Gary Brown: Are you 'RACN 30' and 'LUV2TRI'?
I was driving on Cape Cod on the East Coast when the license plate of the car in front of me caught my eye.
"2DACAPE," the rectangular metal auto ID told me, almost in the form of a message announcing a preferred destination.
Obviously, I thought as we drove along, the owner of the vehicle made it to his or her chosen spot. We were there, on the Cape, traveling the roads of what he or she – me too – considered to be a personal paradise.
When I was growing up, such license plates were known as "vanity plates," I suppose because they were mean to satisfy the vanity of the vehicle's driver in a way that set the motorist apart from other vehicle operators. But, is it vanity to praise a part of the country which many more people than this particular driver find appealing? Personally I smiled and sort of nodded at the intention being conveyed.
I like spending time on Cape Cod, too. It's a wonderful place, even though down the road a bit I saw another personalized license plate that reminded drivers of another of the Cape's offerings that visitors might not necessarily want to encounter.
"SHARKS," the plate simply said.
This was someone who either loved "West Side Story" or hesitated before swimming in the ocean.
Even an earthly paradise has its problems.
Looking for license plates
I travel by motor vehicle often and as I ride the roads I nearly always am on the lookout for interesting personalized license plates. Even while walking through parking lots of "big box" stores or shopping plazas I scan the cars for letters and numbers that, together, might creatively identify some interest or occupation or family status of the people who paid extra to motor vehicle department purchase the personalized plates.
"SEABRKR," I saw on one plate during my time on the Cape, telling me that the driver of the car either like to pause at a beach to look at breaking waves of stormy seas or he was a "broker" who sold oceanfront homes.
"ANCHOR" was on a different plate. And there are an abundance of boats from which to throw an anchor near the ocean.
"MERMOM," another plate said. Now there was a woman who might spend much time at the beach with her children.
Guessing the meanings of such plates is part of the game. Finding an interesting plate is half the fun, but the smile only comes when the reason for attaching the plate is realized.
I found "R BIG RIG" on one semi-trailor "rig." That one was easy. So was "RAM TUFF," which was attached to a Dodge Ram pickup truck. The letters "LAY EM," however, were less understandable, at least until I started to pass the van and learned that it was a vehicle used by installers of a hardwood flooring company.
Midwest trends stress sports
In Northeast Ohio, I have found a plethora of sports-related license plates."HOF" is followed by a host of names and initials. Not long ago, driving near Cleveland, I spotted a plate with "BROWNS1." How long do you suppose that fan has been renewing his personal plate?
While driving along the "Bible Belt," it's easy to spot license plates with religious connotations. I've seen "PSALM22" and "LORD GFT." The plate suggesting "B GENRUS" also seemed to me when I saw it to espouse Christian values.
Quite a few plates I've seen identify career choices. "TH3 DCTR" comes to mind, as does "LUV2LRN," the license of a teacher or continuing education student, I presume. "G MAN" might be a government agent or official.
Interests which are promoted often are fairly obvious. I saw both VETT 07" and "427 CONV" on Corvettes driving together on a highway. It was a club and a convoy, no doubt.
A few plates appear to give life advice. "JUST W1N" was the saying on one plate. Or, they seek companionship. "DINEWME," requested another plate.
My personal favorite license plates are encouraging.
"I OK U OK," one plate told me.
That's something nice to know. Reassurance is good. I stayed behind that car and lived with it for awhile.
Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com. On Twitter: @gbrownREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Gary Brown: Are you 'RACN 30' and 'LUV2TRI'?
