# 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:** 18
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/341 "2024-05-07T00:23:34Z")
On a Tesla, the standard “PLUGZIN”. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/342 "2024-05-07T01:11:53Z")
“Mimetic World Model” and “Novum World Model” are [fiction genre categories](https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/notes/notes126.html) that SF writers and readers sometimes use. > [@](#): > > Mimetic World Model (MWM: realistic or naturalistic fiction), the New (or Novum) World Model (NWM: the fantastic genres), and the confrontation of these two (MWM.NWM: non-fantastic science fiction) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/343 "2024-05-07T16:13:09Z")
If that’s what it means, it has to rank right up there with “most obscure license plates.” I have often thought of putting a custom plate on my car that would be meaningful to a small (but non-zero) number of people. For example, I have thought of using the following: NO KILL I 3MPKWH (on an EV) PTAAV LIRPA But, in the end I settled for one which probably gets mis-identified 90% of the time - BRONKA, which is not meant to be the female of Bronco, but a play on the Tonka toy. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/344 "2024-05-07T16:33:22Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > 3MPKWH (on an EV) I see this car from time to time and wonder if it’s supposed to be a non-EV joke. [![](https://i.imgur.com/NEGQfZL.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/NEGQfZL.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/345 "2024-05-07T16:37:22Z")
A long time ago on my commute to work in Wichita I saw this plate: SINEP Because my brain works in mysterious ways, I immediately spelled it backwards, and I assume that’s what it was meant to be. I never saw it again, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/346 "2024-05-07T19:14:33Z")
Does Kansas require a plate on the front bumper? If the car were behind you, and you saw the plate in your rear-view mirror, that would be the effect. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/347 "2024-05-07T21:53:08Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > NO KILL I Millions of people would recognize that instantly. Nothing obscure there. Same for 3MPKWH. IMO; might be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/348 "2024-05-07T22:37:48Z")
Well, I could put MEBES12, but _nobody_ would get that! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/349 "2024-05-08T00:11:39Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Does Kansas require a plate on the front bumper? If the car were behind you, and you saw the plate in your rear-view mirror, that would be the effect. Nope, rear plates only in Kansas. And that would not be the effect, because, although the letters would be in correct order, the letters themselves would be reversed. (I just tried it in a mirror, BTW). ---
**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:** [May 8, 2024, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/350 "2024-05-08T00:14:55Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Well, I could put MEBES12, but _nobody_ would get that! I must say I wouldn’t. So you’re off to a good start! 😁 I once had a personalized plate on my car. It was the name of my (small) company with almost all the vowels crushed out. By coincidence there were a few more plausible or at least universally recognizable interpretations. Lots of people asked me if it meant [blah blah blah] or [blorg blorg blorg]. Nope; try again. 😁 I’ve been chewing on the idea of getting a personal plate for this car or the next one. But I’m lacking in creativity that won’t make me sound like even more of douche than I already do / act. > [@Railer13](#): > > Nope, rear plates only in Kansas. Same here in FL. Which reduces the opportunity to play tricks on the plate-issuing bureau. Although you can buy fake look-alike front plates with darn near anything on them. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/351 "2024-05-08T00:43:01Z")
My first “real” job was as an e-beam lithography engineer, working on MEBES serial #12, in 1983. > **[Etec Systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etec_Systems)** > > Etec Systems was an American producer of scanning electron microscopes, electron beam lithography tools, and laser beam lithography tools from 1970 until 2005. It was located in Hayward, California, and Hillsboro, Oregon. > Etec Corporation of Hayward, California, was formed in 1970 as a producer of scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), but later became a producer of electron beam lithography tools, and SEM manufacture was discontinued. > Etec later merged with ATEQ of Beaverton, Oregon (Portland ... ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/352 "2024-05-11T15:57:28Z")
As I was heading into the supermarket this morning, I noticed a car with the Indiana plate BOUGHT. No idea what (or who) had been purchased. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/353 "2024-05-11T20:37:32Z")
**PAID4** was taken, maybe? ---
**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:** [May 11, 2024, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/354 "2024-05-11T22:45:16Z")
Yesterday I saw a BMW M-series (I didn’t not exactly which M model). The license plate read **911MGNT**. My initial thought was “911 management”, but after thinking about it for a few seconds I realized it’s probably “911 _magnet_”, as in Porsche 911. I guess it’s meant to imply that Porsche drivers want to race him. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/355 "2024-05-17T21:30:59Z")
Today’s sighting was an Indiana plate MOVEDV. I was left wondering how to parse it. MOVE D.V.? MOVED V? Or maybe I should be thinking Roman numerals: MOVE 505? MOVED 5? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/356 "2024-05-17T21:33:33Z")
I was thinking of a license plate I saw in the '80s. A coworker had a yellow VW Bug (not that that’s important). He was a big Popeye fan. His license plate was AGAGAGA. ---
**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:** [May 21, 2024, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/357 "2024-05-21T02:12:13Z")
A couple days ago I saw a white Caddie or Lincoln SUV. IOW in this environment a classic comfy-class retiree-mobile. The driver and passenger had gray hair The plate: **YLAWAY**. As in lazily spending their Golden Years. Made me smile. ---
**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:** [May 21, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/358 "2024-05-21T02:22:48Z")
Saw one today: MCMXC I assume born in 1990. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2024, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/359 "2024-05-21T04:30:45Z")
Or a fan… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_4tJ2iQPkY4/maxresdefault.jpg "ENIGMA - MCMXC a.D / FULL ORIGINAL ALBUM") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4tJ2iQPkY4) ---
**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:** [May 21, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965/360 "2024-05-21T15:09:31Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Does this mean something, or just trying to be confusing? A month late…but… When you’re running from a crime, it is virtually impossible to get that plate right. Like how I always wanted my getaway car to have OQ0QD0 Yesterday I saw one that was YYZ RSH. The odd part was the plate frame was Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas. Two competing non-compatible interests, I guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-licence-plates-seen-in-the-wild/992965.md?page=19)