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AIBU

Vanity (personalised) license plates

(191 Posts)
GagaJo Wed 19-Feb-20 05:19:26

Following on from the prat tabs/designer labels thread.

IMO' vanity license plates are the height of vulgarity. A clear signal of social climbing, 'look, I have money to waste!'

They make me shudder.

Oopsminty Wed 19-Feb-20 15:49:18

My sister and brother-in-law have one each

I would never dream of getting one but to each their own

I'd not be calling people names just because they've got one!

There was a car near us with 19TH T

I assume a golf lover

PhilJaz Wed 19-Feb-20 16:39:40

I have one and it easy to remember when having to put it in car park machine

Van-Nan Wed 19-Feb-20 16:56:59

I have a cherished number that I bought many years ago. It’s current market value is greater than when I bought it. Meanwhile, the car that it’s on is depreciating. The cars that I had it on in the past are probably scrapped by now. What am I wasting money on do you think?

mrsgreenfingers56 Wed 19-Feb-20 17:00:24

So hedonistic and a total waste of money, but of course only my opinion which we are all entitled to!

Lilyflower Wed 19-Feb-20 17:16:21

My DH keeps asking me if I want a personalised number plate. My name is quite an easy one to find a plate for. I always tell him that the only one I would be interested in would have to sport a single number. (Lilyflower 1 or the like). No way will he afford that.

Marydoll Wed 19-Feb-20 17:22:55

hedonistic
adjective
engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent.

Moi? If only I had the energy and health to be hedonistic.
Owning personalised number plates don't harm anyone, so why do people feel so strongly about them? It's no-one's business what I do with my hard earned money.

Abuelana Wed 19-Feb-20 17:27:36

If it makes people happy why not have them? My cousin , wife and daughters all have personalised plates and they are definitely not rolling in money. They just like them - end of really !

curvygran950 Wed 19-Feb-20 17:36:26

Marydoll
Couldn’t agree more !

M0nica Wed 19-Feb-20 17:41:35

We have always driven very old cars and thought personalised number plates were a joke.

But our car of choice has always been Volvo/Saab estates, preferably SAAB, SAAB went out of business about 5 years ago, but there are still old SAABS around, but disappearing.

As a result DH has started to nurture our 15 year old SAAB, in case he cannot get another and this has included getting it a personalised number plate confused.

A clear signal of social climbing, 'look, I have money to waste!' On a 15 year old car?

I think our number cost about £100 or a bit over.

eilyann Wed 19-Feb-20 17:52:33

Many years ago, a judge, when told the defendant had a personalised number plate, said ''I presume he also has a cocktail bar in his drawing room?''

GrannyGravy13 Wed 19-Feb-20 17:53:17

I haven't got a private plate (yet) but I did buy myself a designer handbag to match my new sports car.

M0nica Wed 19-Feb-20 18:06:11

eilyann we do not have and have never had a cocktail bar in the drawing room, but we do have a drinks cupboard in the living room grin

Americanpie Wed 19-Feb-20 18:15:26

Our plates makes our car appear a lot older than it is, its new and every time we change the car the plates come with us. Its very personal to my husband and it wasn't expensive. "You pays your money, you takes your choice", as the saying goes. No one ever tells me how to spend my money.

FlexibleFriend Wed 19-Feb-20 18:45:14

I don't understand why some people find them so offensive and nor do I care as I've had one for over 20 years and it changes care when I do. It cost me all of £250 and as the car I was buying already had a personal plate that the seller was keeping I had to have a new plate anyway. I just saw it as an opportunity to have one I could easily remember and if anything it makes my vehicle look older as the plate is older than the car. It makes people smile and they always ask if they understand it correctly.

Caro57 Wed 19-Feb-20 18:57:25

My husband and I have them - they have the advantage of making the car look older (by the reg number) than is actually is.

grannyJillyT Wed 19-Feb-20 19:29:17

My late husband bought mine for me for a valentines gift, he’s dead but I’ve still got the number plates to remind me of him smile

Tangerine Wed 19-Feb-20 19:35:35

I think it's up to the individual.

Personalised number plates aren't something I crave but I know people who love them.

annifrance Wed 19-Feb-20 19:48:45

Some years ago we had a little rescue dog called Hugo. Soon after my husband bought a new van, it's numberplate was HGO. He was the only dog in the village with his own personalised numberplate.

JuliaM Wed 19-Feb-20 19:57:57

I would never have a car with personalised number plates by choice, and turned the offer down when my elderly Dad offered to buy me one for my 50th Birthday, l could think of plenty of other things that would be far more useful to me than one of those!
My late step mother had private number plates on her little old car, her initials where very similar to Soft Butter Stork Margarine, needless to say she got a bit of ridicule and teasing from those who spotted it!

curvygran950 Wed 19-Feb-20 20:03:16

Lovely post , annifrance !

GracesGranMK3 Wed 19-Feb-20 20:12:20

FlexibleFriend I have a feeling there are just some people in this world who enjoy offending others with their gross generalisations and a few of them come on here. I have no idea why they do it. If they are like are like that in real heaven help their friends and family. I know it's a simple fact of life that we all have opinions but do they have to be given voice when it's simply to take a swipe at a group of people the don't know, who are spending their own money in the way they choose and for motives they have absolutely no reason or need to share with us. Is it insecurity, inverted snobbery or what? One of the problems of the internet is we can read what people say but we have no way of knowing their motive for saying it.

Kalu Wed 19-Feb-20 20:13:55

Who knew some Gnetters were secret hedonists.

I’m shocked I tell you, shocked ???

Kalu Wed 19-Feb-20 20:15:13

Huge question mark amiss ?

Marydoll Wed 19-Feb-20 20:15:57

You would never know by looking at me Kalu, would you? wink

GracesGranMK3, summed it up perfectly!

Mamma66 Wed 19-Feb-20 20:20:42

Ooh sorry, who made you the arbiter of good taste? I have one, it’s my initials and year of birth, I had hung my nose over it but couldn’t justify it and then was delighted when he bought it for me as a gift. I am not a social climber and what’s the difference between buying a private registration plate or designer handbag? I think it’s a bit mean to be so ‘sniffy’ about it. What’s wrong with ‘live and let live’?