travellers

[david_carnell]

Could anyone explain that from a cultural standpoint?

I can understand a peripatetic or nomadic lifestyle (cripes, it appeals to me often enough) and the need for temporary traveller pitches to help accomodate that.

But what then baffles me is why, as a "traveller" you would seek to remain in one place permanently but reside in (non)mobile homes. Why not just apply to move into social housing or if you can afford it, buy. Extended families could still live close-by, no?

[Otta]

Perhaps families come and go to the sites, so the site is permanent but the people using it are always changing. I've been involved (through work) with a few traveller families over the years, and they always move on eventually.

For unlurked to say they don't care about their kids education is a pretty disgusting generalisation, true in some cases I'm sure, but not a rule (and I've met many many parents who couldn't give a shit even though they live in permanent houses).

He probably has a point about the cinema though.

[adonirum]

Otta I should have explained it better, my fault, but on a permanent site it is for an open-ended ended (in perpetuity if required) stay/residency. A "pitch" can typically accommodate 3 or more homes eg: caravans to enable the extended family to be together. A transitory site is for just that, a short stay. The terminology refers to the type of residency, all sites become permanent, in that regard, as a legal provision.

[uncleglen]

Well Sue I hope your kids are in class with some travellers' kids and when they come home with knocked off designer gear and refuse to do their homework ......or- you get called up at work because your child has joined in disruption and you must go and collect him/her....

[El Pibe]

[uncleglen]

Vik you should visit the car park behind White's pet shop in Sydenham......

[Vik]

Why is that Uncleglen?

[Burbage]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Yeah it's linked to an address, but helps to pay

> for services which benefit all of us. So clearly

> you could argue that it's unfair. Travelling is a

> lifestyle choice, after all.

It was a lifestyle choice, when council housing was available, rents affordable and home-ownership possible on an average income.

Now, however, things have moved on, or not, a little and if you're more than two-weeks' pay away from sleeping in the park, you're in the small and lucky minority of grasping toerags.

[Loz]

Burbage Wrote:

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> if you're more than two-weeks' pay away from sleeping in the park, you're in the small and

> lucky minority of grasping toerags.

Hmm. Came here 24 years ago with not a lot except a solid education and a couple of years IT experience. Am now happily financially secure after working in IT and my wife in the medical research area.

After all that, I seem to now be classified as a "grasping toerag". My mum must be so proud.

[PokerTime]

Burbage makes a good point though. It's not a huge leap from employment to homelessness. It used to be that redundancy money would be the safety net in that scenario but not anymore.

[Alex K]

@Loz -- put me down for a GRASPING TOERAG T-shirt, please. XL, white on red. Thanks in advance.