A couple of years ago...
my mate across the road tells me his family are coming down to see him. I pop over as requested as they're having a bbq and a few beers. Sitting in the garden my mate asks me how I got on with sorting out my car which got stolen and recovered the previous week and I casually state that,
"Apparently it was some little shit trying to get back to Liverpool, fucking scouse git."
The garden went a little quiet at this point and matey whispers in my ear that his family are all scousers and he doesn't have an accent as he married into it and is not from Liverpool. I apologise profusely and state that it wasn't meant as a general term just against the thief in question. Had I kept my mouth shut at this point it may have been ok but I follow it up with,
"Still, not sure who I hate most, the thief or the dopey coppers who couldn't be arsed to try to find the car on the day I reported it stolen. Probably too busy harassing black people for fun."

Then matey introduces me to his father-in-law. Paul. Paul lastname*. Detective Constable Paul Lastname*

I sighed, shook his hand and sloped off home to get pissed. Trust me, drinking in front of a policeman, even if off-duty, just doesn't feel right when you've insulted his colleagues.

* name changed to protect me, not him. once bitten, twice shy.
( NooShmoo It's a fantazmagorical pile of ultra bollocks, Sat 7 May 2011, 12:06, Reply)