To think that personalised number plates should be banned?!!

[principalitygirl]

They are, in my view, ostentatious, utterly pointless and a pure waste of money that could be much better used other ways, even 'selfish' ones like a nice meal out or a mini break. Or non-foodselfish things like charity donations.

If I ruled the world [:)], I'd ban them, or make people buying them have to pay an equal amount in a stupidity and arrogance and tax.

Anyone disagree?!

Agree they are a bit naff, but people are free to display their naffness I guess. Particularly annoying when appended to a pointless Chelsea tractor.

Yes I disagree with you.

Plenty will agree with you though.

There was a thread recently about it.

oooh, where bowlers?

See I would ban spa breaks who wants some stranger rubbing them while they are naked

please don't assume that people who have one don't donate a huge chunk every month to charity.

I saw one once that said PEN 15

I wasn't sure if the driver was being ironic or not...

I actually think that everyone should have a personal number plate, that they take with them from car to car.

Now i might be making this up, but isn't that how they do things in australia?

I live in personal-numberplate small town heaven. They aren't something I would spend my money on, but they are a harmless indulgence. When more cars have them than don't, as round here, they aren't remotely ostentatious, they're "common".

I agree that they're the height of naff, but banning won't ensure that the money that gets spent on them will get diverted to something more worthy.

I agree with you...they are embarrassingly self important, and make the driver look an absolute dick.

However, if someone wants to display themselves as a self important dick, then I guess it's their choice to do so.

My fil has one - he's a pompous, self satisfied arse and it suits his ghastly personality perfectly.

Scarlet - I'd say they were extremely self-aware... ;)

I wouldn't ban them because I think it is very kind of the person who has one to give me fair warning that they are very likely to be a twat.

Ha ha

Naff, agreed, but not ban-able.

YABU

Tobias - nice bit of reframing there... :)

True

There is also a "stationery mogul" type round here who has two BMWs with the plates A4 PAD and A5 PAD...

Yeah, he sells paper and pens

YABU, they are fun. Sometimes very pretentious and naff, but still fun.

Why does everything have to be dull and conventional.

Also the really naff italic ones warm you this car is driven by a dick.

Cunty - everything is ban-able, in theory at least. I'm not likely to rule the UK let alone the world though so these knobs are free to indulge themselves as they see fit!

Every time this subject comes up I wonder why people get so het up about this.....who cares what other people spend their money on?
Why do you care? How exactly is this impinging on your life?
It seems like such a harmless thing to me, but it provokes such a strong reaction.

Starball - we have v different ideas of fun. My name, nickname or AN other 'special' word written in a combo of numbers and letters isn't something I'd personally describe as being fun, and certainly not seeing it more than once!

My df has one inherited from my gp's. it must be 60 years old. just initials, no words. not sure if that makes it naff

(OP-one thread was started 30 sept and another one started 8 nov) however, it is a subject people have strong opinions about and therefore have plenty to say, as you are seeing!

Dumpy - I'm not het up. Just curious what others think, in a light hearted way. I certainly don't rage at the sight of a personalised number plate. Just wonder about what motivates someone to pay good money for something which seems to me to be entirely frivolous and showy.

Those leather passport cover things are another, smaller scale example of the same mentality I think?

B4D 5H1T was my fav. I also saw a jag owner who had JAG 1 - which is beyond daft. An old boyfriend's father worked for a tea company and had two jags - one with TEA on it and the other with BAGS. Then he sold one and yes, his poor wife had to be left with BAGS.

Too much money, too little taste. But their money, their choice.

Why not get your personalised number plate replicated on the soles of your shoes, back of your coat etc...? Maybe it's already possible...?

I don't mind the ones which look like a normal number plate but the final three letters mean something personal (DH's looks like it might be his initials, but it's merely coincidence). The ones that look crap are the ones where the space has been moved - someone near here has A B02HOR and B B02HOR. And of course, they're on 4x4s.