Private number plates - narc or normal? :-)

ThisIsWeird

Oookkaaaay - contentious subject heading.

I'm curious about private number plates, and the reasons why some folk have them. I'm referring specifically to plates that indicate or suggest the owner's name, and not to, say, their business or their fave team (someone I know has PNE on his, for example...)

Why do folk have private plates that indicate their name? What do they think it 'says' about them? And what do these owners imagine other folk think about them 'cos of their 'plate?

And, what do other folk think about private plate owners when they spot them? Is there a correlation between PPs and anything else that folk are aware of?

Keep it polite. :-)

UncleZen

It's been covered many times on these boards.
Generally people want to personalise their vehicle, and somewhat hide its age.

Grumpy_chap

The OP may find this thread a worthwhile read:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6283999/private-number-plate/p1

If the answer to the question exists within these forums, it will be in there or nowhere I'd imagine.

ThisIsWeird

Thanks. Ploughed thro' the 16 pages. Quite illuminating

MattMattMattUK

Some people like them, sometimes enough to spend thousands or even tens of thousands on them, others do not like them.

Personally I think they are tacky, that is my opinion and others have different views, it is down to the individual. 

ThisIsWeird

I have to say, I feel the other thread did answer a lot!

I don't think it's just a case of some folk like them and others don't; I think it surely reflects a personality type. And one particular defender of them on the other thread highlighted this quite well. 

Ditzy_Mitzy

A friend's husband's father is a personalized number plate fiend and has the things on his cars.  He also made the assumption that his children, including my friend's husband (FH), would be similarly interested.  Owing to that, FH received a personalized registration plate bearing his initials - plus some random numbers and a somewhat dated prefix letter - as a birthday present shortly after buying his first car.  

FH is, in fact, quite anti-personalized number plates and regards them as horribly naff - possibly in response to his father.  Unfortunately, however, a number plate is not a present like the horrid scarf or jumper you wear once in sight of the giver and then consign to the charity shop.  No, number plates must be displayed at all times in prominent positions.  FH, then, felt obliged to put the plates on his car.  He spent much time complaining about how uncool he looked driving the thing, and worrying what other drivers would thing.  Not a lot, in all likelihood, but that wasn't the point.  

To compound the issue, FH was then a young man in the 'buy a banger and drive it till it breaks' phase of life.  That resulted in the car with the personalized plate expiring a few months after the relevant birthday and being replaced with another one.  FH's father, of course, insisted that the personalized registration was transferred to the new car immediately, which meant the old one had to get its original plate back.  Retention fees were paid, then other administrative work was required to get the plate onto  the new car.  A year or so later FH was in the same position of needing to replace the second old heap.  On it went.  The personalized plate became a millstone.  

I don't know what happened to it in the end.  FH had plans at one time to dispose of the plate - possibly by virtue of selling one of the cars that bore it with the personalized registration in place - 'by accident'.  

It all seems like a huge amount of faff for very little result.  

ThisIsWeird

Great story!

And a cracking example of the lack of self-awareness of 'pnp fiends'

born_again

Simply make it easy to remember when you keep the same plate. 

Down side neighbours never know if you have bought a brand new car or not  🤣So can lose out in the one up stakes 😶‍🌫️

sevenhills

As a relatively poor person I find PP ridiculous and expensive, no way would I spend a month's wages on one.
I can see why someone would put older plates on a new car, to avoid peoples jealousy. If I bought a van, an older van, I would consider spending <£500 on a plate to pick up odd jobs, so people wouldn't remember the.
PP do say something about a persons personality, just as what type of pet you own does.

ThisIsWeird

born_again said:

Simply make it easy to remember when you keep the same plate. 

Down side neighbours never know if you have bought a brand new car or not  🤣So can lose out in the one up stakes 😶‍🌫️

I am specifically referring to plates that reflect the owner's name.