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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask people with personalised number plates.......why?

265 replies

itsgoodtobehome · 29/11/2018 15:46

Genuinely interested. I see more and more personalised number plates (Sha70n) on my way home which inspired this thread. Why do you do it? Do you want people to know your name? Do you wear your name on the back of your jacket or on the front of your t-shirt?

I am really intrigued as to why people would flaunt their name, initials, nickname, whatever.....on their car.

MN enlighten me please!!

OP posts:
NotLaugingNow · 29/11/2018 21:27

I can't be bothered checking but it used to be that you couldn't have a private number plate that made your car appear newer than it is. Not sure if this is still the case

It is. It's illegal to put a private plate on a car that makes it appear to be newer than it is.

Japanesejazz · 29/11/2018 21:27

I bought my plate off the first car I owned. It was registered in Northern Ireland. The plates sit in the shed, I keep meaning to register them to my forester which will easily outlive me, this situation has been going on for 12 years. So I have a not personalised plate but one which has great sentimental value but it’s sat in the shed and not assigned to my car. E for effort

Sparklingbrook · 29/11/2018 21:27

All the ones that are worth loads more than when they were bought-it only really makes a difference if you are going to sell it.

I don't think any I see around here are very expensive TBH. I wouldn't know how to price them up though.

QueenoftheNights · 29/11/2018 21:29

On the whole I think they are the height of vulgarity and owned by people with huge egos.

I mean why? What's so great about having your initials on a bloody car. It's just a car.

Sparklingbrook · 29/11/2018 21:32

Maybe we should put our initials on our house?

ODZFODZ · 29/11/2018 21:50

IMHO, many people who have them are T0553Rs and W4NK3ERs

Mainie · 29/11/2018 21:59

They’re just a more expensive version of eyelashes on your headlights.

BramRang · 29/11/2018 22:17

I wouldn't buy myself one (literally no point as far as I can see), but we all chipped in to buy my cousin one when she eventually passed her driving test (15th attempt!!) as it was a gift relevant to what she had achieved.

Hippee · 29/11/2018 22:22

I'm not a huge fan, but it does help me spot a couple of friends' cars more easily. When I was a child, back in the 70s, I was impressed, though, when a local family managed to get the plate that spelled their name (similar to WAT50N).

MaxTeyon · 29/11/2018 22:23

I bought my plate off the first car I owned. It was registered in Northern Ireland. The plates sit in the shed, I keep meaning to register them to my forester which will easily outlive me, this situation has been going on for 12 years. So I have a not personalised plate but one which has great sentimental value but it’s sat in the shed and not assigned to my car. E for effort

And presumably every year until fairly recently it’s been costing you the retention fee? Would have been easier and much less costly to just assign the plate?

Grinchly · 29/11/2018 22:29

It usually means they are the sort of people who have to buy their own furniture.

Cheekyblinders · 29/11/2018 22:32

DFiL has an old old type one... 2letters 4numbers... not special significant letters... he changes his car every 3 years and this way he never has to remember a new reg number. I have one so that my car age is not identifiable because I am shallow and want to have a shiny new car but can’t afford one... So I pretend/delude myself with a nice design classic-ish cute car with a “cheap” cherished plate that hides the reality that it is over 5 years old... my DM hasn’t seen it yet and I suspect she will hate it but it tickles me😬... however I do not think that it is in the slightest bit cool. I remember seeing F1ERY on a red Mercedes once... that was quite cool!

Cheekyblinders · 29/11/2018 22:41

Grinchly... that made me laugh... I know plenty of county-set old-money types who have private plates... and sure is eggs is eggs they didn’t have to buy their own furniture dahling!

Cheekyblinders · 29/11/2018 22:42

Typo🤦🏼‍♀️

Chesterado · 29/11/2018 22:45

I don't really get it either. They do have their uses though, the police managed to trace a driver who crashed into my car damaged it badly and then drove off without stopping thanks to me being able to remember his personalised number plate. Would never have remembered a normal reg 🙂

Ollivander84 · 29/11/2018 22:50

Mine is my old horses name plus J for June (when he was born) and a number for the number of races he ran
My dad bought it me when he was put down. Well he actually bought me a car and the plate but...
I work for a luxury car brand and probably 70% of them have personalised plates

SummerStrong · 29/11/2018 22:58

Personalised number plates are wonderful....it announces to people that a twat has arrived before you even exit your vehicle! Grin

Largepiecesofcrookedwood · 29/11/2018 23:05

I've one on my car, clearly a personalised plate but genuinely quite inoffensive. It is DH's plate, came to me with him in the dim and distant past and is truly one of his most treasured possessions Confused
I've asked for an explanation of the fascination, but he looks at me like I'm a weirdo who has just asked why he likes wearing socks or something else equally mundane.

RavenLG · 29/11/2018 23:10

I don’t get what’s “fun” about it? I mean if you’re that boring you think letters and numbers are fun then you must have the personality of a brick

MyNameIsAlexDrake · 29/11/2018 23:11

My DH got me my own number plate when he bought me an old car he'd been coveting for a while (he's a petrol head) the number plate that came with the car ended in FUD. He knew there was no way I would drive around in a fanny mobile! The number plate he bought me was a Lx Lll the last 3 letters being my initials, was cheap to buy and has transferred to all my cars since.

ShowerOfShite · 29/11/2018 23:12

@Thatisnotmyhat
I know a guy with a plate YES 1.
We must be from the same area Smile

BaaBaaBaaMoo · 29/11/2018 23:14

I've seen B1MB0 on a Range Rover with a blonde driving.

S1NGH 1 on a Rolls Royce Ghost open top. The guy in it was wearing his turban on middle lane of M1and totally owing it! Like royalty in the slow moving traffic!

Spikeyball · 29/11/2018 23:15

We have one with all our initials on including the child we lost and it makes me smile when I see it.

Redyoyo · 29/11/2018 23:18

My dh has one on my car he got it for his 21st from his parents. It doesn't say anything just his initials he's had it for 20 odd years, its on what would be a 68 plate car so it doesn't make the car seem newer probably the opposite.
Tbh i could give a monkeys if about private plates, but if you've got to have a plate on your car why not your own.

usernametaken · 29/11/2018 23:19

I have one, I bought it when I broke a UK record and I wanted something to commemorate that with. To most, the plate means nothing and you can't tell the meaning behind the letter/number combo, but for me, it's a nice reminder of a great day!