Wanna work for the DMV?

[Friday]

Are you qualified to censor vanity license plates for the State of Colorado?
In these tough economic times, with so many Coloradans looking for work, who doesn't dream of landing a cushy government job?  One such position could be working as a censor for the Motor Vehicle Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue.

The job description: determine whether proposed vanity plates should be approved or rejected. 

The only criteria for your decisions: whether the proposed combination of letters and numbers
"carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency." 

Sounds easy, but it's harder than you may think. Consider tofu. One Coloradan liked everyone's favorite soy product enough to pay extra to proclaim her passion on a vanity plate. While "I love tofu" seems harmless enough, a vigilant Colorado DMV employee spotted a potential threat to public morals and averted near-disaster by rejecting the plate. If you had been on the job, would you have been as vigilant?

Being an official state censor requires a well-refined sensitivity to nuance and subtle distinctions.  Consider the examples below.  Each pair depicts a plate that veteran Colorado censors rejected as offensive to good taste and decency next to a very similar plate that was approved.  If the distinction seems as mysterious to you as it does to us, you might need to look for a different line of work....

If you know which of the plates above were approved and which were banned, you're ready to play:
Who Wants To Be A Colorado DMV Censor?
Play as many times as you like; the plates are different every time!      

[Friday]

Let's not single out Colorado gooberment employees for ludicrous hypersensitivity:

Nevada Supreme Court Applauded for Allowing "HOE" License Plate

In 1999, William Junge got the personalized license plate "HOE" because he drove a Chevrolet Tahoe. His first choice, "TAHOE" was unavailable, so he settled for "HOE" and chose the Lake Tahoe license plate. It was approved and renewed without complaint for years, until 2006 when a single DMV employee decided arbitrarily that the word was offensive after consulting only the Urban Dictionary, an online source which defines words through user-generated content. Because someone on the Urban Dictionary site defined "hoe" as "whore," Mr. Junge's plate was revoked.

Mr. Junge appealed the decision, but the hearing officer upheld the revocation, citing Nevada statutes that allow the DMV to prohibit license plates with any combination of letters and numbers that may be offensive. A district court judge reversed the decision by the hearing officer, and the DMV, apparently intent on getting rid of a license plate that said "HOE," appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court.

The ACLU of Nevada submitted a friend of the court brief because the case involved an important First Amendment issue: can the state have such vague parameters for approving vanity license plates that give unfettered discretion to individual DMV officers to decide what speech is and is not offensive?

The Court agreed with the ACLU's arguments that the DMV cannot make First Amendment decisions arbitrarily. Instead, the DMV must show substantial evidence proving that a requested plate is inappropriate. The Court acknowledged that the Urban Dictionary is not a reliable source for decisions about acceptable speech. And, in relying solely on the Urban Dictionary to deny Mr. Junge's license plate, the DMV violated the First Amendment.

[Kat Kanning]

Oh, nixxing the tofu one makes sense. 

[AntonLee]

not if you like Tofu.

[Kat Kanning]

I read I LV TO F.U.

[AntonLee]

yeah but can't anything be made into some sort of sexual innuendo?  I could say the word "marshmallow" and someone's going to say "yeah I'd marsh her mallow" or something.

I think TOFU is a stretch.  Some people might just like tofu.  The only solution I can come up with is to let people mark their cars with whatever brand they want.

[jerryswife]

I don't know, but I think it might be offensive to people who really hate tofu.  I've had it and am ambivalent but could understand an extreme dislike,or disgust that would rise to the level of being offended.   Not that I think it warrants censorship, it's just a food and whatever consenting adults want to do with their food is none of my business.

[Lloyd Danforth]

The 'Hoe' thing reminds me of an old joke.

[jerryswife]

Are you going to tell us the joke, Lloyd?

[Kat Kanning]

The very best is GARLIC tofu!  

[Lloyd Danforth]

I made about a pound of Tofu once.  It took all evening and I used every vessel I had that held over a quart.  We ate it warm shortly after it coagulated or whatever it does to firm up. It smelled a little like new mown grass but, tasted better. I assume.

[Humorrhoid]

 


The best thing  for me of DMV job is that I don't need to marry a retired person again for speeding ticket becoz Nitrous always works for me. My passenger is always dying & if Ocifer like, you can follow us to the hospital if you want.color=blue][/color]