Vanity Plates

I read an article today (at http://news.yahoo.com/u-car-license-plates-damniml8-ok-toilet-not-163727178.html) which talked about strange vanity license plate requests.  Some of the approved requests might raise eyebrows -- like the Florida license which reads "O2B NUDE."  There are other things that are rejected, even though they aren't clearly graphic -- like "TOILET."

Some silly (albeit cryptic) requests were mentioned ... like "4NICK8," "3MTA3" (read that one backwards in a mirror), and "370H55V" (which should be read upside down for its full impact).  The creativity involved in some of these is to be commended, if nothing else.

What I found interesting was that the article pointed out that people who serve on the screening committees have to keep up with slang terms in order to determine when something is inappropriate.  Prisoners who make license plates sometimes help, too, for requests that pass the committee but should be rejected.

Apparently -- I didn't know this -- those seeking vanity plates will be asked for the meaning if it is not immediately clear, so that a decision can be made as to the acceptability.

I guess I always though that anything not clearly vulgar was allowed ... because it says more about the person that would put such a thing on their car than it offends the public sentiment.  And, compared to some bumper stickers I've seen -- which are not "licensed" -- I'd say a license plate declaring "IHAV2P" isn't really so bad, in the grand scheme of things.

By the way, the Maryland plate which reads "WTF" (which is popular chat-slang for "what the f***") was going to be revoked.  However, the state discovered that the tag had been issued long before the internet and is used by someone who owns a waterfront home.  The moral to the story:  if you want to put something vulgar on your car's license plate, get the plate made before you get everyone else to start using the phrase.