Saturday, December 23, 2006

Day 23: You're So Vain

Vanity plates. You see them everywhere. Maybe you've even had a set at one time or another. I have. Years ago.

They said: WNR BLUT.

Per capita, the Commonwealth of Virginia has more vanity plates than any other state or commonwealth in the U.S.

I've also noticed a proliferation in what are called "Special Interest" plates. These are tags that support various organizations or interests ranging from NASCAR to Disabled Veterans of America, Kids/Families First to Breast Cancer Awareness, Purple Heart (what do you call them? Winners? Designees? "Hi Mom! I won a Purple Heart in Iraq. Cool, huh?" Seriously, though, what do you call them?) to POW. You can support your college or your branch of the military. You can proclaim your anger at the terrorists or you can hug a tree. There's something out there for everyone.

I did a little survey of DMV sites in six states. In addition to their standard issue plates, the following states have at least this many special interest plates:

New York: 256
Virginia: 180
Florida: 100
Utah: 35

And, here's the shocker: California... 10. Yep, that's it. Only 10 special interest plates in the Golden State. Which I found interesting because there are so many causes and special interests out there, you'd think there would be more.

But wait, there is more. The whooper of all special interest plates comes to us from the State of Maryland, which has 757 different tags! Good God! Get a grip, folks! Do we really care that you belong to the Fraternal Order of the Chocolate Hoarding, Uulating Daughters of the Left-handed Knitters of Norway? (Okay, I made that one up, but seriously, there are ones that are just about that silly in the Free State.)

Vanity, thy name is a license plate.

6 comments:

Mary Ellen said...

Hey, that's the Sisternal Order of Chocolate Hoarding!

Kinda surprising CA only has 10 special interest plates. Maybe the self-absorption gets in the way?

The Maryland DMV must have its hands full. Sheesh.

Sister Mary Lisa said...

I love the special interests you made up here. You are hilarious.

Here's your new license:

SPASSIG

or

KOMISCH

Janet Kincaid said...

ME: I thought so too. I may have to go back to their DMV site and look again. Still, it seems rather refreshing, albeit ironic, that they only had 10. I think you're right: the self-absoption probably gets in the way!

SML: I'm going for KOMISH.

Janet Kincaid said...

P.S. SML: You could do this on yours:

KUNSTLR

C. L. Hanson said...

It's not just a modern vanity -- my older brother did some really funny Vanity Plates of the Nephites for the Student Review back in our BYU days... ;-)

Janet Kincaid said...

CLHanson: Love the Vanity Plates of the Nephites. That is hilarious! Just curious, though: did your brother get hauled in to the bishop to answer for this?