grant to go to University.

It's a shame that some of the older traveller members would frown upon it. Why on earth wouldn't they want some of their community to be up there, being educated to the highest level, having some of the elite jobs and maybe demonstrating that the traveller community have something incredibly positive to contribute? And also helping the traveller community?

And OP, if you ever fancy meeting up for a glass of wine and a chat, let me know.

We both live in Leeds, that's good enough for us to be friends

I think that the travellers that invade school playing fields, parks etc and then when they are evicted leave so much rubbish and human waste are probably the ones to blame for their reputation with the general public

Rather than expecting the general public to not tar all travellers with same brush after experiencing the above -- why don't the traveller community put pressure on those that do the above to stop or change the way they invade parks, playing fields etc and then not make the human waste mess or to clear up so the general public don't think "all travellers are thieves, who invade places and leave mess etc"

What I mean is that if the travellers community "police" themselves to stop the above then the general public might change their opinion of their community

georgeousshazydaysofsummer
i wont be educating them a private turor will be
sites are sometimes council or sometimes private
we pay for to live on the land / use of water / use of toilets

luckycat we have a base adress for mail and to come back to in the winter
get work by advertisment/leaflets/going out and getting the work
most travellers are tax registered

alpacahat
some woman work i know women work in cafes/tesco/botiques
most men are self employed tbh
everything is mostly cash in hand but goes into a tax registered buisness account

pandamodium it pisses me of but like her i just shrug it of used of it

@takeabreak2 thank you :)

newname it all depends
mostly travel with the same people some missing/some new
mostly to the same towns probably not the same dates

andiwouldwalk500mile

i dont drink but maybe a chat lol where in leeds are u? im actually selby/leeds sherburn in elmet

subtitleson
just because were travellers we dont know everyone and myself if i knew one of these id just pull somewhere else i wouldnt get involved with them

Takeabreak hi! I was brought up as a traveller but settled aged 20. People at work are shocked at my childhood my family still travel, I’m the black sheep.
Do you get fed up with the questions about how we rely on men and have a ball and chain from a young age just for being female?

Has anyone ever been excluded from your community? What do you do if someone is a persistent trouble maker?

Hi, I'm in east Leeds, so your side. Very happy with chat, coffee and cake

TakeABreak2 my local buy and sell site on Facebook had a lot of posts of stuff being sold by travelers.

Can you please tell me what the story is with the popularity of-
Mats/rugs- usually with fake Chanel or Louis Vuitton logos

Buckets (think the brand is Joyo? They look like plastic buckets but seek for about £30!) What are they used for?

Porcelain doll figures

Sets of china crockery

@missbehaving You did get an answer-

i got a full liscence full insurance tax and mot i dont know many who dont - why would we want to be pulled over