J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

What is it with private/cherished plates, why do people feel the need to have their initials in the identifying mark of the car ?

Why is it also that the same people tend to be the ones that pull off some fairly inconsiderate driving, parking in disabled spots, causing obstruction, sailing down the outside of queues to jib in at the last moment, tailgating, intimidation etc etc.

Obviously not all people with private plates do this but I have noticed this so maybe there is something in it, do I notice more because they are more distinctive, is it because I am jealous (subconciously because I dont want one), are they more egotistical, are they free spirits or are they just arseh0les ?

milo

yes


p.s. J4CKO wouldnt happen to be your desired license plate would it?

Apple

I know someone who wouldn't have a private plate as they tend to be more memorable e.g. in an accident / being remembered for being traced - not what you want if you want to blend in with the rest of Joe Public

yoza

There is a WRX around here with SHAGGY as his plate.

What a w4nker.........

NickAdams

iTrader: (5)

I thought it was SAGGY!!!!!! lol

thecirsch

I've got one on the Scoob. The reason being is that I share my first name with a Cousin of mine & this is on the plate. He is in his late seventies now and had to give up driving last year due to ill health. From a young age I'd always been on at him about having the plate when he stopped driving. When he offered it to me I WAS in two minds due to the reasons shown above. Due to the circumstances of him giving up driving, I didn't know if he would get upset whenever he saw the plate on the car. Having spoken at length to his wife, she said it would be quite the reverse. Therefore I bought it off him (and it wasn't cheap!!!). I also got a very tidy 1988 Vauxhall Cavalier thrown in too!

I would never have bought one otherwise. Everytime I drive the car I feel a little bit self consious, that people are doing this . For the time being I will keep it. However, long term, who knows?

Martin J Stirling

I think one of the main reasons is to disguise the age of the car. There is a real snobbery towards having a new car, so you can avoid this if the age of your car is disguised. Obviously, it is the more image conscious that worry about things like this, but there you go. You very rarely see private plates on brand new cars..

Mart.

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

Well mine was on my dads old Ford Consul way back in the mists of time.

Who kept it as he was in the RAF as it was relevant to his work.

And then I inherited it along with the original metal black & silver number plate.

When it was on the P1 & the UK300 it suited the rather large wings.

Now its on my Graphite Black Stealth Wagon so "Jet Black" comes to mind.

And as an added bonus by pure chance it is the wife's initials.

I am not keen on the ones that try too hard to be what they are not though.

Jaybird-UK

I personally like them, especially non-year indicating ones such as ABC123 etc, but I can stand the ones they use wacky fonts to misrepresent the letters. The worst I ever saw was 'BABY CAR' on an MR2, it took me a moment to figure out the plate, I think it was B484 CAP or something.

ScoobyDoo555

Wifey bought mine as my 30th birthday present. I didn't even know she'd got it!!

It illustrates my birthday date /age and my initials. It's on an MY99.

I couldn't give a toss what other people think - to me, it's a show of love and affection from my wife (albeit I did baulk at the price!)

Dan

scoobynutta555

The worst ones are the £50 jobs from northern ireland Daz, Baz etc with a load of numbers after

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

J4CKO is my desired username, well JACKO was but it wasnt available.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

The reason I posted was that yesterday I was cut up twice by people sporting private plates which to me indicates that a certain type of person buys them. I am not saying that all people with a plate is an idiot, far from it and quite like the idea of plates that have been in a family for a long time and can appreciate the amusing ones but round here (Wilmslow in Cheshire) there seems to be an above average number of really selfish drivers, usually in German Silver cars with private plates. Its funny, when I am in my Fiat Coupe I dont get cut up the same, but this week I am using an M reg Rover 214 and I seem to be invisible !

With regards to disguising the age of the car, it only works for a year or two at the most as manufacturers change cars fairly often, even if not re-skin, new lights, wheels and colours denote the latest model and whats the point of fooling the neighbours that BAZ 7977797 is a H reg 520i when its only really an F reg.

Alan C

I think you're missing the point.

J4CKO, maybe you were cut up becuase the drivers wanted the attention? 'Look at me, I'm brill at driving I am'... The plate helps them standout and be noticed..

But, for the majority, it's about individualism... The plate is an extension to the mods made to make their car different..

We've got a couple of guys with private plates in the WYIOC club.. They are about as far removed from your stereotyping as you can get.. the guys have some fantastic mods that make their car individual (one was shortlisted at this year's NBO).. as does the plate..

I too would like a private plate.. Unfortunately A1 ANC is £35K..

Not because I'm a snob, driving t1t or seeker of attention, but because I want that shot at some pretty cool individualism.

I suspect just like you in your choice of cars, music, clothes etc.. ?

yoza

Nick,

You need your eyes testing.

It SHAGGY, there were 6 digits last time I looked.

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Mark, that wagon looks the dogs Bollocks mate

Apple

Talking of ages of vehicles - how many coaches have you seen without private plates? Tends to disquise the age of the shed and that it should have been scrapped years ago

I nearly bought my initials on a plate for my previous car but a normal looking plate M1 *** rather than pay through the nose for an "individual" looking plate. Was £500 for M2 *** to whatever and £1000 for M1 ***. Didn't bother in the end as if I'd transferred it to the scoob I'd get paranoid about somebody tracing it through the phone book - got a bog standard reg now...

Al C, shows how much attention I've been taking - I can't remember Steve's reg...

Andy

wacky.banana

Yoza,

PMSL Wonder how long it will take for someone to spot the irony of your post! Thanks for the larf, laddie.

WB

wacky.banana

Flat Eric,

Nice!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

YOu should try driving a car with a fancy plate....

My mum has a nice plate on her car, had it for at least 20years now, so it's worth a few bob now But if I drive that car, I always seem to be on the recieving end of abuse where someone who is wishing to argue over 20ft of space on a road Such as trying to pull out in traffic or when two lanes merge, someone will purposely go out their way to block my path and just be a pain in the ****.

I know the merging lanes thing is a bit of a debate with the outside lane drivers in itself, but when opposed to pushing in or sitting stationary so I can be potentially rear ended by the car behind or being forced into oncomming traffic, I know what choice I'll always go for. But this situtaion only ever happens in this car with that plate (celica - previously a Nissan primera, car made no difference) or if I'm driving a BMW...is it the plate or is it jinxed?

As for the point of plates, it a bit of personalisation, it hides the age of the car. And can be a good investment. My plate is worth twice as much as I paid for it now, so that's enough reason for me to have one

Chris L

Mine has an SRT number plate which confuses the hell out of people - 'your name's Chris' etc etc. Looks good at rallies and motorsport events where most people know what it means

Chris

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Like everything, good ones look good and bad ones look awful. I bought the missus one for her birthday a few years back, she loves it and its the first thing people comment on when they saw the car.

As for drivers with plates being worse, im not so sure, cant remember the last time i was cut up by a plate wearing car.

Redkop

So you base your assumption on two instances that it's a certain type of person that buys them A bit like me saying that two Scoobs cut me up.... so it's a certain type of person that buys them

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Individualism, all plates are unique anyway !

Beside round here its all TT,s, Cayennes and X5's with private plates, all either Silver or Black so hardly very individual, I can see how some plates are very individual as there have been threads before about people having seen the same car with a funny plate, P3NIS anyone ? thats indivual but X5 and three letters isnt because every X5 has that combination.

I can have a plate on my car (MU 31), its on retention but I dont want it, it would be easier than having to remember to pay the retention fee, we had it on a Fiat 500 and it belongs to my father in law but is in my wifes name so if I want it on my car I can but cant see the point.

Boro

iTrader: (1)

http://www.craigspictures.fotopic.net/p5124438.html

Flame suit on! The rear is legal, so as not to attract the attention of following 5-0 cars.

Spoon

Having had private plates on all my vehicles, buying my first at 17 because my father had them when I was a child and I kind of looked at it as the norm I guess.

I can understand to a point what J4CKO is referring to and although this certainly isn't the case all the time I think it has something to do with assertiveness.(or read arrogance).

Somebody with a decent plate (not the shíte DVLA, irish specials) may well be successful in whatever they've done in life, they have a bit more about them and feel able enough to take control of their own situation.

That certainly used to be the case in the 70's & 80's but appears to have been watered down somewhat in recent years as anybody can win the lottery.

I think plates are great and always keep a look out for the decent ones.

I reckon they can add a little humour to being stuck in traffic too!!

The plates I have now are always a conversation starter wherever I pull up, particularly the one I'm running at the moment which is constantly trying to be bought by other people.

It's also ironic how some people I know sneered at my plate in the 80's but were first in the queue when the Dvla started offering cherished numbers.

Freak

simple really
My plate is my name, which is also my stage (dj) name so its kinda personal to me. Stands out enough, but also subtle and im happy with it- dont give a crap what anyone else thinks to be honest.
Bought my dad one a month ago , and going to buy another one which is my business name ( a record shop) when the dvla finally get around to releasing it (have been requesting it for years now)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Boro, nice car but the plate (front) doesnt do it any favours, sorry , personal preference and all that but its been fooked about with to make it something it isnt, the spacing and the font is all wrong, if plates are to look good they need to be standard and not need any messing with to get the point across, example, the local newsagent had a BMW so he bought

A14 NBM and it ended up as A 14N BM, just cheapens the car imho.

Saw a good one the other day, a 911 with 321 BYE which to me suggest the owner is an enthusiast who doesnt take life too seriously, on the other hand I have had run ins with a complete nutter (in a variety of cars, currently an M3) who drives like a complete **** and pulls off some stupid stunts like driving down chevrons, the hard shoulder etc etc and he makes himself more noticable by having H4LL L across his plate, several people have seen him and mentioned it to me independently so he must do it all the time, now thats an ego, driving like that and telling everone what your name is. Now I consider myself a considerate driver but if for some reason I upset somebody unintentionally I dont really want my car easy to spot in the future with an easily memorable plate, plus I dont want everybody telling me where I have been over the week !

TelBoy

NO WAY!!! This might be a theoretical price because the plate isn't actually for sale, but if it ever was, no way would it command £35k, not unless the car was included too....

andypugh2000

I have had a private plate on my car for around 5 years now, bought as a gift for helping family move house, only means individuality to me and nothing else