OTish - The DVLA have actually sent me a useful letter!

The DVLA sent me a letter today without trying to fine me for something! I was shocked!

"Dear sir, we have noticed that the colour of your vehicle when it was recently MOT'd is not the same as the colour stated on your V5. Please fill in this form and return it"

The form has lots of nice tickboxes to choose the right colour and they even included a pre-paid envelope!

This is because i have resprayed the 101 and never got round to changing the v5 and sending it off...

What is going on! I never thought the DVLA would do something like this! Not only did the tone of the letter actually amaze me (no threats to fine me or blame me for not having filled in and returned form 57d), but they included a nice simple form with tickboxes for me to fill in and even gave me a prepaid envelope to put it in!

I am considering including a thank-you note when i return it!

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Reply to
Tom Woods
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Computerisation. Cross-checking, centralised data-storage all that kind of tomfoolery.

You wait until they *really* start checking ..... ;)

Reply to
Paul - xxx

I had exactly the same thing about colour last month, I also included two photos, one for the colour and one with the complete engine number and they returned the photos in a handwritten addressed envelope. I was surprised.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

I've had one, too - but do not have the slightest intention of giving them something to justify their existence by replying.

Reply to
Dougal

You will be claiming to have seen a UFO being piloted by the Loch Ness Monster next! LOL. Congratulations.

Reply to
Cyberwraith

I've had letters from the local police informing me that my vehicle has been seen with "items of value clearly visible through the windows", I was wondering if I was about to be prosecuted for entrapment, or is temptation illegal these days?

Reply to
Sean

In message , Sean writes

Oh lighten up will you? They're simply trying to save you the grief of having your windows smashed and your property stolen. It's called crime prevention. :o) Of course you wouldn't dream of complaining if the local toe-rags did knock off your stuff and plod said "we've no idea who did it, and don't expect to see your it again" ... would you? ;-)

Reply to
Jonathan Spencer

What's the point ? Or, rather, that IS the point. Course the PCSOs on the street round here couldn't catch anyone as a.) They go round in packs of two nattering to each other to the exclusion of all else and b.) wear inconspicuous clothing called Hi-vis, fluorescent green jackets fluorescent green ..

Steve

Reply to
Steve Taylor

They are employed to be a visible uniform presence dealing with quality of life and Antisocial behaviour issues. So, unsurprisingly, Hi Vis uniform seems to be part of the post profile - Were you expecting them to be hiding in a bush reassuring the community? If so - sorry thats what the police officers are doing - different role entirely (at the time of posting at least!).

The fact is that if people didn't leave stuff on display far fewer cars would be broken in to by opportunists, that means lower crime and if that still hasn't stuck home - lower crime means lower insurance premiums, lower policing costs etc etc etc. I for one can support that concept.

Next time you see your local beat officer or PCSO stop and chat to them. Under all the kevlar and paperwork theres actually some real humans. Alternatively why not join the specials and make a difference yourself , perhaps your local constabulary could learn from your wisdom :-)

Lee

Reply to
Lee_D

Big snip

I suppose it's rather like waiting for buses .... I'm still waiting!

Reply to
Dougal

Ah, they are just a marketing exercise, rather than a serious attempt to actually do anything. Sorry, my mistake. Have they been told ?

- Were you expecting them to be hiding

Wow. They are VERY good at hiding round here, I'll grant you that.

No, no, the idea is you make it so difficult for thieves and low-lives, so certain that they'll be fingered, so draconian the punishment and rehabilitation, so deeply shaming to them and their families that no one THINKS about stealing.

You are falling for an old and false line of reasoning. Its not a defence for rape to say the victim was dressed provocatively, its not a defence for theft to say the goods shouldn't be on display. Lower crime comes from the police doing their job. Of course, you'll argue that they could if it wasn't for the bureaucracy and paperwork, which I'll agree with, but I have never heard ACPO screaming blue murder about it - ever. They LIKE paperwork, it makes them feel important.

Bwaahhhhaaaa. I have often walked past the PCSOs, nodded at them in acknowledgement and been completely ignored.and they don't break out of their conversations. Maybe thats just our 4.

Our local beat officer ? Do we have one ? If you can find out I'd appreciate it. Everything has been subsumed to the PCSO "presence" round here.

Steve

Reply to
Steve Taylor

We get a local borough free paper here. Its once every month or two I think. It usually has a feature on our local police. Gives the officers names and which regions (combinations of villages/towns here) they cover. Even has all the direct numbers for them in that go through to their radios..

I'm quite impressed recently. as you know i had loads of chav trouble back in jan/feb. The police could never get here because there was one car covering 2 places. We got 2 new bobbies for here in april (they cover my 'village' (its possibly a very small town really!) and one 5 miles away) and I've not had any trouble since. We also got some PCSO people I think (ive only driven past them on the high street in the evening). The groups of kids hanging about all over the place and causing trouble have now gone. Its much nicer.

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Reply to
Tom Woods

Yeah, countries where they have the death penalty, or countries where they hack hands off if you get caught stealing, packed full of sensible law-abiding citizens who don't have any crime!

Simple answers only work in a simple world, and we don't live in one.

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

Thats the typical response - reductio ad absurdum. Of course THIS country had a lower level of crime when there was some sense that the punishment fitted the crime, and that it was shaming to be caught and convicted - sorry, your idea of chopping of peoples hands wouldn't really work, people shield offenders under that scheme - because it violates the sense of natural justice. We have no sense of natural justice in the current scheme of things.

Steve

Reply to
Steve Taylor

No, but it would reduce the complications.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

We don't. We get the odd little picture feature of a PCSO looking at people's open windows and making tutting noises. Maybe the lack of presence round here is a local thing.

Now Jonathans argument was you brought that on yourself, by having an interesting vehicle parked outside your house, and attracting them.

We're less rural here, with a large police station in the centre of town, shut at the weekends, but actually stuffed with officers 24/7. That didn't stop a gang smashing the windows of a town centre pub less than 200 yds from the station, and dropping a CS canister in for good measure

Steve

Reply to
Steve Taylor

Got the crime figures to back that up? No you don't...

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

Do you ? You seem to be arguing that things are better now than before ?

Steve

Reply to
Steve Taylor

Why not? They're doing a job and doing it well, and when I've contacted them by telephone I must say they have been very helpful, more than I expected.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

Without any way of measuring, you and I can't tell, all we can do is gaze whistfully into the fire and wish for the "good old days", or to wish for hell and brimstone to be visited on petty criminals, despite such measures not being effective in other countries.

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

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