Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

personalised number plates

138 replies

Yeeehaa · 04/10/2010 13:47

DH and I both work, but don't earn a lot.
We need to budget fairly tightly, but we manage fine.

DH has been looking at the DVLA personalised number plate site, and has "chosen" our number. He says he has been thinking about it for a while, and because his DB has one, maybe it would be a good idea if we got one. I assumed he was joking and nearly laughed my pants off. He was a little upset that i didn't take him seriously.

Now, if this was something that was really, really important to him, I wouldn't stop him, but £250 goes a long long way in this household - in fact, £250 would mean a far better Christmas than we're used to.

So, WIBU to assume he was joking, and to think that personalised plates are an unnecessary luxury?

(I am prepared to give in here if the majority think IABU!)

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 04/10/2010 14:25

I have one and yes, it was a luxury. A gift to myself. I would not have bought it if I couldn't easily afford to do so though so YANBU.

escapologist · 04/10/2010 14:25

nomedoit: I think everyone would tell the OP that she was being unreasonable if the roles were reversed here. They both work, but money is still tight.

DH and I don't need to budget particularly tightly (and we both work), but I'd still expect us to decide together before we spent hundred of pounds.

SoupDragon · 04/10/2010 14:27

"People who have them are pricks and most of them drive like one too."

And people who make sweeping comments like that are judgemental bitches. Who smell of wee.

smugmumofboys · 04/10/2010 14:30

They are naffola imo.

And ten a penny around here.

SoupDragon · 04/10/2010 14:31

I always make negative assumptions/judgements about the IQ of people who make shallow sweeping assumptions based on a number plate [shrug]

And my Fly boots leak. they're crap. As did my Boden rainy day coat for that matter. so far, my personalised plate is performing far better :o

Ladyanonymous · 04/10/2010 14:33

Call me a judgemental bitch and then make the most hypocritical statement I've ever seen!

Its my opinion and it wasn't directed at one person in particular - as was yours.

SoupDragon · 04/10/2010 14:33

The £250 includes the £80 assignment fee. And the VAT.

SoupDragon · 04/10/2010 14:36

ladyanonymous, clealy you missed the wink at the end, indicating humour.
Unlike your nasty comment.

Ulysses · 04/10/2010 14:37

I hope he is joking! My DH would like one too, but it's far down on the list of things I think we need.

I personally think that they are rather naff, all the more so when they only have some tenuous link to the owners name/identity. If I ws a multi-millionaire and I did own say an Aston Martin I might consider one that said my initials 1 (e.g. ABC1), but anything else looks a wee bit desparate.

SoupDragon · 04/10/2010 14:39

Anyway, i really couldn't give a about what you and anyone else thinks. If a person is shallow enough to make such a judgement about a person based on what their numberplate says (unless it says AR53 HOL), they probably aren't someone whose opinion i would respect.

2blessed2bstressed · 04/10/2010 14:41

I've got one - my parents got it for my 40th, it makes me happy but I wouldn't have bought it for myself in the circumstances that the OP describes. As for other peoples judging me because of it....I don't care!

nancydrewrocked · 04/10/2010 14:41

Well of course they are unecessary, they are also unspeakably naff.

If you but a "cheap" one, you look just that, cheap. It also gives the impression of trying to disguise the age of your car and therefore the impression that that sort of thing matters....

If you buy an expensive one I would just assume that your are incredibly dull and lacking in imagination if you can't find something more fun to spend £50k on.

KnittingisbetterthanTherapy · 04/10/2010 14:42

Can you really spend £50k on a number plate????

Ladyanonymous · 04/10/2010 14:43

It was a light hearted remark about a light hearted subject - actually my job involves me being very non judgemental so sometimes its nice to do it here - in a safe place.

If you can judge my entire being on one sentance on this thread then I'm not really interested in what you have to say either - and I didn't say I would judge them on what the plate said - I said I would judge them on the very fact they had one

gtamom · 04/10/2010 15:04

Well, it can be on his "list" of "one day". No harm in it really, later on when you can comfortably afford one. We all have our little dreams, and doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks.

canihavemypocketmoney · 04/10/2010 15:48

Why is dh so insecure that he feels a need to have what his brother has ? Eh ? How old is he ?

tokyonambu · 04/10/2010 15:53

All personalised plates should read:

A T05SER

LindyHemming · 04/10/2010 15:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tokyonambu · 04/10/2010 15:56

Around where I live, there was an outbreak of pairs of cars which had sequential number plates. Perfectly ordinary plates, but differing only in one digit. Which means, of course, that it was a couple who had gone to a garage and bought two cars in transaction (Vectra/Astra, 407/207, various naff his'n'hers pairings). So it's passive aggressive showing off.

Houses to be avoided, I think.

Ladyanonymous · 04/10/2010 15:58

"Outbreak"

LindyHemming · 04/10/2010 16:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PanicMode · 04/10/2010 16:04

Actually, the only personalised plates that I have seen which I thought were very witty were on a ?Rolls and a ?Bentley (can't remember exactly) and were 2B and NOT 2B. I've since discovered that they may belong to Kevin Spacey

Rockbird · 04/10/2010 16:07

Two different issues really. If the money would be better spent elsewhere then that's the decider really. They are a luxury definitely.

As to the twattishness, it depends on which type it is. My dad had one that was one of the newer ones, so his initials, then the year, then his first, middle and last initial so it doesn't look obviously personalised. But it was on the first brand new car he ever bought himself at the age of 52.

THe older ones that say TW4T or 81G B0Y and that kind of thing are definitely tw4ttish!

morleylass · 04/10/2010 16:08

Well I have one, totally out of character thing for me to do as I really am not a show off, don't really like attention etc.
However was being nosey after several glasses of wine and saw a number plate that translated as dh's initials loves my initials. It was one of the cheapest you could get so I bought it, as a present, to us!
I know I am not stupid, I don't drive like an idiot, I'm not a show off.
Fine, judge me, but you are so way off the mark!

SeaTrek · 04/10/2010 17:05

I have got to admit I make negative assumptions about people with personalised number plates, too. I am sure it is wrong completely for a lot of people! Just a stereotype I cannot seem to get rid of from my mind. I would NEVER have one. I actually blushed bright red and sunk down in the seat when I first started getting in DH's car (4WD before me were married - he sold it very soon after we met) - I was so embarrassed to be seen it it. Yes, I know that is sad and ridiculous! . Personalised number plates would definitely go in room 101 along with big 4WD cars in suburbia.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6