Sunday, August 14, 2011

want to play license plate

Before hand-held game players and certainly ceiling mounted DVD players, road trip entertainment often turned to games you played by looking out the window. 

The simplest license plate game was to just spot out-of-state license plates. Many other games and even singing were part of the selection but honestly I don’t remember much singing because I know I can’t sing and I got that no-tune-carrying gene from my parents. 

I also remember a time when we didn’t have all these different special cause plates. I’m not sure of the exact number but I think Illinois has about 100 special plates. 

That really complicates the game but I suspect the game might not be played that much anymore. Sometime in the 70’s or 80’s the vanity plate showed up. I’ve never owned one but I do enjoy seeing the creativity of them. Also, it’s good to know someone is willing to give our state a few extra bucks.




Vanity plates - hold that thought

Last month I posted a dialog based on movie quotes (IMHO it was great). I titled it Hooah which comes from the movie “Scent of a Woman” (also Hooah really is shouted in the Army). I just checked, this Al Pacino movie came out in 1992. I really enjoyed the movie. 

Maybe it was on a Sunday in 1993. It certainly was a Sunday and it certainly was after the movie was a hit. 

Family loads into the car having just left Sunday morning mass. There in the parking lot I spot a vanity plate. God knows why I was playing license plates but it was the solitaire version. 

As we pull behind the car (family includes a couple of teenagers), I announce loudly (and proudly since I didn’t win license plates very often): 

“Look there’s Hooah from the movie Taste of a Woman”. 

I was not expecting the reaction. Taste, scent, it was one of the senses - right? 

“You’re gross dad!” 

“Oh, yeah, I meant scent.”



another circus 

17 comments:

oceangirl said...

i do not know what is a vanity plate.

frau said...

Love it!! We still play the license plate game but it's true the states have so many you hardly recognize them. Have a wonderful Monday! 

Thisstopwilloughby said...

We spent the extra money for license plates that get you into all Michigan State Parks free of charge.  It wasn't until later that I realized our favorite parks are County parks and not included.

Calling the movie "Taste Of A Woman" made me laugh!  

TechnoBabe said...

Not gross at all.

lisleman said...

First off the car license plates are controlled at the state level.  Most states (maybe all) allow people to create their own plate with letters and numbers.  There is an extra charge for the custom or "vanity" plates.
I just saw one today with "DRUMZ" on it.  The person was probably a drummer.

Bearmancartoons said...

What does the vanity plate at the top read??

lisleman said...

when I put posted that picture I wondered if someone would ask.
I don't think it's a vanity plate.  It is from wikipedia and the date was close to the time period of the story so I used it.  As I look at it, I think the numbers should moved around to '812'  and maybe the 'YTE' could be yeti.  Yeti ate one two???

unknownmami said...

Taste of a Woman sounds like a totally different kind of movie.

Shrinky said...

Freudian slip? (Giggle..)

lisleman said...

Yeah it would be.  Searching on that title would certainly test your adult content filter.
thanks

lisleman said...

Hmm - good question.   I've been known to mix-up words and phrases with wild guesses.
thanks

Jene said...

Your poor, poor kids.

We used to play the license plate game all the time. Still do, on occasion, but mostly on my own. I've actually started playing it on long runs, too, just to pass the time. That and the old "A my name is..." game, like "A my name is Annie and my brother's name is Arthur, we come from Alabama and we bring Apples."

Those were some good childhood memories.

Kristin_The_Goat said...

On our road trips from Mi to Ne I used to write down all of the different plates that I saw.  These days with the license plate frames that cover the state name and with all of the different plates you can order, it is very difficult to determine the state on the plate.  I took the cheap plastic car dealer frame off of my car just to help the license plate game players. 

OK, I took it off because I didn't like it.

lisleman said...

yeah stick to the license plate game reason - it sounds better.

tracismixedbag said...

ha hahaha good one! Hooah and taste don't sound right together. LOL I love your solitaire version of License plate.  I sometimes have conversations in my head and then continue talking about it with whoever I'm with. Of course I leave them wondering where this conversation came from.

lisleman said...

Yeah I hear you.  Well I don't really hear you but I understand.  What's really bad is when you get into a fight with yourself.  No win there - who's to blame?

oceangirl said...

I know vanity plates, I saw them in the US all the time.  We don't really have it but special numbers here can cost up to hundreds of thousands.

Featured Post

Feedback can be amazing