Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 23:55:40 -0500 From: "Barry A. Popik" Subject: Vanity Plate Speech This is from the New York Post, 24 November 1997, pg. 5, cols. 2-6: NYSEZ 671BAD WRDZR UNFIT4 LICENS PL8S DMV bans cars' vanity profanity by Gregg Birnbaum ALBANY--The state Department of Motor Vehicles has banned more than 650 vanity license plates--everything from ASS to ZBALLS--as unfit for public consumption, the Post has learned. The never-before-revealed roster of outlawed license plate combinations is full of vicious racial and ethnic slurs, curse words and lots of sexy stuff. (...) Legend at the DMV also has it that someone tried to get the plate HOOKER, but was sent packing because it's slang for prostitute. It turned out Hooker was the driver's family name, one that traced back to a well-known Civil War general, Joseph Hooker. After a court battle, the HOOKER plate was approved. But it has since been put back on the taboo list. DMV officials insist that banning certain plates is not a free-speech issue. "You don't have the right to use the F-word on a license plate," Filieau said. "You can buy a bumper sticker if you want to do that." WHAT? No "F-WORD" on a license plate! Wait'll I tell that to-- Here's a list from the newspaper: Ethnic and racial: JAP, JEW, JOO, KKK, NAZI, MAFIA, MAFEA, SSMAN, PISANO Sex-related: BRA, CARNAL, DIGSEX, EAT (C'mon! My mother could've driven to "eat"--ed.), FORPLY, GAYGUY, GAYLIB, HOOKER, HORNY, INLUST, INHEAT, KISSIT, LUVSEX, ORGY, PERVERT, PIMP, PLAY ("Play" is banned? They like "work"?--ed.), SCREW, SEX, SEXY, SEXHOG, SEXPOT, STUD, SUPSEX, TURNON, 10INCHES Offensive words: ASS, SOB, HELL, OHEL, PISHER, PSTOFF, PISS, BITCH, NOSHT (No shit, but this could be someone who likes to nosh--ed.), BRDSHT, VOMIT, TOILET, TOYLET, STUFIT, BASTARD, KISSOFF, CRAMIT Sacreligious: GOD, IMGOD, JESUS, UBGOD, GODGOD, HEYGOD, OMYGOD (I like that--ed.), UJESUS Police and government: COP, DMV, FBI, KOP, FDNY, FIRE, NYCPD, DEPUTY, KGBCIA, OINKPD, PIG, POLICE, POLIZE, PQLICE, TOPCOP, USARMY, USGOVT, USMAIL, USNAVY Other: DRUGSALE, KILLER (Sorry, O. J.--ed.), JUNKIE, SUICID, PHU, DUPA, OUTS, MOX This concerns my job--I know of some others. The state issues MD (doctor) and DDS (dentist) plates and handicapped number plates, and it's illegal to have anything that looks like them (MD123 of DDS123, for example). I once gave a hearing to a person who had the plate 96TEARS. He performed on that original song, "Ninety-Six Tears"--his only hit. He was a really nice guy, but I found him guilty. I thought he was gonna cry....