Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Conversation >

Vanity Plates

11:49 / 03.06.09

This morning I saw an Audi with a vanity plate reading: S4PAID4.

Ontario allows for vanity plates. We have people driving around with cars whose licence plates proclaim such tidbits such as: "KEVS TOY", "DADYZGRL" and "2HOT4U".

Looking back, I guess that vanity plates can be seen as an ancestor of text speak and a big influence on Prince.

I gotta say: Vanity plates annoy me. I know they only cost about an extra $200 on top of standard plating costs, so it's not that extravagant for a customization, but it's the idea behind it, usually anouncing that one is financially well off. It bugs me that someone would want to drop the cash to announce to the world that they are "RCHRTHNU".

Sometimes I see something clever ir genuinely funny, but for the moost part I find them pretty pathetic. Maybe I'm just uptight and envious of others success... I dunno.

So what do you all feel about vanity plates? (Maybe even just calling them that is a sleight - "Custom Plates" if you prefer...) Does the region or country where you live have them? Do you have one? Do you like them, hate them, or are indifferent? Have you seen any you would like to share?

02:19 / 04.06.09

Vanity plates? Don't like them. Especially ones that make no sense to anyone who reads them. For example, someone who lives near me has this one:

Janean Patience

04:13 / 04.06.09

It bugs me that someone would want to drop the cash to announce to the world that they are "RCHRTHNU".

But wouldn't it be great to be behind a car - presumably with tinted windows - with the plate "CTHULU"?

I find these plates completely impenetrable, as well. I saw "DJ51BAG" last year. Now unless Simon Bagshaw who I went to school with has become a successful DJ and very much wants to advertise that to other motorists, that's fuck all use to anyone.

07:34 / 04.06.09

It bugs me that someone would want to drop the cash to announce to the world that they are "RCHRTHNU".

How would 200 dollars extra imply someone is rich? Anyone that has money to buy a car should be able to pay 200 $, if they seriously believe they need such plates. Rich people don´t need vanity plates, they drive a Rolls Royce or Ferrari.

09:44 / 04.06.09

Alright: If a plate's message is exceptionally clever or funny, I tend to tolerate or even like them.

If someone has an in-joke that I get, I'll probably think it's cool. That's my own snobbery I need to deal with. So I would giggle at CTHULU, BRAAAINS, or MLNMFLCN and detest LADEZMAN, LUV2SHOP, or BMWDRVR.

Sometimes I think the intent is important: If someone plates their car with something positive like B HAPPY, its acceptable (in my mind), but when the message is selfish it pisses me off.

Hey, what can I say? I have issues.

Mist: I agree that $200 does not in itself imply being rich. The RCHRTHNU plate I saw was on a BMW. I had this impression of the driver being some horrible sleezy day trader or high end real estate agent. And while the truly wealthy Rolls owners (notice I didn't say driver...) probably wouldn't advertise, those hungry, step-on-any-back social climbers sometimes feel the need.

10:00 / 04.06.09

That´s what I suspect, too. There are people that want to mimic being rich and pretty much fail. We don´t have vanity plates here (except for BMW drivers in Berlin having B - MW 1234 plates). So the BMW drivers (and obviously not owners) drive around with very loud and bass heavy music, so people look at them.

22:02 / 04.06.09

That´s what I suspect, too. There are people that want to mimic being rich and pretty much fail.

I thought the internet had helped us all embrace and enjoy the sight of other people failing, not get annoyed by it.

06:59 / 05.06.09

I only get annoyed by those obnoxious booming bass drive bys.

Janean Patience

15:41 / 05.06.09

You're just a victim of the boom bass drive-by.

16:06 / 05.06.09

Whatever party promises to do something against this acoustic affront will get my vote this sunday!