The Truth About Steve Jobs' License Plate

Vaelin said:
It depends on their backlog. I just bought a vehicle here in LA late in August and it took 4-5 weeks to get the non-vanity plates - I was actually starting to wonder if the dealer failed to send in the paperwork but they said in some cases it can take 2 months. And like you said, there are no true temporary plates like I've had in other states, just the little window sticker on the side window (not back and front windows).

There are lots of people driving around down here without their front plate on and nobody ever gets pulled over for it; most people have the back plate on. Basically, alot of luxury car drivers don't like the look a license plate on the front of their car. I'm sure if you DID get pulled over without plates then you'd get the book thrown at you.
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Its a fix it ticket, probably less than 50 bucks.
 
So wait, let me get this straight.

If he doesn't have plates (regardless of it it's legal to do so because it's a new car) he's probably still going to get pulled over for not having plates. It's not like the cop will magically say - oh yes, this car is less than XX old, I won't pull that one over.

Lots of cars in CA drive without plates and I can't imagine they all get pulled over super often. In the case of exchanging an SL55, wouldn't it be cheaper to have some assistant pay the ticket each time rather than exchange the car every XX?
 
Roliath said:
Its a fix it ticket, probably less than 50 bucks.
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The processing *fee* is $50 but it's possible to assess a *fine* for not properly displaying one's plates. And depending on location, and officer annoyance level, one can also be fined for evasion of traffic control devices (i.e., traffic cameras). For those of us with Euro cars we can also get royally boned if the officer knows what he's looking for and notices we don't have "proper" (US DOT) headlights/side markers/etc. Getting pulled over in California can really be bad news for the wrong drivers :|

There's a lot of people out there who feel driving is a right and not a privilege and don't agree with license plate requirements. A lot of people feel we shouldn't carry national ID's or even driver's licenses...it's not something limited to wealthy people or even douchebags.
 
mope54 said:
The processing *fee* is $50 but it's possible to assess a *fine* for not properly displaying one's plates. And depending on location, and officer annoyance level, one can also be fined for evasion of traffic control devices (i.e., traffic cameras). For those of us with Euro cars we can also get royally boned if the officer knows what he's looking for and notices we don't have "proper" (US DOT) headlights/side markers/etc. Getting pulled over in California can really be bad news for the wrong drivers :|

There's a lot of people out there who feel driving is a right and not a privilege and don't agree with license plate requirements. A lot of people feel we shouldn't carry national ID's or even driver's licenses...it's not something limited to wealthy people or even douchebags.
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It really doesn't matter though as Jobs wasn't breaking any laws.
 
Roliath said:
It really doesn't matter though as Jobs wasn't breaking any laws.
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damnit hit enter too soon. from what i read/saw he was well within his rights to do what he choose to do. whether its right or wrong in your opinion isn't the question. he was able to do so and anyone else with the means could do so as well.
 
What's retarded is that CA allows people to drive around without a license plate for even one day, never mind six months.
 
If I was him I would have gone one step further and just put a trollface where the plate goes.
 
niconx said:
I'm thinking Jobs felt license plates were tacky and he didn't want to ruin the look of the car with them. How many people are in a $100,000+ SL55 AMG driving around town without a license plate? Just one guy. It makes him stick out like a sore thumb. If he wanted to be safe he would drive a Mercedes C or some other common car so he didn't stand out in the least bit.
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That's the first thing I thought too... We're talking about the same guy that (together with Yves, a designer) decided to defy his own engineers and implement the iPhone 4's flawed antenna, forcing engineers to work around it, and he wanted to outright ignore the public outcry over it too (according to his own authorized biography) but Cook, the current CEO, convinced him to handle it... This plates thing doesn't surprise me in the least.

Frankly, Jobs may have made Apple hip and the stock price high, but Cook could potentially take them much farther... The iPhone 4S may have underwhelmed the media, but it's a single model they're gonna be selling worldwide for two years, and in the US it's the first time it'll be available on smaller and more affordable carriers. If you can't see how that's gonna drive Apple's bottom line even harder and expand their platform even faster, you're blind.

What happens after that is what's gonna reveal whether the company can still push itself to innovate and/or put out a polished product without Jobs lunacy and business sense.
 
ooooh so he wasn't violating laws, he was just being a douchebag find loopholes.
 
Why didn't he just spend a tiny fraction of the gazillions of dollars that his drooling dazzled sypophants lavished upon him on a limousine and bodyguard service? That way he could go about his business in privacy, well protected from all of the hit squads hired by Bill Gates.
 
vsboxerboy said:
So wait, let me get this straight.

If he doesn't have plates (regardless of it it's legal to do so because it's a new car) he's probably still going to get pulled over for not having plates. It's not like the cop will magically say - oh yes, this car is less than XX old, I won't pull that one over.

Lots of cars in CA drive without plates and I can't imagine they all get pulled over super often. In the case of exchanging an SL55, wouldn't it be cheaper to have some assistant pay the ticket each time rather than exchange the car every XX?
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Somebody above you stated that they give you a sticker. So the cop would see that that assume you are fine.

Can somebody explain how this works a little better? So if you buy a new car you get a sticker not a temp paper plate to use for up to 6 months while everything is processed? That that apply for any car purchased or just brand new ones?

In Indiana they give you a paper plate and you have 30 days to get a real one. In some cases when they are just being slow, you can get them to give you another 30 day plate until you get your real one
 
In NY, you can't drive a car without insurance and you need to be registered to get insurance.
So Im with everyone else that thinks that Steve is merely exploiting the 6 months rule to install your newly issued plates.

What I don't understand is that it's easier to spot a car without plates, especially an eye catcher like the SL55 AMG, than to spot a specific make/model and license plate #.
He's prolly better off just getting new plates every six months than changing cars, it's cheaper too.
 
It's simpler than all that, he just really likes that new car smell...

Anyway for dealer sold cars without plates you get a paper license that you stick on the back window of your car in lieu of actual plates. Grant it it'll stick out like a sore thumb but at least it's just another new car on the street and it would be hard to be singled out that it is your car.

The other reason why he would do this is for security as well. With most modern luxury cars keys are custom made to the car. So say you knew which Merc was the Jobsmobile. You could say coerce the Merc dealer that sold the car to get duplicate keys made and then you can have your way with that.
 
Yeah I just don't get it. I also do not get the "you guys need to appreciate him more" comments either.

I just know that in IL, you can get plates from the deal instantly, I drove off the lot with mine. If the dealer can not register and provide plates you will have to use a same size - Yellow Temp plate.
 
he also probably made sure that he died this year instead of next because then his estate won't have to pay federal estate taxes - part of the Bush tax cuts. plus he probably wouild have loved the Cain/Perry tax proposals - 9 cents/20 cents taxes per year
 
Well, I guess it's a good thing CA doesn't require a license plate for coffins!
 
Since when you can drive 6 months without license plate? Once you buy a car and register it, you have to install plates right after you receive them.
 
eh i cant believe i have to defend Jobs but not wanting to put on plates doesnt mean youre dodging fees. No way can you lease a car without paying the various registration costs. He was likely doing this for anonymity so people cant verify its his car if they had his plate #. Plus a SL55 AMG is one of those cars that dont look as nice with a plate, atleast in the front.
If I had his money I would frequently change cars too for the heck of it.
 
eon said:
eh i cant believe i have to defend Jobs but not wanting to put on plates doesnt mean youre dodging fees. No way can you lease a car without paying the various registration costs. He was likely doing this for anonymity so people cant verify its his car if they had his plate #. Plus a SL55 AMG is one of those cars that dont look as nice with a plate, atleast in the front.
If I had his money I would frequently change cars too for the heck of it.
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Finally.... someone who thought about this clearly..

Do you guys honestly think its FREE to exchange a lease car out? No its probably hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to "change" to another car you want, and get out of said lease..... that would make no sense to do this just to avoid the cost. I think he did it for anonymousness, not to avoid some lowly fee for a plate :D .

Unless he was just so filthy snobbing rich that he HAD TO HAVE a new car every year..... but like said, he has to PAY HEAVY to swap cars out on a lease.
 
Greene420 said:
Finally.... someone who thought about this clearly..

Do you guys honestly think its FREE to exchange a lease car out? No its probably hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to "change" to another car you want, and get out of said lease..... that would make no sense to do this just to avoid the cost. I think he did it for anonymousness, not to avoid some lowly fee for a plate :D .

Unless he was just so filthy snobbing rich that he HAD TO HAVE a new car every year..... but like said, he has to PAY HEAVY to swap cars out on a lease.
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maybe it was a 6 month lease? I'm sure whoever his rep was had no problems doing this for him every 6 months. and considering his wealth, probably a drop in the bucket.
sl55 also looks like any regular sl to most people who know nothing of cars.
 
It also means a person could do a hit and run and not be identified by their license plate. Very stupid loophole to have.
 
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