When I wore a younger man's clothes

[austin_dern]

A major question was: what kind of license plate should I get? The standard-issue plate, blue letters on white, was of course cheapest, and the color choice was apparently meant to get as close to Michigan's classic white-on-blue while keeping to the modern standard for dark text on a light background. On the other hand, it didn't have an icon of the state on it and I like that about New Jersey standard plates, and it does have www.Michigan.gov on the bottom in a weird pairing of fonts. This is petty, yes, but if you're going to try to appeal to my visual style you better not screw up the kerning either.

A Special Cause plate might be imaginable --- I had considered getting the ``Animal Friendly'' plate for my car originally, the one with the Mutts characters decorating it --- but none of them felt quite right to me (``Agricultural Heritage''? My agricultural heritage amounts to a couple times my parents took us blueberry-picking as a kid, and my father swears we saw the famed '39 World's Fair Rotolactor in action in Plainsboro, which I don't remember, and think is impossible). A University plate might fit, except they seem to carry plates only for Michigan schools, and I have only imaginary connections with any of them (``I know a guy who went to Michigan Tech'' ``The U of M children's hospital kept coatis in the children's ward in the 50's because they were trying to meet the who-had-this-bright-idea standard of Ypsilanti Mental Hospital's `Let's put three guys who think they're Christ together and see what happens' program''). New Jersey offers at least a couple plates for out-of-state schools, since New Jersey hasn't got the self-esteem to tell Penn State where to get off. [ Addition: but I find New Jersey does offer University of Michigan alumni plates. Also Rutgers, Seton Hall, Jersey Tech, and Stevens, but why should there be enough Michigan alumni around to make it worthwhile? Princeton has apparently declined this plated honor so far. ]

The ``Spectacular Peninsulas'' plate, mm, pretty good color, has the state in the middle, some generic skyline, the Mackinac Bridge ... that would do. Plus looking at the piles of plates behind the desk, the ``Spectacular Peninsulas'' plate had a much more obviously memorable plate number. So that's how I picked my new car's license identity.

Trivia: The character of Dr Rampant Pelf debuted on Fred Allen's radio broadcast of 14 October, 1936. Source: Fred Allen's Radio Comedy, Alan Havig. (I admit that's all I have on the character, but want it pointed out that ``Dr Rampant Pelf'' is an awfully good name.)

Currently Reading: The Good Fairies Of New York, Martin Millar.

Comments

[bunny-hugger.livejournal.com]

Oh, I wouldn't call the skyline generic. It's got recognizable Michigan buildings on it if you look at it closely (and know what the buildings look like). It used to annoy Lucky that it had the Amway building on it, so he wouldn't get one.

I have considered getting the Protecting Wildlife plate, which has a loon on it, but I always end up chickening out about the additional cost.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

You're right, it isn't generic. It is synthesized from the cities of Michigan and appropriate. I'm just ignorant of what things like the Amway building look like.

[plateromarten.livejournal.com]

I'm ashamed that I've never been able to identify anything other than the Amway Grand and the RenCen on those plates... and I have one.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty good on the Chrysler Building and the Citigroup Center, which is awfully memorable what with how it could have destroyed the city back in '78.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

I've had custom plates for years, because the money goes to environmental causes, and plus it's fun... :>

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

This was be my first time actually getting something besides the bog-standard license plates.

Besides the temptation toward Animal Friendly plates I'd also thought about getting ham radio plates, but never moved that into action.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

You saw the mighty Rotolactor in operation? The envy is upon me! I do know it was in service up until the 60s or 70s, at least.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

My father says he took us to see it. As best I can tell, it stopped operating (and the farm in Plainsboro stopped working as a dairy farm) before I was born, and I think my father's confusing things he saw with things he took us kids to see. But I am certain he's pointed out the farm's location as we've gone past it, since it's awfully convenient to many things, along the way to the particle physics lab and whatnot.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

I checked - they shut it down in 1972. The disappointment is upon me!

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I couldn't find a statement that clear about when it was shut down; best I could find was the dairy operations ending in 1971, at least as a working dairy farm. I fear the web be muddled on the point and need some careful research done.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

There's a lot of U of M alumni everywhere. I'd figure it just as likely as widespread University of Texas plates. As I recall, all most states require is a surprisingly low number of interested people, an up-front design payment, and a lack of anything to object to and you can organize custom plates. (I was pondering furry-themed license plates, but never got around to the notion.)

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I do, at least intellectually, appreciate that there are these other schools which have school spirit in an organized fashion; my own colleges just haven't got it.

What confuses me (and bunny_hugger) is that University of Michigan alumni in New Jersey were enthusiastic enough to get their own plates, but Michigan State hasn't. I thought they had some kind of parity treaty where anytime one got something, the other insisted on getting one to match.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Well. Michigan State's all set in Texas: http://www.txdmv.gov/vehicles/license_plates/plate.htm?id=out

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

And no University of Michigan there. Curious.

[bunny-hugger.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to guess that it might relate to demographics.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Demographics coupled with effort, i think. Someone's got to make the move forward.

To note idly, Connecticut has 3 Uconn plates, 3 plates for other Connecticut universities, and Penn State.