Whats with trying to impersonate bike police?

[shiftyblake]

What is it that makes riders wear white helmets, hi viz with blue police looking decals and bikes stickered up like a motorway maintenance van?? I just don't get it, I passed one out of Calne yesterday morning?

[Trev]

I'm guessing it's because they believe they will be more 'visible' to other road users if they look similar to coppers? I see quite a few at IAM gatherings wearing hi viz with the word POLITE in same size and type face as the police version and other wording (usually 'notice Think Bike) in smaller text. The suppliers of the jackets say it's proven to slow drivers down, not sure how drivers feel about it when they realise they've been suckered, probably not very polite towards the rider ; )

Really not sure myself, could it be interpreted as a little ........ wannabe?

[WR6133]

wannabe?

Polite vests.... you spelled the last word wrong Trev after the first "n" it's "ker".

[redken1]

I don't have a problem with bikers who have a fetish for dressing up to look like police officers. But can we keep it in the bedroom please.lol.;):p
On a serious note, I hope Mr baddy criminal types don't mistake them for police officers when the lookalikes are dismounted.

[Trev]

Polite vests.... you spelled the last word wrong Trev after the first "n" it's "ker".

You're so harsh ; ) Agreed looks a bit silly to my eyes but takes all sorts and no where is that more true than among us bikers. Not sure how cool I look when out and about on a hand painted, orange, 70's step thru, I think it makes a 'retro is cool' statement, my wife thinks I look like a pig on a pogo stick : (

[WR6133]

Your chicken chaser is retro cool! Borrow my ped then your wife can see pig on a pogo stick (or elephant humping a unicycle as mine says to me).

My harshness to the polite pillocks is more related to the behaviour I have seen people wearing them display, 65Mph in the fast lane of the M4 while flashing lights at people undertaking boiled my blood at Christmas time. If they want to have their sad little wannabe copper fantasy fine but keep it in a brothel, not out on a public road irritating people.

[theoldbaldone]

I didn't think I dress like a cop, but I do wear a white helmet and hi-viz and have louder can fitted, I just want the Dickheads out there on the road to see and hear me and not hit me,

[WR6133]

There's a difference between dressing visible and dressing like this

http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh504/wr6133/Polite-hi-viz_zpsd0bdf7a3.jpg (http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/wr6133/media/Polite-hi-viz_zpsd0bdf7a3.jpg.html)
Complete with white pan euro with added stickers to look like a bacon bike from a distance. Some hi-vis and a loud can is (debatably) safety the above picture is just a wannabe copper fetish, with "safety" waved as an excuse.

[Trev]

I didn't think I dress like a cop, but I do wear a white helmet and hi-viz and have louder can fitted, I just want the Dickheads out there on the road to see and hear me and not hit me,

Do you think more see/take notice of you looking vaguely police like than if you dressed otherwise?

[theoldbaldone]

Do you think more see/take notice of you looking vaguely police like than if you dressed otherwise?


I have noticed a difference with wearing hi-viz, driver's see me sooner, people at junctions wait even when they have time to go, have only started wearing hi-viz this winter, I have only been riding for 3 years in all weathers, my helmet is just white and my hi-viz is a waterproof builders coat which I wear over my leathers.

[Col]

It is an offence to impersonate a plod or bike plod by being dressed in a similar fashion [is fashion the right word :confused: ] and also blue lights at the front on vehicles are a no,no but you still see them.

The picture is a good example of impersonation and, therefore, committing an offence.

[WR6133]

The picture is a good example of impersonation and, therefore, committing an offence.

Problem is it's not. A while back these were ok'd by the (MET) police. Sorry for the poor source (first google result) http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2013/june/jun1413-polite/

Stickering up bikes to closely resemble is also not rare (not my video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gewhH9UiFYs

All justified with the umbrella excuse "safety", though I reckon "fetish/fantasist" is more apt.

[Col]

Anyway whatever...here is an amusing tale of plod and impersonators ;)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1235756/Police-officers-disciplined-women-taken-station-statements-dressed-uniform-took-sexy-pictures.html

[redken1]

There's a difference between dressing visible and dressing like this

http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh504/wr6133/Polite-hi-viz_zpsd0bdf7a3.jpg (http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/wr6133/media/Polite-hi-viz_zpsd0bdf7a3.jpg.html)
Complete with white pan euro with added stickers to look like a bacon bike from a distance. Some hi-vis and a loud can is (debatably) safety the above picture is just a wannabe copper fetish, with "safety" waved as an excuse.

My brother and I were talking about this today. As bikers we are all too aware of our vulnerability and we know the risks involved. We all have to make our own decisions on what we think is the best way to minimise that risk and protect ourselves as best we can when on two wheels out on the roads. I believe in freedom of choice so I won’t sit judgement on what other bikers choose to wear. That said however, I very much hope that I never reach the point when I feel the need to mimic a police officer (re; photo) in order to increase my visibility and raise awareness of other road users. Should such thoughts enter my head in the future, the time would have arrived for some serious soul-searching on whether or not the risks associated with biking had become too high, and a bike was no longer the right mode of transport for me?

[Nano]

I have noticed a difference with wearing hi-viz, driver's see me sooner, people at junctions wait even when they have time to go, have only started wearing hi-viz this winter, I have only been riding for 3 years in all weathers, my helmet is just white and my hi-viz is a waterproof builders coat which I wear over my leathers.

I find the same I had a plain white lid and a high vis plain yellow vest. Wearing it gives people pause to think which means I can slip past with out the buggers pulling out on me. I dont think they think I am a copper but they are not sure! I think it is is just darwinian evolution to notice, pause and avoid luminous things. Dark things moving fast seem to make people more likely to leg it (maybe fight-or-flight). I have a dark bike and black leathers and in my own comparison experiment it would seem to hold true. I have not changed my riding style.

I have also added some stylish LED strip brake and tail lights to my top box which is use for commuting. I have noticed the high level lights at the rear mean people keep their distance more and dont come racing up behind me. Makes the difference on the dark winter nights.

[Swanny]

There's a difference between dressing visible and dressing like this

http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh504/wr6133/Polite-hi-viz_zpsd0bdf7a3.jpg (http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/wr6133/media/Polite-hi-viz_zpsd0bdf7a3.jpg.html)
.

What a cock.
I expect he's the type that likes to ride 5mph below the speed limit and tries to block others from overtaking him, probably also part of his local speed watch area.

[Mitch9128]

There's a massive hermer dresses like that on a white pan that's stickered up to look like filth, rides the M4, even has an orange flashing light. He chased me with his light on, after i rode past him giving him the w@nchor sign, all the way to j17, where he carried on, gesticulating wildly. Was in the car once and i saw him telling 2 guys on Kwaks to slow down, they were a bit confused i think, as i then overtook them.

[WR6133]

That sounds like the guy I saw at Christmas time on the M4 but he was using his headlight to flash at people.

[Julie_S]

Road captains. Simple as that!

I think you have to be a bit careful with the high vis as you may think it marks you out as ultra careful and an elite rider, car drivers may see you as a victim, good example:- try riding slow/steady (or driving) across an roundabout, guaranteed more people will dive out in front of you.

People do see to ride about trying to look like a cooper hoping the traffic will part in front of them like the sea for Moses. Some suckers fall for this, we rode down to Weymouth a few summers ago with a pal on his Triumph Scrambler, we politely over too 2 high vis chaps on old Pans, he followed them all the way to Shaftesbury as he thought they were coppers...,doing 55mph on the A350 on 10 year old Pans! don't think police cuts have gone quite that deep

Won't always save you though, an old boy I used to work with knocked a real Police motorcyclist off his bike on a roundabout near Warminster a couple of years ago

[Jed]

I attended a talk given by the British Horse Society about road safety and they have carried out research that shows drivers 'see' horse riders wearing hi viz three seconds earlier and therefore react to the hazard that much earlier. The same has to be true of motorcyclists wearing hi viz and riding with their headlights on. Trying to make yourself or the bike look like police is highly questionable though and the actions described above about waving others down etc is definitely illegal.

Personally I wear plain hi viz for the reasons above and I ride a Pan European because its the best bike for my needs; not seen a copper on a dark red one though!