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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to assume my new neighbour is a massive racist?

178 replies

QoFE · 11/02/2019 13:06

New neighbours over the road moved in over the weekend.

They have 3 vehicles, one car each and a sports car.

The sports car has what can only be a personalised number plate reading XXXX KKK (obvs not actually XXXX but a combination of letters and numbers that would definitely be one you'd have to pay for).

So... Why would you pay for a number plate with KKK on? DP thinks I'm being judgemental and maybe it was the only one with the first part that they wanted so they overlooked the ending but surely nobody would do that? I mean it's like having a number plate reading N4ZI - you just wouldn't would you?

OP posts:
Tara336 · 11/02/2019 14:13

Totally agree with Onlyjoinedforthisthread.

GahWhatever · 11/02/2019 14:15

There are hundreds of racist groups in America, as well as the UK.
KKK can be used to designate one such American group. The American Freedom Party (AFP) and National Socialist Movement (NSM) are both larger. Would you presume someone with those letters on a number plate was racist?

Here in the UK: my plates have EDL on them. Will people presume that I'm racist? It hadn't even occurred to me!

QoFE · 11/02/2019 14:15

I wouldn't be wondering this if the car was a tatty old one that obviously had its original number plate. This plate is absolutely definitely personalised. I'm not posting the other letters/numbers but they clearly spell out a name, it's not one of the plates that you wonder wtf it's meant to say!

OP posts:
PinkHeart5914 · 11/02/2019 14:15

What a massive assumption you have made about people you don’t even know!

Assuming your in the uk I doubt kkk stands for a racist party as they aren’t really activity here, we have the bnp and UKIP for that shit.

I’d drive a car with that number plate, I know I’m not racist and honestly anyone that gets offended by that number plate is probably a curtain twitcher that needs a life....

QoFE · 11/02/2019 14:16

I thought everyone would know about the KKK but reading this maybe I'm wrong Confused

OP posts:
Yougotdis · 11/02/2019 14:16

I taught and a few years ago there was a fad of people saying Kay Kay Kay for ok. Or maybe the first few digits mean something to them and kkk was the only plate left. Desperately clutching at straws.

QoFE · 11/02/2019 14:17

I'm not offended anyway.

Just curious as to whether my automatic assumption was reasonable or not.

And according to this thread, it's not, so that's me told.

OP posts:
WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 11/02/2019 14:18

Based on the price bracket of the house and vehicles I am going to say it's a safe bet that they could afford to change it if they wanted to.

Well, what with this boast and the fact that they have been here 5 minutes , and you decide the new neighbours are racists, over a number plate, I am glad I don't live opposite you
You sound a massive snob.

Somethingsmellsnice · 11/02/2019 14:19

I am failing to understand how it is personalised if the XX XX part is letter letter number number KKK. Because that is a standard plate allocated to the car upon sale.

Eg JN18 KKK or FL67 KKK

They possibly had a choice but if KKK did not in their minds represent Ku Klux Klan then they may have simply selected it based on the fact it would be easy to remember.

If when you get to know them they have deep south of America drawls then I may revise my opinion.

If they are flashy I suspect as others have already said their "view" of KKK is Kardashianesque!

deydododatdodontdeydo · 11/02/2019 14:19

Do you know their names?
Might actually be their initials.
I knew someone who's initials were BNP.

paintinmyhairAgain · 11/02/2019 14:20

what is op going to say about it if the owners are black ? just a thought..

MRex · 11/02/2019 14:20

I used to have a flatmate whose initials were KKK. I didn't meet her parents, they were Polish, I wouldn't assume they were racists. KKK is a USA thing, racists exist elsewhere but I'd be very surprised if they name themselves after the sheet-wearers.

QoFE · 11/02/2019 14:21

Ha! My house is a 2 up 2 down red brick terrace with single glazing and no parking. The other side of the road is large new builds with large drives at the front. It's not a stealth boast Grin

OP posts:
ForalltheSaints · 11/02/2019 14:23

You could actually speak to them- on the presumption that KKK is their initials, and you may find out.

QoFE · 11/02/2019 14:23

The owners are not black. I've seen them. They're nondescript looking middle aged white people (so am I, before I get accused of stereotyping them).

OP posts:
Eliza9917 · 11/02/2019 14:26

Just curious as to whether my automatic assumption was reasonable or not.

It's not. And you should probably get those prejudices and preconceived notions in check before you call others bigoted.

Springwalk · 11/02/2019 14:27

You would have to be living on a different planet not to know what kkk sounds for. Anyone choosing that combination as a number plate is either completely stupid, or they have extremely questionable offensive values.

I would not be rushing over with flowers and a drinks invitation put it that way.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 11/02/2019 14:30

Maybe they're called Kevin and Katie King?

steppemum · 11/02/2019 14:30

well, if it was in US, then yes, I woudl say it is deliberate.

But KKK has never been a thing in the UK. Obviously many people have heard of it and know what it means, but it just isn't on the radar in the same way that something with British origin would be.

I can think of MANY people who wouldn't know what it was.

so, no I would not assume it was deliberate, I would wait and find out.

And, thinking about it, if I saw a KK number plate, it would not occur to me it was Klu KluxKlan.

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 11/02/2019 14:32

Sorry, but if I wanted a car, and that was the only car in the sales room, I certainly wouldnt be going to the trouble and financial expense of re registering it. KKK means very little in the UK. It woudlnt flag up on, at a guess, 90% of peoples radar

CallipygianFancier · 11/02/2019 14:34

It's not a turbo Audi is it?

SingaporeSlinky · 11/02/2019 14:35

So with all the Kardashian talk, let’s say the neighbour is called Kris K, they found a number plate KR15 KKK, it’s better to have 3Ks at the end, to stand out more, than say KR15 KJL
Or maybe KKK at the end was cheaper, for the reason you’re assuming. Maybe the K isn’t in the name, but was bought for the first name only, and still stands out more.
At the end of the day, they’re just letters, unless you have any other reason to suspect they are supporters.

Springwalk · 11/02/2019 14:36

KKK was a huge thing in the 90s. I totally disagree with pp that they have had no influence here. Yes they absolutely did, it is how I learnt about it. I found it terrifying as a teen, having not experienced racism before (I am white, I have black friends) the KKK had off shoots here, esp in London and SE. It died off ages ago, but def left a huge and massively negative impression on all of us.

SpringForEver · 11/02/2019 14:38

Plenty for sale here www.nationalnumbers.co.uk/number-plates/initial/k/k/k/

It is likely that a lot of people don't know about it, especially with the Kardashians being shoved in people's faces these days. Maybe it was already on the car.

RiverTam · 11/02/2019 14:42

And people sneer at Americans being insular.