tinyurl.com/pvmstuc (Telegraph)
I think he got off lightly, though I would not want a convicted fraudster working in my company, I wonder if he will still have his job after the weekend?
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>>, I wonder if he will still have his job after the weekend?
He wouldn't if I had anything to do with it.
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It's a lot of trouble to go to just to steal a few quid from the local authorities.
How did the geezer get rich? Not by penny-pinching surely? That would take ages.
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Agree with Mark. He should be out on his arxe forthwith. Too much risk to companies' reputation to have a convicted fraudster on board.
His attitude to the law also shows in the illegal spacing of the plate on the Porsche in the Telegraph picture.
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>> His attitude to the law also shows in the illegal spacing of the plate on
>> the Porsche in the Telegraph picture.
>>
Yes, utterly disgraceful that. Obviously shows a criminal mind at work.
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I think it does show an insight into his attitude.
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>> I think it does show an insight into his attitude.
I have seen reports from police that vehicles targeted and stopped for minor non-compliance issues often contain evidence of more serious criminal activity.
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I have seen reports from police that vehicles targeted and stopped for minor non-compliance issues often contain evidence of more serious criminal activity.
Yes, me too. Obviously good TV, but there are a surprising number of cars stopped on the various police programmes for something minor where on investigation, a lot more naughtiness is taking place.
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>> >> I think it does show an insight into his attitude.
>>
>> I have seen reports from police that vehicles targeted and stopped for minor non-compliance issues
>> often contain evidence of more serious criminal activity.
>>
Ah...... that would explain why people whose number plates don't quite fit the specified criteria are treated as criminals and fined three-figure sums. Presumably the drivers who go around with faulty headlights, the cyclists who ride after dark with no lights at all, and the myriad other examples I could name, are upright honest citizens then?
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>>. that would explain why people whose number plates don't quite fit the specified criteria
>> are treated as criminals and fined three-figure sums.
I have the feeling, Mr Harley, that you are coming to this with an agenda. Am I wrong?
The laws regarding regarding number plates must be about the easiest on the planet to comply with.
Why mess about with the lettering, spacing, font etc?
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>> I have the feeling, Mr Harley, that you are coming to this with an agenda.
>> Am I wrong?
Now you mention it ISTR a post from Harley about being stopped for a non compliant plate on a bike.
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Many Local Authority parking charges and the misnamed "congestion charge"in London are set so high, purely as a revenue raising exercise, that it's worth trying to evade them.
Twice and only twice, we had to go to Doncaster where the on-street meter parking was, IIRC, 50p for 10 minutes. Never again - even the off road car park charges were extortionate.
Is it any wonder High Streets are dying?
Out of town shopping centres such as Meadowhall in Sheffield are thriving: free parking and lots of it.
If we are driven by necessity to go to John Lewis in Sheffield, (no presence in a free parking area) the only option is a horrendously costly multi-storey car par attached to the store. It's a REAL disincentive.
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To you but not to many others. Not everyone worries about a couple of quid, that's why ncp makes so much money.
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>> >>. that would explain why people whose number plates don't quite fit the specified criteria
>> >> are treated as criminals and fined three-figure sums.
>>
>> I have the feeling, Mr Harley, that you are coming to this with an agenda.
>> Am I wrong?
>>
>> The laws regarding regarding number plates must be about the easiest on the planet to
>> comply with.
>>
>> Why mess about with the lettering, spacing, font etc?
>>
As mentioned I was nicked for an under-sized plate. Fair cop.
What I really object to is the dual standard that seems to operate where "cherished numbers" are concerned; the government are happy to encourage the trade, which doubtless brings in plenty of money, yet on the other hand as soon as folk try to use said cherished number they get bounced for it. some, i confess, do take it to extremes but I fail to see what the problem is if the font is the right size.
I should add that I don't have a personalised plate; the reason for the reduced size was two-fold. Firstly on an aesthetic level, the big plate looks horribly out of proportion, secondly because on that particular bike the plate sticks up rather than hangs down and it's annoyingly easy to catch your ankle on it.
It's worth pointing out that my two older bikes have perfectly legal small number plates; the line trotted out by the authorities that the letters need to be of a certain size and spacing in order to show up on cameras is complete nonsense. The one I got nicked with had the same size and font as the older ones and can be read from further than the prescribed distance; the font is the correct one though of a slightly smaller size.
To sum up; it's easy money for the plod. I'd live with it if they were more even-handed with other folks' deliberate transgressions; please do not get me started about cycle racks sans lights and plates!
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In fairness they are probably are although when you've been done and others haven't i can see why you'd think that. A normal reaction really. Round here quite a few on adjusted number plates and a few foreign plates that have been here for years. No one bats an eyelid about it. I don't know your area but i think you were unlucky.
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A lot of farmers seem to get away with unlit trailers in my part of the world. Not just small trailers. Slurry trailers, livestock carrying trailers. No side lights, brake lights or indicators. Far more dangerous than an undersized number plate. During the winter months it's an accident waiting to happen. The few police around here don't seem to notice.
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Probably haven't the time now. Reminds me of a farmer round here had sn old fourtrak every light and reflector smashed in i doubt any of the bulbs worked. I used to see him drive all over, i don't think anyone ever bothered him about it.
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>> Probably haven't the time now. Reminds me of a farmer round here had sn old
>> fourtrak every light and reflector smashed in i doubt any of the bulbs worked. I
>> used to see him drive all over, i don't think anyone ever bothered him about
>> it.
>>
Probably taxed as Agricultural Vehicle (limited use) which means that it's exempted from MOT but cannot travel more than 1.5km per journey on public roads, and must only be used in conjunction with agricultural work between the fields of the specified farm. Used to be 6 miles a week but that's been scrapped, presumably because farms are bigger nowadays.
They are, however, supposed to be kept in roadworthy condition.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sat 22 Aug 15 at 13:50
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> Probably taxed as Agricultural Vehicle (limited use) which means that it's exempted from MOT but
>> cannot travel more than 6 miles per week on public roads, and must only be> used in conjunction with agricultural work between the fields of the specified farm.
>> They are, however, supposed to be kept in roadworthy condition.
>>
Thanks i didn't know you could put 4x4 on that exemption.
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>> Thanks i didn't know you could put 4x4 on that exemption.
>>
You can put pretty much what you like on it; car, van, Landy. You simply fill out form V112 and take it to a post office to get your tax exemption.
Strictly speaking it is intended for "Vehicle used only to pass from land occupied by the person keeping the vehicle to other land occupied by them" and therefore if the farmer nipped to the village shop in it he'd be breaking the law. As mentioned the journey should not be longer than 1.5 kilometres, but you can do it as often as you like.
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Right, mind you it boils down to enforcement, and who's going to do that? I'm not sure anyone would be convicted of driving stuck a vehicle too far.
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Registration plates are supposed to follow a consistent pattern making them easy to recognise and repeat/remember. Faffing with fonts and spacing whether for vanity or malfeasance defeats that object. If the plate needs to be altered to suit it's owner then it's not worth what was paid for it.
The Mail (tinyurl.com/pcumxbd ) explains King's MO which was to purchase number plates but leave them on retention rather than allocating them to a vehicle. Seems that while DVLA are obliged to disclose owners name address for 'live' plates they will not do so if they're on retention. King's undoing came when one of his plates, presumably also with illegal spacing, was repeatedly misread in same way by enforcement oficers leading to an innocent motorist being 'blitzed' with tickets from Brighton Council.
At that point Plod got involved and DVLA were obliged to disclose King's details.
Several plates owned by King have been revoked.
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>> At that point Plod got involved and DVLA were obliged to disclose King's details.
>>
>> Several plates owned by King have been revoked.
>>
Interesting, Bromp, thanks. One has to wonder how many others do the same? Even simpler now you don't need to hide a tax disc.
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Police round here don't seem to bother with font/space issues. The same serial offenders, including one which uses a screw to turn B to R (so reg B1 FLE reads RIFLE), carry on year in year out.
They have though clamped down on migrant workers foreign plates. Noticeably fewer foreign cars than a few years ago though the number employed in 'logisitcs central' round Northampton and the DIRFT complex continues to increase. Basically line seems to be that if you're working in UK you're not a visitor so car needs UK plates.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 22 Aug 15 at 13:42
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>> In fairness they are probably are although when you've been done and others haven't i
>> can see why you'd think that. A normal reaction really. Round here quite a few
>> on adjusted number plates and a few foreign plates that have been here for years.
>> No one bats an eyelid about it. I don't know your area but i think
>> you were unlucky.
>>
Precisely my point. It shouldn't be about luck; if they're going to enforce it in my area it should be the same everywhere else.
The plod who nicked me was prattling on about it all being for my benefit because if the bike was nicked they'd be able to pick it up on ANPR. I just about managed to keep a straight face; firstly most bike thieves would bundle their loot straight into a van, secondly because as the original posting proves, it is now ridiculously easy to drive around with false plates for ages without being caught.
I'd also suggest that since road safety is supposed to be a priority, cars with faulty lights should be more of a target than they are at the moment. Picking up Bromp's comment about one transgression being the key to others; if a car's got a duff headlight you'd also look for a bald tyre, etc. It's what DVSA do with commercial vehicles, why should cars get away with it?
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Precisely my point. It shouldn't be about luck; if they're going to enforce it in my area it should be the same everywhere else.
In an ideal world yes, but as long as there are people involved then you'll get differences. All people have their pet hate. Although speaking locally there is no one to enforce it. Very few police out here, can go weeks or even months without seeing a police car.
I'd also suggest that since road safety is supposed to be a priority, cars with faulty lights should be more of a target than they are at the moment. Picking> up Bromp's comment about one transgression being the key to others; if a car's got> a duff headlight you'd also look for a bald tyre, etc. It's what DVSA do with commercial vehicles, why should cars get away with it?
Maybe they do, but there's no specific dept unlike wagons that and they are bigger so more of an issue if it goes south.
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>> Maybe they do, but there's no specific dept unlike wagons that and they are bigger
>> so more of an issue if it goes south.
>>
DVSA are responsible for all road vehicles not just HGV's. I've been pulled in my own van before now.
I confess that faulty lights are a particular bugbear of mine; I've heard all the excuses about needing to remove half the front end to change a bulb etc, but all too often it's down to laziness.
Classic example;I collected our car from its service and MOT yesterday; garage owner is my neighbour's son so we know each other well and were chatting. His tester came in muttering about XXXXX dumb idle car owners; turned out it was the third one that day he'd failed for a faulty light or a bald tyre; not miner I hasten to add! Gets at least one every day he said.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sat 22 Aug 15 at 14:11
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SQ 4 LB
>> DVSA are responsible for all road vehicles not just HGV's. I've been pulled in my
>> own van before now.
I suppose they focus on them as they are a bigger risk.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 22 Aug 15 at 20:49
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>>
>> I suppose they focus on them as they are a bigger risk.
>>
Beacuse they're easier to catch and trace. Drivers are mostly on digital tachograph these days so they're ID'd instantly, ditto company through operators licence. If either are fined and don't pay, they're out of business. And being limited to 56 mph it's not easy to do a runner!
DVSA have the authority to pull any vehicle, and it's an offence to obstruct them in their duty; they also have the power to walk into a haulier's yard at any time if they suspect something dodgy, though to be honest I don't know if this extends to private residences where cars are concerned. In some ways they've actually got more power than the police; you'll notice that you don't see police officers pulling lorries into checkpoints any more, though one may be present on site.
In short, they have the power but choose not to use it. Where risk is concerned; one could argue that the lorries, being bigger, are more of a risk, but more often than not it would be the faulty car causing an accident in which a perfectly serviceable and legal lorry was involved.
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I don't think cars or their owners would be difficult to id when you've pulled them over.
It's the severity of the accidents not just the number.
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>> I don't think cars or their owners would be difficult to id when you've pulled
>> them over.
>>
>> It's the severity of the accidents not just the number.
>>
I concede your point that if an HGV is involved in an accident, there's a stronger possibility that said accident will be more severe in terms of both damage and injuries to road users. That should not, however, be used as an excuse to solely target HGV's for roadworthiness checks.
I stand by my original contention that DVSA concentrate on commercial vehicles because they provide easier pickings. I do not dispute that such regulation is necessary and, indeed, desirable; standards of HGV maintenance and legal compliance have improved immeasurably over recent years and they should be kept that way. This does not mean, though, that a blind eye should effectively be turned to poor standards of maintenance by other drivers, which are equally likely (or even more so since non-vocational drivers statistically tend to be less experienced) to contribute towards serious accidents.
In simple terms, there needs to be a level playing field. There are no longer enough police with sufficient resources to deal with this issue, and as mentioned earlier it isn't really their job to do so. A campaign by DVSA to educate car drivers into being more vigilant with stuff like blown bulbs and bald tyres would, I suspect, reap dividends, both in financial terms and for road safety in general.
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>>I stand by my original contention that DVSA concentrate on commercial vehicles because they provide easier pickings
Further the media loves a conspiracy theory (e.g. odd number houses). So if the DVSA did not focus on commercials, the potential for adverse story telling would be huge.
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It may well reap rewards but i doubt they've the money either to start pulling car drivers over.
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>> It may well reap rewards but i doubt they've the money either to start pulling
>> car drivers over.
>>
They're self-funding AFAIK; all the money they take from hauliers and drivers in fines and penalties finances their operations. Maybe Pat would be able to confirm this?
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Sounds a bit iffy, they have to rely on fines to run their dept. They might keep thefines but I don't think they would be totally self funding.
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>> Seems they are. Have a read of this; quite interesting actually if you can cut
>> through the management-speak.
>>
>> www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209482/vosa-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-2013.pdf
>>
Thanks, could narrow down a little, not sure I fancy reading all 101 pages of it ;)
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> Ah...... that would explain why people whose number plates don't quite fit the specified criteria are treated as criminals and fined three-figure sums. Presumably the drivers who go around with faulty headlights, the cyclists who ride after dark with no lights at all, and the myriad other examples I could name, are upright honest citizens then?
>>
I bet they keep an eye on those as well. It's not either or.
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>> Presumably the drivers who go around with
>> faulty headlights, the cyclists who ride after dark with no lights at all, and the
>> myriad other examples I could name, are upright honest citizens then?
Probably just lazy. An illegally spaced number plate requires effort.
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Used to be a guy in Glasgow, Alan Love was his name who used to park his RR phantom on yellow lines, get a parking ticket each day, then pay the bill at the end of the month.
He knew his car was too big and heavy for the Councils tow away vehicles.
Council then got a bigger lorry but he in turn went and got a huge American pick up that was too heavy for the new lorry!
Having said all that, I think he then became bankrupt!
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I still can't understand why pinstripe man didn't simply pay his parking fines, or get a minion to do it. Much cheaper, much less hassle for a man of his apparent means.
Perhaps all those posh jalopies weren't really his though but just in his care to be hired out.
Of course any reasonable person hates council pickpocketing. But it still makes sense to pay the carphounds.
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>>I still can't understand why pinstripe man didn't simply pay his parking fines, or get a minion to do it. Much cheaper, much less hassle for a man of his apparent means.
Precisely the point.
The sums of money are so insignificant to him, that this is a problem of attitude, not practicality.
And typically if that is one's attitude in a particular area, it also extends to others.
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>> pinstripe man
Looks a well nasty whistle too, stiff, brand new and almost certainly off the peg. Yuck.
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>> >> pinstripe man
>>
>> Looks a well nasty whistle too, stiff, brand new and almost certainly off the peg.
>> Yuck.
>>
Snob :-)
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>> He runs a home buying company
>>
>> www.theguardian.com/money/2005/may/18/expertsproperty.property1
>>
>> would you sell to him?
Pay you 65-70% of your home's market value for a quick settlement. You commit to £600 for a valuation first though.
That and a loan company that neither you or I would have to approach if we needed money.
Suppose if you're up to your neck in owings and bailiffs are beating a path it might have some appeal but proper debt advice would be a better option.
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On the plus side, however, is the fact that if you are happy with the company's offer and decide to go ahead with the sale, you'll get the valuation fee back, together with £500 towards your legal costs.
Amazing that a real consumer finance journalist could write that. Where do they imagine this money comes from?
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I wouldn't sell to ANY home buying company.
Orcas the lot of them.
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I wouldn't Roger,con merchants.
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>> He runs a home buying company
>>
>> www.theguardian.com/money/2005/may/18/expertsproperty.property1
>>
>> would you sell to him?
>>
^^ Exactly what I thought. He's behind all those signs carefully designed to look handwritten saying "SELL YOUR HOME FOR CASH".
He's a crook all the way through and I'm astonished he's avoided prison time. I also think that someone with that sort of net wealth should be fined more than a drop in the ocean.
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REFUNDS for some!!
West Yorkshire
Illegally issued parking tickets dating back roughly 10 years! 16,000 refunds!
tinyurl.com/q4otp9s
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Lengths People Go To Avoid Paying For Parking - No FM2R
