The server timed out and screwed up my post but the question was supposed to be:
I often see cars with a round “VT” sticker plastered on the rear bumper. These cars usually have Massachuestts plates. I am pretty sure it has something to do with the state of Vermont but I cannot figure out what. I lived in Vermont for almost two years and they never made me put any stickers on my car. What are they for exactly?
It comes from Europe.
Here in the US & Canada, we can tell what state a car is from by the license plate (though that gets harder with all the new plate styles). In Europe, many of the countries have rather plain, nondescript license plates. Thus, in order to cross borders in Europe, it used to be that your car was required to carry a sticker designating the country it was registered in.
These stickers were white ovals with black letters and borders. The letters were the country’s postal code (i.e. GB for UK, F for France, D for Germany). Someone will come along and correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the EU has a different scheme.
Here in the US, people often use the stickers as a personal statement, showing solidarity with or ancestry of (to?) a European country. I see “IRL” and “S” frequently. I imagine that your “VT” is an extension of this. The drivers are either Vermonters (or wish they were). They’re saying: “I may live in Massachusetts, but I still identify as a Vermonter!”.
I’ve never seen stickers representing other states here in Minnesota; but considering that the bordering states are Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Canada, maybe they just don’t have all that much to be proud of.
kg m²/s²
Hey ! Is that a swipe ?
As a native born CheeseHead I resent that, especially from a state with a former wrestler as a governor. And the Vikings suck, too.
As for the OP, I now live in Mass, have seen the “VT” stickers, and assumed they considered Vermont a foreign country.
There are stickers for Maine, NH, VT, Cape Code, Martha’s Vineyard, the Nantucket Airport and just about every radio station in the Boston market.
People who have second homes in Vermont or like vacationing there often have them on their cars. I haven’t noticed more VTs than the others.
Perhaps Midwesterners don’t need the constant ego wanking to prove to others, let alone themselves, they are already stable, sensible and good people.
Hot damn! They finally made Canada a state. Wait till I tell mamma. (runs off to sew another star on the flag and celebrate).
I always thought the IRL stickers were for “In Real Life” instead of Ireland. I think I’ve seen Ireland stickers that were “Eire”. Probably some northern Ireland thing.
Hey! That’d better be at least 10 stars! If we’re gonna join, we demand that each province get its own state status. (We’ll leave the Territories up for discussion. Although I don’t see any obstacles to granting them state status as well.) Also, we want official bilingualism. Which, what with NAFTA and all, might as well be official trilingualism. You’re already part of the way there with the trilingual packaging. (Good job!) Don’t forget the metric while you’re at it. Leave the medicare alone. And knock it off with the freaking softwood lumber disputes!
I’ve always thought the Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Airport ones, especially, were really pretentious. Like a secret code only other “special” people could understand. It reminds me of those people that have their initials spelled out on their cars in those boat flags. I like the radio station stickers, though.
TI= Topsail Island
WB= Wrightsville Beach
OBX= Outer Banks, etc.
cute little bit of local pride,no?:rolleyes:
No. 
The official stickers for Ireland used to say IRL, although we have stopped using them.
As you know, the island of Ireland is divided in two bits. The small noisy dangerous bit which appears on your news is Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. The large quiet safe bit, with the booming economy, is called Ireland, or in the Irish language Eire. (Our stamps talk Irish, that’s why they say Eire.)
Ireland’s international code is IRL. An Irish speaker might use a sticker with Eire, but strictly this is incorrect. IRL is the officially agreed code.
For about ten years Irish cars have not had a separate country sticker. Our number plates show an EU flag at the left and IRL below it. Other EU countries are now following this format.
So any IRL stickers you see are not friom Ireland, but may belong to a strange sect called Irish Americans. It is an American semi-religious sect with little connection with either part of Ireland.
Nice people, but most of them have a totally unreal image of modern Ireland.
'Round these parts, when people have a VT sticker on their car it’s bergundy and gold and signifies ‘Fajanyatek’.
Over here, “Eire” is a frequently occurring crossword puzzle answer, to the clue “Emerald Isle” or somesuch.
Actually, I didn’t mean “Canada just joined the USA”, but “Canada has not yet gained independence from the USA”. I just counted the stars on the flag, though, and I see that you are correct.
Needless to say, I didn’t mean to offend. Just a bit of good natured ribbing, inspired perhaps by our bulldog governor.
Hey, I’m from Chicago and I happen to enjoy a good ego wanking.
A man has needs, you know.