likely penalty for being really naughty.

[mel]

Ok the scene was early last week finished fitting a new (breakers) engine into the race bike prior to going testing, I'd fitting the old carbs and had the top end off for a quick look before bolting it all in and going off to Wales for testing. Now I know it's called testing but the last thing you want is to travel hundreds of miles spend hundreds of pounds and find on lap one the gearbox is shagged. So the solution was to get a chase van out for speedy pick up in case of breakdown and quick blast up and down adjacent by pass to put the bike through it range. Now before I went out I made the concious decision that if I saw plod I would not stop and they would not catch me, the unknown variable was a disaster that could have got me caught. The facts are a race bike has no lights/number plate/horn etc and hence no mot/insurance/tax etc etc and I was "making good progress" and would have refused to stop. I sense I would have been looking at a "Norman Stanley Fletcher" but in reality what was the difference between me and the pidgeon chested council estate scroates on their "bitzer rat bikes" who regulary burn along the road en route to whatever local park or playing field they are going to terrorise. Oh yes I had a crash helmet on, a license to lose, and could pay a fine. End result is slap wrist for scroate and deep do do for me. Anyone from the blue want to confirm likely actions ????

Still I got away with it

[trefor]

The difference is that you can afford to pay a stiff fine, you have a driving license that can be suspended and you're an adult, therefore the 'Norman Stanley Fletcher' will apply.

The local kids would get a slap on the wrist, or if they were pikeys (travellers) they would be completely ignored.

T/.

[relaxitscool]

As Trefor said, you can afford to pay a fine, should have known better etc etc. Courts always seem to come down harder on those who normally show they lead a responsible life.

and it sucks...

Rob

[Mark Benson]

quote:what was the difference between me and the pidgeon chested council estate scroates on their "bitzer rat bikes"

About 100mph I should think

>> Edited by Mark Benson on Tuesday 30th July 11:09

[Phil Dicky]

quote:

The local kids would get a slap on the wrist, or if they were pikeys (travellers) they would be completely ignored.

T/.

I've never heard them called pikeys before up north they are refered to as TGB's. For the slower off you out there thats Thieving Gypsy Bast##ds.
My advise is watch Snatched,(the film) learn to speak like Brad Pitt amd you will have no further problems.
PS my drive needs doing!!!!!

>> Edited by Phil Dicky on Tuesday 30th July 12:43

[CarZee]

I'd never heard the expression 'pikeys' until I moved darn sarrf.

The problem is that both 'pikey' and 'gypo' can have racist connotations depending on who you speak to ... I have a friend who comes from an east European Jewish lineage who gets incandescent if he hears people talking about Gypos..

Nonetheless, I was interested in the etymology, and found this selection of contradictions: www.aldertons.com/question.htm

quote:Where did the word "Piker" (meaning loner or gypsy) come from?

Got this from Paul: As far as i know it's not rhyming slang or even London slang, it comes from Kent. If you go down there, there's a lot of gypsy's because of the summer hop picking and the locals use the word liberally. I grew up in SE London the Kentish part and only ever vaguely heard the word. We had some gypsies at school but called them gypo's. I learnt pikey from some Kentish mates who interestingly tell me pikies and gypsies are different and refer to some as gypsies and some as pikies. It seems anybody can be a gypsy but a pikey is the genuine article. In other words pikies are the ones who go back to the romanies and gypsies their modern Irish imitators. So the film Snatch is incorrect, it's not in wide spread use in London and Brad Pitt's mob were gypsies not pikeys.


And from Carl: This term is of course offensive, and is a derogatory word for travelers, or gypsies. The term is supposed to originate from their nomadic existence on the roads. The main roads in England during the early 19th and 18th centuries were
known as Pikes, or Turnpikes. A Pikie was someone who made a home of these. In Hertfordshire they are also known as Diddycoys. Just as squaw is highly offensive in the native American tongue, so is this, having a similar meaning in the Romany tongue. Incidentally the Romany gypsies originated from northern India in the 6th century, and spread westwards throughout the whole of East and West Europe. Modern Hindi, and the Romany dialect apparently have very similar words.
And someone going by the name of PaleRider adds: ... there are quite a few gypsy or travelers sites around here. Around here the polite term for gypsy's is travelers and the insult term used much in the way the word honky and spick are used is pikey. Pikey is mainly used as an insult or to refer the rogue element among them that always seem to trouble the locals. For example if you were just referring to a gypsy in general you would use the term Traveler, If you had been burgled by one you would generally say you'd been drummed by Pikeys.

And Justine says: You are right that the term Pikey is generally used by people from Kent, BUT....you have it around the wrong way. GYPSIES are the people with Romani descendents, and Pikeys can be anyone. Gypsies acquired this name as they were thought to be from Egypt, historians later finding out they they were originally from the North Of India. I would say i am quite well informed on the topic as my dad is Romani Gypsey, DEFINITELY completely different from the "Pikeys". The correct term to call a Gypsy is by what they actually are, "rrom" for males or "rromni" for females, or Romany if referring to either . Traveler, although supposed to be "polite", is actually ignoring the fact that many Gypsies don't actually travel anymore. Now that they have settled in countries, they generally integrate themselves, and the only distinctions usually is the physical appearance (often to be like Indian people) and different customs and traditions.

David says: Pikers are in fact Pikeys and it is a derogatory term for gypsies or anyone from a very low class background

>> Edited by CarZee on Tuesday 30th July 13:44

[TJMurphy]

In Ireland, when I were a lad and before I learned to talk PC they were called knackers. But never in front of my parents who would have beat the living daylights out of me for it. Never heard the term pikeys until I started reading this website.

[Kinky]

and "rashers"

[trefor]

Gordon Bennett, you all know what I mean by Pikeys.

[plotloss]

In Iver they are known somewhat bizzarely as 'Mumbadoys'

Matt.