Pontins in trouble for filtering traveller types

Pontins in trouble for filtering traveller types

Author
Discussion

W12GT

Original Poster:

3,534 posts

222 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
Am I missing something here? As a holiday company they’ve obviously had problems historically and want to protect their staff and customers from potential trouble. What’s wrong with this?

Given lots of places won’t let groups of young lads in or stag dos or hen parties, isn’t it the same? Could be argued it’s for insurance reasons and safety?

To be honest - I see it as positive publicity!

Gecko1978

9,739 posts

158 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
W12GT said:
Am I missing something here? As a holiday company they’ve obviously had problems historically and want to protect their staff and customers from potential trouble. What’s wrong with this?

Given lots of places won’t let groups of young lads in or stag dos or hen parties, isn’t it the same? Could be argued it’s for insurance reasons and safety?

To be honest - I see it as positive publicity!
Yeah it's just well a but racist though

untakenname

4,970 posts

193 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
If it were aimed at Romany gypsies then it could be construed as racist but it looks like it's solely aimed at indigenous inhabitants who live an alternative lifestyle.

Snow and Rocks

1,909 posts

28 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
I think it's a policy shared by a lot companies, they just generally don't publicise the fact.

When I worked as a taxi driver as a student, there's no way we would send a car to a traveller's site because you almost never got paid and the police wouldn't do anything about it.

vaud

50,617 posts

156 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
W12GT said:
Given lots of places won’t let groups of young lads in or stag dos or hen parties, isn’t it the same?
Stag and hen parties are not a race and are not protected under the Equality Act.

J4CKO

41,641 posts

201 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
Bit of tail wagging the dog here.

If travelling folk, turned up, behaved, didn't wreck the joint, didnt steal and destroy stuff then they would be welcomed with open arms as companies like the revenue, so this decision is not based on race, its based on the financial realities that they will make a mess, cause fights, steal and generally be obnoxious. Double whammy as other guests leave if you have a full on traveller event.

Anyone playing a race card needs to think, am I justified in this or is it to try and get one over on someone or avoid any scrutiny on my stty behaviour ? Thing is, constant misuse will reduce the validity for those suffering genuine discrimination.

I sympathise with those travellers who conduct themselves well, I guess there must be some out there as they do get tarred (ironic...) with the same brush.

But anyone I know who has had any dealings has suffered. Where my dad worked had a vacant site next door and they set up in there, people stting behind their fire escape, tons or rubbish and rubble, 20k to clear it all up. The local Cricket field had them arrive, saw their kids donutting quad bikes on there, foot deep tyre tracks from vans, lorries and caravans. My wife worked in a wedding dress shop, some came in tried a dress on and walked out wearing it, over a grand back in the nineties. Thats why people dont welcome them with open arms, but dress it up as a race thing, they are the same race as I am, I have some Irish heritage, we have Irish family members and they dont do that stuff ? More a subculture than anything.

Its not hating people, its hating behaviour based on previous negative experiences.

vaud

50,617 posts

156 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Its not hating people, its hating behaviour based on previous negative experiences.
You can't profile people based on surnames and/or accent.

J4CKO

41,641 posts

201 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
vaud said:
J4CKO said:
Its not hating people, its hating behaviour based on previous negative experiences.
You can't profile people based on surnames and/or accent.
Point taken, thats true, but also speaks volumes about how keen that business is at avoiding that eventuality I would say, guessing they have been bitten a few times to resort to that.

Thing is, there are consequences to actions, maybe not right when you do it, but it builds over time and its not just those objecting being really racist for the sake if it.


BikeBikeBIke

8,081 posts

116 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
All the pubs in my area close when travellers are in town.

Greendubber

13,222 posts

204 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
BikeBikeBIke said:
All the pubs in my area close when travellers are in town.
I was booked into a lovely hotel in the Cotswolds last May for a weekend away with the wife. About a week before we were due to stay they emailed saying a horse fair was turning up and the whole town was closing whilst it was on, so that was the end of that.

I ended up going to Bath instead which to be honest was a bit of a let down. I did sympathise with those having to close their businesses in order to protect them from the traveller types that just rip everyone else off though, who can blame them.

Court_S

13,005 posts

178 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
BikeBikeBIke said:
All the pubs in my area close when travellers are in town.
I grew up in Beaconsfield and the year it fair saw lots of pubs closing because of the agro caused.

They used to rock up at our old offices every summer and make a massive mess in the car park.

98elise

26,658 posts

162 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
vaud said:
W12GT said:
Given lots of places won’t let groups of young lads in or stag dos or hen parties, isn’t it the same?
Stag and hen parties are not a race and are not protected under the Equality Act.
Nor is living in a caravan IMO.

vaud

50,617 posts

156 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
98elise said:
Nor is living in a caravan IMO.
That may be your opinion but the protection is applied Gypsies, Roma and Travellers.

Don't agree? Lobby your MP for change.

Dog Star

16,145 posts

169 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
BikeBikeBIke said:
All the pubs in my area close when travellers are in town.
I used to work in Munich 1999-2000. A lot of the pubs and bars would close if there was a football match on with visiting British fans. My “local” Irish bar would close the front door and curtains and let regulars in round the back. Only matches involving UK fans caused this.

BikeBikeBIke

8,081 posts

116 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
Dog Star said:
BikeBikeBIke said:
All the pubs in my area close when travellers are in town.
I used to work in Munich 1999-2000. A lot of the pubs and bars would close if there was a football match on with visiting British fans. My “local” Irish bar would close the front door and curtains and let regulars in round the back. Only matches involving UK fans caused this.
I don't really follow football but I hope we've cleaned our act up since then. A national embarrassment that we can't be trusted to behave ourselves in a pub.

Dog Star

16,145 posts

169 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
BikeBikeBIke said:
Dog Star said:
BikeBikeBIke said:
All the pubs in my area close when travellers are in town.
I used to work in Munich 1999-2000. A lot of the pubs and bars would close if there was a football match on with visiting British fans. My “local” Irish bar would close the front door and curtains and let regulars in round the back. Only matches involving UK fans caused this.
I don't really follow football but I hope we've cleaned our act up since then. A national embarrassment that we can't be trusted to behave ourselves in a pub.
Sorry for dragging the thread off topic….

Prior to this I’d spent a couple of years working in France and to a man every single person I met, when they found out I was British would come out with “ah, anglais, ‘olligans, eh” or some variant thereof.

Yep; a national embarrassment and a reason I cannot stand football or the knuckledragger fans. These days they’ve been joined by the package holiday crowd busy scrapping over sun beds.

Lotobear

6,378 posts

129 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
Dog Star said:
BikeBikeBIke said:
Dog Star said:
BikeBikeBIke said:
All the pubs in my area close when travellers are in town.
I used to work in Munich 1999-2000. A lot of the pubs and bars would close if there was a football match on with visiting British fans. My “local” Irish bar would close the front door and curtains and let regulars in round the back. Only matches involving UK fans caused this.
I don't really follow football but I hope we've cleaned our act up since then. A national embarrassment that we can't be trusted to behave ourselves in a pub.
Sorry for dragging the thread off topic….

Prior to this I’d spent a couple of years working in France and to a man every single person I met, when they found out I was British would come out with “ah, anglais, ‘olligans, eh” or some variant thereof.

Yep; a national embarrassment and a reason I cannot stand football or the knuckledragger fans. These days they’ve been joined by the package holiday crowd busy scrapping over sun beds.
A bit ritch that really; the French have some of the worst football hooligans (ultras et al) on the planet whereas the UK has largely moved on from that sort of behaviour. The Italians are not much better either.

richie99

1,116 posts

187 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
Not that I would ever go to a Pontins, I've noticed my surname on the list and wonder if it presents an opportunity to apply for an Irish passport. As far as I know, there has not been anyone Irish in my family for at least 5 generations and I am probably the first generation to have even been there. Maybe I could point to the Pontins list as justification.

Guybrush

4,355 posts

207 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
Gecko1978 said:
W12GT said:
Am I missing something here? As a holiday company they’ve obviously had problems historically and want to protect their staff and customers from potential trouble. What’s wrong with this?

Given lots of places won’t let groups of young lads in or stag dos or hen parties, isn’t it the same? Could be argued it’s for insurance reasons and safety?

To be honest - I see it as positive publicity!
Yeah it's just well a but racist though
I don't think race has anything to do with it. It's no different from a car insurance company refusing cover for those meeting certain criteria. It's based on statistics.

vaud

50,617 posts

156 months

Thursday 15th February
quotequote all
Guybrush said:
I don't think race has anything to do with it. It's no different from a car insurance company refusing cover for those meeting certain criteria. It's based on statistics.
Statistics based on accents and surnames?