absolutely myschievous there are a lot of people who arn't travellers that I would not want living next to me

When im having bad days i often think it would be nice to go join them lol and go where-ever! We dont get many round here the odd few on the supermarket car-parks.

My self I really would not have problem with them if only they would not mess the land they stay on so much. Also i do not see why there kids should go to are schools, as there way of life let's them get away with paying little to no tax same for NHS. I can't see why we should always be left with the bill.

. but they do have transport and most town do have a tip ! so why dont they tidy up after them selves and take it to the tip
if we went camping we would take our rubbish with us ,, there really is no excuse

maybe ..Diane, but the same could be said of the people who dump things in the lanes because they are too idle to go to the tip, and the young lads who smash up and burn cars on 'the old hills' a well known beauty spot here .. my anger is reserved for the people who nightly frequent the McDonalds on the new development, stop to eat their purchases in the country lanes then throw their waste out of the car windows causing havoc to the local wildlife.. I am sure they do far more damage and cost the council a great deal more than the travellers. One group of Travellers camp half a mile from here in a farmers field, they pay Geoff the farmer rent and do little harm that I can see. They come every year to pick the bean crop for a local farmer who supplies Tescos. I often give the women a lift in my car the two miles to town, they are very interesting people to talk to and they do us all a service coming to pick the fruit and vegetables to supply the shops

People give little thought to where produce comes from and who picks it . I took my son bean picking one year to earn some extra cash for his holiday..it nearly killed us. You start at 5:30am, the picked beans go into large boxes' when full these weigh a ton. Having picked the beans you have to carry, stack then load your own boxes on to the trailer. By 12:30 after a mornings work both son and myself could hardly stand..we both went home to bed The travellers do this badly paid and arduous work daily, they have my admiration. After the beans are done they will be off to pick plumbs and apples in The Vale of Evesham .

whilst I think you have some very valid points MIni - I think we are talking about 2 very different groups of travellers. Those who travel to live a different life and fruit pickers etc and then the others .....
here in Edinburgh, there used to be travellers who came every year - parked on a stretch of grass alongside one of the main roads, and basically used it as a dumping ground, there are no fruit picking fields anywhere close by so no reason to be there - they left the place disgustingly dirty. If I was to park a caravn in the middle of a playing fields etc - then I think I would be very swiftly moved on, however we have some travellers who park up , destory the place and move on. and nothing is said - I have absolutely no problems with them if they leave a place as they find it - but to leave such a terrible mess is not on.
I strongly beleive in leaving a place as you find it and abhor littering of any kind so just thinks it ridiculous that they think its ok to leave their abandoned rubbish/fridges/dog kennels/ old vans and cars etc behind when they leave for our council to be responsible of removing at costs to ourselves??

so live and let live - but dont disrespect the countryside that you live in and claim to enjoy so much which is part of the reason they live the way they do in the first place - to enjoy their surroundings,,,,

dani
Dani

The Tesco's where I work is on the edge of the costal path where the travellers are always camping.
We had to put extra security on the doors to stop them coming in and they thieved everything in sight.Not just from the shop itself but taking the mega rolls of toilet paper from the customer toilets and even the baby changing mats from the mother and baby room.
As someone so aptly said.....if it ain't nailed down they'll steal it.

have to agree Brundog......real travelling folk do no harm but the new age as they call themselves are a total menace......... when one lot went last sumer the police invited people to the site to see if any of their belongings were there and there were many who found stuff like bikes and lawnmowers that had been stolen .....not saying all are thievs but the crime rate dose go up round here when we have visitors mostly bikes and garden tools...........

I really agree with this from what Mini said.

Also...before we moved last november I used to live in a little seaside town...the place was lovely all winter long, nice and clean and tidy and no mess...Then come April the holiday makers, holiday makers not travellers! would start to arrive and stay at the three or four different caravan parks, right through till September...My town became over crowded and there was rubbish everywhere from the holiday makers...they would have BBQ's and leave mess everywhere...Chicken carcusses and bones and wasted food left all over the beach for my dogs to try and get into the next day...Babys dirty nappies...you name it!...It really spoilt our beach every single summer...and these were HOLIDAY MAKERS not travellers, some people just don't know how to act, travellers or not...lol

i do think they should not be allowed horses! ive seen some who dont have any shelter for them!