OK............Time to vent some anger and as you lot are nearly family so looks like your getting it full bore!!!!! Let me set the scene.....Location Bonny Scotland on a fast flowing road to Oban, we've been "On it" for a fair few miles and started to descend down a long left hander into a valley , you know the sort of bend....clinched bum cheeks n knee down muttering sumfin like "At my age this is soooooo stupid", at this point I glanced over the Armco into the basin of the valley and all I can see is "HI VIS"!!!..............F**k and a sudden let off of the throttle and frantic up gear selections to try and muffle the Blades growl, at the bottom of the road we were summons to join these Hi Vis guys in the large car park area ( were they having a party and we were invited....I think NOT!) . To say there were a few would be an understatement!....there were Bike cops,Vosa, Trading Standards ,Unmarked Beammers etc..............it was surely some sort of Scottish Shindig!. We all dismounted expecting a right ol bollocking and numorus pink tickets coming our way.........I,m sure they could have heared us coming but no, the copper say's "Just checking your tyres n TAX boy's n you'll be on ya way"............needless to say.............me n my mate coped a £100 Pink Ticket each! Just for the record I can confirm the two bikes were TAX'ed!!!..........just not showing the Disc of Dome and for this very mister minor it cost me One Hundred big ones!!................Should I be pissed?...............Hell yes! So you learned lot, has anyone got nabbed for not "Displaying" a TAX disc? and more to the point has anyone got a suggestion on how I should write a grovelling letter to the Scottish Office stating I was on Hoilbobs,the TAX disc was still sitting on the kitchen table as I set off to their fair land and it was an oversight that I did not refit the holder. The Blade is never SORN'ed, always insured and the MOT never expires aswell as always being TAXed....just to indicate I,m a law abiding motorist and £100 is a piss take ! RANT over...............but open to suggestion's?
They seem even more picky then what I had yesterday! I got done for having a normal size plate but with no postcode and reflector on it. Got away with a 14 day producer tho.. no fine
Now if you where going to say, Fined for speeding them. OK you can't argue with that if u had But not displaying TAX!!! making me think I should get mine out of the storage under the seat
Not displaying a Tax Disc has been an offence since Adam was a boy. I seem to remember quite a few on ere keep em shoved in the pillion seat compartment or their wallet etc when we discussing decent Tax disc holders last April or so. Tiz what it is, I spose!
Shocking!! They must be trying to make a few bob by the sounds of it.. That many coppers together there were on a cash cow run... I never display my tax in a draw at home like you.. They know your not taxed with plate reading software now they dont need to see the bloody cert!
That's not the point though is it. The PNC can check your insured and taxed etc but that's not the offence. The offence is failing to display and so we haven't really got a leg to stand on. Under the pillion seat or at home won't help us in this scenario. I'm not condoning their behaviour but its any easy ticket for them if you don't display!!
The whole "displaying a tax disc" thing is a load of shit. Like you say it's all done electronically now. The guy who did me for the plate said he could of done me for it not being in a well displayed place. Mine is attached on my chain guard, left hand side of the bike. Where the fuck else am I supposed to put it!? Besides my uncle was a bike copper for years and he admitted to me that they have to meet quotas for stops and tickets. All bullshit mate. This is why I wanna just ride track now, there's too many people out on the road whether its poorly skilled motorists or coppers who just wanna ruin it for you! Especially when half of em just see someone on a gorgeous bike havin way too much fun. You're even more screwed if you've got a hot girl on the back, I got stopped about a week after buying my 600r with a girl I was seeing at the time on the back. Sweet little petite thing, looked great in leathers, and that copper proceeded to throw the book at me. Or try to anyway...
I wouldn't write any letters as it could cost you more, if you look on the back of your disc it stated the fine for not displaying can equal upto £1000!
Did they fine any of the guys who had them stored away but on them? Or just you for not having it at all? Sounds harsh mate, but I'd take a fine for tax over speeding, points, bigger fine and potentially the knee down (whole other debate) court explanation which by the sounds of it could have been quite an easy tug for them. Gotta look at the positives I suppose
Can you actually get done for knee down on the road?? I'd argue that it's a demonstration of control, not a lack of it.
Here we go!!! been loads of debates about this.... You could argue that, but it can be argued the other way and maybe not suitable for the queens highway!!
To be fair............He could of tugged us for 1. Dark Visor 2.Race Can 3.Headlamp covers BUT £100 for not displaying FFS. It's the same amount for Driving using a cell phone,NOT HAVING TAX etc. Just seams harsh and I,d like to voice my self on the subject! Someone suggested I send the cheque for £100.01p.............that way they cant cash it and their software has a hissy fit.
I used to work for theDVLA ANPR unit and at times ( esp summer ) we were tasked to target bikes and used to go to BSB MEETS and the like and park up just down the road from the circuit entrance, we didnt bother wether or not the bike was displaying a tax as rightly said it can all be checked on ANPR, thats what the system was designed for, so you dont have to physically stop someone to conduct checks but use it as a means of pulling over the right vehicles. Ive alays kept my tax disc sellotaped to the inside of the seat cowl, never in 10 yrs of biking has anyone said owt about it I think if u had it in ur pocket / wallet or taped to ur bike sumwhere, u prob wudnt have got the ticket?? As i kow quite a few people who have had theirs knicked and if u use that argument that they r easy to pinch then at least you have offered a valid reason / argument for keeping it on the bike / person but hidden from view??
Do u not have. Atime frame to appeal against the ticket, if so id use that and send them a nice polite reply, explaining you are taxed and due to an oversight, ie: cleaning bike didnt want tax disc to get ruined took it off with all the intentions of putting it back on, heres a photocopy of said disc, please make the fine go away , may work or they may tell ya to bugger off, but dont know unless ya try, the central finance unit of the police relies on people to just roll over n pay the fine/s, if you appeal theres more work for them to di as they have to reply to you as per their own rules, so give it a go dude, cost of a stamp cud save ya £100
Been stopped twice this year both times disc in the wallet and not even a mention .I noted young Tyke having a double rant about jacking it in and doing track days this is something that we all consider after a pull and the tail is down for a couple of days but you have to remember that if you are biking and heading to the usual bike meets or biking roads in North Yorkshire or indeed anywhere the odds or percentages of getting a pull are in the cops favor and as such take other not so popular routes or go out mid week which should put the percentage back in our favor " Still pot luck" but better odds ! I overtook a Traffic car yesterday with a certain smugness of having a normal sized plate if you can't beat them join them ?
Can't really argue it as your supposed to display the disk on the vehicle. If it was a non attended ticket, parking etc, then maybe you could saying it was positioned at point X and they didn't see it. But you were stopped and it didn't have it...tough luck mate :-( I have seen a pannigale, where the disk is under the bike in the rear above the mud guard area!!! Lol
The cop did actually say that if we had it on our persons ie in pocket/wallet that would be good enough. The Law is outdated now and needs to be dragged into the 21st century but until it does common sense is just 2 words nothing else! All I can do at this stage is Plead / grovel and hope they take pity.........somehow I know it will fall on deaf ears.