Thought this might be interesting (This is a bit of a rant..

Phil Hopkins · Post by **Phil Hopkins** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 10:04 pm

Some 'problems' with a stick-on plate:

May not reflect;
May be too small;
May not be the real registration number!

What p*sses me off is the hypocrisy. I see cars every day with tow bars or
bike racks that obscure the rear plate, yet the fuzz don't appear to do
anything about this. My MX5 had a stick on plate. It is a 1990 NZ new car
and as far as I can tell, has the original front bumper. There are no holes
where a plate has been mounted previously. So, after this car has been in NZ
for 12 years, I get stopped twice in two days and told 'you have no front
number plate'. Pardon? The first cop was fairly relaxed and told me to sort
it within 7 days. No worries. The second cop stung me $200, not believing
that I had been stopped the day before for the same issue and had been given
7 days to get a 'real' plate on the front.

So, next time the fuzz pull me over for anything, I'll be getting their
name, rank and number for future reference.

But what also annoys me is that the car was bought in that condition from an
LMVD. How is it that dealers can sell a car, representing it as legal, and
then I get done for not having a legal front plate?!? Should have realised
the dealer was iffy when he said 'I've sold dozens of these... the front
wheel drive really helps the handling' Ummmm... Should have laid a patch
on the yard to show him which wheels put the power on the ground!

But it's not just dodgy second hand car dealers... Yards with Porsche,
Ferrari and even the new Beetle sell these cars with stuck on front
plates..!! Someone is making these stickers, so the law is obviously not
well known. Or is ignored? Obviously there is collusion between the Police
and car dealers!!

Why can't it be part of the warrant check if it's such a big thing? Because
it's not a safety feature!!

On another rant topic, has anyone in the Albany / Riverhead area noticed the
lowering of the speed limits on our roads? How about Oteha Valley Road? Used
to be a goat track with a 100k limit. Now it's widened, but still only one
lane each direction, and now an 80 zone. Most people can't get above 70
though. I want to pull my hair out!! Then I'd have to get a hat to keep my
bald head warm when the roof is off. Also, I checked the local council
website (Rodney Council for where I live) and found out that some of the
roads that show an 'open road' sign (and have as long as I can remember)
actually have a speed limit of 80k's written into the bylaw. I'm not
planning to tell the goombers in power though... If I get a ticket I'll sue
the b*stards or something.. Not to mention that some roads show 80k limit in
one direction and 'open road' in the other for the same stretch. Weird. Last
time I checked, the open road sign meant 100k limit?!?

Sigh.

Is it worth writing to local MP's, minister of transport, the AA, about the
crap we're having to put up with? I claim persecution... Persecution by the
Police, persecution by council and persecution by idiots who sit in the
right hand lane (there is no fast lane, slow lane in NZ) at 80 then wonder
why the car behind suddenly shifts left, passes and flips them the bird. I
once tailed someone on the motorway in the right hand lane with my lights on
full, offset so my light shone in their driver side exterior mirror, so
close that if they'd farted on the brake I would have hit them... (I was
driving a stationwagon at the time - not the MX5) yet they had no idea I was
there... Situational awareness was nil. If the fuzz had seen, they would
have kicked my arse until my nose bled... and I would have deserved it, I
was so effing close... But what freaks me is that the slowcoach ahead
didn't even know I was there. Then again, I've seen people fail to move
aside when a police car or even ambulance has screamed up behind them,
sirens and lights going... So, are the rules written for the lowest common
denominator? 'cos that's pretty damned low...

Sorry about the long, rambling rant, I just needed to let it out.

Phil..

darryl · Post by **darryl** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 10:21 pm

I have also been done for no front plate, but wrote a letter and got off
that, unfortunately not the speeding ticket I got at the same time. i had
just fitted (well two weeks ealrier actualy) a new front bumper/spoiler to
my GTX. I told the cop we had just trial fitted it and just had not fitted
the plate yet due to coming off again to be painted etc, told this in my
letter and hey presto, they let me off

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 11:41 pm

I rang the LTSA when I first got my MX5 as I wanted to use a stick on plate
as a cheap way of covering some cosmetic damage to the front of the car.
Also liked the look of the stick on. The LTSA representative said that the
law specifies the type of material to be used for a plate and if a stick on
material could be found that was within the spec. then it would be OK. As
far as he knew, the only legal material available was that used for the
metal plates. He was sympathetic and felt the rules were too restrictive. He
also said that you could put one on and probably get away with it until an
officious person who had had a bad day decided to stop you, in which case
you would be in for an instant $200.00 fine. I decided to stay with the
standard plate.
What we need is a politician that has an interest in motoring. Not likely to
find one though, look at the reception the rally organisers just got.
Perhaps if they painted the car in some abstract form and put extra wheels
on the doors, in the interest of artistic expression, they would get some
attention.

Grant.

lou Girardin · Post by **lou Girardin** » Fri Apr 11, 2003 9:01 am

I've got to agree on the 80km/h open road speed limit by stealth tactic.
They're popping up everywhere, like Orewa to Puhoi. The problem in NZ is that
we don't have a motorists lobby since the AA became more interested in Govt
contracts than fighting for our rights. All we can do is regularly write to
the papers and MP's, they will listen if they think the present fascistic
policies will lose them votes.
The licence plate issue is not new, it's been a problem for years.
My main concern has been the dismantling of our basic rights, ie. these
roadside suspensions of licences without trial. The road nazis now detect,
prosecute and punish us instantly using technology that has been shown to be
less than infallible. All this by some indoctrinated, wet behind the ears
cretin who's failed to find a real job.
My attitude now, is that if the Police are applying a policy of zero tolerance
to us. we should do the same to them. Report them for any infringement, like
the patrol car I saw doing 60km/h in a 30 zone. It's easy to catch them out,
after all the Police are the least trained of any of the emergency services,
just looh at their accident record.
Although I'd be wary of doing this in a small town, they're not above
harassing people they have a problem with, as I've found out.
That's got the vitriol level down, I feel much better now.
Lou

SLYDIT · Post by **SLYDIT** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 7:22 pm

Well Phil ive realised that the only way to make those
idiots with rear vision bindness move is to have a set
of air horns. They worked great on my Fiat and im
fitting some to my MX soon. The problem we have around
here is a condition called "passing lane fever" in
which little old biddies and ignorants do 80 kays
until they hit a passing lane then nail it to 105 , so
if your stuck behind them youve gotta do 120 to pass
them. but wait ... of course theres a cop sitting at
the end of the passing lane doing his bit for the road
toll with his laser, giving people tickets for
speeding in the fast lane!!!
AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH
end of rant #2

lou Girardin · Post by **lou Girardin** » Mon Apr 14, 2003 8:25 am

That's precisely what happened to me near New Plymouth, or as it is now known,
Tomanaki. 117 km/h passing the little old lady. That's why I won't rely on
Police discretion. I now use my Valentine and Laser jammer all the time, if I
see a cop, it's brake first check speed second. Too bad for those behind me,
my licence is too important to lose.
Lou

Gary Morrison · Post by **Gary Morrison** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 10:55 am

Interesting story...

On my way to Auckland for the track day about 18 months ago I was behind a double milk tanker north of Huntly. I followed it at 90kph for ages until we hit a nice long clear stretch of straight road. I pulled out overtook, and just as I was nearing the end of the pass my Valentine went off, and as I returned to the left lane I saw that there was a camera in the bushes to the right side of the road. It went off.

Eventually I got the ticket, 111 kph.

I chose to plead guilty (I was after all clearly over the limit) but took the option to make a written submission to the court. I included in that an argument based on safety of overtaking and calculations showing that the distance taken was much safer at 110kph than it was at 100 kph.

When I rang the "criminal" registrar at the Huntly court after the hearing date to see what had happened she said "I have good news for you, there is just a $30 court fee to pay" The fine had been $80. When I asked what had happened, and if she knew what the magistrate had said. She said it didn't get heard, when it came up the police said just that the fine had been paid. I thought that was interesting, and without giving anything away she said, "yes it is isn't it".

My take on it was that by saying the fine had been paid, and then wiping the fine off the books, they avoided having a magistrate support my argument and create a precedent.

So I "got off" but I believe the police tactics were slippery.

Gary

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003 08:25:34 +1200, lou Girardin wrote:

That's precisely what happened to me near New Plymouth, or as it is now known, Tomanaki. 117 km/h passing the little old lady. That's why I won't rely on Police discretion. I now use my Valentine and Laser jammer all the time, if I see a cop, it's brake first check speed second. Too bad for those behind me, my licence is too important to lose.
Lou

lou Girardin · Post by **lou Girardin** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 1:55 pm

That's very strange, well done though. In effect, the prosecutor misled the
court. Sounds like it's worth more people trying this, because at the moment
it's madness on the open road. People are so scared of going a few km's over
the limit that they either form a queue at 80 km/h, or use an entire passing
lane to overtake one car.

my2cta · Post by **my2cta** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 1:36 pm

Been on holiday so a bit late on this. There IS a motorists lobby in NZ,
the NZ Driver's Club, it just isn't very big at the moment. Buy and read
NZ's best motoring magazine (my opinion) - New Zealand Driver - for
details. The editor, Allan Dick, has a major beef about the AA, speed
limits, LTSA, speeding trucks, pathetic roads, etc.

Tim Dutton
MY2CTA

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