On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:42:43 GMT, A.Reader wrote in
<v6ae045ru9809m80ofovc778bhh6pjtjvn.RemoveThis@4ax.com>, seen in
alt.books.pratchett:
[...]
> And I'd always thought of warrant cards as being used only when
> not in uniform, the badge at that point being carried in the
> wallet with the card.
Nope; badges are pretty much worthless in terms of actually proving
authority, certainly in .uk, for all people generally seem to believe
that because you have The Badge it means you also have The Power.
It's the warrant card which provides authority (whether that be for a
police officer or British Rail's Revenue Protection Inspector Ross in
days past or anyone else issued a warrant card); the badge is just a
visual prop aiding recognition.
And for anyone who remembers Good Omens, IMX it's true that the less
important the organisation, the more impressive the ID card.
For example, BR's warrant cards used to be completed by hand, and at
that time British Transport Police warrant cards were little larger
than a passport-sized photo and looked like something a schoolboy had
knocked up in art class.
--
Ross.
* Opinions are my own; my employer has disowned me again.
* Reply-to will bounce. Replace the junk-trap with my first name to e-mail me.
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