Here in Ontario, motorists have the option of replacing their government-assigned, sequentially-numbered license plate with a vanity plate. For an additional $225, you, too, can festoon your vehicle with a non-profane, up-to-8-character saying of your choosing.
Typically, they're either incredibly self-serving or so convoluted that even the driver doesn't understand the meaning. And even if they're not, who wants their car to be easily identified by complete strangers? Either way, I've long contended there are better things to do with a couple of hundred bucks.
But sometimes, you come across a plate that makes you pause and wonder about the person who chose it. And often you feel better than you were already feeling. This one inspired me to capture it and share it here.
Your turn: Do any license plate messages stick out in your mind as particularly memorable?
my sister's plate is "PRFXNST"
ReplyDeletesome dance friends of mine also have vanity plates: "MAZURKA", "XWALTZ", "REDOWA", and "LNDYHOP"
apparently i have strange friends. :-P
Well, there's a local dentist that has one that I think is clever: DR OF DK . And then there's one that makes me laugh every time that says: O RELAX
ReplyDeleteHere in our area, if vanity plates cost $225, I doubt we would have many of them! Ours are more like $45-50. I have had the plate Tickle for many years, as it is the first word in the name of my business. I have seen many, many interesting ones over the years, but of course, I can't think of any now. I'll get back to you!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember any license plates that were interesting or cool...but I had a co-worker who was going to compile a book on vanity license plates; so one summer during a long car trip to Florida my kids and I spent our down time writing down the names we passed. I think we collected almost 100 in that long drive down and back. Have since lost contact with that co-worker so don't know if anything came of that activity except a wonderful way to keep kids occupied
ReplyDeleteSome I find interesting, some I find funny. Then there are some are just dumb. I don't have one, but my wife and I thought about getting one once. What we wanted to say was already taken, and other variations of it would be hard [for other motorists] to decipher.
ReplyDeleteA good friend of mine in California has a teeny Mazda Miata with the plate "YES AND" - he does improv. Is it wrong of me to want the same plate here in Texas?
ReplyDeleteYeah, last week while out in Minnesota, I saw a North Dakota plate with the word Sushi on it. Something about ND and sushi made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI love vanity plates and trying to figure out what they mean. Spouse Thingy has ISD8U and I have IBTHMPR.
ReplyDeleteThere's a dentist (I presume) around here that has 2TDKFXR...it made me laugh.
we have done the vanity plate thing in Virginia, where they relatively inexpensive (I forget how much, but MUCH less than $225)...since my husband and I are both musicians, our plates read: tpter1 and tpter2. Many people somehow thought we were referencing a bible verse. I had to explain that it meant: TRUMPETER!!!
ReplyDeleteMy friend's husband is in military intelligence...their plate is OXYMORN!!!
D-Fens, used by Michael Douglas in the film called 'Falling Down'.
ReplyDeleteHere in Hungary you can also have a fancy numberplate for some extra money, as long as it contains 6 characters and are a combination of numbers and letters. This is set by a rule.
w a big expensive saloon car on friday with THEGP. (A GP is a family doctor here in the UK). It seemed to scream "too much money" in a time of health service crisis.
ReplyDeleteRecently when my mom and I went to VA, we came across the plate "KAT HTR"... but then down the road we came across "PET FREK". I commented to her how I didn't like the first one, but then the second one made up for it!
ReplyDeleteOn our way to Virginia, we saw one that said "PETFRKS." We liked that one. Another one said "CATH8R." That one we didn't like.
ReplyDeleteMy son said that they're fairly inexpensive in Virginia, so many people have them.
Florida has many specialty plates. The first one came out after the Challenger tragedy years ago. Then there was one for "Save the Manatee." I had that one for a long time, and now mine is a"Choose Life" plate.
Vanity plates are extremely popular here. Unfortunately, most of the ones I see aren't very creative.
ReplyDeleteI live in Los Angeles, so you can bet there is a plethora of vanity plates. I don't recall any that stand out to me right now though.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a vanity plate, but the state-issued one has always made me smile since it begins with 007. The rest of it is ESV which someone aptly pegged 'eat some vegetables.' Easy to remember. Pet peeve - I wonder how many men vs women are asked "What is your license plate number?" as opposed to "Do you know your license plate number?" My informal survey at car repair and parking garages and hotels and other places where they ask for that info is that they expect men to know this - but not women. thoughts?
ReplyDeletei remember seeing the "REDNECK" plate not long back
ReplyDeletein the UK ive known people spend upwards of £250,000 for some letters for a license plate ...
ReplyDelete