I can't find the words to describe this....

[BliarOut]

VinceFox said:

MX7 said:

VinceFox said:

i think it's the start of a very slippery slope, personally.

"Slippery slope" usually leads on to a fairly stupid discussion in my opinion. They are generally full of daft speculation that the Daily Mail couldn't think of.

Tell me, what's the worst that could happen? People see others and take appropriate action?

the worst? very difficult to answer. i maintain that anything deliberately designed to allow one member of the public to cause others to mistake them for the police is at best well meaning but naive; at worst downright deceitful and smacks of a personality desiring all the authority with none of the responsibility.

i've kept this broad in the hope it doesn't descend into your "daily mail" flavoured concern but i'm sure, semantics and point scoring aside, you can see this is something which if left to creep, will cause problems for the wider public over time.

Edited by VinceFox on Sunday 10th February 00:39

I dare you to come for a bike ride with me, bet you change your mind at the first close pass

I dare you muthafka, I double fkin dare ya

[VinceFox]

BliarOut said:

I dare you to come for a bike ride with me, bet you change your mind at the first close pass

I dare you muthafka, I double fkin dare ya

will there be cake? i like cake.

[BliarOut]

There might be a tasty beverage...

But seriously, if you've never experienced a close pass by an HGV going full pelt I doubt you can understand the reasons why you'd want to wear one of those tops. The vortex following a vehicle sucks you away from your chosen position and pulls you further out into the road.

It's not impersonating a police officer, it's a psychological trick to get poor drivers to treat you with a little more consideration

[Countdown]

VinceFox said:

desiring, not having. subtle but important distinction. i believe marx put it best.

He can desire whatever he likes. It has no impact on me whatsoever.

[Rooty]

Maybe he was turned down by the force and is now mental.

Maybe he's established a Polite Force? We could do with it in this country. They could go round prosecuting shop staff for being rude and short and for not making eye contact.

Or maybe he's of the same ilk as a) those p*llocks who put pretend speed cameras up in their gardens next to the road and b) those motorcycle t*ts who fashion themselves to look like police bikes complete with antenna on the back.

I can understand why they do it as I can this chap but you automatically know what kind of people they are.

[Countdown]

BliarOut said:

It's not impersonating a police officer, it's a psychological trick to get poor drivers to treat you with a little more consideration

The disappointing thing is that he's having to resort to this because of thr poor standards displayed by some drivers. Not that they would recognise themselves........

[Vespid]

Vespid said:

ukwill said:

Personally I have no issue with cyclists wearing hi viz. However, I think impersonating OB is pushing it too far. (I cycle 5 days a week).

Pushing what too far?

Urban Sports said:

Vespid said:

Pushing what too far?

It's obvious what he's on about, don't be stupid.

Yes it is obvious "what he's on about".

What he is saying is that he has "no issue" with cyclists wearing hi viz, none at all. Hell, it's a free country wear 'hi viz' all you want to, knock yourselves out for I have no issue with that at all.

However, if your hi viz makes you look like a police officer from a distance then that is pushing personal safety "too far". Motorists, being fooled into thinking the cyclist was a police officer, may slow down and be more observant than they had originally intended to.

[DJFish]

This is a bit like those motorists who hang a high viz. jacket on the back of their seats or parcel shelves.
They think that being mistaken for the BIB will make people think about them somehow differently.
It works, but not in the way they'd hoped.

Personally, I find a boggo standard high viz. jacket and lots of lights sufficient for cycling through our nations capital but then maybe this chap had a particularly worrysome incident which makes him think he needs more protection.

He'll soon get bored when too many tourists stop him to ask directions to Covent Garden.

[VinceFox]

This is becoming a potentially interesting thread, hopefully it doesnt descend into willy waving (cake notwithstanding).

Just been and had a read of this...

Impersonation, etc.

(1)Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates a member of a police force or special constable, or makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is such a member or constable, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both.

(2)Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(3)Any person who, not being a member of a police force or special constable, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

(4)In this section—

(a)“article of police uniform” means any article of uniform or any distinctive badge or mark or document of identification usually issued to members of police forces or special constables, or anything having the appearance of such an article, badge, mark or document,

[F1(aa)“member of a police force” includes a member of the British Transport Police Force,] and

(b)“special constable” means a special constable appointed for a police area.


Now you could argue it's not an item of clothing specifically issued only to police officers, but conversely you'd have to be deliberately naive to suggest it isn't intended to deceive.

This one's going to run and run, i think.

[MX7]

tamore said:

so doing 80/90 on a dry empty motorway in broad daylight is driving 'like a tt'. not sure you're on the right website.

I said:

I don't understand the hate of "Polite" jackets. I guess that these evolved out of necessity, as cyclists and horse riders felt that people weren't slowing down enough

Have you seen many cyclists and horse riders on the motorway?

[LiamB]

I vaguely remember a thread about this last year that lasted for ages.

I'll see if I can find it when I'm on the PC.

[BliarOut]

VinceFox said:

This is becoming a potentially interesting thread, hopefully it doesnt descend into willy waving (cake notwithstanding).

Just been and had a read of this...

Impersonation, etc.

(1)Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates a member of a police force or special constable, or makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is such a member or constable, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both.

(2)Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(3)Any person who, not being a member of a police force or special constable, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

(4)In this section—

(a)“article of police uniform” means any article of uniform or any distinctive badge or mark or document of identification usually issued to members of police forces or special constables, or anything having the appearance of such an article, badge, mark or document,

[F1(aa)“member of a police force” includes a member of the British Transport Police Force,] and

(b)“special constable” means a special constable appointed for a police area.


Now you could argue it's not an item of clothing specifically issued only to police officers, but conversely you'd have to be deliberately naive to suggest it isn't intended to deceive.

This one's going to run and run, i think.

I think the intention is to get other road users to perhaps treat them with a little more caution. Is there anything wrong with that?

I suspect it won't affect the great majority who would give a more vulnerable road user sufficient space anyway.

Can there really be a problem with that?

[NightRunner]

hora said:

I feel scared for horse riders. Horses can be spooked long after the car is gone. I followed a rider who was on foot trying to control a spooked horse. I was crawling/hazzards on in the middle of the road and a driver behind TRIED to speed past. I stopped/blocked him. The horse was going mental.

Some drivers have very small dicks and even smaller brains.

Sounds like the horse should not have been on the road. A danger to its self and other road users.

[VinceFox]

BliarOut said:

I think the intention is to get other road users to perhaps treat them with a little more caution. Is there anything wrong with that?

I suspect it won't affect the great majority who would give a more vulnerable road user sufficient space anyway.

Can there really be a problem with that?

We'll see. As others have said, if policy creep goes unchecked, where does it go next? Private cars with POLITE livery and checks? One thing yet to be considered here is the negative effect it can also foster. Irritation to other road users, for whatever reason is inevitable, i'd imagine.

[BliarOut]

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

I think the intention is to get other road users to perhaps treat them with a little more caution. Is there anything wrong with that?

I suspect it won't affect the great majority who would give a more vulnerable road user sufficient space anyway.

Can there really be a problem with that?

We'll see. As others have said, if policy creep goes unchecked, where does it go next? Private cars with POLITE livery and checks? One thing yet to be considered here is the negative effect it can also foster. Irritation to other road users, for whatever reason is inevitable, i'd imagine.

How could it irritate other road users?

First time I saw a horse rider wearing one I thought it was a good idea...

[VinceFox]

BliarOut said:

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

I think the intention is to get other road users to perhaps treat them with a little more caution. Is there anything wrong with that?

I suspect it won't affect the great majority who would give a more vulnerable road user sufficient space anyway.

Can there really be a problem with that?

We'll see. As others have said, if policy creep goes unchecked, where does it go next? Private cars with POLITE livery and checks? One thing yet to be considered here is the negative effect it can also foster. Irritation to other road users, for whatever reason is inevitable, i'd imagine.

How could it irritate other road users?

First time I saw a horse rider wearing one I thought it was a good idea...

The clothing/markings alone shouldn't. Given human nature and experience i'd suggest they may though. The more likely issue is when people use these markings in conjunction with authoratitive behaviour. Goproing all your rides and uploading them with a running commentary of everyone else using the road incorrectly would be an early indicator perhaps.

In freud's model of id ego and super, these are the MLMs, if you will.

[BliarOut]

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

I think the intention is to get other road users to perhaps treat them with a little more caution. Is there anything wrong with that?

I suspect it won't affect the great majority who would give a more vulnerable road user sufficient space anyway.

Can there really be a problem with that?

We'll see. As others have said, if policy creep goes unchecked, where does it go next? Private cars with POLITE livery and checks? One thing yet to be considered here is the negative effect it can also foster. Irritation to other road users, for whatever reason is inevitable, i'd imagine.

How could it irritate other road users?

First time I saw a horse rider wearing one I thought it was a good idea...

The clothing/markings alone shouldn't. Given human nature and experience i'd suggest they may though. The more likely issue is when people use these markings in conjunction with authoratitive behaviour. Goproing all your rides and uploading them with a running commentary of everyone else using the road incorrectly would be an early indicator perhaps.

In freud's model of id ego and super, these are the MLMs, if you will.

But we're only discussing a jacket...

I think it'll trick poor/impatient drivers, the majority won't be affected.

[VinceFox]

BliarOut said:

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

I think the intention is to get other road users to perhaps treat them with a little more caution. Is there anything wrong with that?

I suspect it won't affect the great majority who would give a more vulnerable road user sufficient space anyway.

Can there really be a problem with that?

We'll see. As others have said, if policy creep goes unchecked, where does it go next? Private cars with POLITE livery and checks? One thing yet to be considered here is the negative effect it can also foster. Irritation to other road users, for whatever reason is inevitable, i'd imagine.

How could it irritate other road users?

First time I saw a horse rider wearing one I thought it was a good idea...

The clothing/markings alone shouldn't. Given human nature and experience i'd suggest they may though. The more likely issue is when people use these markings in conjunction with authoratitive behaviour. Goproing all your rides and uploading them with a running commentary of everyone else using the road incorrectly would be an early indicator perhaps.

In freud's model of id ego and super, these are the MLMs, if you will.

But we're only discussing a jacket...

I think it'll trick poor/impatient drivers, the majority won't be affected.

No, you're only discussing a jacket.

For god's sake jim, look at the bigger picture!

[Potatoes]

Great thread!!

[BliarOut]

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

VinceFox said:

BliarOut said:

I think the intention is to get other road users to perhaps treat them with a little more caution. Is there anything wrong with that?

I suspect it won't affect the great majority who would give a more vulnerable road user sufficient space anyway.

Can there really be a problem with that?

We'll see. As others have said, if policy creep goes unchecked, where does it go next? Private cars with POLITE livery and checks? One thing yet to be considered here is the negative effect it can also foster. Irritation to other road users, for whatever reason is inevitable, i'd imagine.

How could it irritate other road users?

First time I saw a horse rider wearing one I thought it was a good idea...

The clothing/markings alone shouldn't. Given human nature and experience i'd suggest they may though. The more likely issue is when people use these markings in conjunction with authoratitive behaviour. Goproing all your rides and uploading them with a running commentary of everyone else using the road incorrectly would be an early indicator perhaps.

In freud's model of id ego and super, these are the MLMs, if you will.

But we're only discussing a jacket...

I think it'll trick poor/impatient drivers, the majority won't be affected.

No, you're only discussing a jacket.

For god's sake jim, look at the bigger picture!

Nope, they're different issues, I'm sticking on topic