I live on a traveller site AMA

[namechange2026198]

Well exactly that really got a spare bit of time and I know with some of the recent ridiculous tv shows I thought I’d see if I could answer a few myths and questions. I will say my partner is a traveller I am not but am married into the community which in itself is rare

@OP I'm also interested in how you think the relationship between the travelling and community and general public could be improved.

Often the only time people have an encounter with the travelling community it's a negative experience and then causes prejudice. Does the travelling community care or is it too
Insular to care what outsiders think? Do they ever do things for the greater good that could be publicised better.

I will admit that I'm mainly thinking about Irish travellers rather than Romani, who I haven't encountered, so apologies and please disregard if it's not applicable to your own community.

Do you wrap your furniture in plastic?

I ask this as I recently was asked to accompany a colleague to a traveller site (they’re not allowed to visit them alone). We went into one of the static homes and the sofas (bunk type things) were covered in clear plastic. As were the tables and chairs.

When I mentioned this to my colleague, he said this is something he sees all the time.

Don't 'deal' with me then 😂

I think you've missed my question why it feels different to live in a small house than in a big static caravan that will never be moved?

Why do Travellers go to the toilet outside please?

But there are cultures where this is true and it seems the travelling communities are part of that. Women don’t have equal rights to men do they as the norm, in the travelling communities. I don’t mind being corrected on that.

I would also be upset (and not a little worried) if I had a dd who joined the travelling community.

Do you feel like you represent most of Romani women? As in they would be able to make the same choices as you regard children future and husband?

The dress bit really baffles me too! For people who say they are very strict about sexual conduct and even talking about sex (which is considered immoral, hence why they don't allow their post primary girls to attend lessons) the lack of clothing, excessive make up on young girls and the sexualised dancing is very perplexing. I'm talking about Travellers though,don't know if RGs are the same.

It’s almost like the menfolk just make it up as they go along.
Weird, eh??

Why do some not use the toilet in the caravans ,

What do you think of events like Appleby where travellers just seem to cause so much chaos and all of the shops and pubs etc close?

It puzzles me too. in relation to Travellers, not Romany, as I don’t live in the UK and have never come across any.

ffs that poster specifically said she didn't label all travellers as such, she's allowed to ask the question
Op's coming across very well and speaking honestly- she's more than capable of answering questions without your virtue signalling

I heard that traditional travelling women grown upon beast feeding and it's actually taboo to do it or discuss it.

Is this the case as far as you know now? What are your views on breast feeding?

If it is not considered acceptable do you think that's to do with historical lack of privacy and that women's breasts are strictly only to be seen by their husband?

Really interesting thread and replies thank you!

is your site run by a head of the family type?
are their many criminals on your site? Our local one has a lot of problems and it really
does create a divide sadly.

when you travel around do you think it’s ok to set up on someone land or community area (local sports pitch and car parks are common here) if so how long is acceptable?

thank you again.

I agree Im afraid too People dont watch programmes. They live in areas that are terrorised by travellers every summer and see it with their own eyes. Last year there was a traveller camp on a local park. The kids racially abused and assaulted kids in the play area, the mess and crap everywhere was horrendous- and all something the people who live there have to pay for. Not to mention that all our parks now have bollards and height restrictions on them which the locals also have to pay for. If the community can enforce rules so strictly about some things, why not stamp on the behaviour of the apparently large groups of travellers who make a massive nuisance of themselves every summer?

Same as anyone else I would imagine. That's like asking 'what do doctors think of harold shipman?'!

Do you find the travellers in your community racist towards other cultures? We have had some very bad encounters.

Your logic is faulty.

Just because is IS possible, generally, to spot members of certain religious groups in a crowd,

It doesn't also follow that it works in the opposite way. Yes, there may be some people from those groups also in the crowd who dress in a more standard way, so no, its not possible to pick those out.

The latter doesn't invalidate the former.

Some travellers appear to have a certain distinctive style of dress... and some don't.

You would probably struggle to pick out the ones who aren't dressed distinctively. That doesn't mean that the ones dressed distinctively wouldn't still stand out.

Some people in a group sometimes dress distinctively does not equal all people in that group always dress distinctively.

Its not clear what point you're trying to make.

Hey OP,

great thread - thank you for sharing.

when you say there are a few things you’ve disagreed with (that you maybe had to accept?) - what were they?

I don't understand a culture which is obsessively clean inside home but people go to the toilet in parks.

Is there much crime that you hear of amongst your community?

When I read that your husband is a builder my first thought was that a weird profession for a traveller who's community all live in caravans... Why would he get into building?! Does he build houses, the very things his community don't believe in having? This feels like a vegetarian becoming a butcher to me!

Sorry if this ones already been asked, haven't read the whole thread, and sorry if this is a silly thing to ask!

How old is your Husband?
how did you meet when you were 8 ? Were you at school together ?

There were plans for a permanent traveller site to be built in the field next to the estate that I live on. There were a lot of complaints from residents, and it didn’t go ahead. There wasn’t ever an opinion put forward from a traveller; what would you say to the people who oppose these sites, and who are concerned about the crime rate and littering in the area (and all the other stigma surrounding travellers that was brought up during the consultation period)?