Welcome to the "please pull me over" club

If you're like me – and most Aussie drivers – I do my best to avoid being pulled over. I check my mirrors, stick to the speed limit (mostly), and keep my rego up to date. But for some "people" out there, the road rules are more of a vague suggestion than a requirement. Enter the sovereign citizen number plate fiasco – because what better way to invite the attention of the cops than slapping an illegal plate on your car?

In Adelaide this week, one particularly bold Toyota driver decided to test the limits of both the law and common sense by cruising around with a number plate that simply read "PRIVATE". If that wasn’t enough to get the attention of South Australia Police, the plate also featured the cryptic phrase "Special Trust Security" below that in tiny letter. Because nothing says "totally legitimate vehicle" like an official-looking but entirely made-up title.

A sharp-eyed local spotted this masterpiece of vehicular rebellion and did what any responsible citizen would do: posted it online for all of Australia to mock. "What the F are these? Surely not legal?" they asked, unknowingly triggering a flood of gleeful internet ridicule.

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"They're plates which will guarantee SAPOL will pull them over at their first opportunity," one commenter noted. Others speculated that the driver might be part of the ever-growing "sovereign citizen" movement – a loose collection of legal theorists whose main belief is that laws are just an optional lifestyle choice.

SAPOL wasted no time confirming that these plates were, in fact, highly illegal. Not just "a slap on the wrist" illegal – more like "here's a $933 fine before you even get to say 'but my rights!'" illegal. "These plates appear fake and are not plates that have been issued by SA Department for Infrastructure and Transport," a police spokesperson told Yahoo News. Translation: They might as well have written their rego number on a napkin.

The online reaction was ruthless. "It’s the best way to show off your dreadful understanding of the law to an already disinterested police officer," one person quipped. Another called it "a sovereign citizen in the wild", while a third dubbed them "please pull me over plates". The internet, as always, did not disappoint.

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But this isn't a one-off. In 2023, a photo surfaced of a Holden in Queensland sporting an even more outlandish plate. This one featured the text "Private Property Non-Commercial, Living Woman, Terra Australia Incognito", and even claimed that removing the plate would incur a $50,000 fine. Extra points for creativity, but again, zero points for legal accuracy. Even more baffling, the plate included a real registration number – in absurdly tiny print. Presumably for that tiny sliver of plausible deniability.

While most of us are content to pay our rego and drive without incident, these rogue motorists seem determined to treat traffic laws like a choose-your-own-adventure book. Unfortunately for them, SAPOL isn't in the habit of playing along. So next time you see someone cruising around with an official-looking but entirely nonsensical number plate, just remember – they’re not just driving, they’re providing free entertainment for the rest of us.

Images: Reddit