Date: Mon, 23 Jun 86 09:56:05 pdt
From: price@src.DEC.COM (Chuck Price)
To: RISKS@SRI-CSL.ARPA
Subject: License Plate Risks

I heard the following tale on KCBS this morning.  [I intersperse a few
details from the SF Chron, 23 Jun 86.  PGN]

It seems that this fellow [Robert Barbour] desired personalized license
plates for his car.  Since he loved sailing, he applied for ``SAILING'' and
``BOATING'' as his first two choices [seven years ago]. He couldn't think of
a third name of NAUTICAL intent, so he wrote ``NO PLATE'' in as his third
choice.

You guessed it. He got ``NO PLATE''.

A week or so later, he received his first parking ticket in the mail.  This
was followed by more and more tickets, from all over the state [2500 in
all!].  It seems that when a police officer writes a parking ticket for a
car with no license plates, he writes ``NO PLATE'' on the ticket.

Our friend took his problem to the DMV, which informed him that he should
change his plates.

The DMV also changed their procedures. They now instruct officers to write
the word ``NONE'' on the unplated parking tickets.

Wonder who's gonna get those tickets now?

-chuck price

     [Obviously some poor sap whose license plate says ``NONE''!]