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?!

[Horsemad]

I've seen PEN 15 around here. We have a motorcycle racetrack nearby so it probably was Steve Parrish. I remember laughing my head off when I saw it!

[Dahlen]

Personally couldn't care one way or the other. I don't automatically assume pretentious twat as it's ultimately no different from getting a visible tattoo - it is a statement of identity.

However, I reserve the right to judge people with personalised plates who drive like twats. It clearly indicates an enormous arrogance or a lack of intelligence to think you can get away with driving like a twat when you've done so much to make yourself identifiable to the authorities.

[SoupDragon]

However, I reserve the right to judge people with personalised plates who drive like twats.

Personally, I judge people who drive like twats.

when you've done so much to make yourself identifiable to the authorities.

You mean like put a unique identifying number plate on your car? Oh, hang on...

[CotedePablo]

I'd like to have the one that has my christian name. However, it belongs to someone who has a lot of money, so doubtful it'll ever be mine.

I used to regularly see S4 NMD, but printed like this - S 4ND M (think about it), and driven by a plump middle aged lady.

[Dahlen]

SoupDragon - personalised plates stick in people's minds far more easily than standard ones, even though both are unique.

But I take your point about judging twattish driving regardless of VRMs.

[Bogeyface]

My DIL2B has a numberplate that if you saw her you would assumed she had bought specifically, but she didnt it came with the car!

The thing was, she didnt notice until I asked if she had paid extra for the number plate, and she is now considering selling the Reg No (and she will get quite a bit for it!) as she feels very self conscious!

[Bogeyface]

AnUnearthly You nicked that from Viz :o

[Pipbin]

I have a personalised plate and I'd like to think I'm not a twat.

[Snowdown]

Yabu about banning them, but they are incredibly naff.

[ComposHat]

They aren't my cup of tea, but it isn't something that I'd devoted a lot of thought to til now.

But I really don't know why why anyone would want a vanity plate, apart from trying to fool the world that your clapped out 15 year old BMW isn't quite as old as it is.

Other than trying to mask the age of a car, why buy one? Surely if you're called Sue and you manage to buy 'Sue 56' as a number plate.

1. You know your called Sue
2. You friends and family know you are called Sue 3. No one else will care. At best someone may be very bored in a tailback and think 'oh I wonder if that car is driven by a woman called Sue or maybe a lawyer who specialises in libel cases.'

I'm not being snotty, but can a vanity plate owner tell me what the appeal is.

[GinOnTwoWheels]

mrspremise I've read about the DVLA's person/department that identifies and weeds out potentially offensive number plates before.

I so want to work there .

I personally think personalised plates are completely pointless but each to their own. Good point made that they arena income for the country so are a little bit less tax that everyone else has to pay IYSWM.

[Dolcelatte]

OP, something must have prompted you to this random post. Have you been 'cut up' by someone with a personalised number plate, or are you jealous of somebody you know who has one or at least has the money for one?

A lot of people inherit these numbers, my cousin has his father's one and it has great sentimental value. The older numbers are also antiques and are appreciating in value.

It just seems such an odd thing for you to be so troubled about.

[MusicalEndorphins]

People spend a lot of money frivolously. I find custom plates amusing.
I think they should ban spray tans, people can spend their money on something worthwhile like stocking a food bank. And while they are at it, also ban all cosmetics, and alcohol, chocolate, decorations, after all, we can survive without them. And we should all wear uniforms....why should anyone be able to personalize themselves or their stuff?

[JustAWaterForMePlease]

Y4 NBU

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

I think " baby on board" is quite useful. It tells the person behind (should they need to know) why you're not bombing along at 20mph over the speed limit. It's like "play racing/ aggressive driving with someone else I'm not joining in and this is why"
I wish I had one now because it might have deterred the person (landrover with a ersonalised number plate- definitely a twat in this case) who deliberately rammed into the back of me when I had both DCs in the car.
But maybe not. You never know.
Made them more memorable for the police report though.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Sorry that happened to you Amanda. I must admit I tend to interpret baby on board signs as "keep well clear, driver is quite likely to be tired and distracted".

[ilovesooty]

A good friend of mine and her husband have them. They're not prats.

My sister has one bought by my brother in law. No comment.

Can't think why it bothers you enough to want them banned.

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

I can never read them. I just spent an embarrassingly long time wondering what pen 15 means. I thought we were still on the stationery chap

[breatheslowly]

The money spent on personalised number plates doesn't disappear. It moves from buyer to seller. So it isn't lost from good causes.

[limitedperiodonly]

I don't think anything when I see baby on board signs. Maybe that the driver is just pleased to have a baby.

It doesn't make me adjust my driving for good or bad. I wonder if it does for anyone else.

[ComposHat]

Funny Amanda I always saw the baby on board stickers as the driver havung a misguided sense of pride in having working reproductive organs.

[hoppingmad]

I don't have a baby on board sign but was travelling behind someone the other day who made me chuckle. His sign said "I'm speeding because I need a shit". It was slightly funnier as he was going very slowly!

[stealthsquiggle]

You would be talking to yourself pretty soon if you instantly ruled out everyone with personalised number plates round here (no, I don't have one). We couldn't believe how common they were when we first moved here.

I can't say it annoys me, though - their money to waste as they see fit, and it all goes to the DVLA which presumably, in some miniscule way, means that the rest of us pay less road tax.

[Shesparkles]

I have one on my car, I got it for my 40th birthday and it's the number 40 and my initials. It cost the princely sum of £100 3 years ago. A party would have cost a lot more