AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty
I read a funny story online a couple of days ago. Apparently the State of Maine has recalled 274 license plates because they were deemed inappropriate. “How did they GET these inappropriate plates in the first place?” you may ask. I certainly did.
Until the last few years Maine has been one of the few states that didn’t seriously police their vanity plate program. In fact about 7 years back, they did away with the review process for vanity plates. If you asked for it and it wasn’t taken (and you were willing to cough up the fee), it was yours. As you can imagine, some very interesting plates were issued. VERY interesting.
Maine decided it had gotten out of hand, so now they have re-instituted a review policy AND recalled 274 plates that crossed their new, arbitrary line. Including the one in the photo above. The family with the plate are vegan. It’s hard to tell in the photo but there are other tofu- and vegan-related stickers on the car. But because the word tofu ends in FU and the phrase is “suggestive”, Maine says they can’t drive around town with this plate on their car. They appealed and lost their case. In fact, no one who has appealed has gotten their questionable plates restored. The next step is to file suit in the Maine Supreme Court but nobody has gone that far yet.
Seems like a big kerfuffle for me after being a vegetarian for 50+ years, I would certainly read it correctly. Part of me thinks so what if somebody has a blatantly foul license plate and part of me thinks I might not be too happy to stuck in traffic behind someone with a racist or outright pornographic plate. Aah, the dilemmas of our modern age.
If you had to design your own license plates (no cost to you), what would you want on them?
Trail Baboon 
GO AWAY
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That’s what Joel and company had on the doormat of their house.
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Rise and Bluster, Baboons,
Today the first plate would say
CNTRYLNK SCKS—we are having connectivity issues and after Century Link intervened, it went down entirely on Tuesday. Ihave spent this morning on their chat function threatening to change providers. Man, oh man, oh man….
Now my preferred license plate (when I am not operating off my Verizon hot spot and I am not irritated) would be
MG GRDNR (Master Gardener). With the Showy Pink Lady Slipper plate design.
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A psychologist I know has SHRNKEM on her license plate. Her husband is a farrier, and has SHOE EM on his.
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i think i luv tofu might be it
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tim
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I’m sure the plate I would like is already taken. I’d just want the word “PEACE” with the trail and canoe design. Or the chickadee. I love that chickadee. I guess I’m not too original with my design. I’m just so grateful for the peace of mind I have these days, and the freedom to do whatever I’m inspired to do (within the laws and social mores, of course). The plate in the cover photo is cute. It took me a minute to understand why it wasn’t appropriate.
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Yeah – took me a minute as well…..
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Yes, my first thought was “Who loves tofu?” Then I got it.
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Would love to see what some of the other inappropriate ones were…
Our neighbor has HEY HEY on one car, and his name GERARD on his truck – he’s the one with the small engine business, and everyone knows him…
How about LISTEN and a picture of an ear?
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NOMOSNO
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Sign me up for that! I usually love winter and snow but enough is enough. Next year I want all my snow front loaded when I’m still in the mood for it!
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I have been trying to go to Iowa to visit my mother. Every time I can do it, it snows.
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And every time you can’t, it snows.
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NOVANITY
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Or YOUSOVANE
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For you local weather prognosticator?
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EASE UP
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Great one!!
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SLOPOKE
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A SECRET
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…as in “What’s your car license plate?”
“It’s a secret.”
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Your marketing brain just went into overdrive.
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Less like marketing and more like Who’s on First?
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I SEE YA
SPEAK UP
SING OUT
WHY NOT
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Love SING OUT.
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A married pair of Drs in town had DOCSNLV
The college president had RCTC (the college)
Met a guy who had XXX which I couldn’t believe was allowed. But it’s the name of an action movie. Really. Or that’s his excuse anyway.
I have the chickadee plate but not personalized.
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I’m having better luck with WP using Safari instead of DuckDuckGo. I didn’t think the browser would matter but maybe it does. It logged me right in and I can comment and like things. Today anyway. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!
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My browser matters a lot – on Foxfire I can’t like, or comment w/o signing in. On M’soft Edge I can.
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Actually, anytime I ask WordPress about anything they hit me with a barrage of questions about what browser and whether I’m using the app or whether I’m using a laptop.
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On my work computer so we’ll see.
New Hampshire has a picture of a moose on their license plate. A plate then says “& SQRRL”
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GOLDEN
This might be a little obscure. Here’s a clue:
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It would be a nice touch if the license plate itself were golden.
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BACKOFF (slightly more pointed than Bill’s EASE UP).
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