UK: Meddling with the English language again

With his greeting of 'evenin' all', Dixon of Dock Green embodied the values of the solid, common-sense copper.

But his reassuring salutation, which began each episode of the classic police television drama from 1955 to 1976, is one which the real-life officers of today should be wary of using - because it could confuse people from different cultural backgrounds, according to one force's official guidlines.

Continues:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1222813/Dixon-Dock-Greens-Evenin-greeting-banned-modern-policemen-confuse-people-cultures.html

The lunatics are out again.        

You might find the reference to evening meals in America rather amusing. 

The lunatics are out again.      

You mean the ones who write the nonsense in the Daily Mail, I think.

Continues:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1222813/Dixon-Dock-Greens-Evenin-greeting-banned-modern-policemen-confuse-people-cultures.html

The lunatics are out again.        

You might find the reference to evening meals in America rather amusing. 

How stupid. It just gets more ridiculous by the day.

What's wrong with this?

Do take care to be patient and reassuring when accent or language hinders communication. (Remember, a translator could be useful)


Why have they got this down as a "daftest diktat"?

To be honest I don't see a problem with most of what's mentioned in the article -  just seems like common sense and politeness to me.  Plus, it's meant to be a guide, not the law of the land.  No-one's going to go to jail if they don't follow it 100% of the time.

To be honest I don't see a problem with most of what's mentioned in the article -  just seems like common sense and politeness to me.

But not to the type of person who laps up the kind of idiotic crap the Mail pours out.

Since when did you hear a copper say "evening all"?

The bit about meal times reminds me of a manager I used to have, he was telling me how he'd picked his wife up at 5pm the previous evening and she had got soaking wet in the rain, he asked why she'd not taken an umbrella as the forecast had been for rain at teatime and she replied "well, I have my tea at 7pm!"

Since when did you hear a copper say "evening all"?

It's always 1950 in The Daily Mail. 

Why is this news? This 'Policing Our Communities' guide was issued in Apr 2005. Has it been updated recently?


Tremula - Any chance you could pop on to the welcome board and let us know a little about you. So far all I know is you don't like the Mail, pro court costs, and you've worked for a council. Thanks

Ayoubob, is that compulsory? I hope not, because I dislike coercion of any kind. I hope you like what I put in the section you mentioned. I am not necessarily "pro" court costs; I am most defintely "anti" false stories and the spreading of inaccurate information.

What's wrong with this?

Do take care to be patient and reassuring when accent or language hinders communication. (Remember, a translator could be useful)


Why have they got this down as a "daftest diktat"?

Probably because it's so much common sense that anyone intelligent enough to be in the police force shouldn't need to be told. 

The other items listed there are either in the same common-sense category or are obviously "politically correctness" raising its ugly head again:

* Don't assume those words for the time of day, such as afternoon or evening have the same meaning

Morning and afternoon are obvious, but even within British society there's no clear-cut distinction between afternoon and evening at certain times of day (although, of course, technically the evening is still afternoon anyway).   But we've managed with them quite well enough for all these years, because if a more precise time is needed, it will be specified. 


* Do be sensitive to using colloquialisms or terms of endearment that may cause offence (My love, My dear)'

Just the subtle use of the English language and common sense again.  Like P.C. George Dixon calling the old lady he used to see every day on his beat "My dear," because he knew her well.


* Don't use phrases that include Black in a negative context, such as 'Black mark' or 'Black day''

Yes, we know, it shows inherent signs of racial prejudice if you dare to say that coal is black or that chalk is white and you write with it on a blackboard.        Give it up, already!

* 'Homosexual' in most people's minds relate to men only, this is not the case, however as the word is interpreted differently by many, and relates to sexual practice as opposed to sexual orientation, it is best avoided'

In most people's minds?  I would question that, and think that the majority of people have sufficient intellect to know that it can apply to both sexes.   Besides, should they avoid every word which a number of people misunderstand?

And what's that nonsense about "relates to sexual practice as opposed to sexual orientation" about?   Clearly whoever wrote that either doesn't know the meaning of the word - Or is deliberately trying to convince people it means something it doesn't.  Given the examples which follow, my bet is on the latter.

- Frequent - use the term 'often visited', 'enjoyed going to' as frequent is normally used in reference to criminals'

Please!  Yes, it's a common line about a known criminal frequenting a certain place, but then it has been used just as much used in relation to law-abiding citizens.  Is anyone seriously going to take offense at something so stupid?   Better avoid using every word which has ever been used in relation to criminals then.  It might limit the vocabulary somewhat though. 

Ayoubob, is that compulsory? I hope not, because I dislike coercion of any kind. I hope you like what I put in the section you mentioned. I am not necessarily "pro" court costs; I am most defintely "anti" false stories and the spreading of inaccurate information.

Don't think it is compulsory but it's nice to know who the people are that we are conversing with.

Thanks for the your entry. See you about the site. 

Probably because it's so much common sense that anyone intelligent enough to be in the police force shouldn't need to be told. 

Shouldn't being the operative word.

I still don't see a problem with most of it. It just seems to be helping police officers be a bit more sensitive and empathetic with different sectors of the population.  I do find it overly familiar and often patronising to be called "love" by someone I don't know from a bar of soap. I don't care if the person doesn't mean anything by it or is just trying to be nice, it makes me feel uncomfortable.  I wouldn't expect my doctor or dentist to call me "love" so why should I expect or accept it from a police officer?

Probably because it's so much common sense that anyone intelligent enough to be in the police force shouldn't need to be told. 

While I have the utmost respect for police officers, I think you'll find they're no different than the general population when it comes to common sense and intelligence.  There will be a small group of very smart officers, a large group of officers who are no smarter or dumber than the average person, and a small group of idiots.  You have to publish guidelines for the idiots who lack common sense.

Take a look at this story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1223111/Policeman-killed-grandmother-100mph-dash-deliver-sisters-birthday-card-jailed.html

You'd think you wouldn't need to tell police officers "Don't go joyriding around at high speed in your patrol car with the lights and siren on, showing off for members of your family," but if you don't, some idiot will go ahead and do it.

I think what's largely not being seen here is that this is in part a way to help protect the police.  It might not rank up there with Kevlar vests or a course on negotiation with hostage takers, but how they communicate is an important aspect of their jobs.

We give these people more power, so we have to ensure that they are better trained than most to communicate to the public.  Misunderstandings can mushroom.  However, in most jobs dealing with the public, you are going to be trained a bit in what to say and how to say it.  Some of this training is informal, but some would take the form of a video, book, or training course.  In most of these, the trainers, authors, teachers, or directors will instruct the employees to use certain phrases and words over others, even if the language that is being discouraged is perfectly proper English.

I support the police in most cases, but I can't see how this is a very big deal at all.  

If the French were told to stop using their cultural saying, they would probably throw a burning sheep at them!

LOL