To think a police officer should have more sense?

[nappyaddict]

I have just seen a police officer say on his Facebook page "has finally got my car to move and has now found a great big fucking scratch on the door, pikeys....."

and Travellers are a distinct ethnic group, so yes it can legally be described as racist.

"A lot of coppers are racist, doesn't make it wrong."

Sorry but racism is wrong. Full stop.

I think it's absolutely racist Alistair.

I was aware of Travellers being considered a distinct ethnic group but like Rebeccaruby I thought the term pikey wasn't a specific description for Travellers, it was interchangable with chav.

Pikeys are always travellers/gypsies (and it's seriously offensive). 'Chav' just happens to be a romany word which has got used for something else.

The term "Pikey" is not universally used to mean "a member of a travelling community". As has been pointed out on many threads over the years.

If 'pikey' is ever used for non-travellers, then the police officer is even more stupid as he's coming across as racist while not necessarily meaning to be.

Can you imagine if someone makes a comment about Pkis or N**s and then says claims they're not being racist because the term can be used for other people too. Hmmm.

Those terms are universally known as offensive terms though.

The term "Pikey" is not universally used to mean "a member of a travelling community".

No, it is used to describe someone who is like a gypsy/traveller in terms of thieving or being destructive or whatever. It's still racist when it's used to describe a non-traveller because it has its basis in the view that gypsies and travellers are dirty/thieving/whatever.

DanceintheDark - sadly that isn't true. There are many parts of this country where you'd hear otherwise.

EricNorhmansMistress - quite right.

Thats exactly it, Eric.
The policeman said, I think it was "fucking pikeys" about a criminal. The inference being that either it was a traveller (unlikely unless in specific areas) or a scumbag theif/criminal, so like a traveller. Otherwise you wouldn't use the word.

Pikey IS a racist term BUT I think that it is used more widely as a term for undesirables now, than travellers,

Lots of people have been agreeing with me today. Something strange is going on...

Buzz - I agree with you too, if you've started counting.

YABU to expect better than this from a policeman. Many policemen I know are racist twats.

and many are not, Of course we should expect better.

I used to have an acquaintance who's a copper and he had/has the most racist/bigoted views of anyone I've ever met.

Truly scary.

Maybe the copper thought only his true friends would see it and think it funny, as opposed to someone who isn't a true friend.

More of a blabber mouth.

Agree Rebecca pikey is now the same as chav.

maybe he had reason to call them that, we have a travelling community near here, they have currently done over £50,000 in damages to the green land they are on.

but its still racist would you find it acceptable if he said nigger or packi just because round here.....yadah yadah yadah.

As a Police Officer I wouldnt use that term anyway, it is offensive and IMO racist, and I most definitely wouldnt be using it on FB..

If thier professional standards ( complaints ) dept saw that they would be in the shit.

I wouldnt be surprised if someone bubbles him up.

I am very careful what I put on my profile, some of my colleagues aren't unfortunaltely.

It isn't though Fabbychic irrespective of your opinion. You have been quoted criminal legislation to prove it.

FabbyChic - I may have misunderstood, but FB "friends" aren't real friends are they?