'Polite' range

[GinaGeo]

I like the waistcoat, that doesn't have "polite" on it. Two young boys, probably about ten years old, whispered to each other that a "policewoman" rode past once.

My lovely mother bought me the tabbard for christmas and I was surprised to see how much of the material is dark... I've not worn it yet. I have a £4.99 tabbard bought from the local market which is much better quality and shows up much better. I wear that instead on warmer days.

 

[MrsB]

Think I'm going to look for an alternative to the Polite range...

 

[Goldenstar]

Think I'm going to look for an alternative to the Polite range...

I have been looking online at stuff as I want some polo shirts for summer ( distant dream I know ) you can get much cheaper if you go for non horsey stuff.
However I must say I use the polite exercise sheets and they stay put and are a nice wieght .

 

[Nic]

Had she escaped from somewhere ?

A city centre apparently!

 

[Goldenstar]

Ahhh that explains it.

 

[Nic]

Ahhh that explains it.

Indeed! Alas due to all the conversions round here I'm surrounded by escaped townies!

 

[lastchancer]

What harm do the police envisage resulting from riders being mistaken for mounted police?

Free entry to a football game perhaps

 

[PandorasJar]

They are different words. Bit like meercat and market. Simples.

 

[glamourpuss]

I have one but I'd never wear it again. Twice now I've had drivers stop to have a go at me because they didn't agree with me impersonating a police officer. Ironically neither of those slowed down particularly either.
I'd rather just wear good quality plain hi-viz & reflective gear

 

[touchstone]

I use a Lunarider jacket and hat band and have often had comments that people thought I was a police officer (from a long distance, I have a hairy 14hh)

I do feel that the polite range simply aggravates drivers needlessly once they realise that riders are trying to fool them and 'normal' hi vis does a better job of making a horse/rider more visible. We need to keep other road users onside, not wind them up, (and this range winds me up, and I am a careful driver who always overtakes horses sensibly.) Horse riders have a bad enough reputation in many areas without looking even more 'special' than other road users.

 

[Clodagh]

Totally off topic - Nat, how is your baby!?

 

[Fluffy bunny]

Stopped wearing mine months ago after reading a drivers survey that said they found them very irritating and demeaning. I now just wear my "normal" hi viz and have found drivers to be just as careful.

 

[Goldenstar]

It's a choice though personally I don't wear the polite range although we do use the exercise sheets .
But riders are not responsible for drivers lack of humor some drivers definatly have mistaken fatty for a police horse when he's wearing his exercise sheet (black ID he does look like a police horse)
We have had a couple of drivers grumble at us about us so what it's their issue I am not going to stop wearing the sheet over it .
The fact is I don't think there's any way in law a word play will be found to be intent to impersonate a police officer if you want to wear the polite range do so if you don't don't.
I personally wish musto would make a hi viz range as I all my hi viz coats have been totally crap and I won't wear a ghastly coat.

 

[fburton]

Precisely this. If I was a driver and thought someone was imitating a member of the police then I think I'd be pretty annoyed about it.

Why? I would be annoyed if someone was impersonating a police officer and e.g. stopping cars to inspect their tyres. I would also be annoyed if a rider behaved inconsiderately towards other road users, however dressed. But riding a horse safely and politely? I don't see what annoyance that would create.

Free entry to a football game perhaps

Oh, is that all?

Seriously, I think this just petty officiousness on behalf of the police.

 

[Lady La La]

I've not read the whole thread (sorry) so apologies if this has already been said, but the thing that strikes me about this Polite range, is that... Police horses are renowned for being GOOD in traffic. If anything, it could be assumed that one could afford to pass a police horse less carefully that a 'normal' not so highly trained horse.
I don't really see the benefit of drivers mistaking you for the police, tbh

 

[touchstone]

Why? I would be annoyed if someone was impersonating a police officer and e.g. stopping cars to inspect their tyres. I would also be annoyed if a rider behaved inconsiderately towards other road users, however dressed. But riding a horse safely and politely? I don't see what annoyance that would create.


Unfortunately it does cause annoyance to some drivers though

Many riders are viewed as an inconvenience and snobby, and some riders behaviour seems to sadly encourage this viewpoint. There are plenty of people that think horses shouldn't be on the road full stop, and while I would never cow tow to that viewpoint, going about looking like a police officer will just antagonise those people and possibly irritate those who weren't bothered beorehand, as has been the experience of some riders.

I'm a firm believer in making yourself as visible as possible, but getting drivers to think you 'might' be a police officer is deceptive and in my view does nothing for removing the image that riders think that they are above other road users.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I have a sneaking feeling that Jamie works for Equisafety...

Yeah funny you should say that, I'm not buying the "I live near them and buy my stuff from their head office" story either

 

[Elsiecat]

I wear a normal cheapo hi-vis vest.
I do however wear the equisafety exercise sheet and tail wraps.
I look like a christmas tree.
Some road-users think that any horse rider dressed in hi-vis looks like the police!!! If I'm mistaken for the police then so what, more fool them. I hardly look like the police.
And for what it's worth since I upped my hi-vis and got the exercise sheet people in general have slowed a hell of a lot more.

 

[fburton]

Good points from both Lady La La and touchstone. TBH, I'd be more sympathetic to the police's stance if they put forward sensible arguments like that. So what, if anything, can be done about drivers' perceptions?

 

[HollyWoozle]

Why? I would be annoyed if someone was impersonating a police officer and e.g. stopping cars to inspect their tyres. I would also be annoyed if a rider behaved inconsiderately towards other road users, however dressed. But riding a horse safely and politely? I don't see what annoyance that would create.

To be honest I find it quite hard to explain why. Say I saw a walker out wearing high vis which purposefully looked like that of a policeman... I wouldn't like that because they are not a policeman. To me a member of the police force has a particular role in society and I don't feel that imitating them in a way as can generally confuse people is really OK. I also feel that a lot of drivers would be aggravated by someone effectively trying to fool them, which seems to be the case according to some of the other posters' experiences.

It's all well and good saying that people should know riders are not members of the police force because they are riding a hairy cob or because they are only wearing the tabard, but why should non-horsey people know that? A lot of the general public don't know anything about horses and presumably slow down when they see the 'polite' tabards because they think that person could genuinely be a police officer.

As I said before, I do see why the range was created and the intended benefit. But personally I would rather wear standard high-vis which is much less likely to cause confusion or offence (and more likely to actually be seen!). I feel that it is more beneficial from a safety point of view in the long run as drivers have less reason to become annoyed* which, in my opinion, could cause them to drive past me with less respect on the next occasion.

If people want to use the range then of course that's up to them and I understand that choice, it's just not for me.

*I know that some drivers are always annoyed by people riding on the roads, but I would rather give them as few reasons as possible to be so.

 

[criso]

So what, if anything, can be done about drivers' perceptions?

I'm not sure anything can, there is a percentage of drivers out there who think they have a basic right to get from A to B at ridiculous speeds and anything that slows them down is an annoyance, not just horses, but cycles, horseboxes, tractors and pedestrians and anything the makes them dip below 40 for a few seconds on a single track country lane.

I think the drivers who get annoyed do so because they have been fooled into slowing down when they would not have slowed otherwise. The alternative may be a happier driver but one who would have flown past so close you worry about your stirrups touching the car.

 

[touchstone]

I think that many driver's perceptions can be changed, there are always going to be ignorant gits who are a nuisance on the road and pose a risk to other drivers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians, but I suspect a large proportion of drivers are unaware of how a horse might react and education is the key. It is surprising how many people think horses should only be on bridleways, not realising that you need to often use the roads to reach them.

It would be great if the funding was available for adverts that point out that horses have a right to be on the road and how to drive past them, I'm sure there are plenty of drivers that are clueless on how horses behave. There are the odd advertisements for being aware of motorcyclists at junctions etc it would be nice to see more for riders, also compulsory testing within the highway code about driving when animals are on the road.


That being said there is also a riders responsibility to be considerate, trotting on or moving off the road if you are holding up traffic, being visible, using correct signals and the road correctly and being thankful and polite to drivers, also making sure our horses are well schooled and traffic proof, sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I think that many driver's perceptions can be changed, there are always going to be ignorant gits who are a nuisance on the road and pose a risk to other drivers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians, but I suspect a large proportion of drivers are unaware of how a horse might react and education is the key. It is surprising how many people think horses should only be on bridleways, not realising that you need to often use the roads to reach them.

It would be great if the funding was available for adverts that point out that horses have a right to be on the road and how to drive past them, I'm sure there are plenty of drivers that are clueless on how horses behave. There are the odd advertisements for being aware of motorcyclists at junctions etc it would be nice to see more for riders, also compulsory testing within the highway code about driving when animals are on the road.

That being said there is also a riders responsibility to be considerate, trotting on or moving off the road if you are holding up traffic, being visible, using correct signals and the road correctly and being thankful and polite to drivers, also making sure our horses are well schooled and traffic proof, sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

Absolutely agree with this!

 

[Elsiecat]

the general public don't know anything about horses and presumably slow down when they see the 'polite' tabards because they think that person could genuinely be a police officer.

They should be slowing down anyway whenever they see a horse. If these people are only slowing down because they think its the police then surely you mean they'd have sped past if people wern't in hi-vis or in 'normal' hi vis?

 

[Coblover63]

So are WE going to get nicked for wearing them?

And if so, where else can I buy an adjustable hi-viz waistcoat that has a zip up the front and zipped pockets to safely contain my stuff?

 

[Waffles]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/310949.html


was it about this? or is there something new?

 

[fburton]

So are WE going to get nicked for wearing them?

Just make sure whoever nicks you is a real police officer and not someone impersonating one as a PCSO.

 

[Ali2]

I posted a link to this discussion on Equisafety's Facebook page. They've not responded and appear to have deleted my queastion. I am somewhat disappointed by this (lack of) response from a company I have always had excellent customer service from and whose products I like (I use the 'non-polite' stuff)

 

[PiebaldRosie]

To be honest, it's a question of safety. I don't really give a damn if the police think I'm impersonating them, if it means the difference between me becoming roadkill or having a nice hack where cars can actually see me.

Instead of getting their knickers in a twist about 'impersonation', I think the police should be noticing that the Polite range is really a cry for help! In essence, if pretending to be the police is one of the only things that makes drivers slow down (in place of traditional fluoro tabards)...so be it!

 

[Nic]

Not surprised Ali. Maybe everyone that owns one should ask the same question on their FB page!

Piebald Rosie, the Polite part will have no bearing on making you more visible.

Surely the whole idea of this range is that it looks similar to Police?