Are 'travellers' Scum?

[Deskdiary]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8007249/Travellers-turn-abandoned-London-retail-centre-illegal-dumping-ground.html

I posted a question earlier, but it has been removed - I assume because I used a word that rhymes with 'likey'. Apparently that word is racist (even though 'travellers' are as white as I am and belong to the same race as me).

Whatever....

Ignoring, if we can, AB's over developed social conscience that censors something that doesn't warrant censoring (I CAN'T be racist to people of my own race), my original question remains - do these detritus have any redeeming features?

I'm pretty sure I've kept within AB's rules, so I hope this question won't be deleted/censored.

[Zacs-Master]

Are you Irish?

[Bobbisox1]

It’s wrong to call anyone sc*** that’s liked saying they are beneath us and who are we to say this ?

[ummmm]

It's not racist. It's derogatory.

I said in the last thread...where we're from in Ireland if they come into town all the pubs shut. Let them in and there will be a fight.

[Deskdiary]

No, i'm caucasian - same as the Irish.

[Mamyalynne]

If you can't discuss a News story without derogatory terms then that is the problem.

[Deskdiary]

^^^mine was to Zacs.

[naomi24]

I was just looking for that thread but to no avail. I saw it earlier but had no time to respond then so thought I'd come back to it now.

I think you asked if travellers ever redeem themselves and in my opinion, no, they don't. A bunch of travellers were removed after occupying private land for a couple of weeks and I helped clear up the disgusting mess they left. If you've never done it, rest assured you wouldn't want to.

[Mamyalynne]

Re the News story, as they have camera evidence it should be reasonably easy to act.

[Deskdiary]

Let's try the question again as nobody so far seems to be able to answer it.

Do these people have any redeeming features?

[Zacs-Master]

The word isn’t racist but use of it is a well known insult. To use one example of bad behaviour to ‘tar’ a whole group of people as ‘scum’ is obviously prejudicial

[naomi24]

I answered it but I'll say it again. No.

[ummmm]

Most not, no.

[Mamyalynne]

I couldn't possibly answer your specific question as the number of travelling folk I have met must number only about twenty - not enough of a representative sample.

[sunny-dave]

To me, a more interesting question is why the Police seem incapable (unwilling) to enforce the rule of law against these criminals?

There is clear evidence of the crimes, yet naff all ever seems to be achieved in the way of prosecution/punishment?

If the issue is one of establishing true identities and ensuring the the miscreants turn up in Court, then the forfeiture of appropriately huge bail deposits would at least act as a form of reprisal?

[Buenchico]

Back in the days when I 'trade plating' (hitching across the country between delivering vehicles), there were certain groups of people I knew that I could rely on for lifts and others that would never stop to help me. For example, the 'kiss of death' when you're standing by the side of the road, in the pouring rain, hoping for a lift is the sight of a clerical collar. Hundreds of priests and vicars (no doubt on their way to preach about loving thy neighbour or being a good Samaritan) drove straight past me. However the one group that ALWAYS stopped and offered me a lift (often going well out of their way to do so and invariably offering me food and drink too) was Irish travellers.

The travellers who cut back the bushes in my garden from time to time do an excellent job and are always polite and courteous. (Yes, I have to make sure that I've knocked them down quite a bit on price before they start but I don't mind that; I simply admire their business acumen).

Just how many travellers do you actually know, Deskdiary?

[Jackdaw33]

When I was a boy the term was 'tinkers'. The cry would go up, "The tinkers are coming, lock all your doors!"

[Deskdiary]

"Most not, no."

You've led a sheltered life.

I've always lived in SE London - when I was about 14, the local p.ikeys were well known for stealing dogs. A dog of a friend of mine went missing so we went to the local p.ikey camp, and we saw the dog tied up outside a caravan. The dog was going nuts seeing my friend. The p.ikey said it was their dog and if we didn't eff off he would stab us - we effed off. My friend never saw his dog again.

I'm a member of a rugby club in SE London, and p.ikeys arrived en-masse and parked on our fields. We had to resort to the law to get shot of them, and when we finally did, the crap they left behind was unbelievable.

They are scum of the highest order.

[237SJ]

I take as I find. We have Irish Travellers near where we are and to be fair they don't really impact on us at all. There are far more problems from kids driving around on mopeds and bikes who cause trouble breaking into garages and setting fire to things. Yes, the Travellers/Gypsies cause trouble but so do a lot of other people

[ummmm]

Jack - that's the phrase we use as well.