A TRAVELLER has hit back to cruel trolls who have blasted her lifestyle and living conditions.
Zoey Pon, 19, previously went viral on TikTok after she revealed seven strict rules on how she lives amongst her community.
From not being allowed sleepovers to boyfriends being off the cards, Zoey explained how there were many do’s and don’ts whilst she was growing up.
The young woman, who left school at the age of 13, also told how growing up in the travelling community meant that she wasn’t allowed a phone and was forbidden to drink alcohol.
As well as this, Zoey revealed that mixing with people outside of the community was strictly forbidden.
Talking to camera, she said: “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.”
Zoey also claimed that travellers aren’t allowed to smoke or drink until they get married
She concluded: “And we weren’t allowed to have sleepovers or anything like that, that was out of the question. That was not happening.”
However, revealing these truths left her being targeted by cruel trolls.
One wrote: “You have more freedom in jail.”
But Zoey, who posts under the name @zoey_pon, hit back at this statement and shared another video of herself talking to the camera.
She said: “In the name of God why would you have more freedom in jail?”
Zoey, who claims she has been to “jail four times now,” compares the big difference between being in a cell and her traveller life,
She said: “There could be four people in the cell with you in two bunk beds, with a mattress that is thin and a small little tiny window that you can’t open with cages around it.
“You can’t have a phone, you can’t do nothing in jail, you can’t go outside the wall in jail.
“So please tell me how do you have more freedom in jail?
“What country are you from? Because I’d like to know what kind of jails there are.
“As I have explained myself, I’ve been in jail four times now. But I’d love to know what kind of jail you’ve been at.”
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.
Zoey also previously revealed the strict rules that she has for her caravan and explained that she won’t allow dirty feet in her caravan.
It means that guests must wash their feet before they step inside.
She also claimed that eating and drinking in her home is forbidden, and that she doesn’t even cook in her home.
Zoey revealed that this is because she doesn’t want to make her home “dirty” or have food smells lingering around afterwards.
