Advertising You're a Guard

dfbemt

Saw a guy this morning wearing a t-shirt with big lettering across his back saying Garda and smaller lettering underneath saying Irish National Police. Also had AGS crest on front with Irish National Police around it.

I know fire lads go around wearing FDNY this and FDNY (macho bs if you ask me. Keep mine for wearing around the house) and I have seen Garda lads wearing polo shirts when in New York for St Patricks Day, etc (have also seen Technical Bureau Guards wearing same polo shirts on duty) but I was more than surprised that somebody was wearing one when having a coffee in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.

Now maybe the individual concerned wasn't a Guard, maybe he was, but the lads I know do not advertise that they are Guards, for obvious reasons.

Has anybody any views on this ?

MagicSean

Maybe he was on a break

EDIT: Although it doesn't sound like it was a part of a uniform. I doubt he was actually a Garda.

cocoshovel

Im pretty sure they sell t-shirts like that in novelty shops, I've seen them around before. Doubt he was a garda to be honest.

I have a FDNY hoodie I bought in New York, and a NYPD t-shirt. Doesnt make me a member of them. I dont really have a view on this, its just a peice of clothing.

Hill St Blue

No such t-shirt issued to Gardai...it's from a novelty shop.
http://www.celticshamrock.com/m3/gardatee--irish-national-police-force-garda-tee.html

I hope the have permission to use the trademark crest.

deadwood

I wear my DKNY tighty-whiteys around the house.

Paulzx

deadwood wrote: »

I wear my DKNY tighty-whiteys around the house.

On your head?

d3exile

foreign wrote: »

I hope the have permission to use the trademark crest.

They do, it was granted about 5 years ago to some company who now make fridge magnets, mugs, cuff links etc etc and presumably this crowd that make the tshirts too...

I don't personally wear any Garda logo stuff round the house like the polo shirt cos to me they're uniform, but if there were other tshirts like Garda rugby ones or simlar, i see no problem in it, fair enough lads in SDU or similar wouldnt want people to see but your average lad on the regular units? It's just a job at the end of the day. Im sure there are DFB or HSE lads who have their sport teams gear and wear em time to time I don't see a problem with that

Kevin3

Those t-shirts are for plain clothes NYPD members as can be seen from 0:26 on in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4G8ywGtSCA

moonshadow

@kEVIN deffo not a Garda,way too fit and no belly hanging out under the t shirt.

Random

i really thought that crest was copyrighted / restricted for usage by anyone other than ags.

Kevin3

Random wrote: »

i really thought that crest was copyrighted / restricted for usage by anyone other than ags.

Seems it is: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fashion-police-probe-garda-clothes-sale-925623.html

An offence too: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0020/sec0061.html

Random

Kevin3 wrote: »

Seems it is: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fashion-police-probe-garda-clothes-sale-925623.html

thats the article i was remembering!

dfbemt

Hill St Blue wrote: »

No such t-shirt issued to Gardai...it's from a novelty shop.
http://www.celticshamrock.com/m3/gardatee--irish-national-police-force-garda-tee.html

That's the exact t-shirt I saw this morning.

Really didn't think the guy in question was a Guard (I know, I know, how can you tell - just a hunch).

I think if I saw somebody in DFB logo'd gear, who I knew wasn't DFB, I'd reckon he was a bit sad.

Oh well, each to their own.

cocoshovel

dfbemt wrote: »

I think if I saw somebody in DFB logo'd gear, who I knew wasn't DFB, I'd reckon he was a bit sad.

Oh well, each to their own.

I guess its more understandable seeing people wear the New York ones because after all they are sort of famous world wide, and the t-shirts do look pretty nice and are sold in every single shop on every corner in New York.
I also imagine its a nice source of income to both the services as a percentage of the price paid is given directly to them.

I wouldnt really think a person wearing a DFB shirt is sad at all as long as it was tidy etc. Could be showing their support for ye. Assuming you are a real DFB EMT going by your user name, you should have more support for yourself .

I must admit though, that the garda t-shirt is a bit over the top and silly alright but no more silly than those CSI t-shirts etc.
There is actually a dfb version too (http://www.trinityirishgifts.com/m6/328113828--dublin-fire-brigade-shirt.html) the more I look at it the more I hate it.

A polo shirt with a small dfb logo on it would be nice and perhaps a way of fundraising eh?

d3exile

Kevin3 wrote: »

Random wrote: »

i really thought that crest was copyrighted / restricted for usage by anyone other than ags.

Seems it is: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fashion-police-probe-garda-clothes-sale-925623.html

An offence too: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0020/sec0061.html

It's allowed if they get sanction by the commissioner i believe? It was a protected symbol to stop the Provos from using it for their means, but since we're all being friendly with each other these days they've loosened the reins and allowed tourist shops to sell stuff...

dfbemt

cocoshovel wrote: »

I guess its more understandable seeing people wear the New York ones because after all they are sort of famous world wide, and the t-shirts do look pretty nice and are sold in every single shop on every corner in New York.
I also imagine its a nice source of income to both the services as a percentage of the price paid is given directly to them.

I wouldnt really think a person wearing a DFB shirt is sad at all as long as it was tidy etc. Could be showing their support for ye. Assuming you are a real DFB EMT going by your user name, you should have more support for yourself .

I think dfbemt is a clue to how long I am in the job

Totally my own view re 'sad' but I am becoming one of those grumpy senior men, middle aged anyway, who closes the locker door at 09.00 and leaves the station in my own clothes. Yes, I have worn polos with the crests in the past to raise funds for the social club whatever team but my views are changing. Call it public servantitis.

Reason I started this thread was because I can understand Guards not advertising that they are guards, especially in Ireland, more so in the cities. Firemen, now that's a different matter. Some of the younger lads leave the station with their lid in the back window of their car !!!!!!

deadwood

d3exile wrote: »

It's allowed if they get sanction by the commissioner i believe? It was a protected symbol to stop the Provos from using it for their means, but since we're all being friendly with each other these days they've loosened the reins and allowed tourist shops to sell stuff...

3 figures hunch over a dimming flashlight. The rain beats a rythm on the rusting corrugated roof. A haze of cigarrette smoke hangs over the hoods of their 1980's parka jacket/p.l.o. scarf combo's.

They work quietly, quickly and methodically: cleaning, assembling, checking the action on their recently acquired ak47 rifles. The derelict farmhouse where they prepare for the operation is miles from enquiring eyes.

"Right, boys" whispers the beard-cladded unit o.c. "quick job today. In yte, no arsin abyte, hye."

"No bother, hye" says the second beard-cladded unit 2 o.c., or is he 3rd? "Oh, aye, hye, the password is sitchyashun, hye"

""What sitchyashun, there, hye?" asks the puzzled 3rd, or 4th o.c., whichever.

"The password, hye. It's sytchyashun, hye" replies number 1...or 2.

"Aye, surely ta fúck, hye, the sytchyashun, what is it?"

"Jesus. Shut up, hye. The pair of yiz. Nye, listen. Into the bank we go. No showboating. The free state peelers uniforms will buy us a couple of minutes. Those guys practically live in banks with all the mortgages they have, hye. You walk up tay the counter, hye and tell the girl we're here on official business and we need ta see all the cash"

"Including euros boss?"

"Nah, don't let them pawn you off with that chaff. Stirling only. Soon as they show you the colour of the cash show her the colour of the a.k. and we're out the door, hye"

"Boss. A wee problem there, hye, surely to fúck, hye"

"What is it number 2...3, whatever, hye?"

"These uniforms. Where'd you get them, hye? They look pretty good and all, except for one thing. These badges look fake. The blue centre is more a dark azure shade. rather than a voluminous royal blue."

"Who gives a flying fúck, hye?"

"Well. boss. It's copyrighted. Those Infact guys come down pretty heavy on breaches of copyright. They copyrighted the badge to stop the likes of you and me robbing banks, setting up protection rackets and running a drugs trade, allegedly, boss. Oooh, and the 800 years of impressions yadda, yadda"

The three fell about the floor laughing "Hah! Freedom fighters! I almost forgot about that bit! Always got Gerry in stitches with that one in his holiday house in Donegal!"

"Good point, number 3, er..4. Ditch the uniforms, lads. We're going in plain clothes. I bagsy the facejacker bally. Everybody know what they're doing?"

"Aye, surely to fúck, hye. I'm On the cash" confirms number 2.

"I'm on the door, boss"

"What else, number 3?"

"I know, I know. Keep a look out for clampers."

Hooch

You sir, are pure genius!!!

That is all

irishrgr

See it all the time over here too, police, fire & EMS shirts, logo's, caps everything. Like back in IRL, most of us don't feel the need to advertise what we do. Advertising the fact you are johhny law on your day off means you might get a car window smashed by some knob or, as you sit down to enjoy a coffee/dinner with a mate, you get the "excuse me officer, someone has parked in the handicapped space outside....." brigade. And just like the FB mentioned above, we too have our fair share of "hot dogs" who make their POV look like an advertisment for the FB/EMS with stickers, kit and so on.

It's an offense here to "impersonate a peace officer" but that doesn't mean you pull over everyone you see wearing an FBI/NYPD/etc shirt/hat/jacket.

A

Potential-Monke

Am i the only one to comment on the terribly bad grammar on the tshirt?* Ireland National Police... Not Irelands National Police, or Irish National Police. Ireland National Police... :rolleyes:

Anyway, are the Gardai calling themselves police nowadays? Or am i a bit too old fashioned...

*ignoring any of my own bad grammar...

Zambia

That T-shirt is god awful cheap looking tatt.

d3exile

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Anyway, are the Gardai calling themselves police nowadays? Or am i a bit too old fashioned...

[size="1"]*ignoring any of my own bad grammar...[/size]

Most promotional stuff produced by AGS says "An Garda Siochana: Ireland's National Police"

always been police, just the NAME of the police in Ireland is Garda Siochana... Always bemusing to me how many people say Ireland don't have police we have the Gardai ?! It's one and the same, always was...

A rose by any other name

Potential-Monke

Haven't seen much promotional material tbh. Good to know, suppose it makes sense really considering the diversity of people in Eire.

d3exile

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Haven't seen much promotional material tbh. Good to know, suppose it makes sense really considering the diversity of people in Eire.

It's on the website...



And there's a few booklets for public/researchers/foreigners with information on AGS, technical bureau etc that have it, mainly so foreign folk don't get us confused with that lake or something

Ages ago I remember a heated debate about marking the cars bilingual like the welsh have HEDDLU : POLICE on their cars, we could have GARDA : POLICE on ours... Don't see people going for it somehow...