Tax disc - pragmatic reality?
Discussion
When I bought my CBR600 from Budget Bikes in Shoreditch, the sales geezer gave me the bike, which had a two year-old tax disc on it, when I'd been told it had a new MOT and a month's tax left. True to form, the MOT was there, and the tax disc (which expired yesterday) was unopened in with the full service history.
I asked why the current disc wasn't on the bike and he said that 'they always get stolen, so most people don't bother putting the discs on their bikes'.
OK, so I've just bought another year's tax for my bike, and I'm not sure what to do. On my scooters, two of them were stolen before the tax ran out, whereas the other one I didn't bother taxing at all after the first year
and never had a problem (and I rode that thing like a t
t as well...)
Is it the 'pragmatic' thing to leave an old disc on the bike, and keep the tax up to date with your documents so ANPR won't flag anything (as it's taxed and insured correctly)??? Or is it just asking for serious trouble? I park the bike in the local car park (no offroad parking for me, unfortunately) and the traffic Nazis are *very* quick at ticketing cars with no tax (I had to argue with the council when I turned up in the morning with a new disc to find I'd already been ticketed, at 7:45 am - they rescinded the ticket but with a 'just this once' schoolmistress attitude, morons) - but my bike has been sitting in the car park for more than a month now with expired tax and no tickets.
I assume that if the police stop me, and I'm not riding like a moron, then 'discretion' will likely get me a producer (in which case I have the correct dated tax disc), or will the police automatically go mental if I claim that I haven't displayed the disc because I don't want it stolen?
Do people really nick tax discs off bikes anyway? Was the sales geezer just leading me up the garden path?
I asked why the current disc wasn't on the bike and he said that 'they always get stolen, so most people don't bother putting the discs on their bikes'.
OK, so I've just bought another year's tax for my bike, and I'm not sure what to do. On my scooters, two of them were stolen before the tax ran out, whereas the other one I didn't bother taxing at all after the first year
and never had a problem (and I rode that thing like a tt as well...)Is it the 'pragmatic' thing to leave an old disc on the bike, and keep the tax up to date with your documents so ANPR won't flag anything (as it's taxed and insured correctly)??? Or is it just asking for serious trouble? I park the bike in the local car park (no offroad parking for me, unfortunately) and the traffic Nazis are *very* quick at ticketing cars with no tax (I had to argue with the council when I turned up in the morning with a new disc to find I'd already been ticketed, at 7:45 am - they rescinded the ticket but with a 'just this once' schoolmistress attitude, morons) - but my bike has been sitting in the car park for more than a month now with expired tax and no tickets.
I assume that if the police stop me, and I'm not riding like a moron, then 'discretion' will likely get me a producer (in which case I have the correct dated tax disc), or will the police automatically go mental if I claim that I haven't displayed the disc because I don't want it stolen?
Do people really nick tax discs off bikes anyway? Was the sales geezer just leading me up the garden path?
shouldbworking said:
What part of the country are you in to suffer from this? just about to get my first bike and it hadnt even occured to me that people might steal it... after all, it has a registration number on it that wouldnt match the plate
not had this myself in the Bristol area since in the pst 2 yearsshouldbworking said:
What part of the country are you in to suffer from this? just about to get my first bike and it hadnt even occured to me that people might steal it... after all, it has a registration number on it that wouldnt match the plate
Shoreditch is just east of the City in London. Walk out of the City on Bishopsgate and you get there within half a mile. I don't live anywhere near there - I live in Kent, 40 miles away - so this 'stealing tax discs' thing may just be a dodgy-bit-of-London thing...Which was why I asked really
Talking to a bike copper some time back and he was saying he keeps his in his wallet.
In theory you'd need a spanner to remove the holder from my brake caliper bolt, but if a thief put his mind to it I'm sure it wouldn't be too had to snap off, however I've never had one nicked in 10 years riding. Don't live in a city though and the bike's garaged at night.
In theory you'd need a spanner to remove the holder from my brake caliper bolt, but if a thief put his mind to it I'm sure it wouldn't be too had to snap off, however I've never had one nicked in 10 years riding. Don't live in a city though and the bike's garaged at night.
May I draw your attention to this thread I started on (whisper) another forum regarding my woes with not displaying tax: http://bike.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=11275&am...
I have a colour copy on the bike which is copied on a very high quality laser printer (Inkjet will run if a spec of water gets on it and look obvious!). Looks indistinguishable from the original unless you're about 6" away.
I keep the real one at home as I can't be bothered keeping it in my wallet as I'd probably lose it.
Has stood me well for eight years
I keep the real one at home as I can't be bothered keeping it in my wallet as I'd probably lose it.
Has stood me well for eight years
I haven't displayed a tax disc on my car for 2 years now. never had an issue they check all that electronically now. and if I do get pulled it is in my glove box. The bike has it on but I can't see that so leave it where it is. never thought someone might nick it. whats the point in nicking it, it only taxes your vehicle not any vehicle.
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