NO...Cyclists don't ride on pavements or jump red lights at all.

ventureuk

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Despite the seller's insistence that:

THIS TABARD HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY PASSED BY THE POLICE

It's is complete bowlocks.[/
QUOTE]

Oh how I laugh at posts where people suddenly become legal experts. Unless someone quotes Act and Section about yellow tabards then they are not 'illegal' you might foolishly think they are based on your expertise from watching Morse.......but they are not.

Strider590

Hmmmm? A lot of bikers wear those too.... In fact the idea for that product has come from bikers wearing ex Police jackets (with the text altered).

pendulum

You are impersonating a police officer when (amongst others): "making a statement or doing any act calculated falsely to suggest membership of a police force;"

Putting on a jacket in public that's designed to look like a police jacket, that has a word which looks remarkably like the word POLICE at a glance, is an obvious act to falsely suggest you're a member of a police force.

The seller's get out for claiming it's been cleared by the police, is probably that he asked them if wearing it in the home was allowed, and they said yes. Obviously he's not responsible for you misusing the jacket in public ...

Strider590

^^ But what about security firms which use almost identical uniforms to the Police? The only difference being the "POLICE" part.

You can't say it's impersonating a Police officer if it doesn't say "Police", no matter how it's cut, where the stripes are or anything.

What about vans that have retro-flective stripes? I've lost count of how many times i've seen people unwilling to overtake a bl**dy minibus because they think it's the Police.

You can even do your car up to look like a Police car as long as you have no "Police" writing and/or blue lights fitted.
But this again is another area of contention because strictly speaking half the HGV's on the road would be illegal too (those with all the freakin blue lights on the cab).

samba

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Whilst I empathise with your very real concerns and worries, but why don't you get off and walk, how much effort does it take?

I do sometimes, but then I look like a prat, as it is literally 3 metres and I'm back on the road... However, in a similiar vein, I might ask why don't the majority of drivers follow the speed limits? I mean how much effort does it take? Also, why do some drivers mount the pavement to get past cars waiting to turn right? Why do drivers park half on the pavement in order to avoid blocking the road, but block the path instead? I could go on and on, but it's pointless - they all do it coz they believe they can get away with it.

ventureuk

pendulum wrote: »

You are impersonating a police officer when (amongst others): "making a statement or doing any act calculated falsely to suggest membership of a police force;"

Putting on a jacket in public that's designed to look like a police jacket, that has a word which looks remarkably like the word POLICE at a glance, is an obvious act to falsely suggest you're a member of a police force.

The seller's get out for claiming it's been cleared by the police, is probably that he asked them if wearing it in the home was allowed, and they said yes. Obviously he's not responsible for you misusing the jacket in public ...

Comedy, when did you last prosecute someone for impersonating a Police Officer ? there is no offence from wearing this jacket, it says POLITE, you might want it to be a crime and interpret the legislation to your own ends, but its not and there will never be a single prosecution stemming from wearing it. Ask the DPP if you don‘t belive me.....

Flyboy152

Strider590 wrote: »

^^ But what about security firms which use almost identical uniforms to the Police? The only difference being the "POLICE" part.

It seems you have answered your own question.

benjus

MackemPunk wrote: »

I borrowed it yesterday for a bit of an experiment, not one driver tried a silly overtake or intimidation. this tells me that a lot of drivesr bully cyclists just because they can, but when they thought I was an authority figure that changed.

One experiment isn't really enough to go on. I haven't come across any dangerous drivers on my cycle commute for a while. Even on my old route (East London - Old St, Commercial Rd, Commercial St, etc) most days were fine.

Flyboy152

samba wrote: »

I do sometimes, but then I look like a prat, as it is literally 3 metres and I'm back on the road... However, in a similiar vein, I might ask why don't the majority of drivers follow the speed limits? I mean how much effort does it take? Also, why do some drivers mount the pavement to get past cars waiting to turn right? Why do drivers park half on the pavement in order to avoid blocking the road, but block the path instead? I could go on and on, but it's pointless - they all do it coz they believe they can get away with it.

Surely your not suggesting that it is acceptable for cyclist to ride on the pavements and break other laws, because drivers also break laws, are you?

Flyboy152

ventureuk wrote: »

Comedy, when did you last prosecute someone for impersonating a Police Officer ? there is no offence from wearing this jacket, it says POLITE, you might want it to be a crime and interpret the legislation to your own ends, but its not and there will never be a single prosecution stemming from wearing it. Ask the DPP if you don‘t belive me.....

It is for the very same reason why it is illegal to have a blue light on your car. Many chav boy ravers get done for things like that.

As I said earlier, several cyclist and horse riders have had their jackets confiscated and they were warned if they were caught again they would be prosecuted. The police do take these things quite seriously.