Speaking of the public and uniforms ... Where I used to live, I had a five minute walk from my flat to my car. On one occasion, while wearing my RAFVR(T) uniform (same as a 'normal' RAF officer, but with a gilt 'VRT' pin in the rank slides) I was asked whether I was in the Salvation Army. Minutes later someone mistook me for a parking attendant and asked whether he would be okay to leave his car parked on the double yellow lines.