Modern Vespa

I'm always impressed, found this online, but I've seen a few foreign Vespa's in London in the flesh... Just sheer amazement at how they got here (even if they were trailered) ... ok so it IS london and there are a LOT of foreign registered vehicles here but i imagine most people wouldn't imagine tooting around on a Vespa to the UK..... had a conversation with an Italian guy on a Scarabeo (spelling?) or Liberty the other day in Westminster, not sure what it was, he was telling me how he gets off fines with police etc because he's got a foreign plate.

Still, I'm impressed, I want to ride abroad too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gs3vespa/3482656529/in/set-72157621342714399/

that one is from Austria... there is a scooter in the same album/feed from Asia in there if you carry on looking.

They're all over. Mostly uninsured - b'stards.

Just avoid like the plague - the foreign registered cars even more so. And if the head of the driver can't be seen above the steering wheel, just turn left off that street ASAP - a prang is inevitable.

Yes, the Italians ride unhinged and unfettered with their plates.

There's another set of numbskulls with funny plates that riders need to avoid, which is the diplomatic plates. If these guys hit you they have complete immunity, and they know it

Ah, the wonders of living in the empire's second city: never seen a diplomatic plate in my puff. Still, I'll know to avoid if it ever comes up!

This just brought back a funny memory for me - I was a student in London and waiting near Trafalgar Square for my new date to turn up. She was late and I was beginning to think I'd been stood up when a big diplomatic Mercedes pulled up alongside me. In the back of the vehicle was my date all elegantly dressed for a do at the embassy where it turned out she worked. I climbed into the back in my torn jeans, jumper and pretty much empty wallet and guessed that this relationship wasn't going to last too long

my neighbour rides a scooter that is registered and insured in Europe (i'm not going to specify where... you never know who might be reading). he has been known to avoid fines on one or two occasions but overall he's pretty responsible about it, and doing it mostly because he's paying about 1/3 of what he would if he registered it in the UK.

The first six months after we moved here, we rode our scooters with Washington State (US) plates while our customs broker sorted out the papers for Greek plates. Fully legal and insured, just with a temporary "tourist" permit to use them here. Got an awful lot if looks from the folks on the island.

Al

wasn't aware this was such a bad thing... I wasn't aware this was the case, surely if they're (and i imagine some of them will be) genuinely registered and insured elsewhere with cover for the UK, that's ok? I see a lot more in London than anywhere else in the UK. The south east might be a potential exception but still.

not to doubt you or anything jimc, how do you know? i know some of them park like idiots, seen one parked straddling the box over the line in westminster with a ticket once. You won't see them outside London very often at all. I know where there is a car parked near where I live, but I've never seen another one straying too far out from the M25.

Out of curiosity, how is that done? I imagine he's actually got connections over there, or something or a family address he can set up the registration docs with and all?

Reminds me of when I spent a year in Berlin a while back. There was one guy from Belgium with an old smallframe that had no plate or insurance - just a big (B) oval sticker on the back. Apparently, at least at the time (1994), no registration or insurance was required for 50cc bikes in Belgium, but those vehicles weren't restricted from traveling outside the country. His smallframe may have been a 50cc at some point, but it was mighty quick and had obviously been modified. However, the constabulary didn't seem to bother him and I got quite a kick out of his method of circumventing the local laws.

Do us a favour - the estimates are that over 20% of vehicles in London have something wrong with the 'paperwork'. That proportion goes up hugely with foreign plates. It's such an easy scam.

something like that. however, legally, he is not allowed to use the scooter for more than three months of the year in this country, so if he authorities ever decided to look into it, he would be in some trouble.

if i recall, there was also an issue with his insurance - i think he originally had it insured via his European address, but there was some problem with that, and he had to pay a fine of a couple of hundred pounds and then reinsure it in this country.

he's been relatively lucky, but to be honest, at this point the savings he has enjoyed have been outweighed by the problems and paperwork he's had to deal with. overall, i think it is a false economy. best to do things on the up-and-up and ride without having to look over your shoulder all the time.

Thanks for your opinions guys,

On a completely more innocent note and nothing to do with getting around the law, I was thinking of carrying around a photocopy of my insurance certificate and photocopy of paper drivers licence. Good idea.. or not? Just in case I get bumped or bump into something or something and need some paperwork. I currently don't carry around anything except my photocard licence (which ive since been pickpocketed out of, so i currently dont have anything)

Yes it's a good idea, it can save hassle. I'd send off for a new photocard ASAP as well.

Note that in France and most of the rest of the EU you have to carry *all* original documents, including the V5.