Number plate problems!!!

[johnnocosworth]

(I pressed the wrong button and posted this in cerbera section! sorry!)

I had some plates made up recently for my '95 chim, they are standard size, but the font is about 10mm smaller on the height of each letter. They are very readable and I thought all would be well. They came from fancyplates.com

But...yesterday I was pulled over at slow speed (I was slowing down to pull in at a roadside post box to drop off some letters) when police car pulls in behind me and puts on blue lights etc.

The middle aged policeman gets out and asks me if I knew why I'd been pulled over? (I had already stopped when he pulled up!) He then went on to say that my number plate was unreadable, the said that I was committing 4 offences as it was wrong font, wrong size, there was no BS mark on the plates and that there was no name of the people who had made the plates displayed.

He took all of my details and sadi that he would drive round near my house to check that I had changed them this week, and if I hadn't he would give me a ticket for each offence!

I said that it wasn't that easy to get plates made up as the rear has to let light through for the number plate lights to show up, and he told me this was a new one on him and that halfords could make any plate up! well they can't and the guy there didnt believe me either!

Any idea where I can get some plates made up local to tamworth, staffs, preferably somewhere that is open to 6 (or later) so that I can get there after work, as I am going away in the tiv at the weekend and can't be doing with the hassle!

pics at
www.photobox.co.uk/album/1596598

OK, I admit that they are a bit small, but nothing like some people get away with,

[scorcher]

We've just had some made up from Fancy plates .Still be going on the car until we get pulled though.Std font on the back and a smaller plain plate on the front.Haven,t had any problems with the smaller plate thats already on there so had one made the same size.Just a case of luck i suppose!!

[shorty123]

Yep, its soooo boring but that font is illegal, its very hard finding any copper that gives a sh*t about bloody BS marks and manufacturers name etc but some are just like that. Ive had my fair share of jobsworth coppers pulling me over, i'll share this with you: Driving to work one sunny morning, sat in the never ending slow moving queue, i decide to be courteous and let a copper out of a left hand junction as no-one else did, he pulls out and beckons me to put my window down...face like stone he said, 'your number plate is too small, get it changed!'
No please, no thankyou, just in a facsist tone, his two PC mates in the panda car were also dissaproving. 3 facsists in a focus...where is the courtesy/ respect that is due from both the police and public gone?...i wonder...

Now if he'd asked me nicely i may have done something about it...

Basically, i tried to use the correct font but in a smaller size, correct spacing etc for the front plate...this too is illegal, but as most coppers see the ass end of your motor i kept the rear plate legal. that said i still dont have BS marks etc on my plates even though Adrian Blyth supplied them (i got the front one made myself, and was aware that its ahem, not legal)

If you need to get new plates made quickly (transparent rears are very difficult to find/made quickly) It may be worth speaking to David Gerald TVR (worcester) they would know where to get the rears made i should think and may be able to help you quickly. Obviously you can get the front one made anywhere though.

>> Edited by shorty123 on Monday 18th July 22:07

[Mutant Rat]

Get Halfords to make you up a standard set...mine has now passed 2 MOT's without a 'translucent' rear plate and if the tosser (sorry, copper) in question denied knowledge of the number plate issue, he's hardly in a position to book you for changing the plates as per his instructions.

Once he's been round to check you plates, just swap them back again. The chances of encountering a jobsworth of this magnitude again are pretty slim.

[kenny chim 4]

Johnno, give this guy a call www.craigsplates.com/. He supplied a translucent rear plate for me with only a 2 day turn around for around £20.

[TATTOODROB]

personally i think he was jealous of your car,probably wanted one for ages!!!!!!i dont understand,in this world of bombings,terrorism,murders,rapists etc.......why do they have to be so down on cars ie 5 mph over speed limit,number plates a few mm smaller than should b etc.surely there r more important things in life than this....i hope so.im afrai if i was a copper i would be very lenient on these oh so important crimes.

[hoover33]

all my plates are now with velcro fixings.... legal plates in boot... plead sorry to coopers and swap plates on the spot everyone happy

[parrot of doom]

Number plates are strictly regulated for a very good reason, and I'm surprised people are offended when their very obviously illegal and often illegible plates become the subject of police interest.

[hut49]

parrot of doom said:

Number plates are strictly regulated for a very good reason

Of course they provide a source of revenue through character recognition software

[beano500]

hut49 said:

parrot of doom said: Number plates are strictly regulated for a very good reason Of course they provide a source of revenue through character recognition software

....and that very character recognition software in turn (sad though this is par for the course of the society we live in) can be used to good effect to identify and determine the good from the not so good.

I regularly drive into a business park/industrial estate in Hemel. The vehicle registrations are recorded (or appear to be) so presumably the businesses there are safer from gypsies, tramps and thieves who would otherwise target the place. And if any incident occurs, there is the potential, CSI-style, to provide evidence in court and eliminate the innocent....


I'm not saying I like it, I'm not saying I wouldn't take a personal stand to defend my right to be different, but there are advantages to having to have a registration plate which conforms to a standard.