Virtual License Plates
Category: Just Plain Silly...
Posted Thursday, May 08, 2003 at 04:52 AM [GMT-6]

Update: I'm unique — just read my license plate...

One thing led to another and I found myself reading this article about a special auction of license plates in England (only they call them "car number plates," which doesn't make sense because they obviously can contain letters). My thought: how sad; these poor schmucks have to make do with "plates resembling names" including "TAN 111A, S73 WRT and E110 TTT." Uh, names of what?

It's yet another reminder — I must be careful not to sound patronizing — of American superiority, at least in the area of Vanity Plates. I mean, can you imagine how, well, uncivilized it must be to live in a world where Firebirds don't sport tags like "HAIR DOC" and LeSabres must drive without plates like "TOOBIG1"?

Yes, in America we can all be unique in our own, um, special ways, because we can have Vanity Plates that have actual words on them (as opposed to "characters that may resemble words if you scrunch up your eyes"). Unfortunately, they cost money...sometimes a lot of money...and not all of us can squeeze 'em into our budgets. Never fear; now we all can share in the Vanity Plate pleasure, courtesy of the good folks at Acme License Maker. Why, even the Gazette can now afford its own tag:

Rumor has it that Baghdad Bob is getting into the act: