Veteran's Cards
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Decades ago I was in Jessops in Shandwick Place in Edinburgh buying a camera and I think a lens. It was the days of cheques and bank cards and the assistant asked for some ID. I showed him my RAF ID card and he wouldn't accept that as ID. So I said keep your stuff I'll go along to Currys and buy the same stuff there. His attitude quickly changed with the prospect of losing a decent sale.
I was in a bank in Surrey with a colleague, both of us wearing RAF woolly pullies. A customer asked my friend if he was with the RAC as he had a car problem. Even the uniform is not enough ID.
Join Date: Feb 2006
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The RAF trialled black cabs as transport at Upavon, they had the yellow stripe down the side with Royal Air Force emblazoned on it and an MT driver in uniform…. When doing pickups it still didn’t stop punters jumping in and saying take me to XYZ and they still argued when asked to get out as it was a military vehicle.
How is that jaundiced? I think it's an entirely rational attitude. We did a job, got paid for it and now draw a fairly decent pension every month. They even gave me a couple of medals. That's thanks enough for me. I'll probably get one of the cards because it's free and it may possibly be useful one day, but I don't like the horrid americanism 'veteran', I prefer ex-forces.
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Nigerian In Law
Like joining the Armed Services (since 1960), the decision whether to apply for a Veterans Card (or throw it in the bin if issued automatically), is entirely for the individual.
NEO
NEO
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If you want to go rounf flashing a "veterans ID" so people can know what you used to be great, I guess I'm just far more comfortable in my own skin than you.
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TBH the “offer”, for those of us still in, is becoming steadily eroded so I’m not surprised that this veterans card won’t amount to much.
That said, I chose to join, and I’m choosing to remain until I’ve had enough. I’ve had 37 years of a fantastic career with a lot of memories, both as a Cold War warrior and a lot of time on Ops. Personally, I’m not much into this “veteran” thing so will leave with my memories, a fairly good pension, a fair few medals and never look back.
That said, I chose to join, and I’m choosing to remain until I’ve had enough. I’ve had 37 years of a fantastic career with a lot of memories, both as a Cold War warrior and a lot of time on Ops. Personally, I’m not much into this “veteran” thing so will leave with my memories, a fairly good pension, a fair few medals and never look back.
So hypothetically, if later on you are in an NHS queue and you could move up the queue because you had the card, would you use it?
Hypothetically, if I did and there were other veterans, should we place ourselves in the queue, having jumped above civilians, based on how many op tours, time served etc?
Last edited by Toadstool; 3rd Jan 2024 at 12:20.
I've had surgery twice while serving. The first time I was informed I was on a different list due to serving, the second time I was told no such list exists and I was in the queue like everyone else. Both times operations were conducted around 3 months from surgery being the chosen COA.
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Mine arrived this week, despite my 'rejected for now' email. It's very flimsy and nothing like the construction of a normal ID card. Shame they come in the Army ID colour only, rather than the light blue I served with. Given the lack of formal ID provided by the card the 10 year life seems rather restrictive.
Still, we have something plus they are delivering more than they committed to and at a faster rate than predicted.
Still, we have something plus they are delivering more than they committed to and at a faster rate than predicted.
Yes, really happened!
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Nigerian In Law