# Would you know the difference



## wordstew (Jul 29, 2002)

On a motor vehicle stop looking at a Green license plate it looked brand new. It appears the individual had a reproduction of the green plate made after the old one faded away and died.

It had reflective paint, if it had some weathering and road grime on it I don't think someone would look twice at it.


----------



## Guest (Jun 23, 2009)

Did you write him up?


----------



## wordstew (Jul 29, 2002)

Jeepy said:


> Did you write him up?


As far as I was concerned he did not have a legal plate


----------



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

hmm.. could you have hit him with counterfeiting/altering a registry document? (felony, mind you)


----------



## firefighter39 (Apr 10, 2006)

RodneyFarva said:


> hmm.. could you have hit him with counterfeiting/altering a registry document? (felony, mind you)


Why, unless he was an a-hole why would you write him up? I would rather see someone re-paint the plate to make it visible - It's not like he was trying to hide something


----------



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

firefighter39 said:


> Why, unless he was an a-hole why would you write him up? I would rather see someone re-paint the plate to make it visible - It's not like he was trying to hide something


thats not his plate to paint!!


----------



## MetrowestPD (Oct 21, 2008)

firefighter39 said:


> Why, unless he was an a-hole why would you write him up? I would rather see someone re-paint the plate to make it visible - It's not like he was trying to hide something


He most definitely was trying to get away with something. The green plate only needs to be on the rear bumper, he was trying to avoid having to get new plates (red plates), which would require him to have both front and back plates.

Write him confiscate the fake plates and force him to get new ones.


----------



## firefighter39 (Apr 10, 2006)

RodneyFarva said:


> thats not his plate to paint!!


It actually sounds like the guy was trying to do the right thing, albeit stupid, so again, unless he is a a-hole why would you write him up.

Just tell him to get a new one and not do soemthing stupid like that again


----------



## TRPDiesel (Nov 28, 2008)

firefighter39 said:


> It actually sounds like the guy was trying to do the right thing, albeit stupid, so again, unless he is a a-hole why would you write him up.
> 
> Just tell him to get a new one and not do soemthing stupid like that again


Because people do not take care of these things. At least if you cite them they are forced to take care of the issue. Upon resolving the problem the court usually gives some consideration. It is a mechanism to get the problem solved, that is it


----------



## wordstew (Jul 29, 2002)

Wrote for the traffic violation. Had the individual come to the station with the new plate on his vehicle. Let him keep the reproduction plate to hang on the wall in his garage.


----------



## Goose (Dec 1, 2004)

RodneyFarva said:


> thats not his plate to paint!!


It's not your cruiser to take to the car wash either, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.


----------



## Guest (Jun 24, 2009)

For once I'm with the firefighter !!!!!!!!! If the plate looks and plays the part, and there isn't a HINT of the person being deceptive, who gives a fuck? 99% of green plated people are everyday, working folk. Pick your battles.


----------



## Tuna (Jun 1, 2006)

Back in the early 60's Ma. issued plates every year. One year they were black with white #s. Paint lasted about a month on them. (dad told me the inmates pissed in the paint,) We repainted the plates as did most people in the neighborhood. Dad said we would get stoped by the police if they couldn't read the plate from any distance.


----------



## TRPDiesel (Nov 28, 2008)

Sniper said:


> For once I'm with the firefighter !!!!!!!!! If the plate looks and plays the part, and there isn't a HINT of the person being deceptive, who gives a fuck? 99% of green plated people are everyday, working folk. Pick your battles.


I agree with you about the pick your battles and in the grand scheme of things this is not a big deal. I am not a chap 90 hound and could care less but the bottom line is that he is attempting to get away with not getting red series plates. What's the issue with just going to registry like everyone else that has faded green plates and get issued FREE red series plates. It seems like he is going thru a bit of effort to not have an identying plate displayed on the front of his vehicle.



frank said:


> It's not your cruiser to take to the car wash either, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.


huh??????


----------



## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

I'm not into sticking it up the ass of the working man but I think the real issue is finding out where he had the reproduction plates made. You are not even supposed to touch up reg. plates or protect them with plate covers, never mind manufacture your own.


----------



## Guest (Jun 24, 2009)

TRPDiesel said:


> I agree with you about the pick your battles and in the grand scheme of things this is not a big deal. I am not a chap 90 hound and could care less but the bottom line is that he is attempting to get away with not getting red series plates. What's the issue with just going to registry like everyone else that has faded green plates and get issued FREE red series plates. It seems like he is going thru a bit of effort to not have an identying plate displayed on the front of his vehicle.


Right. But the RMV is only mandating that green plates get replaced if they are illegible. I AM a huge ch90 guy and HATE faded green plates just as much as anyone. If the plate is true to form and meets specs, and some 65 yo woman with no BOP and KQ has it attached to her own vehicle..... Why break her balls?



LGriffin said:


> I'm not into sticking it up the ass of the working man but I think the real issue is finding out where he had the reproduction plates made. You are not even supposed to touch up reg. plates or protect them with plate covers, never mind manufacture your own.


I doubt there is a guy in his basement somewhere making plates for people to pull a fast one on the RMV.........


----------



## Boston Irish Lass (Feb 13, 2009)

TRPDiesel said:


> I agree with you about the pick your battles and in the grand scheme of things this is not a big deal. I am not a chap 90 hound and could care less but the bottom line is that he is attempting to get away with not getting red series plates. What's the issue with just going to registry like everyone else that has faded green plates and get issued FREE red series plates. It seems like he is going thru a bit of effort to not have an identying plate displayed on the front of his vehicle.


If the green plates have been around that long, wouldn't it be an indicator that they had been following the rules (keeping it registered/insured) et cetera for quite a time? From an outside (meaning unqualified to actually answer this with facts) perspective I would think seeing the green plates might indicate that it would be a better chance at a normal person?


----------



## TRPDiesel (Nov 28, 2008)

Sniper said:


> Right. But the RMV is only mandating that green plates get replaced if they are illegible. I AM a huge ch90 guy and HATE faded green plates just as much as anyone. If the plate is true to form and meets specs, and some 65 yo woman with no BOP and KQ has it attached to her own vehicle..... Why break her balls?
> 
> 
> > So when the inspection station puts my sticker on crooked and wrinkled it is okay for me to jump on photoshop and remake it after I destroy it trying to straighten it out as I have no KQ or BOP. Or my license or registration gets put thru the wash and I dont want to spend the 25 bucks to get it replaced so I have something made nearly similar. Where do you draw the line. The registry is replacing them for FREE. Just go get red series plates like everyone else instead of creating a counterfeit plate.


----------



## CLOWN PATROL (May 25, 2009)

Hey firefighter 39- you should stick to firefighting.


----------



## Big.G (Nov 28, 2006)

firefighter39 said:


> Why, unless he was an a-hole why would you write him up? I would rather see someone *re-paint the plate* to make it visible - It's not like he was trying to hide something


I've seen someone who touched up their plate with green paint. I wish I had a green plate and I wouldn't want to lose it if I had one. So I didn't really care too much about it. If they can pass inspection with the touched up plate then all the power to them.

Now if someone had a new plate made up, like in this case, that is a different story...



MetrowestPD said:


> Write him confiscate the fake plates and force him to get new ones.


You could, but they'll just get another plate made up.


----------



## wallymc8 (Mar 3, 2007)

I think this is a pretty harmless issue. I understand that technically they are tampering with plates, but i really don't think i would care as long as they were a decent person. As long as i can read the plate and ID who they are, they can do whatever they want with it. I wouldn't really compare it with photoshoping inspection stickers. But since it was brought up, as long as it passed and showed on the same vehicle on the computer, i probably wouldn't care about that either.


----------



## Guest (Jun 25, 2009)

TRPDiesel said:


> So when the inspection station puts my sticker on crooked and wrinkled it is okay for me to jump on photoshop and remake it after I destroy it trying to straighten it out as I have no KQ or BOP. Or my license or registration gets put thru the wash and I dont want to spend the 25 bucks to get it replaced so I have something made nearly similar. Where do you draw the line. The registry is replacing them for FREE. Just go get red series plates like everyone else instead of creating a counterfeit plate.


Apples and Oranges bro...........

*coun⋅ter⋅feit*

  /ˈkaʊn







tərˌfɪt/  Show Spelled Pronunciation [koun-ter-fit]  Show IPA

Use *counterfeit* in a Sentence

-adjective 1.*made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine*; *not genuine*; forged: counterfeit dollar bills. 2.pretended; unreal: counterfeit grief. 
-noun 3.an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery.4.Archaic. a copy.5.Archaic. a close likeness; portrait.6.Obsolete. impostor; pretender.
-verb (used with object) 7.to make a counterfeit of; imitate fraudulently; forge.8.to resemble.9.to simulate.
-verb (used without object) 10.to make counterfeits, as of money.11.to feign; dissemble.

*Origin: *
1250-1300; (adj.) ME countrefet false, forged < AF cuntrefet, OF contrefait, ptp. of conterfere to copy, imitate, equiv. to conter- counter- + fere to make, do ≪ L facere (see fact ); (v.) ME countrefeten, v. deriv. of countrefet


----------



## TRPDiesel (Nov 28, 2008)

Sniper said:


> Apples and Oranges bro...........
> 
> *coun⋅ter⋅feit*-adjective 1.; *not genuine*;


Exactly my point- it is not genuine. therefore counterfeit.
Apples and oranges, be that as it may, but they are all RMV Documents and privy to the same standards.


----------



## Guest (Jun 25, 2009)

s'why I'm just a mall cop bro.......... let's just agree to disagree. stay safe out there


----------



## TRPDiesel (Nov 28, 2008)

I am all for that, and I certainly agree that it is not a big deal. Just sticking to my guns is all.


----------



## GreenMachine (Mar 26, 2007)

it goes to each officer's discretion how to handle every stop.

maybe if they flashed that little volunteer fire fighter badge they would get some "professional courtesy"...


----------



## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

GreenMachine said:


> it goes to each officer's discretion how to handle every stop.
> 
> maybe if they flashed that little volunteer fire fighter badge they would get some "professional courtesy"...


LMAO, I prefer the volunteer EMT, especially when they ghost ride calls


----------



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

Sniper said:


> s'why I'm just a mall cop bro.......... let's just agree to disagree. *stay safe out there*


Thats the Masscops equivalent to "I Said good day Sir!" ...


----------



## LongKnife56 (Sep 9, 2008)

I wish I still had a green plate. License plates look lousy on the front of my car. It's not fair that some only have to have one on the back.


----------



## MetrowestPD (Oct 21, 2008)

resqjyw0 said:


> I've seen someone who touched up their plate with green paint. I wish I had a green plate and I wouldn't want to lose it if I had one. So I didn't really care too much about it. If they can pass inspection with the touched up plate then all the power to them.
> 
> Now if someone had a new plate made up, like in this case, that is a different story...
> 
> You could, but they'll just get another plate made up.


No the idea is they would then have to go to the red series plates. When I had my green plates, and they became faded I traded them in, for free, for new red series plates and now had to put them on the front and back. Why does this guy get to paint his plate when no one else does?


----------



## Big.G (Nov 28, 2006)

MetrowestPD said:


> Why does this guy get to paint his plate when no one else does?


I'm just saying I wouldn't give a shit if they did, or anyone else for that matter. It is still illegal. But, like I said, when it comes time for an inspection, if they can pass then what do I really care?

I just think reproducing plates crosses the line.


----------

