Filling up at my local BP a woman asked me if I was a Police Officer because of the check pattern on the bottom of my white helmet. She seemed disappointed when I told her I was not the Police

Sounds more to me like he's just someone trying to look just a bit like a bobby. I used to have a BMW with a metallic white fairing and even though I had black leathers and a blue helmet, the traffic would sometimes part in front of me like the Dead Sea!

I've heard tales of some riders being threatened with prosecuting for impersonating a police officer for simply wearing a high-vis jacket, but as long as you don't say the not-magic words 'I am a policeman' or write 'police' on your bike I can't see it ever getting to court.

A proper unmarked police bike will simply be a high-spec sports tourer in a standard colour scheme, with only a few extra aerials to give it away.

Edited by Will from the Pool on 29/10/2010 at 22:45

Thanks guys for all your thoughts. As the weather has now turned wintery I haven't spotted 'the policeman' on his Pan Europeanfor over a week. Maybe I should look out for his car instead!!

Last bike I saw on the A14 was just before the snow started last week. A Hyabusa that I also now see regularly commuting from my home town towards Cambridge. Even he appears to have given up now. But who can blame him.

Edited by gramar on 30/11/2010 at 12:09

It wont be a copper. It will be a muppet who thinks he is!

If its an unmarked bike, it doesnt sound very unmarked!

My brother in-laws are cops in the drug squad and they use unmarked bikes for surveillance. These bikes look like any normal bike.

When I did Bikesafe with the police, there was a civvy who turned up on a Pan, with blue & white checks. Wearing plack leather pants, black boots, hi-vis jacket with blue & white checkstrip and white lid - he looked like a cop. Even the coppers were taking the p*** behind his back.

In infuriates me tbh. You see one up the road and you creep up slowly. You stay behind him for miles until you come to a junction when you realise its some muppet who has jsut spoilt the last few miles of your ride!

If looking like a copper makes drivers see you, whats wrong with that. Invisible bikers are the ones in danger of the muppet pulling out on them. So slowing down to legal speeds upsets some people. Well that might just have kept them out of trouble legal and life threatening!

I haven't commuted along the A14 for over 4 years since I reitred so I wonder whether the 'policeman' is still plodding along on his Deauville.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and comments on the subject. I think this guy has the right idea. Commuting daily in all weathers car drivers certainly seemed to notice him.

Personally I favour loud pipes.