Why 'Black Rats'?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Mon 5 Oct 2009 18:11
Why 'Black Rats'? - ifithelps

A Black Rat is a fairly common nickname for a road traffic policeman - the type that tend to go up and down the motorway in big cars.

It might be more of a 'police to police' term, but I just wondered where it came from?

I've certainly heard it used in the Northumbria, North Yorkshire and Durham forces.

Is it a regional thing? Or are there any other daft names for traffic officers?

Just to confuse matters, a few years ago I heard the term 'Black Dog' used to mean the same thing.

I'm sure members of the Back Room constabulary - both serving and retired - will be able to help.

By the way, the coppers I've seen called Black Rats don't appear to take it as an insult, and it's certainly not meant to be here - just a bit of fun and interest.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 5 Oct 2009 18:18
Why 'Black Rats'? - Rattle
Well coppers used to be black before they became bright yellow and a rat chases things.

Put a person dressed in black becomes a black rat. No idea if that is how it got its name though. Its like pig, copper etc.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 5 Oct 2009 18:25
Why 'Black Rats'? - ifithelps
...Put a person dressed in black becomes a black rat...

snip - swearing removed. Remember it is always easier to delete than edit, which I would have done during a busy period

Black Rats, as far as I can make out, is a term used reasonably amicably among officers and refers only to motorway cops.

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 05/10/2009 at 20:14

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 5 Oct 2009 18:49
Why 'Black Rats'? - pmh3
tinyurl.com/ybdc227
for a less family friendly version try
h ttp://www.policeoracle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1111&PN=2
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 5 Oct 2009 20:10
Why 'Black Rats'? - NorfolkDriver
Black Rats as far as I can make out is a term used reasonably amicably
among officers and refers only to motorway cops.


Probably why I have never heard it before, nearest motorway to me is over 60 miles away.

We do have cops that chase tractors though :)
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 5 Oct 2009 23:14
Why 'Black Rats'? - 1400ted
Never heard them called that in my days on the force.
An interesting nickname is the ' Durango ', anybody heard that one ?
It was the nickname given to the motorcycle cops in Belfast by the kids. Apparently one particular pofficer was very good at catching naughty kids and was named after a film cowboy, ' The Durango Kid ' It became a name for all of them. Although I read in a biography that the writer, as a boy, was chased by the Durangos, I never found out what the name meant until I met an Ex RUC Special Branch guy at a bike rally in France last year.

Ted
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 6 Oct 2009 01:12
Why 'Black Rats'? - Fullchat
At the height of the CB craze local taxi drivers named the Senator patrol cars as CDAT due to their reg numbers C***DAT. Apparently ;-).
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 6 Oct 2009 04:23
Why 'Black Rats'? - ifithelps
...snip - swearing removed. Remember it is always easier to delete than edit, which I would have done during a busy period....

There was no swearing, apart from anything else the site has a swear filter.

Occasionally, it is necessary to refer to a swear word, which is what I was doing.

It was just a few asterisks, and valid in the context of the thread.

And it's a device used by so-called 'quality' national newspapers.

Chopping it looks more like strangulation than moderation.

But that's up to the mods, not me.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 6 Oct 2009 11:50
Why 'Black Rats'? - Dynamic Dave
To quote from www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=33415

Swearing is not permitted on this site. Anybody surprised ? Anybody think that this is a bit of a change ? Perhaps this is new to someone ?
It was just a few asterisks


Is anybody particularly offended by the letter "s" and thinks that using "$" instead purifies the word ? Perhaps "i" bothers you and "1" is somehow cleaner and less troublesome ? Maybe "@" stands for a better ideal than "a" ??

DD.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

10 warranty myths exposed

Here’s how to sort the fact from the fiction when it comes to car warranties.

Cheap Car Warranties