as the title says, got pulled over last night and the first question i got asked was "are you a racist?"

to which, after the shock, i obviously replyed no.

at this point i should probably describe what my car looks like for those of you that dont know.

mk2 polo coupe

painted nato green with a roller

big iron cross stickers on the side

loads of other stickers and general crap stuck to it and inside it.

the policeman was well up for giving me a written warning and producer for the iron cross stickers.

he said that "they could cause public offense" and that i could be arrested for "public display and celebration of a offense racial symbol" and if anyone did take offence "disturbance of the peace".

i did explain that it was a fairly common symbol in the VW scene and that no offence was meant by it.

i said that i would take them off when i got home just so he would let me go (I'm not gonna take them off)

he said that this would possible best for my own personal safety.

has anyone else on here had anything similar?

I've had the crosses on my car for about 5 months now in which time i have been pulled over about 6 or 7 times, and this is the first time the crosses where mentioned. do you think he was just looking for an excuse to pull me over?

dry

dont think the iron cross means anything bad surely just a medal from the war

allthough police onced pulled my m8 over for having a swastika drew in dirt on his back window

and he also said we could be arested for "public display and celebration of a offense racial symbol"

funny thing was he didnt know it was there and i drew it on for a laugh lol

In this particular instance I would say.... Fuck'em. lol.

I find that unbelievable ..

Probably wanted to see your details and it was a excuse to pull you over ..

Like the good old " your car looks low at the rear mate .. Can i see your licence ..

I find that unbelievable ..

Probably wanted to see your details and it was a excuse to pull you over ..

Like the good old " your car looks low at the rear mate .. Can i see your licence ..

he didnt even ask to see my license, thats what i didnt understand, he didnt even ask my name and only had a very quick look around my car then concentrated on the stickers.

i think he must of been having a very boring shift.

dry

The Iron Cross, sometimes mistakenly called the Maltese cross, is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Frederick William III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813 in Breslau (now Wrocław). In addition to the Napoleonic Wars, the Iron Cross was awarded during the Franco-Prussian War, the First World War, and the Second World War.

The Iron Cross has not been awarded since May 1945 and is awarded only in wartime. It is normally a military decoration only — though there were instances of it being awarded to civilians for performing military functions. As an example, the civilian pilot Hanna Reitsch was awarded the Iron Cross First Class by Adolf Hitler for her bravery as a test pilot and was one of only two women awarded the Iron Cross First Class during World War II.

The Iron Cross originally was the symbol of the Teutonic Knights (a heraldic cross pattée), and the cross design (but not the specific decoration) has been the symbol of Germany's armed forces (now the Bundeswehr) since ca. 1870.

Adolf Hitler restored the Iron Cross in 1939 as a German decoration (rather than Prussian as in earlier versions), continuing the tradition of issuing it in various grades.

Although still an active decoration, the Iron Cross is solely a wartime decoration and has not been awarded since the end of the Second World War. Further, German law prohibits the wearing of a swastika, so in 1957 the West German government authorized replacement Iron Crosses with an Oak Leaf Cluster in place of the swastika, similar to the Iron Crosses of 1813, 1870, and 1914, which could be worn by World War II Iron Cross recipients.

The Iron Cross was used as the symbol of the German Army until 1915, when it was replaced by a simpler Greek cross. However, on 1 October 1956 the President of Germany, Theodor Heuss, gave directions to use the Iron Cross as the official emblem of West Germany's Bundeswehr. Today, after German reunification, it appears in the colours blue and silver as the symbol of the "new" Bundeswehr. This design does not replace the traditional black Iron Cross, however, but can be found on all armoured vehicles, tanks, naval vessels, planes, and even UAVs of today's German forces.

The Iron Cross is often worn by certain members of the biker community, originally worn not because of its Nazi connotations but more as a sign of rebellion but today is perceived as a symbol of honor, valor, strength and standing up for one's beliefs.

The Simpsons character Abraham Simpson claims to have won the Iron Cross medal during World War II, for mistakenly directing US trucks into German minefields.

Triple H of World Wrestling Entertainment is known for wearing the Iron Cross on his trunks or on his shirts.

No mention of VW peeps using them...so perhaps the cop is confused by the Wiki....haha. Ok so it is linked with Nazi Germany and people who aren't clued up might associate it with that first. Risk you take having them on your car I guess....but there isn't really anything wrong with them as they don't carry the Nazi symbol. So keep them on if you like.

Edited 10 January, 200818 yr by Tav

Couldn't he have just said "You drive a VW so your racist as they're related to Hitler" ? May aswell have..

Even says there its for honour and standing up for your beliefs etc..hardly recist..just patriotic

The iron cross isnt a racist symbol, they have probably been ignorant enough to mistake it for a swastika. I would ask them to tell me why its a racist symbol and if they had a valid reason then maybe i'd take it off. But as it has no racist links, and is featured on all German military vehicles, id ignore them.

"Excuse me sir is that 76 ball on your aerial a symbol of anti-semitism?" LOL.

i swear the cross was used on german war planes?

I'm gonna write fuck da police on my car!

Chances of them seeing it are slim though! As I have no tax, mot, or insurance!

I remember seeing the maltese cross when i was actually in malta lol.. its a sign of there heritage and was in the war musuem over there aswell..

Lol just say your a motorhead fan :)

My bro did get confronted by some looney black women because he had an iron cross belt buckle and necklaces. ..said somit about repence

But its mainly a biker accessory etc nowadays :p

http://graphicommunication.com/files/bf109...hite764_486.jpg

well I'm deffinately leaving them on.

i might print that bit off wiki then if he pulls me over again just show him that and send him on his way. ha.

http://graphicommunication.com/files/bf109...hite764_486.jpg

A swastica?

We aint talking about swasticas :)

Hitler in a way brought us the VW Beetle. So if you drive one of them does that mean you like his ideas?

What about the milk trucks that drive about with a half naked woman on the side, surely some people find that offensive.

If he didn't take any details from you then it sounds like he is just talking shit and trying to put the fear of god into you. Keep them on I say!

Woah Waoh Woah!

i'm offended that i haven't seen one of those milk trucks!!!! there all painted like cows round my way damn it!

The luftwaffe (German Air force) used the same cross if not a similar one as their logo. Up to very recently they still used them on their aircrafts.

What about the milk trucks that drive about with a half naked woman on the side,

pictures of this please

The iron cross is also a derogative of the equal sided cross which is to something to do with peace and equality. Tell em' to fuck off lol. Why do we pay tax to be persecuted???

SImon

for fucks sake!

you cant do nothing any more...

if you dont like it, dont fooking look at it!!!!! god this stupid society...oooh i best not say god, someone might take offence as I've not mentioned other gods.

What about the milk trucks that drive about with a half naked woman on the side,

pictures of this please

Not seen these. Silver tanker trucks. Lass pictured laying down the side of it wearing red underwear I believe and a quote "Have you got the white stuff" or something like that anyway. At work just now will get pictures of one when I'm home.

What about the milk trucks that drive about with a half naked woman on the side,

pictures of this please

Not seen these. Silver tanker trucks. Lass pictured laying down the side of it wearing red underwear I believe and a quote "Have you got the white stuff" or something like that anyway. At work just now will get pictures of one when I'm home.

Well if thats not controversial to some people..then I don't know what is

Anyone got it on their car? Would look good

I had someone do a Nazi salute to me on their bike when I turned off at a junction once. Also had a few people say "are you a Nazi?" or "nice Nazi wagon"... Some people have found it necessary to spit on my car and kick the wing mirror off, could be linked to that since the average IQ of the chavs round here wouldn't challenge a bulldog.

So yes they do cause people offense who don't know about the iron cross; they immediately associate it with Nazism.

That is not to say that they are illegal, as people have said they are not solely bred from Nazi insignia. I'm keeping them because I've always liked the symbol (I'm a lifelong skater and it's the independent truck symbol - I have a T shirt with a massive one on the back!). So I think you should expect people to not understand, but keep them anyway

It's a Volkswagen thing

I forgot about the Independent logo, lol.