The first license plate was manufactured in 1931 in the state of
Massachusetts. The earliest license plates were made of leather,
wood of porcelain.
Pennsylvania was the first state to manufacture a "vanity
plate", which is the commonly used name for a personalized plate.
Generally no more than 8 characters are permitted, and they can
include both letters and numbers.
A vanity plate is defined as a license plate which displays a
word or phrase in a unique way.
People have become very creative in making up their plates.
They generally refer to their profession, hobby, philosophy of life
etc.
Here are a few:
A dentist chose...............TOOTH DR
On a Chevrolet
car......... IWASABMV
Philosophical.................. Y ME
Real estate agent........... INSURE IT
On a red sports car......... I O Dad
This "fad" is still continuing and there is actually a
Dictionary of terms that can be consulted.
Some are:
FN...............Fun QT...............cute
DU...............Do you SN...............soon
NV...............Envy L8R.............later
BZ...............Busy 2ISHN.........tuition
4N...............Foreign 2N...............tune
This could be an interesting activity for the students. Have them make up a vanity plate! No more than 8 letters or
numbers can be used. Let them show you how creative they can be.
Another fad in America, is Bumper Stickers. They are comical
comments on the life of a driver!
I found these "I don't drive fast, I fly low!"
"No Radio, already Stolen!"
"They tell me the right person
will come along. I think a truck hit mine"
"Caution…I brake for no apparent reason!"
A Nice Thought
"Never drive faster than your guardian angle can fly!"