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It's amazing what people build models of

Only model prisoners, please!

Greg MacKay reports his brother built this replica BPD prisoner-transport wagon.

More models of Boston-area police vehicles.

Copyright Greg MacKay. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

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Comments

right?

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apparently that term is offensive to Irish folk ::rolling eyes::

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would you still roll your eyes if it were called the blacky wagon? a slur is a slur.

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paddy is a name. now if it had been called a harp wagon or a mick truck maybe you would have a valid point.

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Mick is also a name.

Both Mick and Paddy are common abbreviations used in Ireland for the names for Michael and for Patrick/Pauric/Pádraig. These abbreviations have been used as slurs by the English since the 19th century (when the Irish were looking for home rule and the English papers portrayed the Irish as "Thick Micks" and unfit to rule themselves).

These terms have continued to be used to refer to the "Stupid Irish" or anyone who is slow, thick, or stupid. (Of course not all modern English people are so insensitive to use these terms to an Irish person, unless they're a really good friend).

Much the same thing apparently happened in the Boston area when waves of Irish immigrants arrived fleeing the famine. For some reason us Irish and the Irish-Americans don't really seem to fret about terms like "Paddy Wagons", but I do find it mildly insulting. Once I had a boss use the term "Irish Fire" to me, and I had no idea what he meant, when I found out was quite insulted (it means a fire set for the insurance money).

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Never heard of "irish fire" only "jewish lightning" to describe the insurance fraud associated with the fires in dorchester during redlining, blockbusting years...while I'm irish descent, never bothered by the "paddy" wagon term though I can understand why my grandparents found it offensive. I think now they call it a "bus" or some such thing even though I and many I know still call it a paddy wagon.
the model pictured is pretty cool.

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If the name is being used derogatorily then it's derogatory. It's that simple.

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Sincerely,

Someone from New Jersey who knows the nuances of the word

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And as someone who does this:

www.bsmrm.org

I know a bit of what I speak on this issue! Scratch building means you built this from blueprints or perhaps a picture - with few if any commercial components - that's a lot of work.

(not a lot of Boston modeling on that website -but if you look at the O scale pictures you may recognize an area loosely modeled after Rozzie Square around WW II).

Open house is March 3-4 - see details on the site if you'd like to stop by.

If any of you want to say hello - or in a few cases throw tomatoes at me - I will be there the whole time usually running trains on "the hill" on the HO layout in the western mountains. :-)

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They also have a section devoted to the railroad my (paternal) grandfather helped maintain -- Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee RR (he was a section manager just south of the Wisconsin border).

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found BPD markings to be ugly. Looks early 90's and dated.

The staties on the other hand are very nice.

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Boston Police are going for visibility based off the same lessons BostonEMS learned. Namely, white with some reflective lettering = most visible. Looks far better than the ugly, I-graduated-from-community-college-graphic-arts-program "POLICE" graphics you see these days and laughable slogans.

Also, an internet cookie to the first person who fixes the image (needs more baby carriage.)

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