Your old car will look GREAT with a digital plate!

[John348]

2 hours ago, 46 woodie said:

John, the reason I brought that up was because a few years back, the big thing for kids in my area was to bend up license plates that weren't secured in all 4 corners. Just stupid kid pranks I guess.

 

I am pretty sure we live in the same area,  but I never heard of that one, 

[46 woodie]

John, It was a stupid high school prank that started with doing it to teachers car's but some students didn't stop at that. I haven't heard of it in a couple of years so I think the kid's have moved on.

[Scott Bonesteel]

OK, I will admit to living in California, known to some folks to the North and East of us as 'the land of fruits and nuts'.  I would never have one of these on my cars, new or old, and it does look like another case of 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.  A few random thoughts:

--For an older car, makes about as much sense as a set of digital gauges on a Model A.  If you want digital gauges, buy a new Hyundai.

--Seems to be a symptom of the 'put everything on line' syndrome.  Still can't figure out why some folks want to put their refrigerator 'on line'.

--Most likely, this was less of a 'Big Brother' action than a cost saving measure.  Don't have to pay to make the steel (although I think the new ones are aluminum), even if they are being made by prison labor (do they still do that??).  No mailing costs for the plates or the renewal stickers, just update on line.  Try dealing with the California government using 'paper' and you will be forced to interact with the state electronically.  Any initial cost for these electronic plates will be borne, as stated above, by the consumer.

--And yes, the impact addressed by other posters of a potential governmental 'snooping'/'monitoring' is there, even though I am sure they would deny it.  Experience has shown that if the technology can be abused, it will be.

 

I will stick with my California YOM plates.

[John348]

3 hours ago, Scott Bonesteel said:

OK, I will admit to living in California, known to some folks to the North and East of us as 'the land of fruits and nuts'.  I would never have one of these on my cars, new or old, and it does look like another case of 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.  A few random thoughts:

--For an older car, makes about as much sense as a set of digital gauges on a Model A.  If you want digital gauges, buy a new Hyundai.

--Seems to be a symptom of the 'put everything on line' syndrome.  Still can't figure out why some folks want to put their refrigerator 'on line'.

--Most likely, this was less of a 'Big Brother' action than a cost saving measure.  Don't have to pay to make the steel (although I think the new ones are aluminum), even if they are being made by prison labor (do they still do that??).  No mailing costs for the plates or the renewal stickers, just update on line.  Try dealing with the California government using 'paper' and you will be forced to interact with the state electronically.  Any initial cost for these electronic plates will be borne, as stated above, by the consumer.

--And yes, the impact addressed by other posters of a potential governmental 'snooping'/'monitoring' is there, even though I am sure they would deny it.  Experience has shown that if the technology can be abused, it will be.

 

I will stick with my California YOM plates.

Scott,

You brought up an important point, if somebody wants those plates "who cares?" I can have YOM plates on my vintage cars but I don't bother, it's just not that important to me, but I don't. and who cares? I don't care if anyone does.

If people are worried about big brother watching them then they are are either doing something wrong or they are paranoid about doing something wrong. The cell phone in your pocket is tracking everywhere you go anyway, and everyone is worried about a license plate? Those plates are marketed to 20 something year-old's from a private company, that the State of California recognizes as a legitimate tag , no different then a YOM tag, Again WHO CARES?  

 

Nice car!

Edited October 20, 2022 by John348 (see edit history)

[Scott Bonesteel]

1 hour ago, John348 said:

Scott,

You brought up an important point, if somebody wants those plates "who cares?" I can have YOM plates on my vintage cars but I don't bother, it's just not that important to me, but I don't. and who cares? I don't care if anyone does.

If people are worried about big brother watching them then they are are either doing something wrong or they are paranoid about doing something wrong. The cell phone in your pocket is tracking everywhere you go anyway, and everyone is worried about a license plate? Those plates are marketed to 20 something year-old's from a private company, that the State of California recognizes as a legitimate tag , no different then a YOM tag, Again WHO CARES?  

 

Nice car!

[John348]

57 minutes ago, Scott Bonesteel said:

That's pretty good!

[Leif in Calif]

On 10/14/2022 at 9:49 PM, Grimy said:

Prediction:  Within 24 hours of the first commercial installation, there will be a phone app available to change one's license number to a rude message.

I'm not sure how or if it will be monitored, but the big draw is that when the vehicle is "off" you can personalize it. I just hope this means they are teaching convicts high tech manufacturing.