Tabards

David Stallard

David Stallard

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Here's one for you media togs out there.

When I'm trackside I ALWAYS wear the media tabard - as I understand it, it is so the marshals can see where you are and is a definite safety issue.

Do you wear yours?

Reason I ask is at a couple of events a certain tog - who I wont mention by name even though the guy is a complete arrogant pillock - walks around with it tucked through his belt loops, and I noticed that when he is in a shady area behind the tyres you can't see him at all. PLUS I was under the impression that they HAD to be worn?

.DAVID.
 
I always wear mine, although have wanted not to when its really hot or get given a tabard that looks like its been used on an assault course. But its just part of the deal we have with the track and helps keep us safe and members of the public off the circuit.

You will find in BSB that its very much the norm not to wear your tabard and tuck it into your shorts. But then that about figures with the attitude of a fair few of the BSB togs.
 
Numerous events I've been to seem to have varying degrees of this, I guess it depends on how attentive the marshalls are, after all we're asked to wear them for safety's sake as well as being easy to spot by all circuit staff.

Like yourself and Nick I always wear mine.
 
i normally wear it.. but they tend to vary in size from event to event. DTM give you a tabbard the size of a tent, and at Le Mans you get one the size of a bra.
I try and get away with tucking it into my belt sometimes because the small ones stop you from getting lenses out of your pockets.

last time i was at brands i wore mine over my rain coat in a monsoon.. when it stopped raining i changed into dry clothes and the marshal wanted me to put the soaking wet tabbard on over the dry clothes... yeah i know he was in the right but....

hmm.. wonder if i'm the arrogant pillock.. wont be the first time i've been called that :)

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Having no experience I can only comment as an onlooker. I would think that failure to wear a provided item of safety equipment would have implications in the event of an insurance claim. I know that a tabard won't prevent injuries but they are provided for a reason.

Andy
 
What I thought and NO Gary - it's not you, I know the guy in question and he has wound me up with snide comments from the first time I met him. I just have to bide my time as hearing what some of the drivers say about him it wont be too long before he gets shut out completely.

.DAVID.

PS: the lime green 'bra' suits you lol
 
I've only been media side once and I wore my tabard like a good little girl! I was under the impression that you were supposed to though!! From my perspective it meant the marshalls gave you a quick glance and then left you to it, surely that's the idea of wearing it so you don't get hassled?! Plus there is obviously a safety perspective there as well.
 
I always wear mine... got fed up with being shouted at ...;-) lol
 
It does depend... on the weather mainly but sometimes on the hassle you get from marshalls and officials - some race meetings are more hardline than others.

I wore mine at Snet the other week when nobody else was bothering - I was wearing it mainly because the white was reflecting the heat more than my Alpine stars vest was! So another example of weather dependency :)

Also, some events at some circuits can hand you very odd things to wear... the worst was a national MX meeting that gave me a dark green waterproof to wear... I tend to want a hi-vis at MX because its far more dangerous than being somewhere behind a tyre wall!

Another world class MX event just wanted you to have something with "media" on it - a tshirt or whatever would have done.

Mostly all of these things are more about security than safety though - just so you can be recognised as being allowed to be there from a distance.
 
other things to note:
yellow tabbards like the ones we had at spa last week attract insects (might be be deodorant or lack of)
at oulton park they often run out of tabbards so send you off without one
spa three weeks ago they didnt bother with tabbards at all.. accredited photographers just had to have a media ticket.. go figure!
 
I meant to say, MotoGP don't give out tabbards. Season accredited get Alpinestars vests, single event media don't get anything but a pass on a lanyard... which is scanned electronically when you move in and out of the pits and paddock, but not onto the track.

So its definitely not a "safety" issue...
 
Gary said:
PM me who it is ;)
Click to expand...

Sorry Garry, but Mr Pillock is the type that would winge and moan to his 'boss' who could make life very tricky for the likes of me so I will have to fume, winge and moan on my own.

.DAVID.
 
edited - will not lower myself to 'his' level.

Sorry
 
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Back to the original question - I thought the tabards were so the marshals / officials knew where you were on circuit to make sure your a- safe and b- not somewhere you shouldn't be.

.DAVID.
 
If I as a marshal can't see your ID be at tabard, sash or whatever how the heck am I supposed to know who you are. particularly if suddenly pop up not near a marshal?
 
It also allows race control to have us removed if we are being stupid. Hence the Numbers on tabards. As well as identifying you if they can see you were near an accident that needs investigating. I've seen both of these things happen previously.

In short, they ask us to wear it, we need to wherever possible. Having been sent out without them before at Snetterton and Oulton park, i know what a pain in the arse it is if marshals cant see your tabard so i don't understand why people don't wear them.
 
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