2013 number plates to be changed to avoid ‘unlucky 13’

ejmaztec

They can give nodding black cats away with every purchase to cancel out the bad luck.

Capt'n Midnight

blastman wrote: »

Regarding superstitions, a lot of buildings have no 13th floor, and there is no row 13 in most aeroplanes, so we're still a pretty superstitious bunch!

Do you know of any buildings in Ireland without a 13th floor - apart from hotels ?

http://www.airlinereporter.com/2009/11/row-13-some-airlines-have-it-some-dont/

I first spoke with Jennifer Janzen, Corporate Communications Manager with Lufthansa airlines and she explained to me that they also do not have a 17th row. Janzen informed me, “On board Lufthansa aircraft correspondingly the twelfth row is followed by the 14th. The attentive passenger, however, will also notice the absence of row 17. The reason is that in Italy and Brazil, 17 is regarded as unlucky.”

...
USA Today asked Continental about the 13th row in 2005 and they stated, “Apparently someone a long time ago (we don’t know when) thought we shouldn’t have a row 13. We have let the row numbering system persist, especially since we don’t want to go through the expense of renumbering rows on about 600 aircraft.”

Geoff Pettis, Manager of Interior Engineering with Alaska Airlines, cleared up my confusion by telling me the Boeing 737-800′s were not originally supposed to be their planes. “Alaska Airlines was already operating the 737-700 and 737-900 when the decision was made to start operating the 737-800s. Due to cancellations by other airlines, Alaska was able to practically buy the first couple right off the assembly line. However, this compressed time frame meant Alaska was not able to spec out [design] the cabin as would have normally happened.” To keep the layout consistent, they continued to order new 800′s without a 13th row, “but not because of any superstition.”


I also wanted to get an opinion from a seat expert or a seat guru, if you will. I spoke with Matt Daimler, Founder of Seatguru.com on what he thinks about the 13th row. “I believe the goal of airlines omitting it is to help reduce anxiety that flyers may have.” He did tell me he has two concerns with the 13th row. First, “The row that would have been marked 13 is rarely actually the 13th row of seats on the plane. This is because the airlines typically skip numbering as they move from First Class to Coach.” His second issue was, “The airlines that omit row 13 have flight numbers such as 113 and 213, which seem equally unlucky to me.” Daimler says he has no problem flying in the 13th row, “unless SeatGuru says it’s a red seat [bad seat to sit in] of course!.”

GCU Flexible Demeanour

ncmc wrote: »

I don't quite understand, are you asking why the government should be concerned about falling car sales?

Well VRT levels fell from 1.4 billion in 2007 to 375 million in 2009, so you could see why it's in the governments interests avoid any further falls in car sales.

Well, no, I anticipated that dodge in my post. The point is that its ludicrous for the State to encourage imports, just to have something to tax.

It's ludicrous for the Government to encourage the loss of over a billion to the national economy to purchase imported cars, just so it can collected a couple of hundred million. It makes absolutely no financial sense whatsoever.

ncmc

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

Well, no, I anticipated that dodge in my post. The point is that its ludicrous for the State to encourage imports, just to have something to tax.

It's ludicrous for the Government to encourage the loss of over a billion to the national economy to purchase imported cars, just so it can collected a couple of hundred million. It makes absolutely no financial sense whatsoever.

I'm sorry, maybe i'm being thick, but I don't understand the point you are making?

Capt'n Midnight

Then again it is the indo so may be factually inaccurate

Omeceron

There is still a 13 in the number.

GCU Flexible Demeanour

ncmc wrote: »

I'm sorry, maybe i'm being thick, but I don't understand the point you are making?

Cars are not made here. They are imported. To afford imported stuff, you have to export something else.

Imports are a drain on the national economy of Ireland - and a benefit for the economies of France, Germany or wherever the car is imported from.

If Goverment encourages imports of new cars, the main beneficiaries are the countries from whom we import - not the Irish economy. Encouraging imports is a very expensive way of the State raising finance.

In 2007, Ireland spend nearly €4.4 billion importing cars. That's €4.4 billion lost to the national economy, just to provide a mechanism through which the Government raised €1.4 billion - money that was already in the economy, and could have been raised in some other way. Property taxes, for the sake of argument.

In 2009, Ireland spent less than a billion on imported cars. The Government might only have gotten €375 million in tax. But the Irish economy benefited, as we'd reduced the import leakage represented by car imports by over €3 billion.

Now, pardon me for saying it, but I think the point I'm making is perfectly clear and understandable. If anyone without a vested interest in the motor industry still finds the point opaque, please do post a query and I'll do my best to persist with an explanation.

Toby Take a Bow

Is it generally accepted that the whole 00-D-1234 type reg was brought in just to boost car sales? If so, it clearly wasn't thought through properly. Also, will there be an issue in a 2088 when everything comes full circle?

Why not just go back to the old reg numbers?

CrazyRabbit

My nephew is 12. Next year he will be 131. Kids grow up so fast these days!

Cantona's Collars

The 131 & 132 plates are just to boost sales in the 2nd half of the year when sales drop off after the rush to get new cars early.
The UK has been doing this for ages plus it helps add value to a car if you are then selling it on as a prospective buyer will know quickly how old a car is,they won't just see a '13' car but will know if it's an early or late model.

The 131/132 plates aren't just for next year,they are here to stay so expect to see 141/142 the year after next.

El Siglo

**** sake that's a retarded idea altogether.

spida

If anyone thinks this is nonsense please show your support for my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/keep13regs.

No need to destroy a perfectly good system just to bow to pressure from the SIMI. This is not about collecting VAT as the money will be spent on something else which incurrs VAT if it is not spent on a new car.

ncmc

spida wrote: »

If anyone thinks this is nonsense please show your support for my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/keep13regs.

No need to destroy a perfectly good system just to bow to pressure from the SIMI. This is not about collecting VAT as the money will be spent on something else which incurrs VAT if it is not spent on a new car.

You're forgetting VRT which is additional to VAT and unique to new cars and cars registered in the republic for the first time.

Jimoslimos

Penn wrote: »

"My hotel doesn't have a 13th floor because of superstition, but people on the 14th floor, you know what floor you're really on!" - Mitch Hedberg

Yeah that nails it on the head. People who are superstitious about buying a car with an unlucky "13" reg will still attribute any bad luck, crashes, breakdowns to the fact they bought it in 2013, regardless of number plate.

Actually might be a good excuse for all of us to be a little bit lax in whatever we do, "Shure, it's 2013 - bound to go wrong anyway!"

spida

ncmc wrote: »

You're forgetting VRT

I appreciate that there is also VRT, 77% of which will not be brought to the public coffers but I think this is a means of duping people into paying more tax than is necessary. If people need a new car they should buy it, if they don't they shouldn't.

The system works and we should not be listening to pressure groups to decide how to run our country.

GCU Flexible Demeanour

ncmc wrote: »

You're forgetting VRT which is additional to VAT and unique to new cars and cars registered in the republic for the first time.

More pertinently, you're forgetting the massive leakage from the national economy in the form of the cost of importing cars.

marshbaboon

In other news:

Cameras are to be banned in Ireland to prevent the capture of souls.

ncmc

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

More pertinently, you're forgetting the massive leakage from the national economy in the form of the cost of importing cars.

No, I do see your point about the fact that all our cars are imported. However as one of the 40'000 people who are employed in the motor industry in Ireland, I will welcome anything that may prevent a further fall in car sales.

I am a little perplexed by peoples reactions, it won't affect the vast majority of peoples day to day lives, so why such a negative reaction?

kodoherty93

It is supposed to help the car trade as something like 70-80% of cars are sold in the first half of the year. The uk has a similar reg plate ie. 09 means the car was registered in the 1st half of 2009. 59 means the 2nd half of the year.

jessiejam

Do they really think the reason people won't buy new cars next year is because of the reg?
I would think it's because people can't afford to update their cars!

ncmc

Believe it or not Jessie, it does seem to be an issue for some people. I think the crux of the matter is that the SIMI for some years now have wanted two different reg numbers one starting in Jan, one starting in Jul. They think this will avoid the massive fall off in car sales after May/June. The 13 thing is an issue, but I think the SIMI’s main goal is to get the two reg numbers in.

opinion guy

Kenno90 wrote: »

Is it a gimmick to promote car sales Kinda like when everybody wanted a 00 Car :rolleyes:

Bingo.

This is a bull**** excuse to bring in a 6monthly cycle in car sales. SIMI have been pushing for this for a number if years but I guess its taken this 13 thing to persuade whatever numpty is making this decision. Farce.

Also -don't car salesmen claim they dont' make any money on new car sales anyhow that second hand is where they can make money?

Farce. Someone needs firing. SIMI need shutting down whilst we are at it.

spida

ncmc wrote: »

may prevent a further fall in car sales.

The car registration system is for the numbering of cars in the society for the benefit of many arms of that society. It is not a sales mechanism for the motor industry.

What you are looking for is not something to 'prevent a further fall' but rather something to give your industry a one-off boost. What do we do next time the industry says it needs a boost? Have a new place every quarter, every month, every week? Where does such nonsense end?

http://www.facebook.com/Keep13Regs

GCU Flexible Demeanour

ncmc wrote: »

No, I do see your point about the fact that all our cars are imported. However as one of the 40'000 people who are employed in the motor industry in Ireland, I will welcome anything that may prevent a further fall in car sales.

I fall into the trap of using the term myself, but is it fair to say that it's a "trade" more than an "industry".

Plus, I'd take it the jobs don't really depend on new cars - or, at least, not most of them. If anything, upkeep of older cars would generate more scope for indigenous enterprise.

ncmc wrote: »

I am a little perplexed by peoples reactions, it won't affect the vast majority of peoples day to day lives, so why such a negative reaction?

Because it will impact people's day to day lives if the Government give priority to increasing imports. Losing €1 billion from the economy costs jobs, earnings, yadda yadda. All for nothing - just to keep a handful of peripheral jobs, that are actually benefiting the German and French economies at our expense.

ItsNoAlias

I would not buy a 13 reg car (till at least 2017)... because I am not rich nough to afford one

ScumLord

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

If anything, upkeep of older cars would generate more scope for indigenous enterprise.

They're making a fortune off servicing the recent crop of cars that have stupidly complex ways of servicing the car so you have to take it to a dealer.

Everyone that owns a car would be better off putting a high performance K&N air filter in their car because at least then any fool could service it without pulling half the car apart to get at the air filter.

wivonnee

i mean seriously,only ireland could come up with that crap excuse!!!!

eth0

Getting people to buy new cars shouldnt be the goal anyway. They should be getting us to buy cars for £500 secondhand in england keep more money in the Irish economy

Ellis Dee

Isn't the world supposed to end later this year anyway? So why waste all that time and expense devising a new numbering system?:):):)

PieForPi

I don't see what the shock is over to be honest, 84% of the country call themselves Catholics so it's clearly a fairly retarded country if such a large % of us believe that bollocks.

ScumLord

PieForPi wrote: »

I don't see what the shock is over to be honest, 84% of the country call themselves Catholics so it's clearly a fairly retarded country if such a large % of us believe that bollocks.

Most Irish people are no more Catholic than they are Muslim. They just go along with what religion they where told to be.

PieForPi

ScumLord wrote: »

Most Irish people are no more Catholic than they are Muslim. They just go along with what religion they where told to be.

Ah I know but there is still a massive contingent in this country that will look at you like you've just pulled down your pants and shat on their children if you tell them you don't believe in a God.

spida

Kenno90 wrote: »

People would rather have a car with a reg of 132,

Then they know, that their car was made in 2013

If you're buying a car you should ask to see the registration document. This tells you the date on which the car was registered. If we divide the year up into two parts, why not 4 or 12 or 52, where will the SIMI stop when their industry asks them for another shot in the arm.

Sign-up on Facebook to show your opposition to this nonsense:
http://www.facebook.com/Keep13Regs

eth0

Maybe they can bring back the old style '225 YZU' style regs, get rid of the ould reg snobbery for once and for all

zcorpian88

We have a government run by children!

eth0

eth0 wrote: »

Maybe they can bring back the old style '225 YZU' style regs, get rid of the ould reg snobbery for once and for all

+1

Retain the county ID but limit the plate to 4 digits with letters to make up the bigger numbers.

eg

RN - 1 to 9999
then RN - A1 to A9999
then RN - B1 to B9999

and so on.

When you reach Z9999 you can either reverse or have two Letters

Dublin could be split up into smaller regions to avoid running out the system too quickly.
ND SD & DC (Dublin county) or similar.

eth0

Deleted User wrote: »

+1

Retain the county ID but limit the plate to 4 digits with letters to make up the bigger numbers.

eg

RN - 1 to 9999
then RN - A1 to A9999
then RN - B1 to B9999

and so on.

When you reach Z9999 you can either reverse or have two Letters

Dublin could be split up into smaller regions to avoid running out the system too quickly.
ND SD & DC (Dublin county) or similar.

I know the old system was county based but even that can be got rid of or changed so a county has a massive load of 3 letter combos allocated to it. Need to get rid of the utter fuckbags who insist on the 'D redge' for their new autobox luxury crossover crapheap and the dealers refusing to take non-D reg cars as well.

namloc1980

woof im a dog wrote: »

theyre just adding an extra number on the plate would it really cost that much money

Ah but you can bet some consultancy firm was paid a small fortune to come up with this sh*t!

eth0

eth0 wrote: »

I know the old system was county based but even that can be got rid of or changed so a county has a massive load of 3 letter combos allocated to it. Need to get rid of the utter fuckbags who insist on the 'D redge' for their new autobox luxury crossover crapheap and the dealers refusing to take non-D reg cars as well.

Cyprus when it became independent started a new registration system, nationally

A1 through to ZZZ999 (they're less than a quarter of the way through)

Northern Ireland still uses the original system as set up at the start of the 20th century, but adding extra characters every few years.

namloc1980

namloc1980 wrote: »

Ah but you can bet some consultancy firm was paid a small fortune to come up with this sh*t!

Long numberplates are harder to remember, D - 123 is easer to remember that 131 - D - 1209956 after a hit and run.

oppenheimer1

eth0 wrote: »

Maybe they can bring back the old style '225 YZU' style regs, get rid of the ould reg snobbery for once and for all

See they don't want to do that because reg snobbery sells cars. Why would I buy a brand new car if no one knew it was a brand new car?

orlaxxx

what will happen in december will it be 1312??

magma69

I hope anyone who wouldn't buy a 2013 car for that reason ironically dies in a car crash.

jeoun

Don't think they look too bad

michellie

orlaxxx wrote: »

what will happen in december will it be 1312??

No, it'll be 132.

131 Jan-june
132 July-december

michellie

jeoun wrote: »

Don't think they look too bad

Think the whole issue is the length of the registration, it would be like 131-D-123456. Some counties are pretty long, cork and wexford to name more.

jeoun

michellie wrote: »

Think the whole issue is the length of the registration, it would be like 131-D-123456. Some counties are pretty long, cork and wexford to name more.

But surely in July, the last digits will revert back to 1. Hence, in one year there will be a 131-D-432 and a 132-D-432. It might lead to easier to remember reg plates.

Pottler

Oh good, I can get that 131 van I've been looking at. No way was I getting a 13 reg. I doubt I'm alone, either. And yes, yes I am a superstious fool. I also don't work much on friday the 13th's. People, eh? Tut.

opinion guy

Pottler wrote: »

Oh good, I can get that 131 van I've been looking at. No way was I getting a 13 reg. I doubt I'm alone, either. And yes, yes I am a superstious fool. I also don't work much on friday the 13th's. People, eh? Tut.

Can we ban people for saying stuff like this ? for like I dunno, trolling or whatever.

Actually whilst were at it can you get a category mod to ban SIMI please for years of persistent trolling ?

Julius Seizure

Don't they have something similar in the UK where in September they change from 08 to 58? In 2008 for example.