I know that VOSA and Police officers can cause me grief so I address them formaly with friendliness politeness and respect, but I do not know if this is correct.
In my opinion the correst forms are:
officer
rank (constable, sergeant etc)
Sir (Ma’am)
maybe:
mate
comrade
pal
buddy
friend
nono:
sunshine
chum
adolf
jobsworth
■■■■
me old mucker
I don’t call them anything. I respond politely but not really bothered about getting into a conversation, just let them get on with their job.
Same as buying something in a supermarket I just pay, say thank you and go…even if they do have name tags on!
They should open dialogue with you by introducing themselves, so go with what they call themselves. With Police officers it will usually be PC or Sgt whomever, if its PC use officer and if its Sgt use Sergeant. They will call you driver, Mr Whatever or ask if they can call you by your first name.
Vosa usually give a first and last name, in which case I would respond by calling them Mr or Mrs whomever until they say otherwise.
Both groups are public sector workers so effectively they are there to serve you, the public. Notwithstanding that point, they are not the enemy they are doing a job just like you so be nice and expect to be treated the same way.
Even if you are getting reported for some offence, the way they write it up can be influenced greatly by your attitude.
They will only give you grief if you are not legal.They are there to make sure vehicles are safe for the road.I have found them to be very helpful on occasions.They are only doing their job just like you.Be polite…they are normal human beings not monsters out to get you!
I don’t really address anyone with names or titles. Just a good morning etc.
One driver I knew did not like being called Mate. His response " I ain’t your mate". Me? Call me anything you like just so long as it’s not “Late for Lunch”
Police, VOSA, Goods in, forklift drivers: Sir, Young Sir or whatever so long as it’s with a smile.
Here’s a technique I learned in Zimbabwe, of all places…which seems to work with traffic police in the UK.
In Zimbabwe, if you have dealings with anyone, even the police at a roadblock, it’s considered very rude if you don’t inquire after their health.
So the policeman stops your vehicle and says good morning, you return the greeting and the policeman then says “How are you?” You reply that you are fine, and ask how he is. He may then ask if your family are all well, and so on. Eventually he asks if he can look in the back of your vehicle or spray your wheels against teste flies or whatever it is his job to do and then you are on your way.
I honed the technique in Morocco, where it’s bonjour and sava, or in arabic ‘As-salam alaykum’ meaning peace be with you.
So, if I get stopped by the police here, and they say ‘Good morning’ or whatever, I say good morning back and ask ‘how are you?’ This inquiry into their health and well-being seems to both please and unsettle them and they don’t keep you for long.
It must make a change from "Oh, I see you’ve caught all the rapists’ or James May’s “Have you recovered my telly? It was stolen last week.” Which they must get a bit bored with.
^^^ Agree.
Whenever VOSA stop me I am polite and friendly. If, from the moment I wound down my window I was confrontational and aggressive towards them, then I couldn’t really complain if they responded in a similar vein.
can sometimes tell what mood vosa or rozzers are in by there body language
The more ‘civilised’ the country the ruder the people.
Mate of mine in New York City was asked
“Hey, y’gotta loite?”
To which he replied
“Sorry, I don’t smoke.”
and the reply
“I asked for a match buddy, not your f in life history”
I should think any vosa or police officers reading this will be feeling full of self importance as yet again we’re discussing how to address their highnesses. Maybe slaves in the American south used to talk about the “attitude test” amongst each other as a way of not getting beaten by their master or overseer and being good “Uncle Tom’s”. I’m personally not going to be overly polite and friendly to a group of people who’s job it is to find something, anything wrong with me and then do me for it so until I know what they want and how they’re going to be, I stay extremely neutral. I’m not rude, I’m not confrontational but I’m certainly not all hand shakes and yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir either and pretending to be their mate to butter them up in to not fining me for some trivial EU derived nonsense.
robinhood_1984:
I should think any vosa or police officers reading this will be feeling full of self importance as yet again we’re discussing how to address their highnesses. Maybe slaves in the American south used to talk about the “attitude test” amongst each other as a way of not getting beaten by their master or overseer and being good “Uncle Tom’s”. I’m personally not going to be overly polite and friendly to a group of people who’s job it is to find something, anything wrong with me and then do me for it so until I know what they want and how they’re going to be, I stay extremely neutral. I’m not rude, I’m not confrontational but I’m certainly not all hand shakes and yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir either and pretending to be their mate to butter them up in to not fining me for some trivial EU derived nonsense.
What’s the matter with you? Someone merely asked how to address them for whatever reason.I think the average person would know how to act in a situation like this.
Seems like you have a big dislike of anyone in authority.These guys are doing a nessecary job which helps road safety greatly.
It is just a matter of being polite as in dealing with anyone else and let them do their job.
Who said anything about being yes sir 3 bags full sir…jeez…what trivial thing have they pulled you for as a matter of interest?
robinhood_1984:
I should think any vosa or police officers reading this will be feeling full of self importance as yet again we’re discussing how to address their highnesses. Maybe slaves in the American south used to talk about the “attitude test” amongst each other as a way of not getting beaten by their master or overseer and being good “Uncle Tom’s”. I’m personally not going to be overly polite and friendly to a group of people who’s job it is to find something, anything wrong with me and then do me for it so until I know what they want and how they’re going to be, I stay extremely neutral. I’m not rude, I’m not confrontational but I’m certainly not all hand shakes and yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir either and pretending to be their mate to butter them up in to not fining me for some trivial EU derived nonsense.
Why would they be “feeling full of self importance”? 
You speak to people the way you’d expect to be spoken to yourself.
I’m sure you’d be the first to complain about the rude, impolite police officer. 
albion1971:
What’s the matter with you? Someone merely asked how to address them for whatever reason.I think the average person would know how to act in a situation like this.
Seems like you have a big dislike of anyone in authority.These guys are doing a nessecary job which helps road safety greatly.
It is just a matter of being polite as in dealing with anyone else and let them do their job.
Who said anything about being yes sir 3 bags full sir…jeez…what trivial thing have they pulled you for as a matter of interest?
My issue is that a good proportion of drivers are scared of Vosa and they seem to have developed some kind of God like status where we have to talk to them in a manner in which they will like, or face the consequences. If they’re all just good blokes doing a ■■■■ good job then why are we even discussing this? I dont see any posts on here about how to properly address a mechanic at a truck dealership in order to get a service performed properly or such like. There are quite a lot of posts on here regularly about vosa or the perceived fear of Vosa for commiting this offence or that offence and I strongly dislike the fact that any driver in Britain is afraid of the consequences for going 5 minutes over his time to find parking or other such silly things. As far as I’m concerned they deserve no more courtesey than any one else and I’m not going to bend over backwards in som vain attempt at them letting me off for something or letting me go more quickly. As I said earlier,I’m not rude or confrontational with them, just like I’m not with other random members of society and thats just it, they’re not above me, you or any of us and I’m not going to pretend they are by setting them aside and putting them on a pedestal by discussing how to talk and address them. If I get stopped by them I’m not addressing the Queen, I’m addressing a public servant who may just be doing his job, or may just enjoy his position of authority a little too much and until I know which it is, I will reserve judgement.
RoadsRat:
Why would they be “feeling full of self importance”?You speak to people the way you’d expect to be spoken to yourself.
I’m sure you’d be the first to complain about the rude, impolite police officer.
Because yet again its a topic about how to talk properly to the almightly vosa officer. I talk to them like I’d talk to anybody else. I’m not rude to them just like I would not be rude to you if we ever came face to face. But, I dont need to ask for advice on here on how to talk to RoadsRat if the situation arose, so why do any of us need help on how to address Vosa? Whats so special about them? Why are people paranoid and even fearful of saying the wrong thing if they’re just good chaps looking out for the public’s best interests? My gripe is soley that they are receiving more thought, worry and concern than they are worth and as such are being promoted as better than the rest of us and worthy of treading on egg shells around and the consensus is almost that if we dont talk to them as our betters, then they will then treat us in a worse manner. I try and treat and talk to all people in a polite and respectful manner but I’m not about to talk to 99.9% of the population in such a manner and then regress to a 11yr old school boy around Vosa and be all “Yes Sir” and “No Sir” or “Please dont give me detention for that 1 minute infringement Sir”.
robinhood_1984:
RoadsRat:
Why would they be “feeling full of self importance”?You speak to people the way you’d expect to be spoken to yourself.
I’m sure you’d be the first to complain about the rude, impolite police officer.
Because yet again its a topic about how to talk properly to the almightly vosa officer. I talk to them like I’d talk to anybody else. I’m not rude to them just like I would not be rude to you if we ever came face to face. But, I dont need to ask for advice on here on how to talk to RoadsRat if the situation arose, so why do any of us need help on how to address Vosa? Whats so special about them? Why are people paranoid and even fearful of saying the wrong thing if they’re just good chaps looking out for the public’s best interests? My gripe is soley that they are receiving more thought, worry and concern than they are worth and as such are being promoted as better than the rest of us and worthy of treading on egg shells around and the consensus is almost that if we dont talk to them as our betters, then they will then treat us in a worse manner. I try and treat and talk to all people in a polite and respectful manner but I’m not about to talk to 99.9% of the population in such a manner and then regress to a 11yr old school boy around Vosa and be all “Yes Sir” and “No Sir” or “Please dont give me detention for that 1 minute infringement Sir”.
Yes, all of the paranoia surrounding VOSA and Police Officers amuses me greatly! 
I doubt the VOSA guys want a big fuss made over how to address them. 
I wont call them anything but i will reply to any questions they have politely as long as the questions relate to the situation
RoadsRat:
robinhood_1984:
I should think any vosa or police officers reading this will be feeling full of self importance as yet again we’re discussing how to address their highnesses. Maybe slaves in the American south used to talk about the “attitude test” amongst each other as a way of not getting beaten by their master or overseer and being good “Uncle Tom’s”. I’m personally not going to be overly polite and friendly to a group of people who’s job it is to find something, anything wrong with me and then do me for it so until I know what they want and how they’re going to be, I stay extremely neutral. I’m not rude, I’m not confrontational but I’m certainly not all hand shakes and yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir either and pretending to be their mate to butter them up in to not fining me for some trivial EU derived nonsense.Why would they be “feeling full of self importance”?
You speak to people the way you’d expect to be spoken to yourself.
I’m sure you’d be the first to complain about the rude, impolite police officer.
Best tool is your mouth, am i correct?
Simple. treat and speak to them and others as you would like to be treated and spoken too. No high and mighties sir/maam just normal conversation they’re only people doing a job and just like you they wanna do their job and go home to get on with life
mickyblue:
RoadsRat:
robinhood_1984:
I should think any vosa or police officers reading this will be feeling full of self importance as yet again we’re discussing how to address their highnesses. Maybe slaves in the American south used to talk about the “attitude test” amongst each other as a way of not getting beaten by their master or overseer and being good “Uncle Tom’s”. I’m personally not going to be overly polite and friendly to a group of people who’s job it is to find something, anything wrong with me and then do me for it so until I know what they want and how they’re going to be, I stay extremely neutral. I’m not rude, I’m not confrontational but I’m certainly not all hand shakes and yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir either and pretending to be their mate to butter them up in to not fining me for some trivial EU derived nonsense.Why would they be “feeling full of self importance”?
You speak to people the way you’d expect to be spoken to yourself.
I’m sure you’d be the first to complain about the rude, impolite police officer.
Best tool is your mouth, am i correct?
It sure is!