Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

Register Log in
  • Congratulations TouchToneTommy on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Vanity plates you DON'T want

Status
Not open for further replies.
chiph

chiph

Programmer
Jun 9, 1999
9,878
US
We're up to what, five threads on vanity plates that people have bought? So how about an anti-vanity thread -- where you post plates (real or ficticious) that people probably don't want on their cars.

Here's a real one:
NOPLATE
This owner received several hundred citations in the mail, because when the highway patrol wrote a ticket where the car was missing it's license tag, they would write "No plate" in the field on the form. The computer triumphantly matched this up with Mr. Custom License Plate, and sent them all to him.

Here's a fake one:
FRISKME
Officer, I know I was speeding, but why did you pat me down?

Chip H.

____________________________________________________________________
www.chipholland.com
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Back in the late 70's, there was a couple in Connecticut whose first names were Irving and Ann (IIRC). Their personalized plate was IRAN.

And then came the 1979 hostage crisis.

So, Irving and Ann, after several unpleasant incidents involving threats to their personal safety, decided to trade in that set for a conventional random number/letter combination.

-- Francis
I'd like to change the world, but I can't find the source code.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Sorry to be a bit thick here, but it the UK you can try and get specific licence plates (we call them cherished plates here) but they still have to conform to the letter-number patterns of a standard licence plate.

Can you have anything you like in the US then? How does that work?

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hey Fee.
At least here in Michigan:

Selections cannot use the same letter/number combinations used with any standard or specialty license plate sequence.
Click to expand...
(From the vanity plate page on our secretary of state web site)


How about the plates:
ILLEGAL
GOTAGUN
HITME

Although, I think GOTAGUN would probably not be possible. That would probably be prohibited.

~
“Your request is not unlike your lower intestine: stinky, and loaded with danger.” — Ace Ventura.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
[T]hey still have to conform to the letter-number patterns of a standard licence plate
Click to expand...

In the US each state has different criteria for the plate. Most states have a standard of three letters, a space, and four numbers but not all states do.

Vanity (customized) plates are a little different. You don't have to follow the standard of 3/4. You can have pretty much any combination you want. For example, in Virginia, vanity plates can contain up to 7 characters (letters or numbers) plus 1 space if you want. Some states allow special characters like ' or *. Also most states have a list of plates that they do not allow, e.g. 1HOOKER is banned in some states.



James P. Cottingham
[sup]I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229![/sup]
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Fee,

Generally, you can have your plates made with whatever letter/number combination you want, as long as:
[ul]
[li] the combination is not in use in that state[/li]
[li] it's not offensive, vulgar, or otherwise objectionable (standards may vary from state to state)[/li]
[li] it's short enough to fit on the plate (6, 7, or 8 characters, depending upon the state)[/li]
[li] you pay the extra fee for a personalized plate (varies; here in Louisiana, it's $50.00 for a two-year registration)[/li]
[/ul]

States also have numerous specialty plates (which benefit certain causes; on these, the extra fee goes to the organization that sponsors the plate).

And amateur radio operators can also have a plate with their call sign on it (proof of licensing by the FCC is required).


-- Francis
I'd like to change the world, but I can't find the source code.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My plates are custom on my truck.

They are Amateur Radio plates, and read my call letters "KC0KRB"

:)



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Greg,

I also have a ham license (WD5IAA), but I've been inactive for a while. Still keep up the license, though.

I gave up the ham plate on my car after someone broke into my car and stole the handheld radio (IC-4a 440 MHz) that was in the glove box. No sense in advertising.

-- Francis
I'd like to change the world, but I can't find the source code.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
In California, you aren't allowed to request a plate that fits the normal pattern of NAAANNN or AAANNN (N = Number, A = Alpha). At least not the last time I tried.


 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It's much the same system in Australia.

Each State allows Personalised Plates of two letter & three number compbinations, and Vanity plates of up to 8 letters. Again, as long as it's not offensive, vulgar, or otherwise objectionable (according to the Licencing Department's standards)

Cheers

Lightning
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Not offensive or vulgar? So how does anyone in Australia manage to obtain a personalised plate, darling? ;-)

Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks - make sure most are the former.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I've not seen this one but I've heard rumors (urban legend?): DEV1666



James P. Cottingham
[sup]I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229![/sup]
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
[navy]KenCunningham[/navy]

Obtaining a personalised plate is easy. Getting a Vanity plate is the toughie.

And don't call me darling - I hardly know you!!


Cheers
Lightning
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
In the same theme as DRGS R US:

POTHEAD
METHMKR

Chip H.

(who has been watching too much "Breaking Bad")


____________________________________________________________________
www.chipholland.com
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Inflexion obviously doesn't translate too well in writing. I guess it should have read 'Dahling' to give the correct impression.

Talking of Darling and his ilk, one vanity plate you wouldn't want over here in the UK just now is IAMMP.

Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks - make sure most are the former.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
While not a plate itself, I did actually see a bumper sticker on a van this morning that read "Arrest Me. I'm a Skateboarder"
Is that supposed to be some great act of defiance?
I would be laughing pretty hard if I passed them and they were pulled over.

~
“Your request is not unlike your lower intestine: stinky, and loaded with danger.” — Ace Ventura.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
While maybe more urban myth than fact, there was one over here in an Australian State a few years back with 6ULDV8 .
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi,
A Snopes mesage board for obscene license plates
( has this entry:
Robigus Frozen Mushroom said:
posted 09 September, 2004 07:31 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tossing in a plate that I saw on a New Mexico vehicle in Albuquerque. I could never understand how someone got 6ULDV8 by the DMV clerk.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 724 | From: Florida | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged |
Click to expand...

[profile]

To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

SamBones
  • Locked
  • Question
Vanity Plates XVIII
Replies
0
Views
64
SamBones
SamBones
Andrzejek
  • Locked
  • Question
Where are you at?
Replies
10
Views
2K
Olaf Doschke
Olaf Doschke
philhege
  • Locked
  • Question
Vanity Plates "XVII"
2 3
Replies
52
Views
533
Andrzejek
Andrzejek
2ffat
  • Locked
  • News
Can you guess what Dictionary.com's Word of the Year is?
Replies
3
Views
421
MakeItSo
MakeItSo
djj55
  • Locked
  • Question
Vanity Plates "XVI" 6
5 6 7
Replies
132
Views
962
Olaf Doschke
Olaf Doschke

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top