Ostentatious displays of wealth

[Sh4rkyBloke]

I must admit I like the plate S114RKY with the blatant positioning of the retaining screw between the two ones, but at 12,500 quid I think I'll give it a miss.

 

[walker]

I was always under the impression that it was relatively cheap to get a personalised plate that roughly matches your name, but more expensive to get one that matches your car, especially if you've got a prestige car like a porsche, jaguar or something like that. So I automatically think 'cheap' when I see the name matching plates, not wealthy or ostentatious...

I will own up to owning a Personalised plate, but As Kirstie said I do Own a Jag. theres nothing wrong with them, it's like painting your frame a different colour on your bike to make it stand out and say its yours. and before you ask its cheaper to get a new plate than get a respray

 

[domtyler]

I used to work with a bloke (well he was not on my team but we were in the same building) who literally sold his car to buy a personalised plate, his name? Brad!

 

[sheddy]

The funny thing is, if you do have £1000's to spend then why not get a custom paint job (instead of just a few letters and numbers) and show how really cool you are

 

[Tetedelacourse]

You mean like getting your name painted along the side of your car?

 

[John Ponting]

Of course it doesn't really cost £1000s to get a new registration.

I've just spent 3 minutes on DVLA site and found a car manufacturer related plate with the correct year and my own initials (MG53 JAP) for £799.

Knowing that my model MG has a penchant for blowing head gaskets I also found MG52 HGF for £799.

The JAP looks a bit 'look at me' and the HGF could be tempting fate too much.

Looks like I'm sticking with the dvla original - maybe I could spend the money on a new bike instead?

 

[beanzontoast]

Really little different to people to buy large houses, spend £5k on a bicycle, buy Rapha gear, dress up like a drugged pro cycle racer etc

... all because they can and it hurts nobody else - except maybe the aspirations of those who cannot.

Just because something can happen doesn't mean it should be approved and tolerated without comment by everyone.

I have no desire to have a personalised plate, so it isn't my aspirations being offended. Rather I am questioning whether such things should exist when there are better uses - which would benefit others - to which people could put their 'spare' money.

Isn't it something of a sad reflection on society that such things as personalised number plates are seen as aspirational in the first place?

 

[mr_hippo]

You mean like getting your name painted along the side of your car?

Does the same apply to bikes? I brought my Nashbar road bike to Bangkok, the paintwork had seen better days so I had it repainted in red, white and blue; on the drive side, my name is on the down tube in Thai and nickname on the top tube and in English on the opposite side. The cost was 5000 Baht (about £70). If it is repainted again then the family coat of arms will appear on the head!
I've never been a fan of personalised number plates but the 'coolest' one I saw was on a red Subaru Impreza in St Helens - P155 AUF. Just imagine being stopped by the police, "What's your registration?! and you can legally say to the police officer "Pi55 Off"!

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

It's well known fact that people who have personalised plates are twats.

 

[Aperitif]

I don't have a problem with 'personalised' number plates (cue rant )
What I would like to see is an enforcement of correct spacing for the numbers and letters and NO clever dick black screw caps etc etc...

NO fancy lettering, therefore everyone has an identical looking set of letters/numbers...

I like the idea that the French have of regional identification...don't know quite why- just like it. Doesn't say 'look at me I'm an '07 registration' (or their equivalent) perhaps?

Personalised numberplates? L005 ERS...

 

[Andy in Sig]

Just because something can happen doesn't mean it should be approved and tolerated without comment by everyone.

I have no desire to have a personalised plate, so it isn't my aspirations being offended. Rather I am questioning whether such things should exist when there are better uses - which would benefit others - to which people could put their 'spare' money.

Isn't it something of a sad reflection on society that such things as personalised number plates are seen as aspirational in the first place?

While I share your general views and sentiments on the matter, I think the highlighted bit is out of order. You start on a dangerous road if you start prescribing what people should or should not do with their spare money. The point is it's spare money and so you have no right to suggest that it should be used for the benefit of others. We probably have to stick with the principle that you can do what you like with your money as long as you are not hurting anyone else.

 

[John Ponting]

Just because something can happen doesn't mean it should be approved and tolerated without comment by everyone.

and presumably we are all allowed to make our own comments in response? My comments were an opinion for discussion and not directly targeted at you.

 

[Cab]

I don't have a problem with 'personalised' number plates (cue rant )
What I would like to see is an enforcement of correct spacing for the numbers and letters and NO clever dick black screw caps etc etc...

NO fancy lettering, therefore everyone has an identical looking set of letters/numbers...

Regardless of whatever views people have on personalising number plates, I would hope that most of us would agree on this. Putting black bolts in, playing about with funny lettering and suchlike just makes it hard to read whats on the plate. It should be illegal and harshly punished.

Regarding personalised plates... I dunno, I just don't see why they exist. That in itself doesn't mean that I think we should ban them or anything, but I do think its a shame that we're excluding what might be useful information (where a car was registered, age of vehicle, etc.) from the number plate. I'd far rather have an informative plate that tells me about the vehicle than one that tells me something about the owner.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Let peeps waste their cash if they want to.....I jus tlaugh at them mostly but it's nothing to do with me how they spend their money.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

Just because something can happen doesn't mean it should be approved and tolerated without comment by everyone.

I have no desire to have a personalised plate, so it isn't my aspirations being offended. Rather I am questioning whether such things should exist when there are better uses - which would benefit others - to which people could put their 'spare' money.

Isn't it something of a sad reflection on society that such things as personalised number plates are seen as aspirational in the first place?

Sweet Jesus!

Thank goodness we don't all have to get our spending vetoed by some holier-than-thou who would rather we spend it on something 'more useful'

People spend their money on all kinds of crap which may be judged of dubious value to others.

I think it's a sad reflection on our society that spending money on things like personalised number plates (which are, after all, harmless) should attract such criticism.

I don't have a personalised number plate, but then I'm not anywhere near as attached to my car as some people are. I'm not surprised people like personalised plates - you may have a lovely looking car with all the little bells and whistles you like on it, but then you're mandated to slap a couple of great ugly plates on it with a bunch of random characters on it.

Sure - I can see the attraction of at least being able to change those characters to something you'd like a bit more.