Man fights for controversial license plate back "IB6UB9"

[Hum]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. ? A Santa Fe man said his fight to get his controversial license plate back is about protecting everyone's rights.

Robert Anaya's vanity license plate was initially approved back in 2009, but he just got a letter from the Motor Vehicle Division saying it's revoked because it's considered obscene. The plate in question reads IB6UB9.

"If something is obscene or profanity, we have no place for it in New Mexico," Taxation and Revenue Department Secretary Demesia Padilla said.

Anaya said his plate is not a sexual reference, but an inside joke with a friend from a night at a casino.

However, the state said it's gotten enough complaints to cancel the plate. The state can't provide those complaints because officials say they weren't written or recorded.

Anaya's attorney said the license plate is not obscene, according to the definition in the constitution. He said in order for something to be obscene it has to be intolerable. If that were the case, the attorney says, people couldn't have any license plates with the number combination 6 and 9. In fact, he goes on to say those numbers couldn't be consecutively on house numbers, telephone numbers, prices and sports jerseys.

"If you allow the government to start chipping away at our constitutional rights, it can have more serious implications in the future," attorney Leon Howard said. "Mr. Anaya feels bullied by the MVD."

Anaya has appealed the MVD's decision and is waiting for a hearing. In the meantime, he's using a generic state-approved license plate.

source

[Bryan R.]

Seriously? The issue here is that there is a 6 and a 9 in the plate? Ridiculous.

Oh wait I get it now.. I be 6, you be 9. Pretty funny.

[smooth_criminal1990]

So I decided to think of the children...and figured that pretty much all wouldn't get it!

Edit: I wonder what would happen if it was IB9UB6, anyone fancy trying that? :D

[threetonesun]

You'd have to be an adult who knew what that plate was referring to to even decode that.

There's a guy around here with the license plate B1R and I don't think anyone gets it, but I laugh every time I see it. :rofl:

[Nothing Here]

I personally do not see anything in this plate that could be considered obscene or profane. If I am missing something, could someone enlighten me.

[Praetor]

can't see anything wrong with that plate, so why the fuss?

[Rohdekill]

You'd have to be an adult who knew what that plate was referring to to even decode that.

Uhm.. most people driving that would notice the plate ARE adults and 99% of adults are clearly aware what those numbers mean.

It does not matter how the driver interrupts the message to mean. What matters is how the general public interrupts the message. Obviously enough complaints have come to the attention of the DMV to indicate people DO understand the message and object to it.

[Nothing Here]

I guess I'm in the 1% of adults who don't get it. I also never usually get l33t speak either. Too old to give a damn I guess.

[Aethec]

Uhm.. most people driving that would notice the plate ARE adults and 99% of adults are clearly aware what those numbers mean.

It does not matter how the driver interrupts the message to mean. What matters is how the general public interrupts the message. Obviously enough complaints have come to the attention of the DMV to indicate people DO understand the message and object to it.

Normal people shouldn't have to change their lives because some idiots dislike anything remotely sexual.

[HawkMan]

I guess I'm in the 1% of adults who don't get it. I also never usually get l33t speak either. Too old to give a damn I guess.

I didn't see it either. I think most people wouldn't even notice it's encrypted meaning.

And from the first reply to the OP :)

Seriously? The issue here is that there is a 6 and a 9 in the plate? Ridiculous.

Oh wait I get it now.. I be 6, you be 9. Pretty funny.

think 69

[Hum]

I wouldn't have even taken notice that this was a special plate.

But it is somewhat amusing & kinky. :p

[Bryan R.]

think 69

Yes, I get it ;)

[Nothing Here]

And from the first reply to the OP :)

think 69

I get it it now. Thanx for pointing that out. Now it's totally obvious.

[Draconian Guppy]

Clever... I be Six, you be Nine!!! 69... But seriously, for that matter, this post is full of profanity!

[Japlabot]

Checked my state's custom plate availability... damn... taken :(

[Hum]

^ Your state is perverted :p

[Arachno 1D]

So if enough people complain about an arbitary number plate in Santa Fe they ban it............Utter stupidy and they cant even justify the decision with proof.

All those in Santa Fe should make a complaint about the Mayors number plate and see how that fairs in getting it banned :rolleyes: :D

[threetonesun]

Uhm.. most people driving that would notice the plate ARE adults and 99% of adults are clearly aware what those numbers mean.

It does not matter how the driver interrupts the message to mean. What matters is how the general public interrupts the message. Obviously enough complaints have come to the attention of the DMV to indicate people DO understand the message and object to it.

No, bull****. What if it's a reference to "If 6 were 9?" the Jimi Hendrix song? It's two numbers, for someone to read that and then take it as some sexual message clearly requires some cognitive skills which would evade anyone offended by it.

Or, maybe it doesn't. Either way everyone who complained should have their licenses taken away, it's the only way to be safe.

[FloatingFatMan]

So this is just because the numbers 6 and 9 appear in it? How utterly pathetic.

I guess that means that me, and everyone else born in 1969, would get our birth records censored too?

[statm1]

This only shows how ridiculous getting "offended" is.. When you're a child your parents tell you the cliche sayings of "sticks and stones" or just to ignore it, things like that. But when you become adults just claim your offended and people roll out the red carpet to accommodate your over-sensitivity.

If you don't like what I say or what something I own says then feel free to move to North Korea. There anything offensive is punishable by death. It would be pure heaven for you. /s

[Growled Member]

However, the state said it's gotten enough complaints to cancel the plate. The state can't provide those complaints because officials say they weren't written or recorded.

And they banned the plate based on that? That makes it even more incredible.

[Rohdekill]

So this is just because the numbers 6 and 9 appear in it? How utterly pathetic.

I guess that means that me, and everyone else born in 1969, would get our birth records censored too?

Uhm no. See, if you had a plate that said "1969" or something like "69 CHVY"" it would be an extremely far stretch (if not impossible) to say it is obscene in some way. However, the plate mentioned could very easily be interpreted as obscene. According to N.M's own DMV site:

A prestige plate may have 1-7 characters (1-6 characters for a motorcycle). The characters can include the Zia symbol, spaces, apostrophes, dashes, or any combination of letters and numbers. A requested character set may be rejected if 1) it duplicates any existing plate; 2) the division finds it to be derogatory or obscene; or (3) it falsely states or implies that the vehicle or the driver represents the authority of a governmental agency or official.

This includes plates that have/had no original intention of being obscene. Most plate registrations asks the registrar to explain the meaning of the custom plate. Someone at the DMV was asleep at the wheel.

[webeagle12]

Checked my state's custom plate availability... damn... taken :(

reported to FBI :p

[nominak]

2) the division finds it to be derogatory or obscene

They didn't find it obscene.. People on the road did.. and they complained about it.

If they're offended by it, well.. **** them. Who cares what they think.

[Shane Nokes]

They didn't find it obscene.. People on the road did.. and they complained about it.

If they're offended by it, well.. **** them. Who cares what they think.

People found it obscene, they reported it. The agency found it to be obscene after investigating, which means they found it obscene.

Splitting hairs is not your strong suit. :p