Cycle number plates

On 19/06/2011 17:03, NM wrote:
I am assured, from previous discussion, that it's totally impractical
for cyclists to display a rear number plate, the fixings will be
wrong, it's too big, etc etc etc. Yet to my surprise I saw quite a few
cyclists who have entered "Ride across England" I'm not sure if it's a
race or just a way of blocking the roads but somehow they all managed
to be sporting a number plate on the rear which was as big or bigger
than any I have seen on a UK moped. How can this be?

If there really was a need, I suppose you could fit a small plate under
the saddle. It might be better to affix one to the side though like the
numbers on Boris Bikes. If you *really* needed a rear end registration
you could hang an A5 sized one from the riders arse. But all of that is
rather academic anyway because there is no need to. Therefore, whether
it is practical or not is a rather pointless discussion.

In fact if there *were* calls for registration, to claim it is
impractical would be a stupid counter claim. After all anything (well
most things) can become practical if you want them enough. You would be
better off debating *why* it would be necessary, *what* it would
achieve, and whether they would outweigh the negatives. I suspect that
the negative result of registration being a reduction in bike use, an
increase in car use and therefore an increase in traffic, would be
enough to make any sane person realise that perhaps requiring cyclists
to display a registration plate would not be such a good idea after all.

Therefore, it ain't goona happen.