"KIWI" STICKER AVAILABLE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31332, 31 March 1967, Page 9

"KIWI" STICKER AVAILABLE

; A UTOMOBILE Association ; members motoring over- ! seas can obtain special “New I Zealand visitor” stickers for ; their cars, the general man- ! ager of the Automobile Asso- < ciation (Canterbury), Mr E. S. ! Palliser, has announced. » Members driving in other I countries felt they received I very favourable treatment I when it was known they were I from New Zealand, Mr Pal- ! liser said. Because of this I many had asked for “N.Z.” ! metal plates. ! Unfortunately it was not I possible to issue the plates,

as they were in the form required by the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, to which more than 50 countries were parties, and which were intended only to identify the country of registration of the particular vehicle. One of the plates fixed beside the rear “domestic” number plate of the vehicle enable that registration to be recognised in any of the contracting countries without further registration or fee.

The plates had probably been in greatest demand when New Zealanders bought or

hired cars in the United Kingdom for use there and on the Continent But such a car had to be registered in Britain and consequently have a “G. B.” plate. The new stickers should overcome the difficulty completely, Mr Pallister said.

The stickers are 3in in diameter and bear a large black kiwi on a black and yellow ground. Beside the kiwi is a small A. A. badge, and around the outside of the circular sticker in bold type are the words “New Zealand visitor.”

Latest Fad Strange how fads catch on with a certain class of young Christchurch drivers. We have had the racing-stripe and chequered tape fad, the “lunatic fringe”—around-the-win-dows fad, and now the fashion seems to be to put plastic bubbles on the top of the radio aerial. There seems no reason for it: one does it, so the rest have to follow suit. Balloons Some drivers used to have the bright idea of tying a balloon to their car’s radio aerial when it was in a crowded car park to make it easier to see from a distance. This used to work quite well, until other drivers tried the same idea, and the searcher found himself confronted by a forest of balloons. One could always try painting a secret symbol on one’s own balloon of course, but perhaps it might be easier to just make more careful note of where the car is parked. Aerials Many motorists have their own particular ideas about