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There was a car parked in front of my house the other day sporting a vanity plate that read “IL SUE U” (pictured). And I thought, “wow, that guy must be a jerk.” Which got me wondering, who would want a license plate like that — that would almost force people to make (often negative) assumptions about you without even meeting you? Why would you want to telegraph, via the bumper of your car, that you’re litigious and greedy? (Note to guy: please don’t sue me.)
Then again, depending on what’s on the plate, I suppose it’s kind of like wearing a silly tee-shirt; it all depends on what you want to telegraph about yourself. (In the case of our mental_floss shirts, you’re telegraphing how cool and smart you are.) So I got my Google on, and found out just how outrageous vanity license plates can be. More than anything, it made me wonder who’s approving these things — some are NSFW!
Nerdy Plates
Normal drives won’t know what these plates mean, but other nerds will — as if they needed a secret language on the road. For instance:
I suppose this Jag is pwned rather than rented.
Nothing like a little Lovecraft Thing Without a Name reference on your bumper. Complete with ironic children’s handprints.
That’s what I say to cops when they pull me over for speeding.
This South Park reference wouldn’t be nearly as funny if this also weren’t a disabled tag.
Dirty Stuff
It’s amazing to me that this stuff gets by the DMV. But if it’s appropriate for our nation’s highways, it’s appropriate for this blog!
I wonder if that’s what the front tag says, too?
Points for creativity.
I could see this on a little sporty car. But a Lincoln in Florida? (What sassy youngster filled out Grandma’s DMV form?)
Probably just an Irish family name.
TMI, sir. TMI.
Looks like he got his way. Unless he’s talking about another kind of …
Randomness
Vanity plates aren’t free. What’s the point here?
The looks this person must get driving down the street. I love it. [Image courtesy of loudgazelle.]
Always say please and thank-you.
Comments (36)
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Read http://www.snopes.com/photos/risque/license.asp about the A55 RGY one, claims it’s random, I don’t believe it.
posted by Reese on 3-24-2008 at 10:42 am
Of course, these may be among the most easily Photo Shoppable pics. Anyone from the appropriate DMVs care to confirm them?
posted by Michelle on 3-24-2008 at 10:57 am
My favorite ones are the ones that identify the car: “76 STANG” or something. The only people who care what kind of car it is can probably already tell, and those who can’t identify it probably don’t care.
Inventing these wastes of money was probably one of the smartest things the DMV ever did. (That may not be very high praise, but I think it’s true nevertheless!)
posted by kate on 3-24-2008 at 12:00 pm
I noticed after a couple of summers in Maine that just about every Mainer had vanity plates. Are they free in Vacationland?
posted by PD on 3-24-2008 at 12:15 pm
I remember reading somewhere that the vanity plate, ‘3M TA3′ was pulled after somebody read it in a rearview mirror and complained.
posted by Alex on 3-24-2008 at 12:17 pm
The best one I’ve ever seen was on icanhascheezburger and was an Ohio license plate with NOM NOM. If you go to the Ohio BMV website and search for NOM NOM, it will, in fact, be unavailable.
posted by Amauriel on 3-24-2008 at 12:19 pm
I don’t wanna toot my own horn (wellllll…I little) but i wrote a blog about this like a week and a half ago. Check it out, flossers. Click my name and enjoy.
posted by Caitlin on 3-24-2008 at 12:37 pm
As a teacher, it’s sad/funny when they can read my plate: IRA TCHR
posted by Terry on 3-24-2008 at 12:43 pm
The way that Florida one is set up is the Florida Plate standard. a letter, two numbers then three letters. at least it was four years ago when i moved. They issue new plates with new numbers every five years, so i am thinking that this one will go on some kind of “do not issue” list because of how well known it is that it says something dirty.
posted by kym on 3-24-2008 at 1:01 pm
My favorite plates are the ones that didn’t come out as the owner intended. I have seen one that reads “SHTNSASY” – I think it was meant to read as “short and sassy”, but the owner missed.
I also have known someone who wanted a plate to read “PSYCHO”, but the owner misspelled it on the application and ended up driving around with a plate that read “PHYSCO.”
posted by Rob on 3-24-2008 at 1:13 pm
When I got my vanity plate, I actually got a note from the DMV (back when it was the DMV and not the MVC) asking me what it meant.
Do you know?
LMW28IF
posted by beth on 3-24-2008 at 1:19 pm
Beth,
Glad to see a Beatles Fan, wish I had thought of it.
posted by gus on 3-24-2008 at 1:39 pm
They’re not free in Maine (that’s where I’m from) but people just really really like them. I saw one in a parking lot at the University of Southern Maine that said “RGNOMX.”
posted by Adrienne on 3-24-2008 at 1:39 pm
yes beth,
Paul is dead.
posted by adrian on 3-24-2008 at 1:41 pm
PWN3D
I don’t think the first one is referring to “pawned,” but instead a gaming term that I am ashamed to know called “powned.”
It would make more sense b/c you don’t pawn expensive foreign automobiles, and if someone is wealthy enough to buy a Jag he has definitely powned plenty of people in his day.
posted by seany g on 3-24-2008 at 2:45 pm
I used to recruit physicians and I am thinking about getting back into it. I always wanted, and might soon get one that says, “DR PIMP” But really that’s what I do…pimp doctors. My alltime favorite was in College Station, TX. A guy in town had the formula for alcohol. something like C12H2O6. My chemistry major roommate saw the car out one day and told me about it. I saw the guy later in the semester. I stopped him and asked him and he confirmed it. Best one ever!
posted by Tommy on 3-24-2008 at 3:06 pm
Driving to the airport in northern Kentucky last week I saw “IR 1337″. It made me LOL.
posted by Jess on 3-24-2008 at 3:09 pm
Two days ago saw the best one ever here in Northern VA- H8 U DMV
Bet that person had a long wait in line!
posted by Elizabeth on 3-24-2008 at 3:54 pm
I just had to point out to Seany – the author was referencing the word “owned,” not “pawned.” The term you cited – “pwned” or “powned” – is a play on “owned.” It’s a common mis-typing of the word by eager gamers. Sort of like “teh” for “the,” or when you see a string of “!!!!!!” sometimes you’ll see a random one in the middle (!!!1!!).
posted by Wes on 3-24-2008 at 5:17 pm
I am proud to say that my North Carolina license plate says “ORLY.”
Technically, since I have one of the plates that gives money to charity, in this case the SPCA, it says “ORLYIC” (the IC is for “I care,” and appears as two smaller letters on top of each other to the right of the ORLY.)
ORLY? I C!
I am going to make my fiance get YARLY so that when our cars are parked next to each other I can look at them and laugh and laugh and laugh.
posted by Rachael on 3-24-2008 at 7:22 pm
I saw one on a Honda Element that read “IM IN MY”. Funny stuff.
posted by James on 3-24-2008 at 7:28 pm
My Ohio license plate says:
OHONESTLY
as in “oh, honestly”
It’s kind of my trademark phrase of exhasperation. I love it when I’m stopped at a red light and I look in the review mirror only to see an old man in a Crown Vic trying to pronounce it.
posted by Laura on 3-24-2008 at 7:32 pm
My neighbors have one of my favorite vanity plates:
JOMYKE
posted by Andrew on 3-24-2008 at 8:23 pm
RINGS OF on a Saturn and a VW with IH8HNDAS seen in NY
posted by Dave on 3-24-2008 at 8:45 pm
I can’t remember if it was a drug rep that used to come see us, or just one of my bosses friends, but he had the best vanity plate ever:
SDWKBSSA
(Read it backwards if you don’t get it)
posted by Janel on 3-24-2008 at 9:16 pm
I have a set of vampire teeth on my Miata and wanted to get the plates “Vampyr” (Texas only allows 6 letters), but it was already taken…so I settled on ‘donner’…not as classic, but I feel kinda weird now that people know its me inside…
posted by donner on 3-24-2008 at 9:55 pm
PWND3 is a chess move that starts a game: the White Queen’s pawn moves ahead one space. Chessboards are “mapped” with A indicating the furthest left column of the board, B, C, D (and so on) all the way across to H for the furthest right column. The major pieces sit on row 1, the pawns on row 2… with the black major pieces on row 8.
posted by Jimbo on 3-24-2008 at 10:11 pm
pwn3d is actually internet slang for “owned”
posted by Stephanie on 3-25-2008 at 1:59 am
Saw a Virgina plate (up in NH) with the plate: 3NIAM which took me a while to get, seeing it in front of me and not in the rearview.
posted by Ea on 3-25-2008 at 11:52 am
Vanity Plates: Annoying but Funny [Pics] | Deliggit.com
\r\nNormal drives wont know what these plates mean, but other nerds will ? as if they
posted by Deliggit.com | The social sites' most interesting urls on 3-25-2008 at 12:54 pm
Saw a plate once that said BAA BAA. I was confused until I realized the plate was on a black Jeep. Kinda clever…
posted by Rachel on 3-25-2008 at 1:06 pm
Saw a plate in California many years ago on a sports car driven by a young girl. JAILB8 Guess her Dad bought it for her.
posted by George on 3-25-2008 at 7:12 pm
I def just saw a plate a few weeks ago on a car plastered with penn state graphics, which said WEE ARR. you gotta know penn state. Kinda clever tho.
(they all scream. we are!, and others scream back Penn State!)
posted by Grant on 6-21-2008 at 8:52 pm
Check out this license plate generator – http://www.pl8myride.com this site has some cool ideas.
posted by Alex on 9-15-2008 at 1:24 am
I saw the NY vanity plate in my parking lot yesterday. I believe they were at the tattoo shop thats out back. Wheee.
posted by Cassandra on 12-12-2008 at 9:31 pm
There’s hundreds more on http://www.r8pl8z.com it’s always good for a laugh!
posted by John Smith on 10-27-2009 at 11:16 am