When it comes to vanity license plates, the State of Ohio is not amused.
It recently released a list of more than 500 rejected license plates and boy are there some doozies.
When we say doozies, we mean shocked that someone thought they could slip “BIGSEXE” or “IFARTED” under the Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ nose.
Those are far from the worse plates flatly rejected or reclaimed after a complaint between January 2010 and October.
Click here to see the lists. Be warned, the plates were rejected for a reason. Some are hateful or profane.
Some requesters clearly wanted to blow off a little steam.
That would explain IH8LBJ, LBJSUCK, LBJSUX.
Either Lyndon Baines Johnson did something I don’t know about or Clevelanders really hate LeBron James.
Not every banned plate is dirty, but most take the class out of classy.
Take “1PSYCHO,” “COORSLT,” “DOING IT,” “FARTMAN” or “KILLER” for example.
There are rules about this sort of thing you see.
The state’s Special Plate Screening Committee is tasked with evaluating questionable plates.
“It was deemed that they were inappropriate based on those guidelines,” Robin R. Matthews, a BMV Associate Legal Counselor, told me.
The rules are as followed:
In reviewing requests for special license plates, the BMV shall reject any request that contains words, combinations and/or phrases (in any language or when read either frontward or backward) that
- Are Profane (that is swearwords or expletives)
- Obscene
- Sexually explicit or
- Scatological (having to do with fecal excrement);
- Are so offensive that they could reasonably be expected to provoke a violent response from viewers without additional comment; or
- Advocate immediate lawlessness, or
- Advocate lawless activities.
The state also released appeal letters including one from a man whose nickname is Nips.
“I see no harm or inappropriate meaning to the letters NIPS. Using this in a sentence, he nips the corner of the house with his tractor,” the 52-year-old said. “I believe anyone putting or seeing this in any other content has too much time on their hand.”
Some people were willing to compromise.
A Ray, Ohio Mushroom farmer said he would settle for MUSRM GY after his request for “SHROOMS” was denied.
Contact this columnist at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth
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