... to be entertained by personal registration plates?

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

First off, I have a personal registration plate and I am not knocking them in general. You wouldn't really know it though, because it has a letter, three random numbers and my initials. Well you would if you know, as it makes it look as if the car dates from 1991, but it isn't "stand out".

I'm on about the weird ones, try-hard ones, just odd ones and the ones that look just daft.

M444 RKD. (Mark Dobson (for example). The name is Mark, not Maaark).

CL14 REK - It's Claire, not Cliare.

And where I live, a lot of plates starting with HG11 and similar. Having your postcode as a registration number? It's bizarre. Ironic, too, when the plate indicates the car was registered in Hampshire or Dorset, not Yorkshire.

And don't get me started on K155, M155 (seen on several white Audis), BO55 (my most hated one. So embarrassing! If you are really a "boss" you wouldn't need to tell everyone).

Yep I might be sneering and I expect a lot of brickbats. But what do other Mumsnetters think? Am I being mean? Any other examples?

not sure where you live, but none of those are valid UK formats

in the first 30 years of selling plates, the DVLA sold over 6 million plates and made over 2 billion for the government coffers… some of the top sellers…

Registration Price Date
25 O £400,000 November 2014
1 D £285,000 March 2009
51 NGH £201,000 April 2006
1 RH £196,000 November 2008
K1 NGS £185,000 December 1993
KR15 HNA £180,000 May 2015
1 O £170,000 January 2009
1 A £160,000 December 1989
1 OO £156,000 April 2006
2 O £115,000 March 2009
6B £101,700 September 2008
250L £100,500 November 2014

I must be really tacky as I have a personalised number plate that my kids and husband got me for my 40th. It’s my initials month of birth then mum and I love it.

The only really personalised bit though is your initials and month, so it would go something like SJ04 MUM? (taking me as an example). The MUM bit is applicable to anyone who's a mum if you are being pedantic about it, but you are THEIR mum, so it's personal to you. Mine is just my initials and nothing else, so not very standout really, and mine too was a birthday present.

It's the egotism of it.
Anything else that people spend money onhasd real value. Those trees took years of care for the grower to bring to the point that they were ready to sell, and they're beautiful in their own right. Even a flash car has had thousands of man hours, great skill and high quality materials that make it worth the money. And it has a purpose and style to it.

But a personalised number plate is a cheap piece of plastic that serves only to promote the person inside the car. 'Look at me, I'm special!' And ironically, in use, the owner can't even see it to admire it.

Spotted what I assume to be letting agents round here with ‘LET’ - maybe they aren’t letting agents though….who knows !
(always on BMW cars)
And thanks to this thread I saw a ‘DAD’ today 😭

I bought my bloke a personal plate for our first wedding anniversary. It cost £250 - no idea what they cost now as it was over 20 years ago. He loves it because it was a present from me. He definitely doesn’t think he’s special.

I have one that's one letter one number and my initials. It was a gift otherwise I'd never bother. But I like it now

I love this one tho 😂

This is the best!

I couldn't care less about personalized plates, to each their own. Doesn't make the driver any more or less skilled a driver.

DH happens to have a plate with his initials and birthday - he didn't buy it it just happened to be one of the numbers the dealer had available to choose from when he bought the car. (And yes I am aware that dealers are supposed to take the numbers in order off the list but none of them ever do.)

Rumour has it that the accountant who bought AUD 1T subsequently sold it to Audi for enough to fund his retirement.....

It just makes me think the person driving the car is a bit of a twat. Including the OP, who seems to think hers is fine, but laughs at other people's, which in fact, proves my point.

A woman in work has one with her postcode and first 3 letter of her name.

She is an utter, centre of attention, twat.

Postcode 😭 that’s funny

(And yes I am aware that dealers are supposed to take the numbers in order off the list but none of them ever do.)

I'm not sure what you mean?

They get issued with batches of registration numbers at a time by DVLA. There's no requirement to use them in numerical order so they usually/often give you a choice of whatever is left of the current batch they have.

I think all personalised plates are pretty tacky!

Very common around where I live - lots of people have their postcode as part of their registration. It's utterly bizarre.

@ImJustMadAboutSaffron
is it because it’s a prestigious postcode ?

@TwoMonthsOff It is a bit yes.

This morning I saw RF14 NCE aka R F1ANCE. What they'll do if and when they get married I don't know!

mine should be ..

LO05 ERR

😭

Our local funeral director had Y18 URY

Why I Bury, in his Mercedes amg estate.

We are having emergency sewage works on our road and all the sewage pumping trucks have POO number plates which made me smile.

@Darkstar4855 I’ve not noticed the 1OW plates yet but I always notice that if someone is driving up my arse whilst on the island, it’s almost always an HW plate. Yes, I’m driving an overner car but I’m not a bloody tourist! 😂

I have a personal registration plate and I am not knocking them in general. You wouldn't really know it though, because it has a letter, three random numbers and my initials.

So has mine, and it just came with my car. I also have plates on retention which are much better. I might start using them again to wind everybody up.

We have a lot round here with the football teams initials.

I've got a private plate, not immediately obvious what it says but i chose it, it makes me happy & i worked hard to earn the bonus that paid for it so i really don't care if i get judged for it

I saw 1 O TAX (way upthread) yesterday! Made me laugh.

LA55 BAG. Seen on, what else, a Range Rover.