Arguing for the sake of it when you know you are wrong....

[B4rker]

Posted this on the real chav number plate thread yesterday from the local paper but thought it deserved its own thread.

I think this bloke is a prime example but has let it go a bit to far

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Gloucesters...

edit: (think I should have posted this in the Lounge sorry mods)

Edited by B4rker on Friday 2nd December 13:28

[DanielC4GP]

He sounds like a right bellend.

[Snowboy]

[i]
I think it is absolutely ridiculous that this PCSO, a public servant paid by us, should be deployed on such petty and ridiculous duties,” said Mr Widin.

The fact that he goes out measuring the spaces between characters on number plates when there is serious crime going on all around him is quite frankly outrageous. I'm sure most people would rather see all police officers dealing with real crime, not something as pernickety as this.
[/i]

Oh Dear.

I pay your waged y'know.
Shouldn't you be out catching rapists and murderers and real criminals.


I sort of want to agree with the old duffer.
I just a fricken numberplate, who gives a crap.
But, it breaks the law - so tough.

I'm also suddenly wondering whether PCSOs are volunteers, so he doesn't pay their wages at all – or is that specials? Or are they the same thing?
Meh .. who cares.

Old bloke gets bked, doesn't like it. Calls a wahhhmbulance. Loses.
-We all chortle.

[a11y_m]

DanielC4GP said:

He sounds like a right bellend.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Surely the DVLA should just revoke the registration plate on the basis of it being incorrectly spaced? I was under the impression this is an option open to them?

[jeff m2]

A couple of more court visits with those plates and he could be making them.

(although I don't think they still do that)

If he was my accountant, I would be considering a move.

[Red 4]

Snowboy][i said:

I'm also suddenly wondering whether PCSOs are volunteers, so he doesn't pay their wages at all – or is that specials? Or are they the same thing?
Meh .. who cares.

Just for the sake of clarity, PCSO's are paid. They have limited powers.

Special Constables are unpaid volunteers. They are police officers with police powers; same uniform, identifiable (usually) by their collar numbers.

Neither of the above to be confused with regular police officers who may, possibly, if you are lucky, have some idea what they are actually doing and receive proper training

[Snowboy]

I think that arguing the point even when you know your wrong is a perfectly acceptable way to pass an afternoon.

I think that ranting about an 'unjust law' and silly beurocratic technicalities is a fine thing to do in a self righteous grump in a bar over a couple of large whiskies.

I think that going to court and spending a few grand on arguing against a law that you've clearly broken is a big waste of time and money and makes him look an idiot.

[U T]

If you go to a DVLA plate auction, they sell plates that only work when incorrectly spaced, and advertise them in the brochure as such. So the brochure will have 130 OKY and then in brackets (BOOKY).

They then sell those for thousands to a bookmaker, and then prosecute him for using it!

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!

[Mr2Mike]

U T said:

If you go to a DVLA plate auction, they sell plates that only work when incorrectly spaced, and advertise them in the brochure as such. So the brochure will have 130 OKY and then in brackets (BOOKY).

They then sell those for thousands to a bookmaker, and then prosecute him for using it!

No, they prosecuted him for illegally tampering with the spacing, not for "using" it.

U T said:

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!

You read the Daily Mail don't you?

[Graebob]

I love "I've owned it for 9 years" argument.

So what you're actually saying is that you've breaking the law for 9 years.

Prick.

[kambites]

Mr2Mike said:

You read the Daily Mail don't you?

Now now, there's no need to be quite that insulting.

[U T]

Mr2Mike said:

U T said:

If you go to a DVLA plate auction, they sell plates that only work when incorrectly spaced, and advertise them in the brochure as such. So the brochure will have 130 OKY and then in brackets (BOOKY).

They then sell those for thousands to a bookmaker, and then prosecute him for using it!

No, they prosecuted him for illegally tampering with the spacing, not for "using" it.

U T said:

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!

You read the Daily Mail don't you?

OK, they prosecute him for using the plate in the manner that they advertised it. They sold it for thousands knowing it read BOOKY. They point out it reads BOOKY in the sale catalogue. And then when you space it as BOOKY they don't like it???

A scam me thinks.

[blueg33]

U T said:

OK, they prosecute him for using the plate in the manner that they advertised it. They sold it for thousands knowing it read BOOKY. They point out it reads BOOKY in the sale catalogue. And then when you space it as BOOKY they don't like it???

A scam me thinks.

They also point out on the website the laws around spacing of characters.

Its only a scam if you are too stupid to read and understand the rules. If you are that stupid you deserve all you get!

[Baryonyx]

What a tosser.

[Greg_D]

U T said:

Mr2Mike said:

U T said:

If you go to a DVLA plate auction, they sell plates that only work when incorrectly spaced, and advertise them in the brochure as such. So the brochure will have 130 OKY and then in brackets (BOOKY).

They then sell those for thousands to a bookmaker, and then prosecute him for using it!

No, they prosecuted him for illegally tampering with the spacing, not for "using" it.

U T said:

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!

You read the Daily Mail don't you?

OK, they prosecute him for using the plate in the manner that they advertised it. They sold it for thousands knowing it read BOOKY. They point out it reads BOOKY in the sale catalogue. And then when you space it as BOOKY they don't like it???

A scam me thinks.

the last time i read a DVLA auction book, they did not present plates in that way at all, maybe you are confusing them with the private plate agents who certainly do so?

[amirzed]

I have had the similar fine, but from a guy in a traffic car. Just like his my characters were altogether rather than having a gap in the middle.

I actually think he should have sucked up the fine and not worried about it so much BUT I do think this law about mis spacing should have a little bit more discretion applied to it.

My old plate could still be read by ANPR
It was clearly legible as what it is, no misrepresentation at all
I have been stopped randomly by other 5-0 who've not said a word about it

It is no different to giving someone a ticket for doing 31 in a 30. It's illegal, but petty.

And before all the law abiding non speeding folk of PH point out it's illegal, yes I know, but lets just consider the following for a minute.

One of my friends had a brand new mini, standard 7 character number plate but randomly without a space in the middle. Never got in trouble in 4 years. Even passed the MOT. There's at least 4 people round where I live that have no spaces in their plates but they've never been fined (I assume anyway cos they've still got them on - and it's been years). From this I can only assume that the number plate spacing law only applies if you have a personal plate that may spell something, OR, if you have a car that could be construed in any way ostentatious.

So how about if this really is a crime worthy of a policemans time they apply it to EVERYONE not just where it's a little bit more obvious.

Just for the record though, the Bentley guy appears to be abit of an arse to go to court over it.

[shovelheadrob]

Greg_D said:

the last time i read a DVLA auction book, they did not present plates in that way at all, maybe you are confusing them with the private plate agents who certainly do so?

This is what I thought.

[U T]

When the 51 plates came out, DVLA sold MU51 CAL for about £100K. If they are that concerned about mis spacing they should never have issued that plate. But they want the money. So they sell plates like that knowing full well they only work when mis spaced, and then prosecute you for doing it.

What are the laws on entrapment??

[jagnet]

U T said:

When the 51 plates came out, DVLA sold MU51 CAL for about £100K. If they are that concerned about mis spacing they should never have issued that plate. But they want the money. So they sell plates like that knowing full well they only work when mis spaced, and then prosecute you for doing it.

What are the laws on entrapment??

But they don't only work when you remove the spaces. The meaning behind some plates such as the one you give an example of is pretty obvious, space or no space.

It's the plates that really aren't worth spending money on that have to be incorrectly spaced, screw fixings used to tweak it a bit, and maybe if you squint you'll finally get it when the owner tells you what it means. Nobody forced anyone to buy one of those - entirely down to the individual whether they want to waste money on a cheap plate that means nothing to anyone else.

Entrapment? Really?

Edited by jagnet on Friday 2nd December 16:25

[U T]

jagnet said:

U T said:

When the 51 plates came out, DVLA sold MU51 CAL for about £100K. If they are that concerned about mis spacing they should never have issued that plate. But they want the money. So they sell plates like that knowing full well they only work when mis spaced, and then prosecute you for doing it.

What are the laws on entrapment??

But they don't only work when you remove the spaces. The meaning behind some plates such as the one you give an example of is pretty obvious, space or no space.

It's the plates that really aren't worth spending money on that have to be incorrectly spaced, screw fixings used to tweak it a bit, and maybe if you squint you'll finally get it when the owner tells you what it means. Nobody forced anyone to buy one of those - entirely down to the individual whether they want to waste money on a cheap plate that means nothing to anyone else.

Entrapment? Really?

Edited by jagnet on Friday 2nd December 16:25

Yeah, right. When they sold MU51 CAL for £100K, they honestly thought they were selling it to a bloke named Cal. They had no idea they were selling it to a musician!!

MU51 CAL is a nothing plate. Most people wouldn't even give it a second glance. It's probably on a half decent motor so they might notice that. But MU51CAL, that's a stand out plate.