I was working in the pecan orchard and a nice truck crosses the cattle guard. He turns on yellow and blue flashing lights and is wearing reflective safety gear.

So I drive over to help him.

Tells me he has a load of Asphalt leftover from a job, it's just like TxDOT uses, it's cheap but his boss said it has to sell today.
I've heard that BS at least ten times in my life , Irish Travelers wanting to pave my gravel road. Told the dude nicely to leave- and don't ever come back

Figure the barn painters will be stopping by next.
Frickin Irish Travelers.

If you're lucky you'll get a lightning rod guy

You learned quick, yes the barn painters will be next along with the guys selling tools from their truck. That time of year again for them, come down south because the weather up north is about to get bad. As the residents of White Settlement outside of Ft. Worth about them. The town folk have plenty of tales about their trailer park and homes in the area. Just remember if it sounds too good to be true, run. If you deal with them and get screwed maybe you will learn next time.

So, your Gypsies had an Irish accent?

Back in late 90s or so my Grand Dad paid $1800 to have his driveway coated. First rain it all washed away. It's a shame what they do to old people

Never heard them called "Irish Travelers".

Here is a list of many of the scams that these various groups try on citizens especially the elderly. If it sounds too good, run. The list is from the National Bunco Investigators Assoc. I hope this helps you keep your money.


https://www.nabihq.org/cons-and-scams.html

OnlyForNow said:

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Never heard them called "Irish Travelers".

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There is a clan of them in Ft. Worth & White Settlement.
They come down into rural areas pushing these Asphalt and Painting scams.

Here is a link to a recent Ft Worth newspaper article on them

https://amp.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article15607130.html

I mean, I've had plenty of Mexican paving crews try this as well with concrete and cold/hot run asphalt.

So are these Irish folks Irish, or is that just a good ole derogatory term for the gypsies?

They're shaving some of the already paid for "extra" materials off a job they are working and trying to sell it to someone else for cash on the side.

Larry S Ross said:

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Back in late 90s or so my Grand Dad paid $1800 to have his driveway coated. First rain it all washed away. It's a shame what they do to old people

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Got my Dad for $4500 Same story. Leftover asphalt $1500 My Dad has cochlear implants. When he signed the contract, they had written in $4500. He didnt know what else to do. Thought he must have misunderstood them, so he paid. I might kill them if I could find them

This happened to a neighbor of ours a couple of years ago in rural Brazos County. At about 6pm, 6 or 7 work trucks and dump trucks parked on the street and started unloading equipment. Thought it was odd that it was already dark, but thought maybe an after hours repair. All the trucks and equipment was brand new with paper tags.

They unloaded everything which took them about an hour and then without pulling into the neighbors driveway or moving anything, they loaded everything back up very quickly and took off fast. Then the Sheriff showed up and that's when I found out they were somehow trying to scam my elderly neighbor with repaving their driveway with asphalt "leftover" from a job. Never understood how it worked. I guess they were going to do a bad job and nothing would last?

Old Sarge said:

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So, your Gypsies had an Irish accent?

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We used to live in a neighborhood with 7 or 8 Irish traveller families. This was a new construction, $500k-$2mm neighborhood just outside of Fort Worth. They'd move to a new house every 2-3 years, always drove brand new loaded trucks/SUVs with paper plates. Kids (including babies) always dressed in Fendi Capri pants & Parasucos. They all looked alike and had very traditional Irish & Catholic names.

Dads/sons all had lightning rod or chipseal/paving wraps on their trucks.

When I was in high school one of my friends worked at the Academy on Cherry Lane.

The gypsies would come in there and steal stuff. It got to the point when they'd come in, Academy would have an employee follow the group around to keep an eye on them because they were taking so much stuff.

"I fookin hate pikeys"

Is anyone else dumbfounded about this?

I've lived in Texas my entire life, 38 years, and NEVER heard of Irish Travelers.

I've heard the term Irish Travelers before but not in relation to the ones in Texas.

Everyone always called them Gypsies.

OnlyForNow said:

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Is anyone else dumbfounded about this?

I've lived in Texas my entire life, 38 years, and NEVER heard of Irish Travelers.

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I worked in white settlement for years (not at Lockheed, but close) and became well aware of them from coworkers having runins and seeing the kids who looked like they were 12 (probably were) driving bentleys at 80mph in neighborhoods.

I guess they don't come to Houston.

Even the Irish travelers know that Houston sucks ass

I've heard of them forever but only called travelers, because they move in, pull their cons and move before law catches on. Even law people I know only call them travelers. Either way they are sorry ass thieves.

OnlyForNow said:

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I guess they don't come to Houston.

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They stop by here in Fulshear occasionally trying to sell me asphalt leftover form a nearby jobsite.

The last guy was pretty pushy and really wanted to dump the stuff right away. Said I couldn't drive on it for a while (couple hours?). I just laughed told him I have a couple dozen cars and 18-wheelers coming and going through this gate hourly. GTFOH.

They came by about 6-7 years ago. Same story. Had about half full bobtail with white cemetery rock. They started at $4 grand. After 20 minutes bs I got him to $500 The tarred and dumped about a 30 by 70 foot section. Still good today only I have to spray weeds coming through every now and then. I thought I did pretty good.

They've come around New Braunfels as well in years past. I only know from the complaints about it on Nextdoor and the like.

I've only heard of gypsies in movies. I had no clue there was a Texas population of them. Even at 35, you learn something new every day. Do they hold bareknuckle boxing matches in White Settlement?

Trinity Ag said:

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"I fookin hate pikeys"

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I have to watch that one with the captions on.

As a gypsie, I resent you associating me with the irish.

i had the same guy show up twice in the same year offering to repave my driveway with " left over" asphalt from a big job down the road. My driveway was over 1600 ft. long. The 2nd time I asked him if it was tough to make a living over estimating materials by over 1/4 mile every job.

Really?! I wonder if they'll still come by now that Fulshear has exploded in population and is uber-urban on the east side.

Don't these guys also sell "extra" speakers from audio/video jobs?

OnlyForNow said:

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I guess they don't come to Houston.

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They do. Got my MiL for taking down a dead tree in her yard before I could tell her not to. I forget all the ins & outs but she ended up paying even more because she had to get a real tree service to come in and finish the job properly.

OnlyForNow said:

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Really?! I wonder if they'll still come by now that Fulshear has exploded in population and is uber-urban on the east side.

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Maybe they could finish out the toll road by like Feb or March. That would be awesome.