POLITE Notice, Think Bike

[HustleRussell]

[Six Fiend]

The bikers and cyclists I see wearing these vests are in possession of the least Police like road skills.

As such they work by me expecting them to do something stupid.

Maybe they're a good thing

[Alias218]

This is very much them trying to impersonate a Police officer. The entire reason why someone has gone to the effort of designing a jacket that has the chequers on, is hi-vis and has the 'Polite' in the exact same style as the law have 'Police' is because it looks like a Police officers jacket! Change the T to a C and all of a sudden it is a Police officers jacket!

I really don't know how some of the posters on here seem to think this isn't the case. Buyers remorse methinks.

Now, please excuse me while I head out in my fireproof jacket, salopettes and big yellow helmet that says 'Firemon' that in no way whatsoever looks like a fireman's outfit.

[Rawwr]

Alias218 said:

Now, please excuse me while I head out in my fireproof jacket, salopettes and big yellow helmet that says 'Firemon' that in no way whatsoever looks like a fireman's outfit.

It would in Jamaica.

[Fire99]

IanH755 said:

So could you write POLICE with a 1cm character between each letter so that "technically" it doesn't say POLICE, it says P*O'L`I,C.E (or even PoOlLiIcCeE if you want letters) which you can read from 10cm away doesn't say POLICE but it looks like it does from 10m away as you can't see the smaller characters?

Also you could press-up in a full police uniform and, as long as it says POLITE, that's perfectly OK?

Impersonating a Police officer is more than simply having the word Police somewhere on you.

Anyway, Section 90 of the Police Act 1996 says they sail VERY close to wind as the item may "look" like an official item but isn't -

---

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.

---

Totally agree..

[Drawweight]

I went straight to page 6 thinking this would be someone adding a post to the last time this topic was raised.

What a disappointment that was.

[AH33]

Hol said:

Anyone else care to guess who either has, or knows a friend who has one of these fancy dress Costumes??

People who wear these don't have any friends. Fact.

[Alias218]

Rawwr said:

Alias218 said:

Now, please excuse me while I head out in my fireproof jacket, salopettes and big yellow helmet that says 'Firemon' that in no way whatsoever looks like a fireman's outfit.

It would in Jamaica.

I hoped someone would make that kind of comment

[308mate]

For the avoidance of doubt, most bikers despair at these vests too.

[anh165]

In the words of a late 1980's hiphop band...

• ** the POLITE!

[WCZ]

seeing the police in amsterdam reminded me of this thread

[Conscript]

Mr2Mike said:

Conscript said:

That's not really pretending to be a police officer is it?

Yes, it is. There is no reason to do it otherwise.

Conscript said:

Pretending to be a police officer would involve writing the word "POLICE" on your vest.

But that's 100% illegal, and almost guaranteed to end up very badly for the person trying it. "Polite" with some blue/yellow checks gives walts with possibility of pretending to be a copper with no backlash from the real ones (unfortunately). It has nothing whatsoever to do with safety since a normal hi-vis vest is just as visible. The only reason walts wear these vests is because it gives them a thrill to think they can exercise some power over the rest of the public. POLITE vest = mentally ill.

I gave what I thought was a valid interpretation of the reason why someone might choose to wear one in that very same post, but you selectively quoted that out. I don't see how anyone can possibly think that it gives them any sort of power over the rest of the public in any practical sense because the illusion that they might be a police officer cannot really be maintained, past the initial few seconds when you are approaching them. As soon as you get within a certain distance, it becomes obvious that they are in fact, not a police officer. Like I said, not defending their use, I just don't buy that everyone who wears one is on some power trip.

I take the point about urban motorcyclists wearing them possibly being a bit much, but in the context I see them, mainly on very vulnerable road users in rural areas, I don't really think they do much harm. I certainly wouldn't use hyperbole like accusing the wearer of being mentally ill.

Edited by Conscript on Wednesday 31st August 17:12

Edited by Conscript on Wednesday 31st August 17:13

[NDA]

Interesting to read this morning that one of these bell ends has been charged with ‘intent to decieve’ and was wearing one of these jackets.

[tejr]

Any links? Sounds good..

The ones who wear these jackets are usually the bigger bellend riders.

[alorotom]

Aren’t these just the 2wheeled version of the Disco1 “rescue” brigade?? I’ve always interpreted them as such

[Pothole]

The vest was not really relevant to the charges/conviction, despite your rabid confirmation bias.

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-general-n...

Darren Emanuel, 46, was caught riding a former police motorcycle – complete with a blue light and authority stickers – on Park Lane in Mayfair last June.

He was stopped during rush hour after a Met Police Traffic officer grew concerned about the rear blue light on his BMW R1200RT, which formerly belonged to South Yorkshire Police.


When he had stopped, Emanuel was found to be wearing a 'POLITE Think Bike' vest sewn over a high-vis police jacket, which bore three reflective strips on the sleeves- a feature only seen on officers' uniforms.

Alongside the no longer working rear blue light, the bike featured a Royal Corps of Transport crest on the screen, an ER crest below the number plate and black and white chequered stickers on both side farings.

The city worker appeared in Hendon Magistrates Court today, charged with one count of wearing a police uniform with intent to deceive.