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"States screen vanity plate requests in an effort to uphold what they regard as common decency. (Obviously, some forbidden phrases slip through.) The problem with that standard is that what disturbs one person might not disturb another. "Basically, we look for anything that could be offensive to the general public," explains Anne Atkins, who sits on Virginia's "word committee." After a computerized index weeds out obvious no-nos, the panel rejects combinations that are profane, obscene, sexually explicit, crime-related, excretory in nature, socially disparaging, or otherwise offensive. Panelists are on the lookout for creative use of numerals, like "6UL-DV8." They consult slang dictionaries and foreign linguists. They even use mirrors to foil sly wordsmiths whose messages may offend when reflected in a rear-view mirror. One Iowa man swore his "3MTA3" was a corporate abbreviation; the profanity patrol ruled otherwise." |
