Daily Mail and GB News journalist objects to 20mph speed limits because... cyclists don't pay tax (apparently); Sprinting Fabio Jakobsen smacked in face by fan's phone; Weekend round-up + more on the live blog

Nick T wrote:

Is that Giant buying into Stages the same Giant who aren't paying suppliers?

It's OK, they've asked for a 45 day payment holiday.

I read an article last week (cannot remember where) but basically commenting that when very wealthy people are careless with their tax returns they never seem to pay too much tax...  Odd, that 

OldRidgeback wrote:

I'm curious how often the Daily Mail or GB News complain about the tax avoidance measures commonly used by Tory cabinet ministers?

That's totally different - they're using their smarts (or rather the smarts of the accountants they can afford to employ) to pay less as that's what Capitalism is all about. Cyclists, however, are just some kind of vermin that get in the way of their chauffeurs.

OldRidgeback wrote:

I'm curious how often the Daily Mail or GB News complain about the tax avoidance measures commonly used by Tory cabinet ministers?

Jonathan Harold Esmond Vere Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere is the main shareholder of the company that owns the Daily Fail and "has non-dom tax status and owns his media businesses through a complex structure of offshore holdings and trusts".....

Mungecrundle wrote:

Andrew Pierce, obviously not the sharpest spoon in the fork drawer, has utterly missed the point about 20mph zones. They are not particularly for the benefit of cyclists, they are primarily to reduce the number and severity of road traffic collisions involving pedestrians. If you see this as a war on motorists and don't particularly get upset about people being run over, then you might want to consider getting your moral compass recalibrated.

Man's a cretin.

I don't feel hated when I am driving and see a 20 limit sign.

I feel hated when twats like Pierce spew their anti-cycling bingo clichés and imply that my safety should be compromised because of one tax levied on my motor vehicles but not the one I happen to be using at that point.

How stupid do you have to be to think like this?

I had a mini-twit with another 8n response to a 20 is plenty tweet :

"That's great coming from Mr slow. 30 is just fine thanks. Stop punishing the motorists in favour of cyclists."

My reply:

"Don't you mean "Stop punishing the motorists in favour of pedestrians?"

After all, it is motorists who seem unable to moderate their driving to stop colliding with thousands of pedestrians a year - killing hundreds."

Be good if we could stop his type from breeding,  I doubt he will strengthen the gene pool much. 

Maybe the 'cyclists not paying tax' is aimed at us folk who use cycle to work schemes?

No, it's to distract attention from the fact that in some regions, like Lancashire, VED is now just an optional extra. I have been watching BF64 TGE evading VED, and initially MOT as well, for 8 months now as he crops up around Garstang to the complete disinterest of Lancashire Constabulary and DVLA

If you see it parked up, remove its number plates. Be interested to see how they get replacement ones with no valid docs

I'm confused - you're on Road.cc so you presumably know what the internet is, but yet appear to be entirely unfamiliar with Amazon and Google...

From Amazon:

A Legal Pair Of GB BADGED Number Plates constructed front and rear plates. As seen in photos. Pair ( 2 Plates front and back) 100% UK road and MOT legal, number plates for front and rear placement on Cars, Vans, Trailer or Caravans. These high quality number plates use UK Charles Wright font. They are road legal and MOT Friendly. Comes with 10x Sticky pads. All number plate will state our LTD company name and the BS standards number Product Features: Durable acrylic construction Digital technology Conforms to 'BS AU 145e' compliance. Unless stated, you will receive the plate which is shown in the image and described within the item title. Please note the text in the image is used for illustration purposes only, this will be replaced by your registration text shown on the top of your V5 document you supply to us.

No V5 = No plates. 

Correct, same rules apply for online retailers as buying in person. I bought some eurostyle metal plates for my van from Amazon, when the order was placed, i was contacted to send over scans of my V5 (for proof of VRM) and driving licence (for ID). They came correctly spaced, correct typeface, and name & postcode of retailer etched at the bottom.

There is a loophole for this. It's possible to buy "show plates", these are illegal for use on the road and only for off road exhibition or show purposes. The details of the buyer are not recorded and you can have anything you like, typeface, spacing, etc. You don't even need to "own" the VRM. Hence why you see such shite on the roads.

mark1a wrote:

, i was contacted to send over scans of my V5 (for proof of VRM) and driving licence (for ID).

I don't even know where my V5 is. I hope nothing happens to my plates.

wycombewheeler wrote:

mark1a wrote:

, i was contacted to send over scans of my V5 (for proof of VRM) and driving licence (for ID).

I don't even know where my V5 is. I hope nothing happens to my plates.

Same here. I bought a bike carrier that needed a numberplate and I simply couldn't get one without the V5. Ended up paying for another V5.

There's all shades of grey between a legit legal number plate and no number plate at all, and they're all out there. Police ain't bothered. Illegibly dark plate, illegible font, fictitious registration mark, no plate at all - I see them all every day. Plod must see them too.

Can you order UK number plates on amazon? Im sure the ability to source plates outside of the of authorized places like halfords or dealerships has been restricted. I know you could order plates from the ROI but thats not possible as easily as it used to be. You need to prove owenership, V5 and other docs which they can check it against to ensure its road legal and to prevent ringers etc. 

Amazon Marketplace probably so some authorised seller just using it for market reach. 

You can order compliant (or indeed non-compliant 'show') plates online, no ID docs necessary.  I generally do when needed, as they are much cheaper than dealers etc.

.

Oh dear. Clever sarcasm backfired.

Oh well.

.

Well one thing totally ignored with clever sarcasm is, yes maybe you could buy plates from a dodgy site via Google. But that wouldn't happen in a day. You can get new plates made in Halfords on the same day with proof of ownership etc but is a dodgy online dealer getting you instant plates? What does the driver of an untaxed, uninsured van do if their plates are removed? If anything the removal keeps this vehicle off the road potentially saving lives if there is an issue with it stopping it being taxed etc. 

You only need a V5 'log book' to get UK legal plates made up. The number plate maker (who's licensed by DVLA) doesn't need to ask for anything else. 
The process online may be different, egoroof of i.d. or address.

I have yet to see a car with a green number plate yelled at and barged off the road for "NOT PAYING ROAD TAX!!!!"

(I did see one nearly crash sprinting away from the lights when I used the empty second lane rather than being 4th in a queue and the lights changed conveniently letting me glide through. This so incensed the Jaguar i-thing driver that he floored it and then had to brake on the sharp bend about 20 metres further on, nearly losing control. He was then so pissed off that I sat at the lights next to him to turn off a couple of miles later, he set off on red and amber, again showing the same amazing acceleration and complete lack of control).

Good points. Also the hybrids weighing so much more have more inertial mass and are therefore, at any given speed, more likely to kill you should be hit.
20 mph certainly isn't for me as a cyclist, I can't keep it up very long.