Jiggerypokery

What that all about?

I'm seeing this more and more, people driving around with a fluorescent jacket on the parcel shelf or over back of the seat so that it's visible from the outside. I'm not talking about cars parked at motorway roadworks, but all kinds of people driving around in general, old ladies and old men, and just now a man with family in the car has driven by in a shiney 3 series with a yellow jacket visible. Why?

Tiggs

covers the upper part of the body...and shines in the dark.

n one

iTrader: (5)

mmm.. and orange lights too (the flashing type). Makes `em feel important

NACRO

They are a legal requirement to be carried in Spain these days and soon France. Perhaps they are becoming a legal requirement across the EU and are therefore being pushed by motoring organisations etc?

Either that or the people are tossers and want you to think they are some kind of law enforcment. That really only works with white Volvos though.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

I shouldn't laugh but I find remarks like that funny

RichWalk

They are all dis-enchanted Railtrack workers too bleedin scared to use the railways.

Grottbags the witch

I have a flourescent jacket and can tell you why some people put them in back windows and on the backs of their seats.

I'm in a voluntary organisation where appearance is important as it creates an impression to the public of knowing what we're doing.

The flourescent coats get stained and marked really easily (I know, my first coat is only fit for wearing when changing a wheel etc, not fit for wearing as part of my uniform) and the washing instructions suggest 10 washes is the maximum number of washes for the jackets useful life (because of fading etc).

As these jackets cost £40+ some of us would like to treat them carefully and not throw them on the floor or in the boot to get covered in mud, oil and heaven knows what else. Particularly as we pay for our jackets ourselves.

So, that's why I put my coat where it won't get covered in everything, such as on the top of the pile in the boot of my estate car to stop it getting stained. Nothing to do with wanting to feel important but everything to do with maintaining a proper image when wearing the coat. Of course, the filthier they are the less reflective they will be and therefore the less effective they will become at helping the person wearing it being seen.

Jiggerypokery

The ability to act like a tosser and expect to get away with it also springs to mind. Travelling in London where the traffic was all queued and people were changing lanes due to road works, I witnessed a clapped out range rover with four dodgy looking characters entering the road works zone through the cones and pushing back in front of other traffic. The driver was leaning out of the window making sure everyone could see his fluorescent jacket as he cut people up, and the other occupants of the vehicle were laughing their heads off.

Do people think they won't get into road rage if others think they look "official"?

scoobynutta555

IMHO the type of person that does this is trying to look like police. You'll see more of this on white cars with police obviously not driving the car.

I think they are nobbers and usually the type of person that likes to drive everywhere under the posted speed limit.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

agree, generally the sign of a d!ckhead driving the car.

juan

Agreed. I think the majority have it to try and make others think maybe they are an undercover / off duty copper or some such.

Real coppers probably don't bother advertsing their reflective vests.

In addition most people I see with them look more like an work / soap dodgers

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Vauxhall Senator Drivers mainly.

juan

older cavs too. maybe a vauxhall theme

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Or maybe the fact that they are practical if you break down and it is pissing down, dark and cold etc !!!!

scoobynutta555

on the Vauxhall theme, perhaps the jackets are handy to grab for those frequent hard shoulder situations

Jiggerypokery

Too right there's a Vauxhall theme!

Here's another one!

http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SAAAA...AAAAA/car0.jpg

CEL

iTrader: (1)

I have a fluorescent jacket in the boot of my car (Legal requirement when attending building sites) and sometimes on the back seats... previously i have driven short distances wearing it when ive been caught out by the elements. I don't really give a **** what anyone else thinks when i wear it, i mean, would a fed be driving a non standard impreza?

Hardly think its fair branding everyone that has one of these in their car as a ***.
Having said this, there is always one or two will attempt to misuse everything

scoobynutta555

lol nice link

juan

Sure. There are some obvious genuine users but also some obvious ones who have it as a prop in their car for some reason.

Spoon

Hahaha, I'm saying nothing.