Yanks Push Private Plate Boundaries

The US motorist has a clear advantage when it comes to owning a really distinctive personal number plate. Under the American licensing system you can, for a small fee, make up your own plate.

We have previously reported some splendid examples of ingenious registrations - ranging from the mildly amusing to the totally bizarre - concocted by New Yorkers willing to pay the extra $43 'Vanity Plate' registration fee.

Understandably, the authorities monitor the applications carefully to protect the sensibilities of other motorists and pedestrians but, inevitably, many slip through the net. Such is the case in Virginia, where some appalling and crass combinations - many too crude to show - are currently emblazoned on the cars of drivers delighting in outwitting the bureaucrats.

We can, however, tell you of WTF OMFG and PL STFU without revealing the interpretation of the acronyms employed. On a slightly higher intellectual plane comes the splendid exhortation KILL AOL, endorsed by many frustrated patrons of the internet service provider.

As witnessed by our illustration, one enterprising, if slightly disturbed, individual has marvelously corrupted the well-intentioned 'Virginia Kids First' slogan on his plate with the interjection EAT THE!

Here in the UK, we do not have such blank canvasses to work with and so are left to the failings of our own regulator to provide the amusement. You can see the results of some classic oversights here.

Amongst them is, perhaps, one of the most controversial examples: PEN 15. Whilst not in any sense a profanity but merely a perfectly correct anatomical reference, the prospect of publishing it was too much for the maiden-aunts of one particular tabloid newspaper - not generally known for prudery - which once, famously, refused a Regtransfers advertisement offering the plate for sale.

Read more about The Big One here!

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