revenue gathering

ross campbell · Post by **ross campbell** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 10:24 am

Well, those of us who have small front number plates be warned.I just sold
my car that had a small front plate on it to a lady in Wanganui. On the
way home through Taupo she was pulled over and given a ticket for $200 for
not displaying the correct front plate. I had given her the original
standard plate and the road nazi cop then made her take the small one off
on the side of the road and fit the large one after giving her a ticket.
What a wanker. This is another case of the highway patrols alienating
themselves from the public.Surely you would think a warning would be
sufficent.Having driven for over a year on that plate I felt a bit sorry
for her.So if you have any sort of plate that is non standard be aware.
Ross.

Bill Rehm · Post by **Bill Rehm** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 1:18 pm

Why not get George Hawkins email address in Wgtn and all of us email a
standard message to George making him aware of his nazi band of persons who
are the antithesis of Robin Hood and let him know that he, Helen and
company won't get our vote if they continue these type of shenanigans.

Sue and Steve Carpenter · Post by **Sue and Steve Carpenter** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 3:53 pm

We have a small number plate and can't wait to be pulled over. It does not
state anywhere in the 'Land Transport Act' anything about number plate size.
A friend of ours recently got pulled over and the $200 fine given. The cops
dropped it in the end as they know they have no leg to stand on. In fact the
Nazi cop in question wouldn't even have a clue what WAS in the 'Land
Transport Act'. If we get a fine we will take it to the bitter end if
necessary.
MX5's UNITE!!!

Steve and Sooze.

Trevor Henderson · Post by **Trevor Henderson** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 5:38 pm

I have just been talking to my traffic cop client and I have asked the
question re front number plates...he tells me the law is quite
specific- it relates to an 'approved registration plate in an approved
position' he says anyone can contact the Land Transport Office and they will
send you a 'fact sheet' with all the details. The Client is a very helpfull
cop- yes they do exist- and tells me the problem has been around since the
introduction of 'sports cars'- but was really pronounced at the time of the
intrioduction of the E type jag. And yes the fine is $200.
Hope this helps,
regards
Trevor Henderson,
Henderson Design Ltd.

Post by **zorruno** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:50 pm

don't unite too much - the government will just alter the law to make it the
same for everyone. The cop might not know the exact transport act wording,
but their fine will stick, even if you disputed it in law.

At the moment is it quite general, and open to _some_ interpretation so some
cops let it slide or just issue a warning. Face it - if you don't have the
correct, transport issued number plate mounted on the front or your car (the
one with the little silver fern 2D holograms on it - yes, look up close) you
better have $200 ready in the bank. That is what the transport act really
interprets to (I know, I've researched it)

But I look at it this way - if you get one ticket per year, I think it is a
small price to pay. If I got 2 in one year, I'd consider putting the proper
one back.

It also takes a bit of tact when dealing with the officer concerned... plead
for diversion.

There was discussions about plates a wee while ago - unfortunately my site
search engine is buggered & I haven't fixed it yet, but I found it here via
the archive pages
http://www.mx5club.org.nz/emaillists/nz ... g00897.sht . It
shows what my plate looks like in one of the follow ups.

Call it revenue gathering if you like, but laws are supposed to be the same
for everyone.

JMHO

H.

[...]

Keith Cook · Post by **Keith Cook** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 7:11 pm

Reminds me of a story a freind of mine tells of when he was pulled up some
time back at Te Kuiti for not wearing a seatbelt. He waited till the ticket
was written and the fine demanded before pointing out the that particular
vintage car was ex empt because of age and, in fact, did not have belts
fitted!

Blts · Post by **Blts** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 8:45 pm

The other option you can do is get a bracket like my one.
For those who haven't seen it, it sits on a (almost) flat angle to the road
off to one side so as not to impede airflow.

The good thing is speed cameras can't get low enough to see the licence
plate...

Bill

Chrissy & Tony Hoys · Post by **Chrissy & Tony Hoys** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 7:15 am

There is an article on this subject in this months Classic Car mag, quite
good reading - even for a woman! See I can be sexest too!! - even against us
fellow gals!
Chrissy
CUTEMX

Phil Dyer · Post by **Phil Dyer** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 9:57 am

This is number plate discussion is interesting because when I bought my MX5
the number plate was attached via a bracket to the passenger-side tow point.
This wasn't the most imaginative place to put it because it meant that it
hung back under the car a bit and caught the kerb every time I angle parked
which bent it back further. While on holiday in Nelson I got stopped and the
cop said I needed to remount the plate as it was partily obscured where it
was and the number needed to be more easily seen. Since my brother was a
mechanic and managed the repair side of a garage just out of Nelson I asked
for his advice. He recounted the story of a person who was stopped because
the cop couldn't read his plate as it was improperly mounted being situated
too low. The guy undid it and propped in up inside his front window. The
next day the cop stopped him again and said it was still improperly mounted
and issued a ticket. My brother suggested I could get a vinyl one made and
stick it onto the front of the car, there were a number of them around
Nelson so they obviously were acceptable, but when I got home I could always
ask our local rual cop, which I subsequentially did do. I told him about my
experiences so far and I gave him full marks for taking my inquiry
serriously. He hummed and hawed, looked up a big book, then phoned someone
else and was passed from one person to another then finally said no one he
spoke to could see a problem, however number plates are reflective so they
can be more easily seen, and also show up better on speed cameras, which a
vinyl one wouldn't do so while he wouldnt stop me there was no guarentee
that one of his collegue wouldn't cause some problems since the force still
had former traffic cops who could get a bit over zealous. He suggested I
trimmed it which would narrow the plate, but wouldnt alter it's reflective
characteristics. In the end I made some brackets and mounted mine in the
centre of what I guess we would euphuistically call the bumper and it cost
less than the vinyl one.

Phil

Bill Rehm · Post by **Bill Rehm** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 10:24 am

Now chrissy, in reference to your statement:

See I can be sexist too!! - even against us
fellow gals!

Why does sexism have to mean "against" women, why not just "with" women?

Bill

darryl · Post by **darryl** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 11:30 am

All I have to say about this is, if motor cyles don't have to have a front
number plate, then why do cars have to???
My understanding is that number plates are for identification purposes.
These were made long before speed cameras were, so my guess they were made
for in the case of hit and runs, cars being used for burlaries and other
crimes in which the cars are running away from police etc. In these cases a
front number plate is useless anyway as its the back plates that will be seen.
If it is so vital for cars to have a front number plate, regardless of the
intrusion of air flow and looks etc, then motor cycles should have them
too. Its not like they have no room for them, the top of the front mud gaurd
would be sufficient I think.

Here is an idea, I posted this last time this thrad came up. Mount your
number plateon a hinge or something that will allow it to swing. I did this
on my RX-7 because it fell off and only had nylon to put it back on. Found
out how good an idea it was when I got pulled over for no plate. I thought
it must have fallen off again. Then the cop looked and it was there, he
looked a little muffed too, then thats when I worked out what had happend.
Good anti camer device!

ross campbell · Post by **ross campbell** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 12:17 pm

Dealers can have 1 plate as is the case in many states of the US.So if
dealers can drive with one plate mounted front or back then its a flawed
law.I think they are issued with one plate only so they cant put them on 2
different vehicles. Ross.

From MattGunn@newstalkzb.co.nz Fri Apr 27 16:01:54 2007
content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Subject: RE: re[2]: revenue gathering
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 12:25:31 +1300
Thread-Topic: re[2]: revenue gathering
Thread-Index: AcG+URPbouchCfH9SnOZF/DdVFia+QAAXFfg
From: "Matt Gunn" <MattGunn@newstalkzb.co.nz>
To: "MX5List" <mx5list@mx5club.org.nz>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Precedence: list
Message-ID: <OiMe3B.A.h6.zjXMGB@L733>

I remember seeing a photo in a Sydney paper about 6 years ago of a guy
on a bike going through a red light camera. He was doing 160 or 170 in
town with his foot over the back plate.
He did'nt get caught. safe as you like !!

cheers

MADMXV

SG & NA Fisk · Post by **SG & NA Fisk** » Tue Feb 26, 2002 7:25 pm

Of course they want us all to have the approved number plates - they went to
a lot of trouble to design them with reflective white and the flat black
numbers so they would photograph well for their Nazi road tax machines
Zed

Ross and Meg · Post by **Ross and Meg** » Wed Feb 27, 2002 7:25 pm

Today I spent a considerable amount of time speaking with the compliance
officer from the LTSA.(WELLINGTON )
After much disscussion he has refered me to the Manager of motor vehicle
registeration.
The only thing he could find in the act that came close was that you have to
have a plate at the front and one at the rear and that they must be in an
upright position.
I will keep you posted on progress.

89MX5 (recently busted for small plate )

Lou Girardin · Post by **Lou Girardin** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 8:47 am

As I found to my cost, anything other than a LTSA issue plate, mounted so
that it can be clearly seen forward and by speed cameras is risking a
ticket. Anything else is at our risk. Common sense has no place in law.
Lou

VIKING RACING · Post by **VIKING RACING** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 8:15 pm

Hi there
I have used this hinged model of plate for a couple of years now, maybe I have
been lucky that no "blue boy" have had a closer look. Here is a instruction
how to make it.
http://miata.net/garage/swingplate.html
Viking