Why do hitchhikers carry numberplates?

[Sylph]

I often see Hitchhikers carrying red and white 'numberplates'. Why is this?

[andy hughes]

They are usually lorry drivers who have broken down. Carrying a trade plate signals to other lorry drivers that they are part of the unofficial 'brotherhood' of truckers, and they do tend to help each other out in this situation.

[Noneck]

This is one of the rare occasion when a.h is wrong. They are usually vehicle delivery drivers who take new vehicles around the county and deliver them to new owners. They are paid the min. fare to get back but if they hitch a lift then pocket the money. The plates they carry are called 'trade plates' and cover the driver for insurance and the vehicle for road tax.

[darth vader]

err, sorry andy hughes but i'm afraid they're not. They ARE indeed trade plates though - quite often cars are shipped between carsales garages by individuals rather than by a car transporter. The car is often not licensed so the driver puts on a set of trade plates on the car, which allows him/her to legally drive the car from a to b. once they have got there they obviously have to get back to where they came from. They will have been given funds to get public transport, but usually for ease (or for financial reasons) choose to hitchhike. Showing the trade plates whilst thumbing a lift is a kind of unwritten statement "i am a car trades man wanting a lift back, not a psycho waiting to knife you in the back the moment we set off" sort of thing, and often people will give them a lift.

[darth vader]

dman. noneck beat me

[darth vader]

damn. i spelt damn wrong too. damn damn

[paulz]

Sylph - see this too, the last time this came up one poster/postee nearly had a coronary over it, accusing the drivers of theft and god know what else! Those posts have obv. been wiped.

[paulz]

Oops missed out the link http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/DisplayAnswers.go?q
uestion_id=34570&category_id=18&index=2

[Sylph]

Since there doesn't appear to be any easy way of amending the question or anything, I'll say it here. Thanks for all your help. That does make a lot of sense. Thanks also to Paulz who pointed out the previous question, which I missed out one because I searched for Hitchhikers and Numberplate, not "number plate". I think I'll search better next time! Thanks again all. :)

[paulz]

Sylph - I wasn't having a dig, Ithought there was more info on the previous post, thanks for the stars and meesge ahve 3 yourself * * * - sorry they're not orange!

[paulz]

Sylph - now I can't spell either! it should have read 'and message have 3 yourself

[bernardo]

This is a rare occasion on which everybody above is wrong. I have never seen any hitchhiker carrying a number plate, red or otherwise; therefore nobody else has ever done so either. Therefore no hitchhikers have ever done it, therefore the whole question is a figment of the imagination. Therefore all the answers are meaningless and wrong. (This answer is based on the bernardocentric theory of the world).

[darth vader]

don't worry he's like this sometimes. the weather systems play hell with his neurological patterns

[andy hughes]

Thanks for the corrections folks - I am always willing to have my posts corrected ... now did my high-powered rifle come back from having the sights realigned????????

[norfolk boy]

Now now andy don't get bitter and twisted !

[Noneck]

Why not get "bitter and twisted" its a great beer

Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted ABV 4.2% ' Vol 500 ml ' bottle ' UK ' ' Flavour 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The name of this beer is chosen to imply a twist of lemon - this doesn't mean that lemons are actually used in the brewing process - rather, the label tells you that the flavour comes from late hopping using Styrian Goldings (in addition to the Hallertau Hersbr�cker and Challenger hops used). It pours a pale golden colour with a bubbly and short-lived head. The aroma is predictably hoppy, with earthy, powdery hop notes and a touch of citrus zest. It is bitter in the mouth, smooth, slightly sharp and (sure enough) lemony. Balancing malt flavours are fairly light, though. The finish is of vegetal and citrusy hops (plus a pear-drops estery touch) leaving a hoppy aftertaste that fades gently into bitter citrus zest. A smooth, sharp and hoppy session bitter. The cask version of this beer was CAMRA's 2003 Champion Beer of Britain.

[TommyC]

Personally, I just grab it off the bar and whamm it down, Brian...

[jenky]

a lorry driver hitch-hiking will often be holding a small paper disc about the size of a cd. this is a tachymeter disc from the lorry's 'black box recorder' and used in the same way as the trade plates.