When You Let Your Friends Borrow Your Car...

"Mark - Sixpots None The Richer" (marklinde) 02/02/2016 at 13:05 • Filed to: Das Boot, Kolbenfresser, BMW

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Got an email stating:”We arrived safely and found a good parking space as well!” Attached was this pic:

Assholes!

thebigbossyboss > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:10

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BMW things.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:10

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*insert joke about BMW drivers in training here*

thebigbossyboss > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:10

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Can you explain to me how european liscense plates work? What country is yours from?

A slushbox can be fun, too! > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:11

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They’re just reserving the spot for a friend who’s already on their way

CALUSA > thebigbossyboss 02/02/2016 at 13:15

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It’s a German plate.

GÖ means Göttingen.

CALUSA > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:16

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Looks like he did a nice drift into that spot.

thebigbossyboss > CALUSA 02/02/2016 at 13:18

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Thanks!!! I am surprised Germany can get away with two letters and three numbers. Even in ontario we had 4 letters and 3 numbers. I guess it depends on the city/region?

duurtlang > thebigbossyboss 02/02/2016 at 13:22

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Don’t underestimate the number of regions. These are all the license plate letter regions in Germany. Gö is right in the center. Big cities have one letter (Berlin = B, Nürnberg =N, and so on), smaller ones have two and the more rural places 3. If I’m not mistaken.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > thebigbossyboss 02/02/2016 at 13:24

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Well yeah that same random combo could be used in another city/region right? So You do not need nearly as many different combos as you would for an entire state or province (or whatever the territories in Canada are called).

Wacko > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:26

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cool, I see you showed him the official way to park a BMW

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > thebigbossyboss 02/02/2016 at 13:27

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Easy! The short-ish answer:

I’m from Germany so there is the white “D” in the blue painted corner on the left.

Next is the regional code. Depending on how many inhabitants the region has, the regional code has just one or up to three letters. Big cities like Berlin have just the “B” and small districts in the countryside like Osterode am Harz have “OHA”. Mine is Göttingen’s “GÖ”.

That’s followed by one or two letters and up to four numbers depending on the regional code - because of the physical size of the plate and because you need more variations in bigger districts for more registered cars. Those letters and numbers are generally randomly assigned, but if you want you can chose a combination for a small fee - if it’s not already taken obviously.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_r…

Other plates in Europeland work completely different though. And I have no idea about them. :-)

thebigbossyboss > duurtlang 02/02/2016 at 13:27

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Oh wow! I thought it was just like by state. I know some German states are a lot bigger than others, but I didnt realize they broke it down this far.

thebigbossyboss > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 02/02/2016 at 13:28

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We have both provinces and territories. :D But yes, I understand now thanks to durrtlang they are breaking it down then more by state.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > CALUSA 02/02/2016 at 13:29

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Wait.. Wolfsburg is now in Bavaria? The grey registration seal should actually be from Lower Saxony, but that’s just me nitpicking.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > CALUSA 02/02/2016 at 13:29

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He is a she actually...

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Wacko 02/02/2016 at 13:30

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Yes, she didn’t know about this. So I had to teach her the BMW lifestyle of course.

duurtlang > thebigbossyboss 02/02/2016 at 13:31

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I worded that wrong. Those aren’t states. Germany has 16 states (Bundesländer). The map I provided show the regions with different license plates.

Wacko > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:34

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and you also told her to never, never use the flashers. That might confuse all other drivers on the road, since no one has ever saw a blinking light on a BMW.

Stay safe....

thebigbossyboss > duurtlang 02/02/2016 at 13:34

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No no. I understood you. I meant “I thought they broke it down by state, but this map proves otherwise”.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Wacko 02/02/2016 at 13:36

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There’s a lot to learn about BMW ownership. First of all I had to explain that fog lights are only used when it’s actually very - very! - foggy outside.

“But all the other old Beamers...”

“NO!!!”

Bytemite > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:39

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But the Angel eyes!

Wacko > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:39

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they should put this stuff in the manual at least.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > thebigbossyboss 02/02/2016 at 13:42

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Are all the provinces/territories in Canada a good equivalent to states in the US? Obviously there is a lot more empty space up there and most of the people live in the southern parts of the country. But I am just wondering in general the areas have the same sort of autonomy that states in the US do.

Wacko > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 02/02/2016 at 13:44

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we got provinces and territories in canada, and also each province or territory has it’s own plates.

CALUSA > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:45

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+1

Burn-Spaz1966-Burn > A slushbox can be fun, too! 02/02/2016 at 13:48

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LOL where is the Chair....

CALUSA > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 02/02/2016 at 13:49

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Really don’t know anything about seals etc.!

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Bytemite 02/02/2016 at 13:49

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Ooooh, many slaps were needed explaining that topic...

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Wacko 02/02/2016 at 13:51

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Who reads this anyway? I say put it on the windscreen!

CaptDale - is secretly British > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 13:54

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Ha, my friends can’t drive stick, thus can’t drive my car.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > CALUSA 02/02/2016 at 13:55

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I just happen to be a German so I now know that kinda stuff. That grey round seal is for one of the 16 German states. The seal above is for the TÜV inspection.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > CaptDale - is secretly British 02/02/2016 at 14:01

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“Manual - The polite way of saying: “Well, just use public transport, you lazy fucks!”

CALUSA > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 02/02/2016 at 14:04

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Aaah, I have learned something today. Thanks!

CAR_IS_MI > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 14:08

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Your friend is awesome.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > CAR_IS_MI 02/02/2016 at 14:10

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She is and it’s her birthday today. I will let her know you wrote that. :-)

Leon711 > thebigbossyboss 02/02/2016 at 14:14

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UK plates.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advic…

thebigbossyboss > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 02/02/2016 at 14:15

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Yes. The provinces (southern half of country) have a lot of autonomy in education, health care, transport, vehicle licensing, and many other things. We are very decentralized. The federal government is responsible for some safety nets, defense and foreign affairs, but the provinces are responsible for most everything else.

The Territories are north of the 60th parallel (there are only 3) are quite different. Because their population is a combined only about 110,000 and they cover a whopping 3,800,000 sq kms (an area somewhat larger than the entirety of India) they are a lot less Autonomous then the southern provinces. It is hard to administer such vast tracts, without much in the way of tax base.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 02/02/2016 at 14:46

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Lol, yup or give me lots o gas $$ Cause I have 4 seats.