Chat & Social > The Bar - General Chat
Number Plate crackdown
S188:
Personally I don't have a problem with this as I don't see why people think its such an effort to display legal number plates on a vehicle. If you keep breaking those cheep crappy plastic plates (which are rubbish to be fair, don't think any other country uses them) then you can get pressed metal reflective ones, some of which are approved to the current standard and are legal!
If your vehicle is old and doesn't have the plates with the current British standard on it that's actually fine, you don't need to display BS it if its registered pre 2001 (basically not on the current age system, or maybe Y reg (though that might just be the emissions tax date)). If you replace the plate on an old vehicle then it should probably have the current standard on it but how can you prove when the new plates were made? If its readable and spaced properly then I can't see anyone checking that one.
If your pre 73 and like me you think plates are too expensive/hard to get, just paint your number in white/silver letters to a black part of the vehicle - its actually legal to do this so long as its clear and an appropriate size, at that age there is no mandatory font. If your vehicle is younger than 73, get over it, whats wrong with reflective plates anyway? Want to fit black lights to match the paint too? If I was a copper and stopped someone with illegal plates but some legal ones in the back that they'll fit there and then I'd throw the book at them, blatantly guilty as sin and they know it!
Yes pulling people over for these sorts of things are agueably a bit petty but then most have actively chosen to try and bend or blatantly break the rules, what makes them special to do as they please? Hopefully the police will pick up on the dangerous illegal HID converted headlamps some of these vehicles also run, the only thing they convert well is dipped beam into my face. Its a shame they are only cracking down on this so road charging schemes have an easier job fining you but it does have benefits to you... Big brother is here to stay and if your truck gets nicked, I think theres possibly some increased chance one of the many plate recognition systems around might gather some info helping find where it went, after all, any info is good on this matter - you'll never know if your plates weren't readable. Also, if YOU were the victim of something like a hit and run but no one could read the plate of the offending motor, how annoyed would YOU be? Also applies to uninsured/taxed cars, they are getting allot now through plate recognition, that means there are a few less out there to write off your pride and joy - another plus I think.
Sound's like I get a bit worked up about this which is kind of true, but ultimately I know I can't get too mad as this is something people will always be breaking I suspect. Maybe they should simply crush any vehicle with a deliberately tampered with plate, see how many people run illegal plates then? Hopefully if they fine enough people to make it annoying for drivers with bad plates there might be less people doing it so the police can deal with something else.
Chill, its just my opinion and not aimed at anyone specifically.
glaggs:
Your opinions - no prob with that. But by clamping down on petty misdomenours like this the government arn't doing anything to make it harder form criminals - just criminalising normaly respectable people. Lets face it real crooks will do as little as posible to draw attention to themselves, but by deamonising individuality (which by its nature makes the culprit easier to identify - which is the idea of numberplates anyway) the pwers that be keep us all, scarred and divided and stop us questioning what(if any) their real agenda is! Be affraid - very affraid; Big Brother is watching you!
Krull:
Will never understand this one if you have a legal plate there is no worry.
Skibum346:
I'm defintely in the camp of the "Keep it Legal" brigade. 'taint difficult!
As for the so called waste of police time etc etc...
I think you'll find that this clamp down works as a "loss leader" in retail terms. Sell a product at a loss in order to sell more of the expensive things for a net gain.
I'm certain that in the process of stopping the many and varied people with illegal number plates, some will have no tax, some will have no insurance, some will have warrants for failing to appear, some will be wanted with respect to other more serious crimes.
Sure I'd like to see a boby on foot in every street, with a team of CID available for every single crime, but face it folks... how much tax do you want to pay?
Skibum
glaggs:
And when they ban Greenlaning or Motorsport 'cos it's dangerous, will you give that up. The only people who say there is a connection between illegal plates and other crimes are senior police or 'government types', and we believe them without question! I know I keep ranting on about this one, and to be fair its a minor issue and not realy worth the argument(although one I have a personnal interest in as a Biker). The big issue is the way we seem to accept what we're told without question these days. Fuel prices go up, we pay; laws are passed, we obey; your neighbours a terrorist, we believe. We need to learn to question facts, decisions and prejudices again - Viva L'revolution comrades.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version