Vanity Thy Name is License Plate

Ask A Woman:  Thinking about getting a vanity plate…

If you’ve got a question that needs the female treatment, chances are you’re not the only one who wants to ask it.  Beth is our source for the answers.  From opinions on men’s style to decoding the sometimes mysterious ways of women, she’ll take on a different question every Thursday.  And don’t worry, your identity will be protected too.  Click here to get to know Beth, then get in touch with her by sending your question to: askawoman@dappered.com

.

Hi Beth,

I’m a big fan of your posts and it’s great for a young guy (21) to learn from a woman like you.  I’m thinking of getting a custom license plate, but I’m having trouble coming up with something that won’t come off as tacky or be a turn-off to women.  I’m just tired of having a random string of numbers on my car–it’s an individualist thing I guess.  I’m in Virginia, so custom plates are relatively popular too.  I don’t plan on “picking up” women with my car or anything silly like that, but I feel like there are rules to what you can put on your car.  Is there any way to do this?

-Herman
. 

Hi Herman,

There are a lot of firsts in this week’s column–never met a dude named Herman, never got an email about license plates.  I say hurrah to both.  Though I’m happy to kick in my two cents, I’ve never had such a strong reaction to/opinion about my license plate being a random string of numbers/letters.  And I wouldn’t spend the money myself, but since you feel strongly about it, and you can do something to change it, why not?

My main piece of advice is to pick something that is not…douchey.  Or offensive.  Let me give you some examples. BLEWBYU–as in, wow, I’m so fast in my 1997 Pontiac Bonneville.  SOCOOL–if this is ironic, it’s not translating well to hammered metal form.  MILFLVR–ummm…hopefully I don’t have to explain why this is lame.
. 

“Cosmo Kramer…you ARE the assman.”

Now,  on to what you could consider for a license plate.  If individuality is your concern, you should consider your hobbies and interests.  Big fan of deep sea diving?  SCUBA.   Proud Michigan state alum?  SPARTY.  Football fan?  TCHDWN.  Yeah, okay, some of these are truly lame…this is why I’m not in the market for a vanity plate.  I just don’t get jazzed enough about it.  You’ll have to rely on your own brilliance to come up with something snappy.  SNAPPY.  Stay away from referencing people or situations that might be temporary.  For instance, if you’re dating Amber, I wouldn’t recommend a plate boasting that you’re her man: ASSTUD.  Tragic on several levels.

-Beth

Got a question for Beth? Send them to: askawoman@dappered.com