I come from a gypsy / travelling family AMA

[TowerTumble]

I have name changed for this. I see so much misconception and ignorance around the travelling community and towards families like mine. I've started an AMA so if you have any questions to try and stop this misconception I'll answer everything I can!

This would be shunned in my community yes but sadly it does happen in some communities.

Elderly folk in my area are harassed to have their drive power washed, it’s moved on from laying tarmac.

I'm obsessed with TravellorTok and the cleaning, I can only aspire to that level, genuinely impressed and in awe. Is that usual in your community?

Sorry, I omitted a bit, which was to ask you whether male Traveller suicide rates are just as high in the UK Traveller community.

I live very close to a traveler family. They live in a house, are decent neighbours, the kids seem well brought up and they all work hard. It does appear girls and boys have more traditional roles in the family but thats none of my business.

They are far better and friendlier neighbours than the drama seeking, spoilt, over indulged, rude, entitled madam on the other side. Personally I would be more than happy to have another traveler family in my street as at least they understand and value community. I never understood the prejudice towards traveler family but have grown up around them.

If that happened in my community the child would be returned to the store with the items they were robbed, and to apologise to all staff members. The child would be shamed in front of everybody too, as a misrepresentations towards our culture. A lot of the time the parents aren't aware of what's going on and absolutely wouldn't stand for it at home.
But there are wisy washy parents in every walk of life. And kids steal no matter what background they have unfortunately. But we get stereotyped for it sadly and other ethnic groups do not

Are you passing that off as ‘cultural?’ ‘They shouldn’t have to give up their culture and history?’ Maybe there would be more travelling sites around if some in the community didn’t cause trouble everywhere they go and eave such appalling filth behind them. Is that part of their culture and history?

We had a family nearby who, after brawling at a funeral, had their house fire bombed!

We live near a lot of travellers and we only ever have bad experiences with them. And recently my very sheltered family member bought a caravan from a traveller (not realising) and have been well and truly ripped off, they tried to resolve some issues thinking it was a normal caravan business and ended up being threatened. Said family member was sick with anxiety for a number of months over the whole thing, thinking they were going to be attacked in their home. If you want people to like you, you need to do better as a community and stop blaming “prejudice”. It’s not “prejudice”, it’s learned experience unfortunately!

Oh apologies I didn't word it right, I meant school. College and uni aren't anywhere near as common, but most kids in my community go to school until 15/16 😊

Yes, I agree the stereotyping must be frustrating, but in our area it is a large number of children from a small community, having a very big impact. The parents are definitely aware, often waiting outside the shop to take the spoils.

Because unfortunately some travellers set a horrible example and that's all that people see. I always recommend speaking to a travelling family, asking for help if needed. We may have different ways and different traditions but not all of us are bad!

In my area we have a huge problem with the local traveller community and animal cruelty. The RSPCA recently had to be involved in a heart breaking case of horse neglect and cruelty. I watched a horse be beaten in the road when it was on the ground. A very large traveller family up the road from me with 15 children was moved out of the area due to cat killings (using BB guns) - plenty more cases like this. I once watched a group of traveller children in a trap playing ‘chicken’ - there was a temporary light and they would beat the horse to make it go through the red light and in to f traffic - def could have killed the horse However I have always heard people say that travellers are animal lovers. Is my expertise of our local community atypical?

No questions Op but just to say thanks for starting the thread. Shocking how much anti-Traveller racism is allowed, on Mumsnet and generally. If it's the same thread I've just been on, it's appalling. Good luck, hope this thread stays nice!

I had another good experience of the travelling community (albeit I don't think they were gypsies) a few years ago after a music festival. It's a four day event I go to, camping, that has rides and amusements etc. You need a LOT of stuff for such an event, given how unpredictable the weather is and how clothes are so readily ruined with mud, and I was really struggling to carry all my bags back to the car park following it, stopping every few minutes. My back's also bad, has been since childhood so I was in quite a lot of pain carrying everything.

As I approached the exit of the festival, the lads who'd been working on the rides were all waiting at the barrier and offering to carry everyone's bags in exchange for a couple of £.

I almost snapped their hands off. They were very happy to do it and very chatty on the way back to my car, a mile or so away. I gave a generous tip,so so grateful! 😆

And I am sure it was a lot less arduous a task to a strapping young lad than it was for 5"2 of exhausted 40 something hungover female.

A friend I talked to about it (sadly) said she'd have been scared they'd have ran off with her belongings. I replied that if they wanted a huge bag full of mucky, muddy clothes and boots then they can crack on. As if.

I think clamping down on racism and presumptions against the travelling community. Working better for inclusion etc. and you're welcome!

You have not answered any of my questions - i dont live near any other ethinic group so don't see their actions with my own eyes
Here are examples of it
Horse 'left to die' is now prize-winning show pony - BBC News
Horse found fighting for her life on busy Dublin road dies along with unborn foal | Dublin Live
Gardaí strike in first-of-its-kind multi-agency operation in Kilkenny - Kilkenny Live

Festivals are organised around the world and there is a massive clean up arranged after
Yes people shop lift but i am telling you what i have dealt with and see in my own eyes. Lived in my town most of my life, dealt with it working in shops and pubs etc. Also seen it in Aldi last week, the abuse the staff and the gardai was being given was horrendous even though caught red handed and of course the racism card was pulled, its not racism if you have broken the law and treated like everyone else
Last night went down for a takeaway, giving my order to the girl behind the counter, one of you ran in and shoved in front me, excuse me excuse me gives us a burger there love - Was "politely " told wait your turn, Again this is very common expectation to be served ahead of everyone else
I have worked with the dog warden and the local animal rescue, they will tell you some stories, they do their very best to ensure all animals are taken away but laws prevent them
Last week, farmer up the road happened to see lights in the distance of his land, rang a few people and went to investigate, lads lamping with greyhounds , got arsey with the land owner then questioning why was they were on his land - reported to guards, guards know them well, they have been warned but pay no heed
Halloween is horrendous here, going around throwing fireworks etc all around the streets
The law is there regardless of you ethnicity, follow the law pay your taxes, no one will have an issues with that - doesn't matter what ethnic minirity you are, what religion what colour etc
I am telling you things i have seen every day in my life -

The area i live in has a lot of issues with medium to large groups of travellers (of the travelling kind) taking over car parks and playing fields in the middle of the night, only leaving when the courts intervene and leaving a terrible mess. I know this is only a small minority of travellers, why don’t the wider travelling community condemn it? Also speak out against crime. There’s campsites, why not just book them?

That's a bad example though isn't? Health visitors would tell anyone to not use cot bumpers, that has nothing to do with you being a traveller. That is the NHS advice for everyone because of the harm caused.

The thing is the "stereo types" are built on bad experience. I get that you say that it is a minority that leave collossal damage and mess, but many peoples' only experience of travellers moving into sites is bad.

What efforts are made in the traveller community to deal with this so that the experiences of people that lead to these "stereotypes" can be changed.

And to refer to festival goers I agree with the other poster that referencing them is to ignore the question being asked.

Most people are horrified by the mess festival goers leave but it would be great to focus on this question as it relates to the traveller community given that is the point of this thread (and thanks for posting it btw...very interesting).

You should have reported the animal abuse to the emergency services.

With regards to trashing a field, sadly there are some travellers that think the land is theirs no matter their status. It's not right and they should rightfully be prosecuted.

I've heard that there has been some movement towards evangelical Christianity - being 'born again' - among Travellers. Is this something you've noticed? Would you say it's quite a religious community?

Huh? No, I don't think anybody should be in a hospital car park apart from staff, patients and visitors..

I remember a news story from a few years back where Pontins were exposed and found to have a blacklist, using it to turn away bookings from anybody with a surname on that list.

To my eyes, most of them just looked like common Irish surnames - not even necessarily Traveller-specific ones, as if that would make it any better. Disgraceful.

I quit my permanent teaching post nearly 8 yrs ago.

I was surprised to find that there was animosity between the Scottish/Irish Traveller community and Romanies. I witnessed this myself - Scottish Travellers claiming that only they were 'true Gypsies'.

Do you have any idea of what caused these tensions, or are they only local? I was told by a Community Liaison Officer that there were also fights between Scottish Travellers and Carnival Travellers. (We often have the latter in our area.)

Why is it so common for sites to be left in such a state? I get that facilities aren't available for proper disposal, but rubbish and human waste could still be bagged and sanitary?