RE: Man buys Number Plate

[dubbs]

naff plate! Gets on my wick that the DVLA make a fortune from selling a plate that says something and then fine the hell out of you when you alter the spacing slightly. can understand it for dodgy italics or hard to read fonts but spacing it to spell a word that is more memorable than the plate - what's the harm in that?

[dubbs]

Whilst, I respect John's view and certainly don't disagree with some of the points raised in the last subject re:speeding that he was quite vocal on, I have to just mention this to put into context how many people feel. This is TRUE and I could even supply Crime reference numbers to back it up. 1. September 1999 - Our little B reg escort was stolen. Told Police who said they would do nothing about it as it's too frequent a crime (despite Bromley being low!). Saw the car parked locally a few months later and called Police. "We don't have the resources to come out, if it's parked there then just take it if you can" they told me. I watched car for a bit whilst I called for someone to bring keys from my flat. Fella gets in car and drives off, call Police again and because this time a pursuit was on the cards they acted. Got a call 15mins later to say there had been a chase and the car had crashed. Went to scene of crime and Police had lost suspect despite having 3 cars 2 bikes a dog team and a sodding helicopter. "he knew the area well and was a fit lad" I was told. Got the car back with damage that I had to repair. The Police found a hatchet and cleaver in the passenger seat and the car was going to be used for something nasty. If I had gone to pick the car up when the fella turned up the chances are I would have been seriously hurt. Found out later they had a suspect but because it was 6 months after the event they couldn't do him for it. Also they say he could have claimed he would have given the car back and therefore wasn't technically stealing just taking without consent. They asked if anything was missing from the car as they could nick him on stealing that. WHAT KIND OF WARPED LOGIC IS THIS FERCHRISSAKES!!!! 2. October 1999 - Got pulled by the police. Why? Because I had the 1 and the 3 of my clearly legible DUB 13Y plate approximately half an inch closer than it should (he got out a ruler). THey then commented on how they were unimpressed with my accelerating hard off of a roundabout ont o a dual carriageway. I was in the Esprit Sport 350 at the time and they had the right arse - should have seen their faces when 27 year lod jumped out, they so wanted to "pick on me". Checked everything including boot contents and tax disc (like what muppet is going to drive a 69k car and not have a taxdisc or store 2k of coke in the boot!!!). Wasted my time and I had to get an MOT stamp and produce at Police station. 3. June 2000 - my girlfriend arrived home to discover we had been burgled, Police came and were relatively nonchalant about the whole thing "doubt we'll catch anyone but keep these aside for the SOCO, one said". SOCO got there, took prints and never heard anything again. Chased a few months later - nowt. 4. MY girlfriends ex doesn't know where we live but has threatened to cause problems and has told my girlfriend several times he is out to get me. Now, I give as good as I get when it comes down to it but to save broken bones and the inconvenience we have been to the Police or more than one occassion. "We can't really do anything until he actually turns up" they say - thanks! Fact of the matter is auto "crime" like speeding is easy to enforce, a vote winner for the greenies and easy for the Police to beat their targets. Domestic crime, burgulary etc., are all harder to crack and take more money and resources so they seem to fall by the wayside. Now as I say that posting is all 100% true and my dealings with the Police have been less than satisfactory because of it. Maybe I'm just on the ****ty end of the stick but hey, aren't I supposed to be a council tax-paying customer of the Police? If so, then why is it that I always come out on the receiving end of their arrogant attitude (sometimes, I admit they aren't all like it) and seem to be on the negative end of the results??? Hard done by Dubbs :-)

[dubbs]

You're not the enemy at all John. But if we can better understand how you work and you can better understand how we work then maybe everyone gets on better. Sitting in the jam sandwich with a fluo coat on pulling xr3is for illegal window tint might blur the reasoning a bit and make you think we're just taking the piss. Hopefully we are putting up some valid comments that allow you to see where the frustration comes from. At the same time I can understand your reasoning. Shame the majority of Police didn't stop on accident blackspots like you. Most round our way prefer to hide behind bushes on 2 mile long straight dual carriageways with no residential area in site and pull people for 10mph over the limit!