I’m a traveller & there are rules to follow – it may sound strict but our hair gets shaved if we break them
A TRAVELLER has spilled the beans on the alleged ”punishments” if people within the community break the rules.
Zoey Pon, who left school at the age of 13, previously explained that growing up as a traveller meant there were several strict rules she had to follow, including a phone ban, as well as no consumption of alcohol.
On top of this, the redhead beauty claimed that mixing with people outside of the community was frowned upon.
“So basically what a traveller is – the girls of us get to go to school around the age of 10, 11, the boys don’t go to school.
“The women stay at home cleaning and cooking, the men go out to work and so basically, the men provide for the women.”
There are also certain things to keep in mind when it comes to dating, she told her 32k followers on TikTok.
“And we were not allowed a boyfriend until basically a future husband is actually coming to the door to ask for us, other than that, you’re not allowed a boyfriend.”
Other alleged rules include no drinking – or smoking – until they tie the knot, and sleepovers are also totally ”out of the question”.
But what would happen if the 19-year-old, who got her first-ever phone just a year after being married, was to break any of the rules?
This is something the stunner recently educated social media users on her platform, where she spilled the beans on the repercussions.
”If you break any of the rules in the traveller culture, you will be scarred for life (in terms of your reputation).
“You will be scandalised and you will be punished,” she told the fans in the video.
According to the young woman – who makes her guests take ”bleach baths” before entering her caravan – ”you will be locked away in the attic or your room”, with the ”door locked”.
In the traveller community, she went on, it’s best to ”not break any rules under any circumstances.”
“None of the girls are allowed to break rules, the boys kinda can but, that would never happen in a million years (for a girl).
“That’s why all girls have fairly strict lives and they have to do what they’re told to do.”
The Irish beauty, who previously said she’s ”proud to live in a caravan”, also revealed there more severe punishment girls can face if they misbehave.
“Their hair is getting shaved, their phones are getting took, basically you have no life.”
The video sparked a lot of reaction – with some saying: “I love learning any your lives its acc so interesting !!”
But others dismissed the claims about extreme punishments, saying: “I’m a Gypsy born and bread and Iv never heard of getting your head chaved if you brake the rules”.
Zoey also has spoken about how she keeps her home sparkling clean – and it’s all thanks to bleach, which she called traveller’s ”best friend”.
”Even the cups that we drink out of – we clean them in bleach,” said Zoey in a recent video.
Facts on gypsy and traveller communities
Typically, gypsies is a term used to describe Romani people who migrated to Europe from India while traveller refers to a person with either Irish, Scottish or English heritage.
Around 300,000 Gypsy, Roma and Irish travellers are thought to live in the UK.
All three groups come from nomadic ways of life, however, as it is increasingly difficult to find land to live on, many are moving into permanent housing.
They place high value on family life and often live close together even after reaching adult years and getting married.
Often the men are the breadwinners of the family while the women stay home.
While many English gypsy girls are allowed to drink alcohol and go on holiday with their friends before they get married, their Irish counterparts are not.
However, this doesn’t mean they will simply chuck everything into bleach and let it work its magic – there’s a process to follow, she explained.
”We get a bottle of hot water and we put it in it – it’s diluted. It’s water with bleach, it’s not just bleach by itself.”
Although some experts have warned to steer clear from the popular cleaning essential as it could destroy certain surfaces, the young woman’s adamant it’s the secret to a sparkling home.
”When you walk into a traveller person’s home, do you see any dirt in it? No, you do not.”