Fine for a dirty number plate?
Discussion
Slightly O/T but somewhat relevant....returning from a 200 mile round trip just now I found myself closely following the dodgiest looking Luton van I have seen for a while. This thing had seen better days and its number plate wrapped in what looked like sellotape but I couldn't really see the need. We were approaching Lincoln and having entered NSL (single carriageway) (just after Dunholme Bridge Toll for those that know the area) he upped his speed to a steady 50, when to my surprise he was flashed by the Gatso.
I instinctively glanced at my speedo and sure enough, no more than 50 MPH........so my question, learned friends, is this - are these cameras clever enough to react to a dodgy looking plate or are they purely activated by a vehicles excess speed ? If the latter he was certainly not speeding, nor was I obviously.
I was not flashed. Oo err missus.....
I instinctively glanced at my speedo and sure enough, no more than 50 MPH........so my question, learned friends, is this - are these cameras clever enough to react to a dodgy looking plate or are they purely activated by a vehicles excess speed ? If the latter he was certainly not speeding, nor was I obviously.
I was not flashed. Oo err missus.....
Vee8man said:
Slightly O/T but somewhat relevant....returning from a 200 mile round trip just now I found myself closely following the dodgiest looking Luton van I have seen for a while. This thing had seen better days and its number plate wrapped in what looked like sellotape but I couldn't really see the need. We were approaching Lincoln and having entered NSL (single carriageway) (just after Dunholme Bridge Toll for those that know the area) he upped his speed to a steady 50, when to my surprise he was flashed by the Gatso.
I instinctively glanced at my speedo and sure enough, no more than 50 MPH........so my question, learned friends, is this - are these cameras clever enough to react to a dodgy looking plate or are they purely activated by a vehicles excess speed ? If the latter he was certainly not speeding, nor was I obviously.
I was not flashed. Oo err missus.....
Only a guess here, but his radar disturbance will have been greater than yours.I instinctively glanced at my speedo and sure enough, no more than 50 MPH........so my question, learned friends, is this - are these cameras clever enough to react to a dodgy looking plate or are they purely activated by a vehicles excess speed ? If the latter he was certainly not speeding, nor was I obviously.
I was not flashed. Oo err missus.....
I believe these devices can be set in such a manner that they measure the disturbance to ascertain the speed limit for that vehicle.
If a "luton van" the limit for him will have been 50 mph, but being a larger van he may have tripped the threshold for 40 mph vehicles, if you get my "drift".
22Rgt said:
LucreLout said:
Having long ago lost a mate to hit and run, I often help these people be identifiable by giving the plate a wipe if I park next to one. The expressions of joy as the owner returns to a filthy car with a shinny legal plate rather give the game away as to what they're up to.
Touching someone elses property is generally a no no. Can see your point ref a dead mate but dont be surprised if you get a kick up the arse, a slap or worse still having your head caved in by an irate 
knuckle dragger returning owner unseen by yourself.Wipe over a dirty plate with a dry rag or just your hand and will scratch leaving the surface hazy, you really are better off leaving other peoples property alone.Dammit said:
^yep, best policy is to avoid doing the moral thing due to fear.
Our society would be a much better place if we all lived like this.
At the risk of turning up exactly as predicted...Our society would be a much better place if we all lived like this.
The moral thing? Going round forcing your values on other people sounds like highly dubious morals to me. How does one acquire such a sense of self-importance?
Our society would be a better place if it didn't have people who took it upon themselves to vigilante the dirt of other people's number plates. It would also be a better place if it didn't have people who drove off after collisions.
If we could only make one of those improvements, I'd prefer the latter by a big margin.
22Rgt said:
Touching someone elses property is generally a no no. Can see your point ref a dead mate but dont be surprised if you get a kick up the arse, a slap or worse still having your head caved in by an irate knuckle dragger returning owner unseen by yourself.Wipe over a dirty plate with a dry rag or just your hand and will scratch leaving the surface hazy, you really are better off leaving other peoples property alone.
If he wipes it covertly, using a camo wet wipe under cover of darkness he should be okay. knuckle dragger returning owner unseen by yourself.Wipe over a dirty plate with a dry rag or just your hand and will scratch leaving the surface hazy, you really are better off leaving other peoples property alone.SK425 said:
Dammit said:
^yep, best policy is to avoid doing the moral thing due to fear.
Our society would be a much better place if we all lived like this.
At the risk of turning up exactly as predicted...Our society would be a much better place if we all lived like this.
The moral thing? Going round forcing your values on other people sounds like highly dubious morals to me. How does one acquire such a sense of self-importance?
Our society would be a better place if it didn't have people who took it upon themselves to vigilante the dirt of other people's number plates. It would also be a better place if it didn't have people who drove off after collisions.
If we could only make one of those improvements, I'd prefer the latter by a big margin.
I drove from Norfolk to Düsseldorf on Sunday. Washed the car the day before. First fuel stop some 40 miles from home and the numberplate was illegible. I cleaned it there. Second fuel stop in Belgium, same thing again. From the back of the car, you would genuinely not know it was silver.
Seems that damp roads (not wet) covered in salt make the car really dirty, really quickly. I suppose driving an estate will make it worse, as the drag will be greater pulling more crap to the number plate?
Anyway, there was something on 'telly a few years ago about dirty numberplates. They just invert the image. Even plates that look completely black became quite clear in negative.
Seems that damp roads (not wet) covered in salt make the car really dirty, really quickly. I suppose driving an estate will make it worse, as the drag will be greater pulling more crap to the number plate?
Anyway, there was something on 'telly a few years ago about dirty numberplates. They just invert the image. Even plates that look completely black became quite clear in negative.
v12Legs said:
SK425 said:
Dammit said:
^yep, best policy is to avoid doing the moral thing due to fear.
Our society would be a much better place if we all lived like this.
At the risk of turning up exactly as predicted...Our society would be a much better place if we all lived like this.
The moral thing? Going round forcing your values on other people sounds like highly dubious morals to me. How does one acquire such a sense of self-importance?
Our society would be a better place if it didn't have people who took it upon themselves to vigilante the dirt of other people's number plates. It would also be a better place if it didn't have people who drove off after collisions.
If we could only make one of those improvements, I'd prefer the latter by a big margin.
LucreLout said:
Having long ago lost a mate to hit and run, I often help these people be identifiable by giving the plate a wipe if I park next to one. The expressions of joy as the owner returns to a filthy car with a shinny legal plate rather give the game away as to what they're up to.
Good work 
p1esk said:
It rather depends on the crime, but basically I agree with SK425: I'm not keen on the idea of us all going around reporting each other for various 'crimes.'
The distinction is between things that do harm - like driving off after running someone over - and things like not cleaning your number plate, which simply amount to not doing as you're told.The former are everybody's concern. The latter are nobody else's concern.
I was stopped in a courtesy car by BIB in North London a few years ago for having a dirty numberplate, whole car was pretty dirty, was after some snow and had probably covered 300 miles in the last 24h (plate could still easily be read though).
Long story short = magistrates court + Crown court appeal = big waste of money for the CPS, big pay out for my solicitors and a big pain in my ass.
I now make sure the numberplate is clean whenever I fill up, and have far less respect for BIB...
Long story short = magistrates court + Crown court appeal = big waste of money for the CPS, big pay out for my solicitors and a big pain in my ass.
I now make sure the numberplate is clean whenever I fill up, and have far less respect for BIB...
Dammit said:
SK425 said:
Why do you despair of the "not my business" attitude that sees people walk past muggings? It's probably the same reason.
That doesn't make sense, other than to paint you as a rather weak individual.. I think I'm agreeing with you. I'm not sure how much of a "not my business" attitude there actually is that sees people walking past muggings - I suspect that fear for their own safety is more likely to be the thing that deters people from getting involved - but if there is such an attitude, I despair of it too.jmsgld said:
I was stopped in a courtesy car by BIB in North London a few years ago for having a dirty numberplate, whole car was pretty dirty, was after some snow and had probably covered 300 miles in the last 24h (plate could still easily be read though).
Long story short = magistrates court + Crown court appeal = big waste of money for theCPS taxpayer, big pay out for my solicitors and a big pain in my ass.
I now make sure the numberplate is clean whenever I fill up, and have far less respect for BIB...
EFA.Long story short = magistrates court + Crown court appeal = big waste of money for the
I now make sure the numberplate is clean whenever I fill up, and have far less respect for BIB...
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