So my quiet town had a visit from our traveller 'friends' this week and

[AndThatsWhatIThinkOfYou]

They wonder why people are so against them setting up camp where ever they please.

They arrived last Wednesday on a football field with a park and caused a whole load of trouble, for example, going to the petrol station handing over euros, being told they won't accept euros as payment, they simple got in their vans and drove of.

Made a visit to our local Sainsburys got caught shoplifting, were locked in until police were called.

Local children playing on park got beaten up with sticks by the traveller children.

And to top it all of 3 vans pulling up outside a local pub, very busy, dropping their trousers and all three disgusting men casually took a shit one by one on the pub doorstep. Got in there vans and drove of.

Then left the football field and park in an absolute mess. Rubbish everywhere.

Each incident police were called but nothing has been done.

So AIBU to wonder why travellers think this behavior is acceptable? and why can't anything be done to stop it?

Oh yup expat

I'd support anyone's right to their human rights.

My mum has her rights too. It happens not in the community but at her front door. Uninvited. She also has the right not to be called names that I find hard to name here - because we're not used to them.

Oh bloody hell - this is the god of mumsnet multicultural shite. As usual.

No one ever says that it's OK for anyone to say really disgusting things to an asian person usually - you'd be all over them saying their entire community is racist. it happens alot on this thread.

But in this case - it appears that it's OK to do it. Shes not the only case, she lives in an asian area. aka it's not isolated.

And guess what -she is not making a big deal like you are - they and I just don't want it to happen.

And exactly the same for my also ethnic minority family - thanks.

I really think you would benefit from reading the whole thread. Really.

Yup - sure lots of people are really against anyone who are not like them.

we are not - just very 'wtf' about people who are against us, ta.

Nope - you?

When I was a child (in the 60's this is), we used to have various traveller groups visit our neighbourhood.
My parents categorized into 3 disticnt groups that they called

1. Romany (respected and trusted)
2. Tinker (not so much)
3. Diddikai (sp?) (totally untrusted, lowest "class" of traveller)

I am genuinley interested, esp from any travellers on MN, whether there really were such names and what they mean in the traveller community. And if there are different classes of traveller now, and what each thinks of the other.

FWIW I haven't come across any "Romany" gypsies for very many years, and have had only one recent experience of a traveller community, moving onto an illegal site just down the road from my house. Sad to relate that they left an awful mess, and broke into a water mains on leaving, so flooded the area and cost a load of council money to repair and clean up.

I do wonder if the real Romany are in despair at having their good reputation trashed by the newcomers...........

I live quite close to the place in question here.

We've had a few near the caravan park. In fact, a man in his mid 30s, a woman and a teenage daughter came in and I'm pretty sure they were from the traveller community, due to the direction they had come.

He actually stopped to talk and commented on what choice of cake I was going to buy (I know, I really shouldn't but you know, I can't help it). He was going to buy one too, but he decided to buy 3 instead! :)

They seemed perfectly fine.

Whereas I have bumped into those that I assume (I can't be sure and not fair to say for definite) in another town and they started swearing at me when they bumped into me.

I guess what I'm saying is there are nice travellers and not so nice travellers, just like in any group of people. It's unlucky you've met some not so nice ones. But like with a lot of minorities we notice the 'bad ones' because they stand out more. We don't notice/remember those who just fade into the background which is a shame, but just the way things are.

Just be glad they have gone for now. :)

Mrs DeVere, there's both, that's why I said traveller and Roma, both are in the same area. I think it's predominantly the Roma that are involved in the trouble.

Basically it's the shitty end of the city where people are far less likely to be able to complain effectively so they have tolerated them in those areas far more so there are a few sites.

Coconutty, my family are from very close to Rathkeale where there is a large Irish traveller population. I have to confess that I don't really know much about Roma or English gypsies. But I do know about the Irish travellers in that area do not like country people, are quite open about it and refer to us as dirty and consider country women to be slags. Most people who live in that area will have been called both many times. I have been personally.

so coconutty you are quite happy to call others racist, but quite brazenly say that no traveller is racist because it is not part of your culture?

huh? how does that work?

Coconutty did not say that no traveller was racist, OP, you're putting words in her mouth. She said that racism was not part of traveller culture in the intrinsic way that Others appeared to suggest.

HaveIGotPoosforyou a couple with some kids set up opposite the site where my husband worked and they used to come to them for water. They were very nice.

I'm sure not all travellers are unpleasant. But wouldn't it be better to do something about those who aren't to make life easier for those who are pleasant?

I think this is a case where there are problems on both sides. I'm sure that travellers do face an awful lot of racism and discrimination. But I'm equally sure that a lot of people have had very unpleasant experiences with travellers that may well originate in racism on the part of travellers.

I think that a change needs to be made on both sides. We need to be more tolerant and give them more of a chance, but I think that some work needs to be done with travellers in order to make them able to live within communities without it causing so much unpleasantness with locals.

I wouldn't say it's part of any culture?