Rustynuts Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Just heard on the radio that the Government are designing new numberplates to try and combat cloning cars. The idea is that if someone tries to pinch your number plate, it shatters. Now I always thought people who cloned number plates just looked for a car like theirs, and had plates made up to match the victims. I never knew they actually stole the plates off your vehicle. Another waste of our money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 My mate had his stolen off his car a few years back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 The restrictions on issuing new plates are now stricter - you need to produce V5 and ID, or something along those lines. So the cloners stopped making new plates and started nicking them. Except that stolen number plates are not a police priority so it never gets investigated. So we have to pay for more expensive number plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustynuts Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 I just searched for "numberplates online" with google, and the first hit lets you order online without showing any documentation by the look of things. How hard is it to get numberplates made up? I know you can't walk into Halfords and get it done without the V5 document etc. but this is like banning all legal firearms. It doesn't stop the villains with illegal ones, just punishes the rest of the population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 There is also an Irish website that will let you make up plates according to any pattern and spacing. [ QUOTE ] this is like banning all legal firearms. It doesn't stop the villains with illegal ones, just punishes the rest of the population. [/ QUOTE ] Spot on. Now someone just needs to tell Blair & Co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 [ QUOTE ] There is also an Irish website that will let you make up plates according to any pattern and spacing. [ QUOTE ] this is like banning all legal firearms. It doesn't stop the villains with illegal ones, just punishes the rest of the population. [/ QUOTE ] Spot on. Now someone just needs to tell Blair & Co. [/ QUOTE ] Why not just fit places with one way screw heads. That way you can't get them off again without a fight. Its easier for them to knick the plates and cheaper than having them sent to them isn't it so thats what they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Is it legal to have stick on number plates like the WRC cars have? Could possibly be a way around the feckers nicking the plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Problem_Child Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 They're technically not legal unfortunately, and as a result are very difficult to find. When my ex wiped the plate off the front of my MX-5 I tried to get one as a temporary fix and had no luck at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccombie_5 Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 We had our plates stolen once, the car was on the driveway and someone literally walked up the driveway, removed the plates and walked away again. Three weeks later, my dad got a London Congestion charge fine for non payment! He was in Germany at the time and his car was with him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Craig > Did your dad pay the congestion charge or fight it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 simply fill in the representation with the crime number and details of the car - presuming was slightly different car and not a perfect clone. As long as you give enough proof in the representation they will quite freely drop it. Thankfully they are slightly more organised that most councils parking people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccombie_5 Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Craig > Did your dad pay the congestion charge or fight it ? [/ QUOTE ] He fought it, it got to a small court, because he'd reported the plate theft, and he had proof his car was in Germany, the fee was dropped. He sold the car after that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanG Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 A few years back I had a black golf GTI and was living in London. when the congestion charge came in, nearly to the day I got my first payment demand. The thing is that I had changed my plate to a personalised one a few months back, so i also got a warning letter from the DVLA about using my old plates. This went about a year, with baliffs letters, default notices etc etc I ended up with a bad credit rating.... I actually ended up offering to give the Police my car for a week so I could prove it wasnt me. ALL Because some b'stard had seen my old plates and stuck them on his car. God knows how long this was going on for, and both Transport for London, the Police nor the DVLA believed me. Guilty before proven innocent! I actually think its all still outstanding, but the car has gone now anyway, and I dont live in the UK, so fk them! Oh and the worst thing was that the debt collection people tag on £50 worth of fees etc and are really nasty down the phone, scum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccombie_5 Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Yes my dad was less than amused to coming back off a nice little driving holiday to a congestion charge from a country he wasnt in at the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmoo Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 isnt it comforting to know you are the accused even though you can prove you are innocent. its easier to pin it on you than find who nicked the plates in the first place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 But this is how it works, these days. "We think you broke the rules, so you have to choose between admitting it and paying up, or contesting it. If you contest it, we will say you're just lying to evade the penalty and fine you even more. And, of course, because the rules are regarded with contempt by most of the people, this means we are justified in assuming that they are all lying and can fill the system with assumptions in our favour. No, it doesn't mean that the rules are wrong. Of course not. What do you think this is, a democracy?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Ice cool dude. How fricking close is that photographer in the Oakleys crouching down on the right? Would love to see the shot he canned. Top effort! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 I don't think that 'photo' can be genuine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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