Impersonating plod?

Returning from a journey today in the car, I noticed in the rear view mirror a police bike, all the traffic started to behave and tucked into the speed limit. It wasn't until he overtook me that I realised he wasn't plod after all but near as damn it. The bike all resplendent in the familiar plod high vis, white helmet with a cam, rider in high vis, all that was missing were Ariel's and the police logo on the bike. Is this wannabe behaviour legal? I wouldn't mind betting he was riding along with a big hard on. Perhaps I should've posted this in nob of the day section.

I have a friend down London way who collects old service bikes of different types and will ride them to shows, as he's regularly asked to have them on stalls.

They look 100% the real deal but he's checked with the local police bikers many times that he's ok with riding on the main roads. They've always said that as long as he never turns on the Blues and Twos / non-standard lighting, then there's no problem. He's just another road user.

... Obviously he's also not allowed to pull people over etc

Personally, same as above, as long as you're not trying to force traffic out of the way, skip to the front of the queue, bully people etc... Basically following the highway code... Then I don't really see the issue.

I guess [mention]Throttled[/mention] would be a good person to have chime in on this one

I have a friend down London way who collects old service bikes of different types and will ride them to shows, as he's regularly asked to have them on stalls.

They look 100% the real deal but he's checked with the local police bikers many times that he's ok with riding on the main roads. They've always said that as long as he never turns on the Blues and Twos / non-standard lighting, then there's no problem. He's just another road user.

... Obviously he's also not allowed to pull people over etc

Personally, same as above, as long as you're not trying to force traffic out of the way, skip to the front of the queue, bully people etc... Basically following the highway code... Then I don't really see the issue.

I guess @Throttled would be a good person to have chime in on this one

Only emergency vehicles are allowed to be fitted with blue flashing lights, working or not.

I have a friend down London way who collects old service bikes of different types and will ride them to shows, as he's regularly asked to have them on stalls.

They look 100% the real deal but he's checked with the local police bikers many times that he's ok with riding on the main roads. They've always said that as long as he never turns on the Blues and Twos / non-standard lighting, then there's no problem. He's just another road user.

... Obviously he's also not allowed to pull people over etc

Personally, same as above, as long as you're not trying to force traffic out of the way, skip to the front of the queue, bully people etc... Basically following the highway code... Then I don't really see the issue.

I guess @Throttled would be a good person to have chime in on this one

Only emergency vehicles are allowed to be fitted with blue flashing lights, working or not.

Only emergency vehicles are allowed to be fitted with blue flashing lights, working or not.

This bike did not have any blue lights fitted. I don't think there was any ulterior motive for trying to imitate a police bike other than ensuring his ride was not disrupted too much by idiot car drivers. In that respect, you have to sort of admire him. (sort of).

Only emergency vehicles are allowed to be fitted with blue flashing lights, working or not.

 

This bike did not have any blue lights fitted. I don't think there was any ulterior motive for trying to imitate a police bike other than ensuring his ride was not disrupted too much by idiot car drivers. In that respect, you have to sort of admire him. (sort of).

I was referring to gins friend

There was a guy in the news who was done then won appeal but reckoned it almost ruined him for riding with a polite top and a bike that looked like plod.

There are times when I wear a plain hi viz jacket. Funny thing is that we live at the bottom of a hill on a rural road. The speed limit is 30 but cars often do 40-50 by the time they get to the bottom of the hill.

Occasionally as I'm getting the bike out they catch a glimpse of the hi viz and a helmet and the results are quite comical.

I personally find it wrong but others opinions differ. There’s a biker near me that always wears the polite jacket and it’s not that it scares me, but you are tricked into thinking it’s a police man.

Convicted but then conviction overturned for something similar.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/08/banker-rode-police-motorbike-police-jacket-convicted-alleged/

I don't make a habit of breaking the law... im far more worried about cameras now than actual police officers, real or imagined.

I like having a clean license and when I do go above the speed limit in particular, Im very careful about the 'where' and the 'when'.

I have to say.. i do find it amusing that the level of acceptable criminality in this country is so high that this is somehow a bad thing:

Returning from a journey today in the car, I noticed in the rear view mirror a police bike, all the traffic started to behave and tucked into the speed limit.

but of course, its more likely the idea of being fooled thats more upsetting that the actual result. Nobody likes to admit to themselves that their observation skills are actually rather poor. Fact is, if your not behaving like a twat then whether its a real or imaginary copper shouldnt make the slightest difference. If the real or imaginary copper is not showing a blue light then he is just another road user.

Any one that tries to look like a copper is a fooking twat .

I don't make a habit of breaking the law... im far more worried about cameras now than actual police officers, real or imagined.

I like having a clean license and when I do go above the speed limit in particular, Im very careful about the 'where' and the 'when'.

I have to say.. i do find it amusing that the level of acceptable criminality in this country is so high that this is somehow a bad thing:

but of course, its more likely the idea of being fooled thats more upsetting that the actual result. Nobody likes to admit to themselves that their observation skills are actually rather poor. Fact is, if your not behaving like a twat then whether its a real or imaginary copper shouldnt make the slightest difference. If the real or imaginary copper is not showing a blue light then he is just another road user.

Thank goodness we have such law abiding citizens like you Gerontious.

What I found about the wannabe plod, is that it looked as though he was using his semi-disguise to open up the traffic for him to make quicker progress than he otherwise would have. It struck me as a motorcyclist, that this dick is a very bad advert for the motorcycling community.

looking like plod can go two ways

Yes i own ex plod with checker pattern hi vis jacket ..

Why? Because that particular style manufactured by

Turner & Virr are the best foul weather jackets i have ever known and easily obtained from surplus ..

Never been wet or cold wearing that .

Having ridden fill liveried bikes on SERV

In standstill traffic yes its a bit parting of the Red Sea but in traffic its a case of it slows you down as everyone starts obeying speed limits ahead of you or they are so nervous looking in rear mirror you end up hanging back waiting for them to stack it .

And the amount of Joints you see being thrown out windows on seeing you is Hilarious .

Iv see a few ppl who done up like a copper on a bike and its dont bother me but I do feel a bit sad for them to be honest . That they cant become the real thing maybe down to there parents being married to each other or not having being bullied in school enough or even having more then one imaginary friends so next time you see a wannabe plod give him a nod (or her ) opps dont forget the trans nut jobs who are not him or her . or even pull over and have a wee chat with the wannabe one day if we all chat with these sad wannabes we might fix them.and have a wannabe sado free bikers then we can concentrate on H D riders with stupidly loud pipes and engines that splutter for there dear life ..

[mention]BIKERDAD[/mention] Priceless

I have a friend down London way who collects old service bikes of different types and will ride them to shows, as he's regularly asked to have them on stalls.

They look 100% the real deal but he's checked with the local police bikers many times that he's ok with riding on the main roads. They've always said that as long as he never turns on the Blues and Twos / non-standard lighting, then there's no problem. He's just another road user.

... Obviously he's also not allowed to pull people over etc

Personally, same as above, as long as you're not trying to force traffic out of the way, skip to the front of the queue, bully people etc... Basically following the highway code... Then I don't really see the issue.

I guess @Throttled would be a good person to have chime in on this one

 

Only emergency vehicles are allowed to be fitted with blue flashing lights, working or not.

Yes you're right, it was lumped in with Sect: 19 of the road safety act 2006 when it was updated, there are also rules on displaying battenburg Hi-vis markings on your vehicle, red and yellow is Fire, Blue Police and Green ambulance, any non emergency vehicles displaying this battenburg can be challenged.

Hmmmmm cake

Hmmmmm cake

Not biscuits

battenburg that's usually pink and yellow

Here we go .

I dont understand these riders who dress up with all the high viz stuff that looks like police uniforms such as that Polite stuff.....i get that you want to be seen but these days the average 75 year old granny wont see you at the junction even with this on or headlights on full watched recently a YT vid that TMF did about this very subject about one rider getting pulled and fined

I dont understand these riders who dress up with all the high viz stuff that looks like police uniforms such as that Polite stuff.....i get that you want to be seen but these days the average 75 year old granny wont see you at the junction even with this on or headlights on full watched recently a YT vid that TMF did about this very subject about one rider getting pulled and fined

Is that [mention]Stu[/mention] in the video?

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Christ, how boring was that!

Christ, how boring was that!

It was only the first couple of minutes that were relevant, the rest of the video I fell asleep.