Firstly, if any of you planned to come to the Scottish Section AGM in Perth today, don't. For once the roads actually ARE blocked. Killer White Death really HAS struck Scotland, first time since last winter, but a week earlier than last year.
And now, back to our program on DVLA, part of the axis of incompetence, or "government agencies" if you prefer...
They aren't looking for bad guys, because bad guys don't pay fines. Britain has an illogical attraction to legislation that only works on those with no criminal intent - Bambi, our last PM but two, presided over the creation of 1200 new criminal offences. Most recent UK legislation seems to me to have been of the "we can't find the culprit so you'll all be punished" variety. Graham Stringer's private bill to register ALL bikes - to stamp out kids playing on waste ground on "field bikes" in his constituency - actually got through, because it was the last bill of Bambi's tenure, and the whips wanted him to go out on a high. As soon as he did go the bill was scrapped because it was totally impracticable and existing legislation served perfectly well. (This came from my own local (Labour, as it happened) M.P., to whom I'd written.) I am of course not naming Graham Stringer so that anyone can make a point of not voting for him.
The best solution I ever saw for the "matching numbers" problem was from an MOT tester (writing anonymously in one of the respectable mags) who suggested one made one's own VIN plate (like those on modern cars and bikes), which matched the numbers in the DVLA database, and fixed it where it was easily visible. Most testers belong to an age LONG after stamping numbers on frames where they are difficult to read ended. They expect a VIN plate. So give them one. If modern bikes have numbers, they're under fairings. And why should they check? The only way it could ever be brought home to them is if a Plod forensic team caught you actually leaving a testing station. An MOT says the vehicle was roadworthy WHEN TESTED.
Don't bother closing the stable door on your way out.