Sure. Non-violent communication, and not collapsing individual events with labels. You’re already pretty clear about things like not rushing to judgment (e.g. realizing that people may see the stereotype as an occasion to dump their own rubbish or frame them, for example, is a real possibility) and so on, so you sound like someone who might be willing and well-suited to doing the communication.

So, it would look like talking to them, and possibly talking to various local figures, about their needs and the static community’s needs so both sides understand clearly and can see solutions that work for everyone.

For support, tips, info, etc, see for example the Center for Nonviolent Communication and I would highly recommend (to everyone, actually) the short book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion by Marshall Rosenberg.

I think this is more of a problem in Europe than here in The States. I know a lot of friends in England, France and Italy especially have problems with gypsies. I recall having some issues in Italy with gypsies trying to steal stuff out of backpacks but nothing major.

I think Zaku’s answer is great…violence doesn’t solve anything.

rubbish and soiled nappies? That would be a problem. Wow, well, I live in California and I dont think there are many gypsies here (if any…) but the fact they leave trash behind would upset me.

If you don’t mind dropping in, find the oldest woman in the caravan, describe your concern and ask her advise on how she would handle it.

In fact, do that anywhere – find the oldest woman, etc.

have them predict your future by reading your tea leaves or perhaps a crystal ball. They are supposed to be pretty good at that kind of stuff. Maybe you can get an idea of how long they will be staying.

My Mother told me they would camp at the end of her street when she was young in Ohio. I haven’t heard of this since then tho.

Their is a fantastic film called snatch. Made by Guy Richie, Madonnas husband.

…and every night all the men would come around, and lay their money down.

Oh great. Now I have that song stuck in my head, ha ha!!

We had some of them, actually quite a large group, camp in a public sporting area near where we were camping in the southwest of France. I wanted to go over and meet them but my husband wasn’t too thrilled about the idea. I told him that was too bad, and decided to go anyway, he went along. We had some communication problems, but they were all very nice, welcoming people. They were having a kind of church service and so we stayed for that, too. They even had little trailers that contained washers and dryers with their caravans. It was very interesting and I’m glad that I did it.

They did leave behind some refuse, but not in the sense that I would consider extreme, there were a large number and the facilities at the place where they were staying couldn’t accommodate for such a large number of people for that length of time. But it was gathered together where it should have been and what could have been bagged was.

Sometimes if you extend the hand of friendship it helps to give a face to where they are staying, it personalizes it somewhat, and they may be inclined to think about whether or not they wish to leave behind an impression upon those faces and peoples with whom they have connected.

do what borat would do…...buy a hummer. lol jk, but that is neat to hear of this problem because we never have that problem in the states, just homeless people pooping on the street.

I will keep my opinion’s to my self with this subject. The ones in the UK don’t pay taxes, but want to use all the facilties. I won’t say anymore on the subject invfear of offended someone!

Unforunately England is a soft touch and put up with them and give them benefits.

too true

Maybe part of the problem is that there is no garbage collection service in the areas where they are camped? Maybe if the city provided them with a dumpster as well as water hookups, etc., that might help.

I’m descended from irish travelers, so it always intrests me to gain more perspective on this part of my heritage. From what I gather my nearest relatives stopped “tinkering” in the late 1800’s here in the US, but from what I’ve observed in my own family the propensity to bring nuisance and screw people over could be a ethnic trait with “my” people. So allow me to apologize for gypsies everywhere, we can’t help it, it’s nature not nuture.

I’ve done a little research on Roma and Travellers (“gypsies”) and it sounds like some of these groups believe in a system in which certain items become “marime” or spiritually impure. (I don’t know if this applies to the groups in your area, though.) When this happens, they throw the items out or leave them behind. I know that this may not make you feel better about the mess, but I just wanted to offer it as one possible explanation for it.