WHEN you are going somewhere and do not have a car, the offer of a lift is usually welcome. But you would
want to avoid travelling in this vehicle.
For this is a Black Maria, a slang name for a police vehicle used to transport prisoners.
This van is seen preparing to go through the gates of Barlinnie Prison in April 1955.
There were no bright colours on police vehicles in those days to make sure they stood out on the roads – they were dark blue, almost black.
The vehicles could also be used for taking people to police stations after being arrested and for people leaving prison ... usually to head to court!
Nowadays, the transportation of prisoners is often undertaken by private companies and the vans are not so basic.
One security firm has even introduced televisions and DVDs in its vans in Scotland with the aim of saving money spent repairing vehicle interiors damaged by violent inmates.
Let’s hope they are not watching Ronnie Barker in Porridge.
It’s a model success ... the Glasgow Garden Festival that is. Sir Robin Duthie, chairman of the Scottish Development Agency, lined up up with some of the models employed for the event to show the attraction had been visited by two million people by July 1988, less than halfway through its five-month run.
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