Members of the travelling community calling to the door

ChityWest · 15-04-2006 10:14PM

After hearing the story of the Polish beggar arrested carrying 11,000 euros I would not give money to beggars.

If you add in the free house & benefits they are getting it is taking the piss. They have to be laughing their asses off at people stupid enough to give them money. The same applies to travellers imo. And if you do give them money (calling to your door) you are marking yourself out as a victim/target and I cant see anything good coming from it. I also reckon that when it comes to saying NO and having them ignore it - the belief that this is because they are 'a bit slow' or not good with english is making a major assumption - I would think the more likely guess is that they understand you when you say no - they just dont give a damn.

Hagar · 15-04-2006 10:19PM

Offer them work...

Mr.Nice Guy · 15-04-2006 10:23PM

Just don't answer the door!

ChityWest · 15-04-2006 10:26PM

I dont really have any work to offer them tbh and if I did I would think twice about it.

They dont really come to my door anymore anyways - the most grief thesedays is bloody people ringing up trying to change (telephone) providers. Now those people DO have a problem getting their heads around the word N Fcuking O.

Wertz · 15-04-2006 10:36PM

ChityWest wrote:

I dont really have any work to offer them tbh and if I did I would think twice about it.

They dont really come to my door anymore anyways - the most grief thesedays is bloody people ringing up trying to change (telephone) providers. Now those people DO have a problem getting their heads around the word N Fcuking O.

"Hi, this is Silly Bitch from €ircon, we've noticed from our records that you recently changed service providers and I would like to tell you about our new offers if you have a few minutes..."

I'd sooner let the tinkers in...

ChityWest · 15-04-2006 10:40PM

Wertz wrote:

"Hi, this is Silly Bitch from €ircon, we've noticed from our records that you recently changed service providers and I would like to tell you about our new offers if you have a few minutes..."

I'd sooner let the tinkers in...

True - those telecom telesales robots are straight out of terminator 3 - they just dont ever stop.

Dave! · 15-04-2006 11:16PM

Not one positive story here about travellers... yet, it's only a matter of time before someone comes in and posts about how lovely and friendly and charitable they are, and how we're all racist, prejudice, bleh bleh bleh *yawn* :rolleyes:

Gator · 15-04-2006 11:38PM

Pikeys

OMcGovern · 15-04-2006 11:41PM

Haven't had any knackers calling around, thank God.... they just tried attacking me in a road rage incident instead.
But I reckon, a short circuit in the doorbell, just enough to give the caller a good
"jolt" if they tried ringing the bell twice in 20 seconds should suffice.

Or maybe put a sign on my door for "Immigration control" or "Social Welfare fraud office" would scare them off.

I get a LOAD of alledged charities dropping plastic bags through my door and expecting me to fill it with clothes etc for them..... I could swear that I saw a documentary on RTE ( probably "Today Tonight" ) on that racket. That those guys sell container loads of clothes abroad for around EUR 5,000 a go..... and just token amounts to charity.... maybe EUR 500. Just as bad as chuggers on the street.

muffler · 15-04-2006 11:46PM

I had a bit of bother with them some years ago. There was one caravan parked on the road fairly close to my house with a real rough geezer and his family in it.
One night it got a bit out of hand and a bit of a scrap developed between us(more of a wrestling match than anything else) and I had to sit up all night and make sure no harm would come to us or the house. But myself and the family got fierce verbal abuse all next day.

After promising the wife I wouldn't react to all the goading I went to both the Council and the gardai but they did nothing.

In the immortal words in the Godfather film they were "made an offer they couldnt refuse"

later that night and they were gone by 7 the following morning.

That would have been about 13 years ago and there has never been a caravan round here since.

Dave! · 15-04-2006 11:47PM

muffler wrote:

I had a bit of bother with them some years ago. There was one caravan parked on the road fairly close to my house with a real rough geezer and his family in it.
One night it got a bit out of hand and a bit of a scrap developed between us(more of a wrestling match than anything else) and I had to sit up all night and make sure no harm would come to us or the house. But myself and the family got fierce verbal abuse all next day.

After promising the wife I wouldn't react to all the goading I went to both the Council and the gardai but they did nothing.

In the immortal words in the Godfather film they were "made an offer they couldnt refuse" later that night and they were gone by 7 the following morning.

That would have been about 13 years ago and there has never been a caravan round here since.

What'd ya say to them?

muffler · 15-04-2006 11:51PM

DaveMcG wrote:

What'd ya say to them?

I said nothing but somebody said something to them alright. I think you will have to use imagination at this point

Pigman II · 15-04-2006 11:55PM

DaveMcG wrote:

What'd ya say to them?

"he held a bar of soap to his head and assured him that either his clothes or his body would be getting a wash. That's a true story. ..."

Wertz · 16-04-2006 12:02AM

muffler wrote:

I said nothing but somebody said something to them alright. I think you will have to use imagination at this point

"Say nuthin' till ye hear more"

Stench Blossoms · 16-04-2006 12:26AM

OMcGovern wrote:

I get a LOAD of alledged charities dropping plastic bags through my door and expecting me to fill it with clothes etc for them..... I could swear that I saw a documentary on RTE ( probably "Today Tonight" ) on that racket. That those guys sell container loads of clothes abroad for around EUR 5,000 a go..... and just token amounts to charity.... maybe EUR 500. Just as bad as chuggers on the street.

I get loads of them aswell and i fill them but they never collect them.

We bought a few rugs off Travellers a few years ago, two weeks later they knocked around again asking did we want to buy some tools ( my dad being a builder). I went up and asked my dad who was in the toilet at the time and all i can remember is my dad bursting out of the toilet and running outside. Sure enough they were trying to get into my dads van. This in broad daylight aswell.

Nephew · 16-04-2006 01:04AM

We had a skip in our driveway before christmas, one morning around 8am I looked out my window and there were three travellers rummaging about in it, dirty bastards came back every day until it was taken away. A few weeks later one of the she-travellers knocked on my door at 1.45am on a Tuesday pissed out of her mind looking to come in to have some coffee. Needless to say I told the bitch where to go. Blackie Connors is turning in his grave.

Sam Vimes · 16-04-2006 10:15AM

ChityWest wrote:

I dont really have any work to offer them tbh and if I did I would think twice about it.

They dont really come to my door anymore anyways - the most grief thesedays is bloody people ringing up trying to change (telephone) providers. Now those people DO have a problem getting their heads around the word N Fcuking O.

i can't remember the number but you can phone up and put yourself on the "do not call" list and you won't get telemarketers anymore. i got a thing in the mail about it from bt about 6 months ago.

DaveMcG wrote:

Not one positive story here about travellers... yet, it's only a matter of time before someone comes in and posts about how lovely and friendly and charitable they are, and how we're all racist, prejudice, bleh bleh bleh *yawn* :rolleyes:

well hobbes is still in bed

the ones that piss me off the most are the women who bring babies with them and cry at the door and won't accept anything but money. they came back almost every day because my mother is nice to them (though she doesn't give them money). the final straw was when only my sister was in the house and some bloke stuck his foot in the door and wouldn't let her close it for a minute or two. after that i said "i don't have any money and if i did i wouldn't give it to you". they got the idea after a few days

awhir · 19-04-2006 07:42PM

this traveler was putting down some tarmac some were and he sent his kids off to paint my uncels shed.my uncel did not know but when they arrived looking for money he told them to ****off.about 3 hours after that the dad came demanding him to pay so my uncel got the shot-gun and loaded it in front of the traveler.The traveler still would not move so my uncle show just above the travelers truck and i never seen somthing run that fast in my life.:D

Ruu_Old · 19-04-2006 08:15PM

claregalway Qs wrote:

this traveler was putting down some tarmac some were and he sent his kids off to paint my uncels shed.my uncel did not know but when they arrived looking for money he told them to ****off.about 3 hours after that the dad came demanding him to pay so my uncel got the shot-gun and loaded it in front of the traveler.The traveler still would not move so my uncle show just above the travelers truck and i never seen somthing run that fast in my life.:D

Haha, they are notorious for the tarmac thing. I know several people who had driveways a few hours later after being done with glass and all sorts raising to the top of the it!:rolleyes:

Dudess · 20-04-2006 09:59AM

DaveMcG wrote:

Not one positive story here about travellers... yet, it's only a matter of time before someone comes in and posts about how lovely and friendly and charitable they are, and how we're all racist, prejudice, bleh bleh bleh *yawn* :rolleyes:

Well said, good sir. Having said that, someone suggested a few posts ago that beggars do a FAS course and stop feeling sorry for themselves. Point taken, but they're likely to be illiterate.

thejuggler · 20-04-2006 10:38AM

I've had a few negative experiences with travellers over the years. Growing up at home we had several visits from travellers who had set up camp nearby. At first they would ask for water but that was usual just an excuse to 'spy the land' and see what we had in the house.
More recent visits had a more nasty side, taking wheels off cars, setting nail studded blocks of timber behind car wheel things like that. The only way we got rid of them on that occasion was protesting and finally the local td got an injunction to get them moved on - they were gone the next day.

Unfortunately they don't seem to be accountable to the gardai or courts as they are of no fixed abode and probably aren't very truthful when it comes to giving names etc.

tbh I think we as a nation would be better off if they were ethnically cleansed

Hobbes · 20-04-2006 10:52AM

DaveMcG wrote:

Not one positive story here about travellers... yet, it's only a matter of time before someone comes in and posts about how lovely and friendly and charitable they are, and how we're all racist, prejudice, bleh bleh bleh *yawn* :rolleyes:

TBH there is no point. Some people do have negative experiences with travellers. TBH IMHO based on what is posted it is probably just as much a problem with the poster as it is with the travellers concerned.

Also a lot have a preconception of what a traveller is and probably have bumped into travellers in day to day life but never known because "They didn't try to rip me off". But most of the crap posted has long since been debunked (eg. No fixed abode comment is BS) but people just ignore it and continue on with the usual story.

I do have one question though. Why is it travellers are the badguys for causing violence on others but when we have stories of people threatening the same kind of violence back they are the good guys?

[edit]

I get a LOAD of alledged charities dropping plastic bags through my door and expecting me to fill it with clothes etc for them..... I could swear that I saw a documentary on RTE ( probably "Today Tonight" ) on that racket. That those guys sell container loads of clothes abroad for around EUR 5,000 a go..... and just token amounts to charity.... maybe EUR 500. Just as bad as chuggers on the street.

That actually has nowt to do with travellers. From the news reports it is Polish groups reselling the stuff in poland for profit.

ionapaul · 20-04-2006 10:53AM

thejuggler wrote:

I've had a few negative experiences with travellers over the years. Growing up at home we had several visits from travellers who had set up camp nearby. At first they would ask for water but that was usual just an excuse to 'spy the land' and see what we had in the house.
More recent visits had a more nasty side, taking wheels off cars, setting nail studded blocks of timber behind car wheel things like that. The only way we got rid of them on that occasion was protesting and finally the local td got an injunction to get them moved on - they were gone the next day.

Unfortunately they don't seem to be accountable to the gardai or courts as they are of no fixed abode and probably aren't very truthful when it comes to giving names etc.

tbh I think we as a nation would be better off if they were ethnically cleansed

As often as I disagree with him, I think now is the time that we need Hobbes to clean up this thread. Ethnically cleansed?

I've had loads of positive experiences with travellers and only a few negative ones.

Nermal · 20-04-2006 11:10AM

Hobbes wrote:

Why is it travellers are the badguys for causing violence on others but when we have stories of people threatening the same kind of violence back they are the good guys?

um... because the knackers initiate it?

galah · 20-04-2006 11:23AM

last year, during communion time, the same traveller kids came round to our house EVERY Saturday and Sunday for at least 4 weeks in a row, always dressed up in their communion gear, begging for "stuff"...After I copped on (foreigner, and not familiar with the concept of communion or anything religious, so it took me a while), I just pretended not to speak English, and it worked...

Wouldn't call that trouble though...(the first time they "got" me though - this kid came round, begging, and I gave him some food - which he threw into the hedge in front of the house, while I was still standing in the door - ungrateful brat!!!)

I thought travellers have a lot of support (financial and otherwise) in this country? So why the need to go begging?

um7y1h83ge06nx · 20-04-2006 11:38AM

muffler wrote:

I said nothing but somebody said something to them alright. I think you will have to use imagination at this point

Given your geographical location, I think I could guess.

The best thing is the shotgun alright.

They called to an old guy near me one day, claiming their van which they parked in the yard was giving them trouble and could they please use the man's phone to contact someone :rolleyes:

This was all said through a window as the old man was too afraid to open the door. He agreed to open the door to them where he welcomed them with a loaded shotgun pointed at them.

The knackers ranfor the van and by the way of a miracle it started perfectly first time and they sped out of the yard.

Heard even better stories of people threatening to burn down caravans and multilate some knackers in order to get stolen goods back. One builder once had an entire pile of windows robbed from a building site, the windows were returned in 24 hours after his "friends" found out who robbed them and turned up at the knackers house with a load of weapons threatening a blood bath.

franksm · 20-04-2006 11:40AM

Commander Vimes wrote:

i can't remember the number but you can phone up and put yourself on the "do not call" list and you won't get telemarketers anymore. i got a thing in the mail about it from bt about 6 months ago.

It's called the National Directory Database - I don't have the details, but if you phone ESAT or Eircom they are obliged to tell you how to join it (free).

If telemarketers phone you after you join the list, all you have to do is say "have you not checked the NDD ? Why are you phoning me ?!" and hopefully they will bog off. If not, you can tell the NDD and they'll prosecute the company.

BTW - probably not knackers, but I have had people calling to the door asking for donations to Concern. Before i truely thought about it, I had given them a fiver or something - I forgot to check if they had ID, all they had was a clipboard with a Concern letterhead which you write your name onto. Phoned Concern the next day and they say that they never have people doing house collections. I have CCTV so brought the images to the Gards in Blanchardstown. They took it from me, but didn't even take my details (so you can guess the photos ended up in the bin).

Have also had kids calling to the door collecting for school runs/sponsorship. Is this for real ? I can't believe kids are still expected to go from house-to-house asking for money.

Trotter · 20-04-2006 11:51AM

Hobbes wrote:

I do have one question though. Why is it travellers are the badguys for causing violence on others but when we have stories of people threatening the same kind of violence back they are the good guys?

I see your point.. but with the frustration that the authorities do nothing to help the people they are harming, what do you suggest people do?

If you ignore them, they do some terrible things to property. Its not the case with 100% of the travelling community but there is a massive percentage of travelling people who feel it is ok to feed off the settled people and have zero respect for us or our property.

I think that , without resorting to silly statements such as "ethnic cleansing" which are just unhelpful in any debate, it is naive to think that we should just hug them all and maybe they'll all turn into good decent people!

Some people are blinded by the "love one another" attitude.. It is wrong to allow any person or persons harm you just because if you react, then you'll be as bad as them.

Every person has a right to live in peace, and to enforce that right. Thats where the law should take the enforcement responsibility but it does not.

RobEire · 20-04-2006 11:53AM

Despite the fact that we have a halting site only a short walk from the entrance to our housing estate, the only beggars we get to the door are Romanian gypsy women and children.

After initially doing the polite no thank you and goodbye, which did not work, I now just slam the door in their faces. This struck my mother as rude when she was visiting two years ago and witnessed this but really, nothing else seems to work.

Tar.Aldarion · 20-04-2006 11:58AM

muffler wrote:

I said nothing but somebody said something to them alright. I think you will have to use imagination at this point

I believe his wife wears the pants in that family.

Answer the door with no pants and invite them in.

Members of the travelling community calling to the door

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