Odd Question: Lack of License Plates??

[Tink-aholic]

Hi all SoCal Disers! I'm just back from my first trip to California and to DLR (I will be writing a TR soon!), but I have a question that stumped me the entire time I was there...why are there so many cars without license plates? At first I thought that possibly there were a LOT of people taking test-drives of new cars, all at the same time. But then I saw people with dogs in these cars, or they were on the same freeway we were on for hours, and it just doesn't add up.

It was so frequent that my son and I made a game of counting them and statistically, they averaged out to nearly one in twenty-two cars did not have a license plate.

Incidentally, though we were in Southern California for a week and drove 265 miles, I didn't see one police officer, either. So weird, because in New England, it seems you can't go around the corner without running into a cop.

Any ideas? I'm just really curious.

 

[sonnyjane]

Hi all SoCal Disers! I'm just back from my first trip to California and to DLR (I will be writing a TR soon!), but I have a question that stumped me the entire time I was there...why are there so many cars without license plates? At first I thought that possibly there were a LOT of people taking test-drives of new cars, all at the same time. But then I saw people with dogs in these cars, or they were on the same freeway we were on for hours, and it just doesn't add up.

It was so frequent that my son and I made a game of counting them and statistically, they averaged out to nearly one in twenty-two cars did not have a license plate.

Incidentally, though we were in Southern California for a week and drove 265 miles, I didn't see one police officer, either. So weird, because in New England, it seems you can't go around the corner without running into a cop.

Any ideas? I'm just really curious.

TRUST ME, there are cops everywhere. A lot of the cop cars here in San Diego at least (and on the 5 up to LA) are more discrete vehicles - Dodge Chargers and other cars that you wouldn't necessarily notice as being a cop car if you just passed by. They also aren't all the typical black and white cop cars - many are solid colors with just a logo on the side. Also lots of motorcycle cops down here and they'll blow by you fast, so you might not notice. I always see at least ten cops every time I make the San Diego to Anaheim drive.

As far as license plates, here in CA, it takes about 30 days (and sometimes up to 90 days depending on circumstances) to get a license plate on your vehicle after you buy it. They don't give you the temporary paper license tags that I've received in some other states - they just don't give you one at all. This goes for new cars but also used cars that are sold through private parties. SoCal is a really populated area and there are a lot of car transactions, so lots of cars without them.