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Original poster

Personalised number plates

238 replies

PrincessWellington · 30/09/2013 08:51

Why would someone pay money to have a misspelt version of their name on their car? Or words?

E.g. M41HEW, A11CET, OF55IDE T

I get the initials ones, not that i would want one, don't get this.

I have a theory though!

OP posts:
flowery · 30/09/2013 14:04

So you hold the same view about other unnecessary purchases then VerySmallSqueak? I

know this isn't a thread about general wasting money on unnecessary things, but I find your viewpoint intriguing because (as I am sure you realise) it's a bit extreme!

Teapigging · 30/09/2013 14:12

I think they are the vehicular equivalent of those 'novelty' aprons with pink plastic inflatable boobs in a bra sticking out of the front.

VerySmallSqueak · 30/09/2013 14:14

Since you asked flowery I find the whole personalised numberplates thing particularly offensive because it's a blatant display of excess wealth being used on something with no use whatsoever.

I can see no point to them other than to advertise a persons status to others.

It doesn't mean to say that I dislike an individual for doing it,I just wonder what brought us to this point as a society?

ivykaty44 · 30/09/2013 14:19

I never get them unless they are nan or mum, mi55 pvc would make me smile, so they are pretty much lost on me on the whole.

I don't get the k2 sht - is it cat shit?

It is a way of making money though and if thats what you want to spend your money on good luck to you

Dippyeggsrock · 30/09/2013 14:19

I've got my Dad's old plate which was free on his first car in 1960 something. It means a lot to me and would ever sell it but it worth more than the car it is on at the moment - not all of us have them for novelty value!

Bowlersarm · 30/09/2013 14:20

VerySmallSqueak since number plates are required by law, I don't see that they 'are no use whatsoever'.

Like saying no one needs to live in a four bedroom house when a two bed would do equally well.

Or like saying no one needs to spend their money on a holiday abroad, they can stay in the uk instead.

Or no need for champagne it's excessive, wine will do just as well.

People can chose to spend their money on whichever excesses they like.

CloverkissSparklecheeks · 30/09/2013 14:20

so are clothes, houses, cars, holidays in general VerySmallSqueak, I just cannot see how your views can be justified.

If someone earns £100k plus a year, obviously they are more wealthy than most of us so will potentially buy more luxurious items than those earning £15k. If I see someone with a LV handbag or something, it is obvious they have either saved really hard or are quite wealthy. It is still advertising their status in a way but really shouldn't be an issue, why should they buy a £5 primark version and donate the other £1195 to charity if they wish to buy that particular item.

If these are truly your views then a £200 number plate (thats how much the general personalised ones can cost on the DVLA website) is the least of your worries. You actually sound jealous.

I am really intrigued to think if you actually believe that if I was earning say £50k a year (I don't BTW), should I donate all money I would spend on luxury things to charity? better go and cancel thursday's facial

BeerTricksPotter · 30/09/2013 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

flowery · 30/09/2013 14:24

Interesting. Well as you can see from this thread, assuming something about a person's "status" based on them having a personalised numberplate is flawed.

I'm not sure what my "status" is, let alone whether my initials on my car convey it accurately. If I did know what my "status" was, I wouldn't be interested in advertising it to people.

Mind you, if someone has "BIG DIKS" on their car, as described above, I think it's safe to assume that they are trying to advertise something about their status, and also safe to assume it's not an accurate reflection... WinkGrin

CloverkissSparklecheeks · 30/09/2013 14:24

Bowlersarm put it so much better than me. It is a sore subject as my 27 YO male assistant was argueing with me over the same subject last week and I found it hugely offensive that anyone feels they have the right to judge me or anyone else on what we spend our disposable income on.

flowery · 30/09/2013 14:26

VerySmallSqueak since number plates are required by law, I don't see that they 'are no use whatsoever'

Ooh, good point. Like a designer handbag when a Tesco carrier would also function.

BeKindToYourKnees · 30/09/2013 14:28

My neighbour Diana has D1 AGRA Grin

Trills · 30/09/2013 14:28

I don't assume anything about anyone's "status".

I do assume things about what they like, and what they consider to be wroth spending money on, and make further assumptions about their personality based on that.

Just like we all do about every aspect of a person that is:
1 - a choice
2 - visible to strangers

Bowlersarm · 30/09/2013 14:29

Why thank you clover and I agree with you.

It's not something I am interested in for myself, but people do seem to be rather opinionated against them. For some reason which I can't work out.

VerySmallSqueak · 30/09/2013 14:31

OK OK you've got it Clover
I'm jealous.
Course I am Hmm

We still seem to be moving off the subject of numberplates here though.
The point I made was on numberplates.
Not holidays.
Not champagne.
Not houses.

These things are being thrown up as a smokescreen!

Bowlersarm · 30/09/2013 14:34

You do sound overly emotional about the subject VerySmallSqueak

VerySmallSqueak · 30/09/2013 14:39

Is that a put down Bowlers ?

You seem to be overly defensive whilst failing to present a reasoned argument that convinces me to change my pov. Smile

SirChenjin · 30/09/2013 14:40

I think they fall into 2 categories.

  1. The ostentatious mobile display of wealth (which I understand is very important to some people) - the kind of reg plate which is usually on a top end car, and comprises of a couple of initials and one number.
  1. The cheap end of plate market - appears on any car, designed to be 'humourous', hide the age of the car, given as a present, that type of thing.

I think you either 'get' the need/desire to show others how much money you have, or the fact that they can just be 'hilarious' or a bit of fun - or you don't, and think they are a monumental waste of money. Which is probably why they are a love/hate thing.

CloverkissSparklecheeks · 30/09/2013 14:46

But surely the same applies to all those other luxury items, just because we may not want them it doesn't make it wrong for others to have them.

You made the point that it is a waste of money so therefore the money should be donated to charity instead, why is a numberplate different to a designer handbag. I also do not understand the comparison between a tesco carrier and a designer handbag. Why do people care and is the expectation that everyone should buy the cheapest thing that can do the job?

I mentioned the jealously slightly tongue in cheek as there is no way I can comment on whether this is in fact the case as I don't know you but in the past I may have made some comments on peoples possesions being wasteful but now I may be able to afford the odd luxury I have made similar purchases so clearly I was a bit jealous before and now realise buying pointless luxuries is actually fine as is only my business.

CloverkissSparklecheeks · 30/09/2013 14:48

I don't think there needs to be a reasoned arguement though, some people like them some don't, a bit like tattoos or hot tubs on MN. If they have no effect on anyone else then they are no one elses business IMO.

No one has really jumped on anyone on here who have said they are tacky etc etc, it is your comments that have riled people.

Weller · 30/09/2013 14:51

Don't like anyone knowing my name so would hate a plate with any clue to who I was, my plate is my first car which I drove until it needed scraped lots of lovely memories that first.

giveitago · 30/09/2013 14:52

I think it's totally to do with status. My relatives one that cost over £10k and it wasn't for a fiat punto. It was for a 'status' car.

Personally I could think of better things to spend my money on, but each to their own.

GinAndIt · 30/09/2013 14:53

Why would people want to hide the age of their car? Genuine question.

Whilst I don't agree with VSS's charity suggestion, I don't think the holiday/handbag analogy stands. A personalised plate means you have gone to the trouble of spending money to change what was already put there for legal reasons, doesn't it?

The holiday/handbag analogy would only stand if one was legally obliged to spend a weekend in Blackpool/carry a tesco bag, but instead decided on more expensive alternatives iykwim (probably not!)

Anyway I know what I mean and I still think PPs are remarkably naff

Contraryish · 30/09/2013 14:54

I bought a number plate the other day. I swoer I never would but now it's mine forever and I need never remember another number plate!

Incidentally, somebody said upthread that they didn't get why people put older number plates on their cars. You're not actually allows to put a plate on which would originally have been issued after the car was made.

everlong · 30/09/2013 15:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.