" Pikeys " Explained ....?

" Riches to Rats " left a comment under my post " Pikeys ~ Some More ", down there. In it he conjectures that the term, " Pikey " may stem from the old term of " Turn Pike ", etc.

Funnily enough, I was reading about these Turn Pikes just the other day. I know what they were all about now. Thus I was able to respond to RTR from a slightly more educated stand point than I may have previously managed. In fact, I found my own response becoming so full and, possibly enlightening, that I've decided to put it up as this post, in it's own right. Here's what I had to say:


Yeppers, RTR, I've heard that explanation too. I left it alone, to think about it. It figures, dosen't it?

'Turn Pikes' were indeed the original 'Toll Booth's' of today. Exact same purpose too. A man agreed to maintain a stretch of road in good order. In return for his civil engineering work, he would be allowed to set up a Turn Pike on 'his' stretch of road. From there, he'd step out and demand a payment from anyone wishing to travel on down 'His' road.

Look at the resentment Toll Booths engender today. People hate them. They see it as that their Road Taxes should pay for the provision and upkeep of roads. Why are they now being hit again?

Now throw in some Gypsys. Just as some greedy cunt's fleecing ye of 1 1/2 d to use the public highway, there's Those fuckers, trying to get ye to shell out yet More money, to buy some pegs and baskets?!

Then, to top it all? When they move on themselves, ye get to see them emerging from some bit of Common Land a mile on?! The bastards obviously travelled across country, thus avoiding the Tolled road and the extra expense You incurred.

Can we not just see how the 'normal' travellers resentment could grow? A man could soon become conditioned to transfer and share his hatred of the Turn Pike with those he associated with the structure and charges; The 'Pikies' who seemed to have it better than him.

Are we seeing a pattern emerging here ....?