Vanity Plates

Teresa and I enjoyed a vacation at historic Williamsburg, Virginia, recently. I am not the most astute observer in the world, but it became apparent very quickly in our daily drives that vanity plates seem to be "in" in that commonwealth. I saw more vanity license plates on cars in one week there than in a year in middle Tennessee.

I wasn't surprised, therefore, when the newspaper mentioned last week that Virginia has more vanity plates than any other state in the union. Of the 9.3 million vanity plate owners in the United States, 1 out of 10 is a Virginian. According to the Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, 16% of the drivers in Virginia have vanity plates. At the other end of the spectrum is Texas, where less than 1% of registered vehicles are "vanitized." I guess when your state is that big, you don't have to brag.

Before you and I start to think of Virginians as our country's egomaniacs, I should point out that such plates only cost $10 extra there. My vote for the Carly Simon "you're so vain" award would go to those 1.3 million folks (most actual number for a state) from Illinois who purchased vanity plates at $78 per pop. Now, that is paying a price to make a statement!

Although I am too tight (I would like to think unvain, but...) to purchase vanity plates, I confess that I enjoy them nonetheless. Like the urology specialist back in my home territory of Appalachia whose car was tagged I HLP U P. Without saying too much, "Doc, I get it--and I've got it." Speaking of Kentucky, we have worn out the
I AM 4 UK plate, but how about I H8 UT after last Saturday's 4-overtime lost in football to the Volunteers?

No doubt, my favorite vanity plate is the one that our daughter Megan pointed out to me on our trip home from Louisville over Thanksgiving. I had seen it on another car in another state once before, but it still touches my heart as a believer. It reads simply 4GVN. How amazing the grace of our loving Lord!