Car Drivers Opinions Of The "POLITE" Hi Viz

There are some VERY ignorant people on that forum, likewise other forums too....but some of the replies on there make you wonder if they have braincells. Yet, there are some good eggs too.

Waste of time joining and commenting, some people are so blinkered in their views you just won't make an impression!
 
Makes you scared, what few seem to realise is that slowing down and passing at an acceptable distance is for their safety as well as the rider and the horse, I would laugh if they met up with some of the Mounted Special Constables, that would make them even more irritated.
 
Some of those attitudes are very depressing :( Yesterday out on a hack on a small road that is deemed a "quiet lane" by the local council, which has signs up about walkers, cyclists, horses as it is a country lane used frequently by all of these, two of us out hacking had a car coming towards us at speed (straight stretch of road), the rider in front flagged him to slow down, he just gesticulated and mouthed abuse through his car window. Take the horses out the equation and he's still doing 50mph in a 30mph but that's his attitude and no-one's going to tell him otherwise. I despair. I'm sure that guy uses that route and will adopt that attitude to every horse rider he has to pass.

We also witnessed on that same road a family cycling where a younger one, probably 8 years old was ahead of his parents doing well but a bit wobbly, but all the gear and not that bad at cycling for his age, and entitled to be out enjoying learning how to cycle with his family on such a small country road and a car overtook the ones at the back, had to tuck in behind him as we were coming along on the other side of the road and the car got far too close before finally going out round him with sufficient space - it made us gasp as we were convinced the car was going to clip him, it was such a close shave it made me feel sick - the little boy thankfully was blissfully unaware of what had just happened behind him. That was just poor driving as the woman driver had slowed but was just oblivious I think.
 
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I've just read through all 21 pages :eek:
Honestly ! They are under the impression that horse riders are impersonating police officers :rolleyes:. They go on to the horses shouldn't be on the roads blurb, how horse poo is dangerous to other road users, horse nappys to collect said poo :rolleyes:, then the arguments over horses, cyclists, walkers etc using "green lanes" (bridleways). There are some good, balanced posts for horses, and the usual rubbish from the "cars OWN the roads" brigade. There are a few posts where drivers are slagging each other off :D It goes round in several circles, and even red/green tail ribbons get a mention :D.
Have to say, I did laugh out loud quite a lot and there are a couple of "spit tea all over my keyboard" comments.

Hows your head this morning Dragon Slayer ? :)
 
There really are some mindless
Morons on that forum! Maybe a link to the horse killed a few weeks ago would give a few a kick up the backside but I doubt it
 
I found some of their views on the polite vest interesting.

But this quote did make me chuckle

ED209
2,302 posts
102 months
[report] [news]* Wednesday 9th May
spotted a horsebox this weekend with "Driving ponies" written on the rear.

So they are letting their ponies drive now?

;)
 
Scary to read most of that, especially as I have a polite high vis! I dont actually like it but I'm having to use it as the straps on my other ones snapped when they got caught on a branch. I must be lucky in my area as I don't think i've ever known anybody to speed up and rev their engine! A handfull people don't slow down very much but always pass very wide.

I did find it very amusing a couple of days ago- i'd gone out on a really long hack and turned on to a long country lane, I heard this loud engine in the distance and as it turned a corner and came in to sight I saw this chav-mobile speeding towards me at 80mph! it had blacked out covers on the windows, all various colours of orange and black and green with spoilers and go faster stripes etc, I gulped and tightened my reins but when he saw me he about stopped and crawled past at a snails pace! I looked in to see if he had a girl with him as I assume they might tell them to slow down but nope! just some stereotypical chavvy topless guy covered in tattoos and piercings; made my day haha
 
As both a rider on roads and a driver I personally find the 'polite' thing a bit weird and irritating. It does come across as riders are impersonating police (as a rider myself, I can tell from first glance that you ain't no policeman on that fair hairy native pony :D) and I just find it irks me far more than just regular hi-viz which I think is perfectly adequate.
Cyclists don't use a faux-police tabbard, why do riders feel the need to?


Not meant in any sort of inflammatory way BTW, just my honest view and would be interested to hear response. I'm genuinely interested to know the answer to my question.
 
I always wear Hi-Viz. I actually would NOT wear the POLITE hi-viz because people who use them, are hoping that people will think for a second that it is a police rider and they hope it will mean drivers will slow down more. I don't think it is necessary.

The important thing is to make yourself visible and to ride sensibly, ie in single file. I avoid busy roads in peak travel time. I know plenty of people who shrug their shoulders and say it's their right to go on the road, which is true - but it won't make you feel better when you are sitting in a hospital bed.
 
I haven't read the other forum but personally I would not wear a "polite" tabard, in my view deliberately misleading branding is inappropriate (and only likely to irritate drivers).

We saw one of these for sale at a show the other day and my OH's comment was "are those legal?"
 
AprilBlossom said:
As both a rider on roads and a driver I personally find the 'polite' thing a bit weird and irritating. It does come across as riders are impersonating police (as a rider myself, I can tell from first glance that you ain't no policeman on that fair hairy native pony :D) and I just find it irks me far more than just regular hi-viz which I think is perfectly adequate.
Cyclists don't use a faux-police tabbard, why do riders feel the need to?


Not meant in any sort of inflammatory way BTW, just my honest view and would be interested to hear response. I'm genuinely interested to know the answer to my question.
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I have seen a cyclist in a Polite tabard actually. I don't like them either though.

IMO, its not right that people feel the need to pose as police in order to feel respected and safe on the roads. Its not even right that we have to beg with campaigns and stickers and tabard slogans for drivers to pleeeeeease pass us safely and then shower drivers with gratitude for touching their brakes. It should be the effing law that horses are passed no faster than X speed. It needs to be if horses are to legally be allowed to keep using the roads. As long as horse riding popularity keeps growing, the volume of traffic on the roads keeps growing and cars keep getter manufactured to be more powerful and better handling at speed we are getting closer to being forced off the roads if the law doesn't do something to protect us.
 
Some of those replies are horrifying.

I have a Polite high viz, purely because I read on here that they work. If making yourself more visable to help guard the safety of yourself, your horse and the drivers of the cars themselves infuriates some car drivers what hope do we have?? :confused:
 
BigRed said:
The important thing is to make yourself visible and to ride sensibly, ie in single file.
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I've got to disagree with this. Horses get much more respect from traffic riding two abreast, the less experienced horse/rider is safest on the inside and the police ride two abreast as a matter of course .
 
Flame_ said:
I've got to disagree with this. Horses get much more respect from traffic riding two abreast, the less experienced horse/rider is safest on the inside and the police ride two abreast as a matter of course .
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When riding with my instructor we always rode two abrest because it stops cars trying to 'skim' past you without moving onto the other side of the road
 
AprilBlossom said:
As both a rider on roads and a driver I personally find the 'polite' thing a bit weird and irritating. It does come across as riders are impersonating police (as a rider myself, I can tell from first glance that you ain't no policeman on that fair hairy native pony :D) and I just find it irks me far more than just regular hi-viz which I think is perfectly adequate.
Cyclists don't use a faux-police tabbard, why do riders feel the need to?


Not meant in any sort of inflammatory way BTW, just my honest view and would be interested to hear response. I'm genuinely interested to know the answer to my question.
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BigRed said:
I always wear Hi-Viz. I actually would NOT wear the POLITE hi-viz because people who use them, are hoping that people will think for a second that it is a police rider and they hope it will mean drivers will slow down more. I don't think it is necessary.

The important thing is to make yourself visible and to ride sensibly, ie in single file. I avoid busy roads in peak travel time. I know plenty of people who shrug their shoulders and say it's their right to go on the road, which is true - but it won't make you feel better when you are sitting in a hospital bed.
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Agree pretty much with these two.

I also wouldn't wear any of the POLITE Hi Vis. I've got far more visible hi vis than that and I see no need to try to look like a police officer. Still if it makes people who wouldn't normally wear it feel cool and actually bother to put it on then I suppose it serves a purpose.
 
My daughter has one. I didn't even realise that it was supposed to look like 'POLICE' :o

I thought it was just meant to be a polite notice :o:o
 
Horses for courses and all that - when I ride along the road with others we bunch right up and walk along the long straight bits to allow drivers to overtake safely and efficiently. On a more windy section of the road we trot along and pull in to driveways/laybys where appropriate to let traffic that may have bunched up behind us pass.

It's very, very rare for us to feel in danger of any sort, and this is on a 50mph limit road where sometimes cars do go past at more than 5mph - they just perform a very wide overtake on an appropriate stretch of road, allowing them to maintain speed.

I thank all drivers who go past, and am yet to see a driver looking annoyed by my presence. My hi-viz, I'll admit is often minimal or non-existant (not that I'm advocating this).
 
AprilBlossom said:
As both a rider on roads and a driver I personally find the 'polite' thing a bit weird and irritating. It does come across as riders are impersonating police (as a rider myself, I can tell from first glance that you ain't no policeman on that fair hairy native pony :D) and I just find it irks me far more than just regular hi-viz which I think is perfectly adequate.
Cyclists don't use a faux-police tabbard, why do riders feel the need to?


Not meant in any sort of inflammatory way BTW, just my honest view and would be interested to hear response. I'm genuinely interested to know the answer to my question.
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I don't see your post as being inflamatory in any way, and I'm sure others will agree :).
The main points I noticed when reading the thread on the PH forum, is that the general opinion on a car based forum appears to be that riders who wear the "Polite" tabards are being arrogant by impersonating the police. The thread is full of posters questioning the legality of these tabards. There is even one poster who stated that he would drive faster past Police horses, and closer to them, because they are "safe" in traffic :eek:.
I LOVE their description though of the "battenburg band" :rolleyes: (chequered ;)) above the Polite notice :), BUT, these drivers in particular seem to be highly peed off by the use of these tabards :mad:.
I do wear hi viz myself, when riding, cycling and walking on roads, but I think the impact of the POLITE hi viz might have worn off. :)
 
Think that the ignorance displayed by some people on that forum is proof that no matter how much education on this subject, there will be those who will never be convinced. In the same way as no matter how often we have drink driving campaigns, there will be the same ignorant core who believe that they are immune to the effects of alcohol and the law does not apply to them. Those of us who understand the dangers do not need told, and those who don't cannot be told.
 
I wear a Polite tabard, and will continue to do so.

I passed a man in his garden yesterday who looked at the tabard and said "is that a Police coat you've got?" I said no, it says Polite not Police, but the point is it makes car drivers slow down a bit, which is a good thing. He seemed highly amused by it and agreed with me.

I've not had the misfortune to get any abuse out hacking. Do get cars that don't slow down enough/at all but most of them are pretty good round this way.
 
I read the first three pages on that forum and I'm pretty impressed with the attitudes of most of the posters actually. I was expecting a lot of "Its 2012, WTF are horses still doing on the roads at all?" type comments, but they are few and have been very eloquently shouted down as far as I've read.

I agree with their attitudes towards the Polite stuff and believe its short term effect whilst drivers are still fooled by it will soon be replaced by no effect to some and annoying lots of motorists once they have been "fooled" a few times.

One thing that does bug me though, the thing about "controlling" horses. The trouble is, we all know that you cannot make a horse do something it doesn't want to do and they can decide at any time they are going to go into that mode on the roads over all sorts of things you meet out hacking. Young horses can have all the training they can get in a school and be push button, never for a second "out of control", but during their education in the wider world there are always things that they will react to. As riders we might be able to stop them bolting, throwing us off, etc, but we can't do much about them going through nappy phases, learning to accept large vehicles, learning that even if they don't like the look of particular gate posts they can't leap over to the other side of the road to avoid them. Horses are a constant work in progress and when they react, they react and I don't think we ever have complete control over them.
 
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the annoying thing is that the police say they can't do anything about making people slow down yet there is a forum mainly filled with idiots who admit they don't give a rats ass about horses/riders. why can't the police find out who those people are and then maybe have words with them.

someone on the yard has the polite tabbard (well a few people do) and she thinks she looks great when riding her pony and that she is so convincing, i rode out with her one day and she was giving it the big i am to drivers and i noticed that some drivers were getting angry because it was blatantly obvious she was trying to big herself up and wasn't a police officer.
 
The reason the Polite tabards work, is because they trick the driver into thinking you are a mounted police rider, or might be.

So I have no doubt they make car drivers approach much more slowly. Which is a (at least short term) gain.

However, because it essentially relies on tricking the driver, and because on passing the horse the driver will be able to see the real wording and will realise they have been tricked, I do have a big concern that it will make drivers more anti horses on the roads, simply because being tricked makes us humans cross, we dont like being made to feel foolish.

They should, of course, be driving at the correct speed anyway, but thats another matter.

For this reason I would not wear one of these tabards. I do think at some point a rider is going to have a nasty confrontation with a car driver who will get aggressive in an argument about whether the jacket is police approved and whether they are impersonation a police officer. I know the official line is that they arent but in practice.....There is a reason why you are not allowed to have red and blue lights on the top of your car, even for fun, and I find it odd that the same logic isnt applying here.

In short I think they deliver a short term undeniable safety advantage to the individual, but a possible long term resentment against horseriders on roads.
 
LittleWildOne said:
I found this link on another forum to our PistonHeads friends opinions on the "POLITE" hi viz vests :D
It's quite hilarious and well worth a read. :D
I'm actually tempted to register and join in for a laugh :D
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/...rse+riders+pretending+to+be+the+Police?&mid=0
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I am already a member (ROG) and have done a few posts on that thread

Many on there are ASSUMING that those with the POLITE hi-vis are trying to mimic POLICE but the reality is that any driver who thinks that in seeing one needs their eyes testing

Put one police horse and rider in amongst 12 with polite vests and I'll spot the cop easily

Police horses and riders look very different - that from me who is not a horsey person - well, I rode a donkey on the beach in my younger days!!
 
lachlanandmarcus, your post summarises very well the impact these polite tabards are having on drivers - good when they first came into use, but now, they are making some drivers angry.
This was the reason I shared the link.
It is quite a concern that something which was designed to help make riders safer on the roads, is having the opposite effect.
 
I don't have any polite hi-viz stuff, though I have hi-viz.

I don't think the polite stuff makes people look anything like mounted police, but again this comes from a owner/rider.
 
I wear my polite tabard when I hack out. I don't know whether it is any more effective than the standard high vis I wore beforehand. People are generally very good around my way - we are quite a horsey area, so it might be that.

As for it making drivers angry - well boo hoo - I am sick of tiny brained motorists who get angry at the drop of a hat - if they deliberately try and spook a horse just because the rider's tabard incensed them, then no doubt it wouldn't take much to incense them regardless of what the rider is wearing!

I always smile and raise my hand to drivers, it doesn't take much effort.
 
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