Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!hoffmann@mit-marie
From: hoffmann@mit-marie (Ron M. Hoffmann)
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Callsign plates
Message-ID: <8440@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 21-Feb-85 21:10:07 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.8440
Posted: Thu Feb 21 21:10:07 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Feb-85 20:33:56 EST
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Lines: 32


	The rationale behind reduced rate license plates for
hams and National Guard members and doctors... is that if not
explicitly (and hams do explicitly) than at least implicitly
these groups exist in part to perform public service.

	In having these distinctive license plates, they are
easily identifiable by law enforcement and civil defense and
could be put to use in emergency situations.

	Some states, in fact, require that a vehicle with
call sign plates be equipped with a two-way rig.  This can
be as little as an HT.  This only makes sense.

	When the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Massachusetts
restructured the registrations rates, ham plates were clas-
sified with MD's, not with vanity plates.

	I don't think that hams are looking for a free ride,
but rather recognition of their contributions, and the op-
portunity to provide a service to their communities and to
the public at large.

	One last comment.  I grant that many hams don't view
their hobby as I have portrayed it.  That's too bad.  For 
those of us who perform even the occaisional public service
deed through the use of amateur radio, being identifiable by
callsign plates is an important thing.

Ron Hoffmann, WA2EYC
hoffmann@mit-marie@mit-mc.arpa
hoffmann@mitlns (bitnet)