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Steve Jobs' Lack of License Plate Explained
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It doesn't make much sense... Isn't it easier to notice a car that doesn't have a license plate than one which does? Wouldn't people notice "Hey! That car doesn't have a license plate... I wonder why, how...who drives it..."
I think not having a license plate would draw more attention than having one.
But o well, he was Steve Jobs. He knew was he was doing.
I think not having a license plate would draw more attention than having one.
But o well, he was Steve Jobs. He knew was he was doing.
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Previous posters are right, imho.
They are right in that many areas of California, plateless luxury (and non-luxury) cars are commonplace. Like others have said, Orange County has so many luxury vehicles, you don't even notice them. Hell, it makes my Toyota almost a head-turner. I will still notice a bright yellow Ferrari or Baby Gallardo, but the Bentley Continental GTs are not unusual, so you can imagine the commonplace Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Audi aren't even noticed. There are exceptions of course - to my eye any way, specifically Audi A8s, and Maybachs. While not everyday sightings, they are at least once a week or every other week sightings- and rarely the same cars.
Previous posters are right, plateless cars don't stand out. A lot of people have a very laissez-faire attitude to getting things done that they "Should" do, and they do things when they get around to them. Combine that with the irregularities and inefficiencies of the DMV that result in plates or bills etc not getting mailed out timely, and you can see why no one really raises an eyebrow at unplated cars.
The police don't crack down on this because they don't mind so much (okay- maybe the Kings of ChickenSheeet aka The CHP mind but the rest don't). Not having plates gives them a reason (known as Probable Cause) to stop the car to see who is in it, to get a vibe on the likelihood of finding guns, dope, people with warrants, etc., if they so desire. It's a free toss of the fishing line, so to speak. If everything else is clean, off they go. If the occupant is an a$$hole, he gets a ticket, maybe more (depending on what is found) for not having a plate. It's a win-win for the street cops. And yes, people in expensive cars and homes are not immune from partying with a little blow, so it's not unreasonable at all to think you might find drugs inside luxury cars in wealthy cities.
Strange as this might seem to people in the still waters of Louisiana, or folks across the pond that can't comprehend the way common law has been adapted from Merry Ol England to fit our culture as we have developed since the days of King George, this is how it is here. FWIW.
As far as why The Steve would want his ride without plates, I would guess it is a design thing. Plates are ugly. Especially front plates. He probably didn't like them, figured he could get away without them, and even if caught it would cost him a $15 fix-it ticket. B.F.D. That's my guess.
They are right in that many areas of California, plateless luxury (and non-luxury) cars are commonplace. Like others have said, Orange County has so many luxury vehicles, you don't even notice them. Hell, it makes my Toyota almost a head-turner. I will still notice a bright yellow Ferrari or Baby Gallardo, but the Bentley Continental GTs are not unusual, so you can imagine the commonplace Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Audi aren't even noticed. There are exceptions of course - to my eye any way, specifically Audi A8s, and Maybachs. While not everyday sightings, they are at least once a week or every other week sightings- and rarely the same cars.
Previous posters are right, plateless cars don't stand out. A lot of people have a very laissez-faire attitude to getting things done that they "Should" do, and they do things when they get around to them. Combine that with the irregularities and inefficiencies of the DMV that result in plates or bills etc not getting mailed out timely, and you can see why no one really raises an eyebrow at unplated cars.
The police don't crack down on this because they don't mind so much (okay- maybe the Kings of ChickenSheeet aka The CHP mind but the rest don't). Not having plates gives them a reason (known as Probable Cause) to stop the car to see who is in it, to get a vibe on the likelihood of finding guns, dope, people with warrants, etc., if they so desire. It's a free toss of the fishing line, so to speak. If everything else is clean, off they go. If the occupant is an a$$hole, he gets a ticket, maybe more (depending on what is found) for not having a plate. It's a win-win for the street cops. And yes, people in expensive cars and homes are not immune from partying with a little blow, so it's not unreasonable at all to think you might find drugs inside luxury cars in wealthy cities.
Strange as this might seem to people in the still waters of Louisiana, or folks across the pond that can't comprehend the way common law has been adapted from Merry Ol England to fit our culture as we have developed since the days of King George, this is how it is here. FWIW.
As far as why The Steve would want his ride without plates, I would guess it is a design thing. Plates are ugly. Especially front plates. He probably didn't like them, figured he could get away without them, and even if caught it would cost him a $15 fix-it ticket. B.F.D. That's my guess.
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It's quite bittersweet to see this http://g.co/maps/53ghp
It's true that he was like any other neighbor, cars simply parked in front, no security, nothing special.
I guess blending in like that was the best way to ensure his privacy and that of his family.
And it worked.
It's true that he was like any other neighbor, cars simply parked in front, no security, nothing special.
I guess blending in like that was the best way to ensure his privacy and that of his family.
And it worked.
Agreed. I worked for a very successful person like Steve Jobs, he put me in hell for the 4-5 years I worked for him. But looking back those where amazing moments, we did more than any other teams, we Achieved more than any teams (a global company), learned more during those time than at any time in my career. Today I'm doing very well because of what I've learn from those crazy ones.
Like Steve says, only looking back can you connect the dots. I was one of the lucky ones and I believe in working with the crazy ones, if you are lucky enough. Yes, I'm sure there are crazy ones that is just crazy without adding value to your life. You just have to be lucky.
! That new car smell is the out-gassing of benzine from all the petro - chemicals used in plastics; a highly toxic and carcinogenic gas... Could it be that Mr. Jobs was a victim of his own making?
Recently, I was at a MB car lot and was shocked to find that even on the so-called high end cars, the amount of plastic in them was staggering.
I remember from my history classes that the wealthy of ancient Rome were also self-made victims... you see they were wealthy enough to afford indoor plumbing.. unfortunately the pipes were all made of lead.... so as time went on the ruling elite, the wealthy became idiots and monsters due to the lead poisoning.
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He was, but it wasn't his car that did it. He ignored the advice of oncologists and tried to avoid treatment for a long time.
It's a nice story, but that's all it is.
==
1st: and how many years did Mr. Jobs drive new cars? My guess is a lot more years than he was dealing with his doctors.... cancer can take decades to develop... You may not have realized that you are supporting my speculation as by the time he was working with his oncologist he already HAD cancer. And I doubt that you would have access to Mr. Jobs medical data or access to his oncologist to know what Mr. Jobs did or did not do....
2nd: You are actually recommending WIKIPEDIA for credible information? ! Wikipedia is fraught with misstatements, and some have charged as outright lies. My professor's uncle was on the dig that uncovered many of the lead pipes.
Really not sure why you took the time to slam my comments; perhaps you just enjoy slamming people, don't know... but feel sorry for you.
This really is strange thing to do. Of course it suits with Apple's old slogan - Think Different but I don't think it's worth changing car every 6 months just to get rid of the number place.
But yeah, I don't have billions in my bank account that I am not able to spend anyhow so probably then I would come up with the same thing
This number place thing after it's revealed will defiantly spread over the California and now many people will do the same thing just because it's "cool"
But yeah, I don't have billions in my bank account that I am not able to spend anyhow so probably then I would come up with the same thing
This number place thing after it's revealed will defiantly spread over the California and now many people will do the same thing just because it's "cool"
It's not unusual to see cars with only the frame and whatever the dealer puts in there to ID their dealership for advertisement. You can take that out and go plateless, but you DO have to have the frame on the back and front. It's an only an infraction, but you'll get a ticket.
Local cops have better things to do than ticket every plateless car in the state. New cars of every brand are a dime a dozen here. Hell, Mercedes, Ferraris, Rolls, etc...Dime a dozen!
Licensing fees and taxes are paid at the time of sale if you're purchasing a new car, so the state isn't out any money. Used from private party you have to go the the DMV or do it online.
Because there are so many, LP's in CA take MONTHS to come, though six months is a long time. Remember we have an enormous population here - over 37.25 mil, and the 8th largest economy in the world, $1.89 Trillion/yr. as of February. http://econpost.com/californiaeconomy/california-economy-ranking-among-world-economies
Local cops have better things to do than ticket every plateless car in the state. New cars of every brand are a dime a dozen here. Hell, Mercedes, Ferraris, Rolls, etc...Dime a dozen!
Licensing fees and taxes are paid at the time of sale if you're purchasing a new car, so the state isn't out any money. Used from private party you have to go the the DMV or do it online.
Because there are so many, LP's in CA take MONTHS to come, though six months is a long time. Remember we have an enormous population here - over 37.25 mil, and the 8th largest economy in the world, $1.89 Trillion/yr. as of February. http://econpost.com/californiaeconomy/california-economy-ranking-among-world-economies
Amongst those of us who are serious auto enthusiasts, this is actually a well known practice. Nothing new or "hidden". It's all simply a matter of knowing the DMV laws.
The main thing I want to know is why he didn't do this with a BMW?
Cuz in Palo Alto, BMWs are a dime a dozen?
3-series shows up as often as Toyota Camrys. M3s are about as special as a Camry Hybrid. Rarer than the normal model, but still spotted fairly frequently.
Long long time ago in college, a bunch of friends and I did a small rally from north bay through east bay and while in Palo Alto. We had a game of counting cars. I think we ended up seeing barely more BMWs than... I think we were also counting Hondas? Anyway, BMWs are everywhere in that area.
Admittedly, the car model/brand demographics have probably changed a bit since then, but yeah, Mercedes are quite a bit rarer.
While I would have thought it'd be hilarious if he drove a Mini because I feel it would match well to a eccentric guy, based on his choice of a Mercedes, the Mini experience wouldn't be to his liking.
I agree with you ... and thought about your signature ... since the universe is expanding exponentially, it has to be finite in itself or it could not expand (if it is infinite there is no "expansion")
Cosmology is way over my head, but what you say makes good sense to me.
Finite, but REALLY, REALLY BIG!!
So to avoid being noticed he removes his license plate, making him the only guy in the USA with a missing license plate.
That's Thinking Different.
That's Thinking Different.
A bit more difficult to identify it as his, except no plate would be a giveaway.
The main thing I want to know is why he didn't do this with a BMW?
Because he was the real deal, not a pretender.
Steve never claimed he found this on his own. His explanation of being able to avoid some undefined enemy that would only be able to find him if his car had plates was demonstrably bogus by his own admission. In the end he had no explanation, which sounded a lot like he was admitting it was nothing more than simple vanity that compelled him to focus on trivial issues like license plates.I love it when people find loop-holes in society. Way to go Steve!
Not entirely true. The Sl 63 is a different model made at the same time. You're right that they don't make the 55 anymore but let's not be that nitpicky.