Personalised number plates

[DryWhiteagainW]

Was chatting to a friend about this. Are they a bit naff really?
DH and half my town seem to love them, I’m not fussed.
Dont know how to do a poll but was just wondering what you all think (obv not a first world issue I realise)

A benefit is I’ve had mine for 15 years and never have that awkward moment where I can’t remember my reg number (parking machines/signing into buildings etc)

Mumsnet hates them and considers them a waste of money even though designer handbags at three times the price are perfectly OK.
I love mine.
It was a 40th birthday present and I'm still using it 25 years later.

@BruceAndNosh I was just thinking mine will be just about the only thing I’ve ever bought which will last me the rest of my life (well until I give up driving). Everything else breaks/needs changing etc. Already had it 15 years. Wouldn’t really consider it a complete waste of money unlike most of the other stuff I buy!

I've always been a fan of unique names and I've like totally fallen in love with the name LW56RXV, which I think would be equally beautiful for a boy or a girl.

Is this the private plate thread equivalent of Godwin’s Law?

Naff and very nouveau riche/WAG like.

If you're going to have one, I'd go for a proper one like two initials and a number, not the cheapo efforts.

There's a lady in my town with NAG and a number. I often wonder whether it was a highly offensive present from her other half or she has horses. I hope the latter.

Don’t have one but think they’re quite fun. Would be tempted if I found one that worked for my name.

Saw this one recently.....
unbelievably naff

There's a lady in my town with NAG and a number. I often wonder whether it was a highly offensive present from her other half or she has horses. I hope the latter.

I presume she's Natasha Andrea Gibson or similar - and her parents didn't stop to think before naming her (or she didn't choose a 'suitable' husband)!

That one has made me laugh. You need a very big personality to carry it off!

I've seen V11GRA on a Porsche and
V6CUL on an Alfa V6, cul means arse in French.
The worst was either 1OBE or OBE 1 on either a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Thought if you got an honour you were supposed not to boast about it. Tosser

Funnily enough whenever I see a personalised number plate I think what a TO 553R

V6CUL on an Alfa V6, cul means arse in French.

Surely that only works on the back of the car, but not on the front?!

Forgotten, there's EMM1E on a Range Rover driven round the roundabout in the centre of Knutsford every morning around 8.30 while she's on the phone 400yds from the police station.

As a couple of people have said, main use is to hide the true age of the car. Lots of coach firms do it (usually with meaningless number plates) as their passengers would probably feel a bit peeved if they knew the coach was 20-30 years old which is remarkably commonplace.

There used to be one near us that I saw driving around for years afterwards with the reg. MY XX CAR (obviously with the year number instead of XX). All it did was draw attention to the fact that their car (and their 'hilarious' joke) was getting older and older every year, in a way that it wouldn't if it had just had an ordinary random plate.

One of the school dads had PORNO something or other, can't remember how he got the letters to work. Classy. I also know a couple of initials 69 in that theme.

Designer handbags are naff too, though.

Awful. Very downmarket.

They’re a bit naff but I’ve still got two 😂 one on the branded work ute, spelling our surname which is in the name of our business, and one which is my name for my personal car.

It doesn't make her a bad person to dislike personalised number plates fgs. What does it say about her exactly? That she has a different opinion to you?

OP, while I wouldn't have them myself, it gives me something to do trying to work out what the person is called

DH thinks they're a complete waste of money but he has no interest in cars full stop.

I'm getting a new car soon with my first personalised plate and I cannot wait! I've wanted one forever... 😍

There's one round here that spells BELL END - I mean, why would you?

One of my kids wanted them for their 18th birthday, so we bought them. They're a standard A99 ABC layout. I have no problem with them, most people wouldn't notice them as 'personalised', and there's no special spacing to make a word that isn't there.

I like them for recognising the cars of people I know, as I can never see who’s in a car because of the reflections.

I’d like one if it spelled my name, not some random anagram plus some extra digits.

I remember seeing that a big thing was made about Edinburgh getting special dispensation to issue 'TN07' plates that year (T isn't used for anywhere specific), as it was worried that 'SN07' would look too much like 'snot'.

Interestingly, I never saw a peep about whether or not Glasgow would be allowed to issue 'SH' plates exactly 10 years later!!

I have one but I'm broadly indifferent to them. Mine spells my surname, my whole family (in law) have them and they all match, I was proudly presented with mine on my wedding day. However the family I married into have a traveller background so probably not the high class status that MNers aspire to.