# Custom Licence Plates — Seen in the Wild **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965 "2023-11-11T02:25:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 102
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2021 "2025-11-14T00:56:35Z")
Saw a car with Christmas lights all over it this morning and the license plate **SLODOWN**. On the way home I got cut off by an Audi with either **SLD V6** or **SLO V6**. The car had a very dark license plate cover that made the plate hard to read. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2022 "2025-11-14T05:04:13Z")
Tonight I saw **AGGTAXI**. UC Davis is known as the Aggies, so the owner probably has a kid there who they have to drive around a lot. I also saw **C1WY**. C1 could be “see one”, but I have no idea about WY. See one way? See one Wyoming? It was ona Subaru STI; I have no idea if that is relevant. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2023 "2025-11-14T11:55:38Z")
Maybe that’s another way to spell “CIY”? Not that I have any idea what CIY might stand for except someone’s initials. Last night I saw two: - A University of Miami booster plate on a nice car. Those hold 5 characters and this one read **INTB8**. There’s some chance that’s an ordinary series plate, but it might also be “intubate”, suggesting the owner is a medic of some flavor, perhaps an anesthesiologist. - A Bentley with **BOURSE**. To which I would ask “Where are the customers’ Bentleys?” 😁 ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2024 "2025-11-14T12:56:49Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > A Bentley with **BOURSE**. To which I would ask “Where are the customers’ Bentleys?” I don’t get the reference. On the off chance that your reference has nothing to with the French meaning of the word bourse, maybe they are a stock broker, since that is what the word used to referred to the stock exchange in France as well a some other countries in Europe. Of course they could be using it from other meanings of the word, like the original, which is a small bag to carry your money, or other more modern meanings, like monetary scholarship. If I were to see such a plate I would immediately think they are a Francophone. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2025 "2025-11-14T13:09:47Z")
Yeah. Bourse is “stock exchange” and is a slang or marketing term used in English. Good bet this person works as a broker / salesman / something. Or maybe, just maybe, they made a killing on some stock trade and bought the Bentley with the proceeds. But I strongly favor the first possibility. As to my comment, it’s a riff on this guy’s Wall Street exposé: **[Fred Schwed - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Schwed)**. Whose central tenet is that the financial industry exists to enrich itself, not the customers it supposedly serves. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2026 "2025-11-14T15:37:15Z")
On a new VW ID.buzz microvan - **MINNIE** ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2027 "2025-11-14T23:25:22Z")
This one made me a bit sad: **END GOAL**. I would have set my sights higher than the Acura SUV on which I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2028 "2025-11-15T00:04:47Z")
This one shook my head a bit. A WAG 15 year old raggedy Toyota Tercel with the plate **INFADL**. No other distinguishing markings on the car. I’m sad to say that’s probably someone eagerly advertising their anti-lslamic bigotry. Making America ~~great~~ uninhabitable one moron at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2029 "2025-11-15T00:12:56Z")
Saw **BECK3** on my way home today and immediately thought of @Beckdawrek ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2030 "2025-11-15T01:26:21Z")
Heh! If they also have **BAD3** in their garage we know that a) **Beck** ’s been lying about her location OR b) you’ve been. 😁  Unrelated to the above … I’ve meant to mention this for some time, but keep forgetting. Around here there’s a big cottage industry of solo driving teachers and generic Mom’n’Pop driving schools with teeny fleets. So you see rather a lot of nondescript random cars with mass-produced bumper stickers stuck about them reading [STUDENT DRIVER] in big bold text, or sometimes [STUDENT DRIVER Please be patient] in lesser text. So far, so ordinary. Anyhow, one day I saw a slightly jacked huge Suburban-like vehicle with a large bumper sticker stuck to the tailgate. It was yellow background with that yellow and black diagonal striped border that signals a warning about a dangerous situation like sharp blades, or crushing hazard, or … The text inside the striped hazard border said > STUDENT DRIVER > Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. Ya’ gotta like truth in labeling. Gave me a chuckle it did. I’m assuming the owner was joking about being a student driver. But you never know. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2031 "2025-11-15T03:25:52Z")
Saw a pair of window decals today that made me chuckle. I was following a car and noticed some small white lettering on the driver side of the rear window; too small to read. When we stopped at à red light I was close enough to read it: Clowns to the left of me. Naturally I looked over at the passenger side and there was another small decal that I hadn’t noticed: Jokers to the right. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2032 "2025-11-15T04:29:23Z")
In the same vein I saw: > WARNING > I Learned to drive from playing video games The car was not beat up, and they did not do anything strange, so maybe they played some sedate video games. Anyway, if you need a vehicle for your pets, I guess you can use a car **4DOGS2** of course if they get away, you will need to **HERD␣EM** back to your house. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2033 "2025-11-15T04:43:00Z")
With Arizona not having front plates, and our Bolt having the bits to put one on, I got this to make it complete. [![](https://dogshoppe.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ct_LP_BB1353.jpg) ](https://dogshoppe.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ct_LP_BB1353.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2034 "2025-11-15T06:46:01Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > A Bentley with **BOURSE**. I initially misread that as “But of course”, like how the one Bentley (Or was it a Rolls?) driver replies to the other when asked if he has any Grey Pupon. And that reminded me that a few years ago I saw an old Bentley Turbo R with a plate that read **PUPON** (Which I may have previously mentioned in this thread). ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2035 "2025-11-15T08:43:39Z")
Today, on what I like to call a ‘bubba truck’, was this plate: **USOFAGA** He’s gotta be a Trump supporter. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2036 "2025-11-15T18:44:42Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > He’s gotta be a Trump supporter. I saw one that said “IH8TDEMS”. No misunderstanding that one. Not a specific custom message, but I saw that Arizona has a Alice Cooper specialty plate. $17 of the fee goes to offer opportunities to kids, ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2037 "2025-11-15T19:46:03Z")
I am not sure what **THOR⎵5-0** is supposed to reference. A particular incarnation of Thor? Either way they are probably out in **SPA⎵ACE**. **CHAZTOY** is pretty clear as is, I am assume, **GINNI**. **T4ANKU** is a bit of mystery. At first I thought it might be Tanku (タンク) since it was a large vehicle, but the addition of the 4 has engendered a doubt in my (mostly) vacant head. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2038 "2025-11-15T20:08:28Z")
IMO … The 4 is representing a misshapen “H”. It’s just **THANKU**. The 4-H connection is more obvious in fonts that don’t make a closed triangle with the upper left stroke, but just go up vertically from the crossbar. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2039 "2025-11-16T05:10:19Z")
I had not considered that. I guess I was in a Japanese mood when I saw it. That was definitively not the case when I saw **25UVA27** with a Virginia Cavaliers (the name of the University of Virginia sports teams). 25 to 27 seems like short time span to be a student. Maybe the **JRZ␣GAL** has something to say about it, although they might be drowned out by **WEBJAZ**. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/2040 "2025-11-16T18:38:40Z")
> [@icon](#): > > 25 to 27 seems like short time span to be a student. Maybe the driver has two kids, one in the class of 2025 and one in 2027. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=101) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=103)