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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that personalised number plates are obscene?

179 replies

christiana · 02/12/2008 15:30

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
pamelat · 02/12/2008 19:50

depends what it says. Some are amusing, some are simply to show off in bad taste.

nickytwotimes · 02/12/2008 19:51

They are not obscene.

They are often tacky and a bit naffola though, imho.

Original poster
christiana · 02/12/2008 20:04

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
beanieb · 02/12/2008 20:07

I saw one one which said 'R4PE' which I thought was vile.

TheSeriousSanta · 02/12/2008 20:09

BeanieB - that is simply horrid.

That really is obscene

fizzbuzz · 02/12/2008 20:14

Flashy Sports car

Number plate 1CUM [barf emoticon]

SantasNuttySTaff · 02/12/2008 20:14

Christiana - it bloody is the same as a sports bottle you dont nesscesarily "need" it for identification you can use a marker pen or a lable on the bottom of a perfectly good plain one and save yourself some money!! lol

a "personal" number plate is unique and only you have it - no 2 reg plates are the same (apart from the one on the front of your car and on the back) same as a normal reg plate granted but it means something to you rather than a series of production line plates that mean nothing to you

SantasNuttySTaff · 02/12/2008 20:22

also "but cars already come with ID - the normal number plate" yes they do and the fact that you have to register the car in YOUR name makes the original plate "personalised" to YOU anyway ergo all reg plates are personalised in some form or other be the fact that it has letters and numbers that mean something to you or the fact that the plate that id's the car is yours and yours alone!

pardon · 02/12/2008 20:31

Before I had kids my dh bought me a mini as a surprise and had a personalised plate put on it for when it was delivered - not tacky, just a lovely, lovely present!

lizandlulu · 02/12/2008 20:32

all of mine and my familys are initials, one spells our surname which i think is bloody brilliant.
i dont like ones which have letters before the numbers or spel rude words. there used to be a bloke around here who had
9 NOB and acutally parked next to another car which had SUK1N.

it was in a national paper

BuckwheatPillow · 02/12/2008 20:33

You know what bugs me - when people just buy Northern Ireland plates because they look personalised but are v. cheap. When we bought our car it had them and we had to change them back to normal!

TheFalconInThePearTree · 02/12/2008 20:36

I think they are tacky, silly and completely pointless but obscene is a little strong.Each to their own.

I'd rather see a personalised number plate on a car than a baby on board sign or any of the other 'cutesy' variations. Those really do drive me mad.

GivePeasAChance · 02/12/2008 20:36

PEN 1S

You have to be one to buy one.

Really - what enjoyment is there to be gained from it? A piece of plastic that you only see when you get out of your car. Ah wait........it isn't for your enjoyment, it is for everyone else's enjoyment.

I just need to make it clear I don't enjoy them. In any way. They are shit.

I do disagree that it is usually nouveau richers though - IMO it is usually Ken who drives a people carrier.

PEN1S

Moondancer · 02/12/2008 20:37

Lots of people where I live seem to have them and Im sure its just to disguise the age of their cars. People over the road have cheapish looking/sounding personal plates on crap old bangers!

TequilaMockinBird · 02/12/2008 20:38

I want .....

F4 NJO

Megglevache · 02/12/2008 20:40

Did I dream it or was there a chap complaining he kept getting pulled over by the police his number plate was
J1 HAD?

Perhaps dh made it up.

SantasNuttySTaff · 02/12/2008 20:41

tequilamockingbird - F4 NJO is available!!! for £490 :-) get it now before its gone

dustyteddy · 02/12/2008 20:41

My father has had a personalized number plate inherited from his parents. Just one number and three initials. I don't think it I'd tacky. It is over 50 years old.

Lockets · 02/12/2008 20:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

June2009 · 02/12/2008 20:44

I think some of them are quite funny (not the rude ones).
I got one ages ago for £250 as a bday present that spelt my name and it looked cute on on my car. It got sold with the car too so someone else liked it ;)

I also give regularly to charity, I don't see how that's got anything to do with it??

I can understand that if they cost grands then you might find it eccentric but there are loads of other things some people buy that are obsolete (dog clothes anyone?).

There's a saying in French:
Les gouts et les couleurs, ca ne se discute pas. (Tastes and colours are not up for discussion. (or something along the lines).

I think it's funny that number plates make you so agitated to be honest :D
Everybody has their pet peeves.
There must be something deeper going on like someone you think is really stupid or arrogant has one or something?

GivePeasAChance · 02/12/2008 20:46

IMO they do verge on being obscene. I agree with the OP. They hold no purpose, other than to 'show off' and attempt to state your position in society. They cannot be compared to handbags, designer clothes - at least they have a purpose.

This is a piece of plastic, which cannot be differentiated in quality, with a word on (generally not spelt correctly). They represent greedy capitalism at it's worst.

TequilaMockinBird · 02/12/2008 20:46

OMG SantasNuttySTaff!

I need that number plate, might have to go out and sell all my worldly possessions so I can have it

TheSeriousSanta · 02/12/2008 20:46

Tequilamockingbird I'd almost give you £490 to see you driving around in F4NGO

that is so funny!!!

We have very boring plates here: ABC 1 (Initials, obv. not acutally ABC YSWIM!) but I do like them.

Lulumama · 02/12/2008 20:48

private plates are greedy capitalism at its worst

so all the fat cat bosses giving themselves 6figure bonuses, ripping of their pension funds, avoiding taxes is not as bad as a fun personalised plate

sense of proportion anyone?

Lulumama · 02/12/2008 20:48

and a £600 handbag serves the same purpose as a £6 one, so surely that too is a blatant sign of capitalist greed and showing off?