Proper Signage & Responsible SSP Usage

[NHPcars.com]

I've used "Not In Service" on the 78' Fury and people still slam on the brakes and refuse to pass. Even when the cars are on the trailer, they slam on the brakes and fall in behind. I recomend covering all markings and removing or covering all lighting. Especially if your not an LEO.

Mike

[MOstang]

Originally Posted by NHPcars.com

I've used "Not In Service" on the 78' Fury and people still slam on the brakes and refuse to pass. Even when the cars are on the trailer, they slam on the brakes and fall in behind. I recomend covering all markings and removing or covering all lighting. Especially if your not an LEO.

Mike

Good advice. In addition to the signage mentioned above I cover all the lighting up and meticulously use painters tape to cover up every square inch of markings. You really have to keep your head up and stay alert driving though because of rubber neckers and things like you mention above. Although I have to say I had more close calls nearly getting run into by other drivers when I had my champange gold colored 1969 Mach I. Unforutunately most other drivers payed more attention to my car that to the road. I can recall being the only 2 cars on the road for miles and having a car pass me on the inside and suddenly loose his mind looking at my car and nearly send me off the side of the road. Really have to be alert at all times.

[OSP959(R)]

I don't remember if OSP cars have 'Not In Service' or 'Out Of Service', but the maintenance man uses them all the time. When he's done cleaning the post, he takes a patrol car to the drivers exam station and cleans, and then goes to Walmart to buy supplies. He just drives around with the magnetic sign over the door emblem.

[fallon312]

To dove tail here in in california we had a local guy paint his exterminator trucks black and white and he painted the bug sheriff on the doors in red. His vehicles were impounded so quickly he could not believe it. He appealed to the DMV and lost. The fines were minimal but the cost to repaint the trucks cost him lots of money. Not in service or in an enclosed trailer is the safest way to go. IMO

[NoDrama43]

does "not is service" imply that this is a real police car just "not in service" at this time?

does "out of service" imply that this is a real police car just "out of service" at this time?


It all needs to be covered up.... period, including the blue lights, and it doesn't matter if they work or not.

this includes the words state trooper, state police, police, sheriff, deputy, department, etc etc etc

Just cover it all up so nobody has a chance to be confused.

[GSPI]

Originally Posted by OSP959(R)

I don't remember if OSP cars have 'Not In Service' or 'Out Of Service', but the maintenance man uses them all the time. When he's done cleaning the post, he takes a patrol car to the drivers exam station and cleans, and then goes to Walmart to buy supplies. He just drives around with the magnetic sign over the door emblem.

They use "Out of Service" in red letters around Chardon and down your way.

[OSP959(R)]

I posted this at copcar.com, but I wanted to share it here since it's the same subject matter:


I'm new to the hobby, but I have a lot of experience with patrol cars. I was a law enforcement explorer (scout), security guard driving a marked 'patrol car', a local police officer, and a state trooper. You're alway under the microscope when you're driving a patrol car. The public is quick to call in a complaint on anything you do in a police/state patrol car. The police watch waiting for the 'wannna be's' in the security cars to mess up.

The problem with old police cars is a combination of the above. If you screw up, the public see's it and it looks bad on the agency you're car is displaying. This upsets the public and the agencies. Signs like 'Out Of Service', 'Not In Service', 'Movie Car', 'Show car', etc, doesn't meen anything to the public. To them they just think it meens you're not on duty. You leave a black eye on the organization you're not even associated with.

Personally, I don't think a cruiser that's permanently marked should be allowed to drive on the road (unless in a parade). If it's permanently marked, trailer it. If you want to drive it to the shows, use magnetic markings. We should be more concerned about protecting the image of the agency we're displaying, than the paint on our cars. I see people say they don't want to use magnetics because of the effects it has over time on the finish, so they permanently mark them and then use signs and painters tape.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol copyrighted their logo. You can't even get it for model cars anymore. If the collectors screw up to many times, all the other agencies will follow. People could kill this hobby before I can even get a chance to show my car. There could come a day when you need a license from an agency to display their logo.

I'm sure my comment will not be well received by some people. But mark my word, if we cast a bad image on an agency, they will take steps to protect their image, and keep you from tarnishing it.

Personally, I wouldn't care if agencies had exact specifications your car had to meet, had to be inspected, had to have their license to display present at all times, and had to have a 'pass' indicating the date and location wherever the car was being displayed. It's their logo, they should know when and where it's being displayed.

Now, I don't want it to come to that. Do you?

[GSPI]

Looks to me that we are all on the same page here.

[ImEvil1]

X1000. Appreciate the comments. Keep 'em coming.

[NoDrama43]

I have been watching the CCdC thread pretty closely. It seems as though they are also on the same page as we are here. At least they react the same to some of situations we find ourselves policing.