Decisions, decisions

"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile) 01/24/2017 at 17:49 • Filed to: None

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Whether to get a normal NC plate of “FIRST IN FLIGHT” or “FIRST IN FREEDOM”, a vanity plate thereof, a Georgia Tech plate, or get an old plate and keep the “real” plate in the glovebox because old plate is life...

Old plate wearing is legal, but it has to be year of manufacture, and the statute has a couple points of hilarious badness in how it’s written. One is that I would have to produce the real plate for *anyone*. No, they don’t specify law enforcement personnel, it’s literally “ANY PERSON”. To not do so is a misdemeanor. Really. Also, the statute is “may bear the license plates of the year of manufacture”. Does that mean any old ‘63 plate? Well, probably, but that article “the” makes it sound like the original plates, which... that’s not happening. Do I really want to get into a sophistry fight with a cop on the meaning of “the”?

Also, the statutes are a bit cloudy on whether and how the legibility laws apply to the old plate. Using an antique plate that’s been repainted might literally be a felony even with it as a placeholder, because paint. HURR HURR.

On the other hand, buying a single old plate is one-time expense and not any more than a custom plate annually and I’m cheap. Hmmm.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 18:06

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I had to do some googling to learn about the “First in Freedom” claim. Interesting stuff, actually. I learned something. As for the plate, I’d just go with the modern one. Less hassle. And, you wouldn’t be arguing with the cop, you’d be arguing with a judge. Is that worth your time?

Jack Does Cars > ttyymmnn 01/24/2017 at 18:08

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Halifax Resolves. That is the only thing I remember from the 6th grade NC history class.

For Sweden > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 18:10

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You can get a North Carolina Georgia Tech plate?

Jack Does Cars > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 18:13

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A girl I work with has a 1976 GMC truck, in which she had the original plate from 1976 (the ACTUAL plate issued to THAT truck in 1976) along with current the current plate under the seat. She got pulled over for, “improper display of a license plate,” for having the original plate on the truck. Her case got thrown out because she had the current plate in her possession, she produced said plate, and that the statute says that all plates that are manufactured before 1981 can be on any vehicle that is 35 years or older as long as the year of the plate corresponds with tha year of the vehicle.

So to answer your question, as this was a very recent case in Wake County: yes. Yes you can.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > For Sweden 01/24/2017 at 18:23

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Yarp. NC Clemson plate and others too - and the watermelon plate, Which just has a watermelon, idefk.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jack Does Cars 01/24/2017 at 18:25

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Thank you, sir. Both for providing direct insight and a cautionary tale that yes, there are some cops inclined to Policing While Stupid. At least in Wake County.

E90M3 > For Sweden 01/24/2017 at 18:29

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You can get them in Texas as well, I know cause I have one.

E90M3 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 18:30

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Tech plate, join the club.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 01/24/2017 at 18:34

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I definitely don’t think I’d be arguing with the judge, but the dark horse case is one like Jack describes in one of the other replies - a cop who doesn’t know the statute and refuses to dismount a duly mounted high horse. The advantage to how the statute works is that there *is* a current plate for the vehicle, so for any long-distance trips or whatever one would just put on the “real” plate. The real question has to do with the chance of being driving on the old tag while at the same time running across a cop with a Buford T. streak - or at least (more routinely) encounters with cops who’d be curious.

Then again, the car *is* the best-selling cop car nationwide for 1963, and might even be familiar to NC police...

Why yes, one of the Mayberry PD cars on rotation *was* a ‘63 500.

ttyymmnn > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 18:36

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When you get stopped for speeding, arguing with the cop is useless. If you have a beef, you have to take it up with the judge. That’s what I was referring to. The cop’s going to write you a ticket no matter how right you are.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > E90M3 01/24/2017 at 18:36

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Funny thing: I think the antique plate rules work no matter what your “real” plate is. So, I don’t necessarily even have to choose. Other than vanity plus one-time purchase being the most expensive way to go.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ttyymmnn 01/24/2017 at 18:42

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Very true. I meant arguing in the sense of disagreeing, rather than discussing. Actually, having been wrongly wound up by a cop plus the law-abiding factor of showing up for the court appearance in the first place and the judge’s ire at the cop for wasting time would probably have the judge so far on your side that any lesser counts might get nuked as well. I’m not sure I see a downside other than the possible risk of the appearance in the first place.

facw > E90M3 01/24/2017 at 18:57

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Yep:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

However, tragically, the Dr. Pepper license plate has been discontinued:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

You can still get remax for some reason:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

TX DMV is at the forefront of finding revenues. It’s also legally required to have 3 of its 9 board members be auto dealer representatives, vs. only two from the public.

E90M3 > facw 01/24/2017 at 18:59

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You can indeed get one.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 19:09

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Unless the judge is one of those jaded old bastards who views with disdain the public they serve. I’m with Ttyymmnn. Just get a new tag and call it Macaroni.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jack Does Cars 01/24/2017 at 19:10

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Yes, and be forced to take a vacation day...

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/24/2017 at 19:14

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In terms of total miles on the road, it’s likely to be wearing the “real” tag a majority of the distance. Here in town and on some local area (

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 19:15

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Wow, a real low regulation state that wants to keep out of peoples lives.

In WA, an old car can be completely re-registered with a year of manufacture plate, no need to keep a modern plate. i think the cut-off date is 30 years old (which now includes classics like Taurus and Camry). The law says the car is then restricted to pleasure use, but I don’t think it is widely enforced. I found a year of manufacture set for my fintail 20 years ago, at a yard sale no less, and registered it immediately. Best investment I’ve made for the car (as it is now exempt from registration fees).

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > fintail 01/24/2017 at 19:24

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I can register as an antique, but there’s no particular reason to do so, because it doesn’t have to be registered as an antique to use a year of manufacture plate nor to be exempt from inspection - just >35 years old, which is the prerequisite for an antique plate.

A lot of the old-school one-party-democrat years laws in NC are kind of like this - comprehensive, “reasonable” but strict, but sketchily enforced, badly written, and only a matter of trivia until somebody has a headache.

See for example NC fireworks laws. Fireworks are illegal, full stop, except for some badly defined categories of things that overlap one another which we have decided to state are not legally fireworks and are thus okay because of reasons. DERP

I’m serious: “fireworks are illegal except that some other states seem to be having fun so we’re going to define some things we decided are REASONABLE AND SAFE(ish), so they’re not fireworks, mmkay?”

Jack Does Cars > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 01/24/2017 at 19:55

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What?

Jack Does Cars > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 19:55

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Aren’t you in Western NC?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jack Does Cars 01/24/2017 at 19:56

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Yes, I am. Buncombe.

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 21:05

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Really weird that you have to keep modern plates with YOM plates. Here, the old plates are it - they are on the registration of the car as “permanent plates”. Goofy.

I laugh about that kind of lunacy to a friend of mine who lived in GA, too. So preachy about small government, but the state has about 900 little counties, each with its own often needless administration departments. And the dry Sunday laws too, just for a little puritanical idiocy.

Jack Does Cars > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 21:26

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I plan on going to UNC-A in the fall of 2018, it’s beautiful area.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > fintail 01/24/2017 at 21:28

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There’s a lassitude of big government ways of doing things in a lot of southern states at the local level, lingering from the FDR years and even before. Let’s not forget that Wilson, who segregated the civil services, was an early 20th century southern Dem, and the temperance movement and other early progressivism found fertile soil for the first half of the century in places like Georgia.

Still, better to have “big government” mindset at the local level than at the highest - a county loses its marbles, you can get the hell out.

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/24/2017 at 22:10

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I just find it funny that those who hate government often rely on it.

Amusing how things change - temperance wouldn’t be seen as progressive today, and Dems of 100 years ago wouldn’t be Dems today (hell, Nixon would probably be a moderate Democrat in 2017).

Good point about the levels. I’ve visited some counties I doubt I’d want to live in. Greener pastures are easier at the local level, few have the means to buy residency in another country.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/25/2017 at 08:42

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I’m stubbornly holding onto my “First in Flight” plate as long as possible, even if it has been proven incorrect. Something about the “First in Freedom” plates just seems wrong to me.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/25/2017 at 09:07

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“Proven incorrect”? You’re referring to the Whitehead attempts, or what? “Proven” wouldn’t be a word I’d associate with any of the contrary claims, definitely not Langley (on whose behalf the Smithsonian and others engaged in fuckery for 39 years).

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/25/2017 at 10:08

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I’m no expert, I’ve only heard bits and pieces in the news, that’s why I used “if.”

I thought they had replaced the First in Flight plates, but I just looked at the DMV webpage and see that the “Freedom” ones are just an option.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/25/2017 at 10:24

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Yep, I guess it was the Whitehead claim that I was thinking of. “The Whitehead claim is less documented and lacks clear photographic evidence”

Whatever. My main objection is that I like to see the plane flyer on the license plates as it has been for so many years ( since 1982, apparently ), and should continue to be.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/25/2017 at 10:31

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I like the plane, I just don’t like the color scheme that much or the blades of grass. Yes, I am aware that’s an odd complaint. Anyway, the GT plate has them and the plane and Buzz, like so (or can be on the FIF version).

The ‘63 plate in the main post is actually the last year they put “DRIVE SAFELY” on the plate, and I dig the black-on-yellow, so I’m probably going GT plate in the glovebox/on trips, ‘63 plate for around town.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/25/2017 at 11:00

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Yeah, I like that ‘63 plate, too, especially for your application

It would have been fun to have had Buzz flying the flyer on the GT plate, or something similar.