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Paddywagon

A paddywagon is a vehicle used by police to transport large groups of people who have been arrested.

"Paddy" (a common Irish shortening of Patrick) was used as a pejorative with which to insult Irish people. Irishmen made up a large percentage of the officers of early police forces in many American cities. This concentration of Irish in the police forces could have led to the term "paddy wagon" being created.

Some theorize that the backs of these vehicles were often filled with rowdy, fighting drunkards. Irish people have also been stereotyped in this regard, which may have also contributed to the term.

These vehicles were usually painted black. Archaically in the United States and the United Kingdom, they were also called Black Mariahs ("ma-RYE-ahs"). The origin of the term is uncertain. The OED lists the first usage as the Boston Evening Traveller from 1847 which mentions them as a new type of wagon. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable suggests the name came from Maria Lee a large and fearsome black madam who the police would call on for help with difficult prisoners. The term is still used today in parts of Britain for the vehicle that transports prisoners from jail to court, appearing in the song "Guns of Brixton" by The Clash. Frequently, screened-in buses are also used for the same purpose. [1]

The term is often used in some areas of Australia, specifically New South Wales[2] and Queensland[3] to refer to a general duties vehicle with a prisoner cage on the back. Australian 'paddywagons' are typically based on small utility vehicles such as the Holden Rodeo or Toyota Hilux.

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