Re: Packard Bikes
Posted by Leeedy On 2020/4/26 13:18:02
Quote:
Ohhhhhh yes! People have forgotten. Most big urban areas (meaning cities as in the original meaning of the term) once (and some still do) had mandatory license for bicycles. We sure did in Detroit. And yes, Pasadena did too (I know from relatives who lived there).
Most of these bicycle licenses were actually metal plates. I'm not talking about the little miniature car license plates that you could buy with your name on it, but a real metal legal plate with a paper registration (which is what I posted earlier in this thread). You had to go to the police department or DMV or Secretary of State office to get your bicycle licensed. They would record the serial number and issue a paper Registration certificate. In Detroit, the license was attached with a metal strap that was stamped and permanently sealed-similar to what was once used on interstate truck trailers.
And yes, in Detroit, police officers would definitely issue a ticket if they stopped you on your bicycle and it was not licensed- or license was expired. You were expected to show your bicycle license registration. This was serious stuff!
By the 1970s, bicycle license plates were largely degenerating down to water-transfer decals or outright stickers. With crime as bad as it got to be and governmental agencies overwhelmed, bicycle license programs mostly disappeared.
Both Packard Motor Car Company and General Motors sponsored bicycle safety programs and actually sponsored films to be made on the subject. I believe the Jam Handy Corporation (located on East Grand Blvd. just up the way from Packard) made both of these films. I have the GM-sponsored film, but so far am still missing the elusive Packard bicycle film. Did you know they paid for one? This was in the 1930s, by the way.
Do I have bicycle license plates? Of course. Lots of them. Attaching an image of a bicycle license plate from the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck. In fact, two of my Packard bicycles came with metal license plates still attached. Ironically one of my prewar Packard bicycles was purchased from a friend who was also once owned the Packard Request concept car!
Attach file:
(281.09 KB)
packardguy53 wrote:
Along the lines of the bicycle registration, growing up in Pasadena, CA., my brother and I were meeting in the early morning to pickup our load of newspapers to deliver, all loaded up and ready to go when a cop car stopped us and checked the bikes back frame where the city required us to post our bicycle license plate......"no license plate..eh" and the cop wrote us both a ticket for illegally operating an unlicensed bicycle.
Ohhhhhh yes! People have forgotten. Most big urban areas (meaning cities as in the original meaning of the term) once (and some still do) had mandatory license for bicycles. We sure did in Detroit. And yes, Pasadena did too (I know from relatives who lived there).
Most of these bicycle licenses were actually metal plates. I'm not talking about the little miniature car license plates that you could buy with your name on it, but a real metal legal plate with a paper registration (which is what I posted earlier in this thread). You had to go to the police department or DMV or Secretary of State office to get your bicycle licensed. They would record the serial number and issue a paper Registration certificate. In Detroit, the license was attached with a metal strap that was stamped and permanently sealed-similar to what was once used on interstate truck trailers.
And yes, in Detroit, police officers would definitely issue a ticket if they stopped you on your bicycle and it was not licensed- or license was expired. You were expected to show your bicycle license registration. This was serious stuff!
By the 1970s, bicycle license plates were largely degenerating down to water-transfer decals or outright stickers. With crime as bad as it got to be and governmental agencies overwhelmed, bicycle license programs mostly disappeared.
Both Packard Motor Car Company and General Motors sponsored bicycle safety programs and actually sponsored films to be made on the subject. I believe the Jam Handy Corporation (located on East Grand Blvd. just up the way from Packard) made both of these films. I have the GM-sponsored film, but so far am still missing the elusive Packard bicycle film. Did you know they paid for one? This was in the 1930s, by the way.
Do I have bicycle license plates? Of course. Lots of them. Attaching an image of a bicycle license plate from the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck. In fact, two of my Packard bicycles came with metal license plates still attached. Ironically one of my prewar Packard bicycles was purchased from a friend who was also once owned the Packard Request concept car!
Attach file:
(281.09 KB)
This Post was from: https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=221769