There are Vanity plates and then there are VANITY PLATES!

[DawnCt1]

I like vanity plates, but I am cheap. I will settle for the plate that the DMV gives me, for a fee of course. There are vanity plates that I like. I saw a plate on a VW Beetle that said, "Buglet". It was cute. I saw a vanity plate last week however that can only be classified as a VANITY PLATE. It said EMT RN. Now to make full use of this plate, one would need to be cruising the highways and back roads for that rare opportunity to come across an accident and "render assistance". I drive a lot. I have only encountered one accident where I had to stop. I was on the scene when a tractor trailer his a VW Bug. As I was getting out of my car, another trucker stopped his rig, ran to the accident scene and said, "I am an EMT, I can help". The woman was fully mobile. It was a low velocity accident but Mr. EMT proceeded to render assistance, shouting to everyone to "PROTECT THE C-SPINE" and he laid her down outside the car. I suggested that protecting the C-spine was a great idea, however since the car was on fire and leaking gasoline, moving the victim 50 ft back would be a better idea. I didn't tell him that I was a nurse , etc. etc. I would prefer to stand by, call the cops, make sure no harm is done and disappear in the crowd. Are there vanity plates that just urk you?

 

[NHAnn]

I'm not clear on the connection between your annoyance with how the trucker EMT acted at the accident, and the vanity plate that said EMT RN?

Maybe the EMT RN worked long and hard to get the education and the job and just wanted to have it on the plate....or maybe it was a gift. Lots of people have vanity plates to display something they are proud of or interested is or just important to them.

But to answer your original question, I guess I'd have to say no, I can't think of any vanity plates that just irk me.

 

[Beth76]

I'm not clear either. But, I think what you're saying is that a guy driving a car with plates reading "EMT RN" came across and accident and was helping people. I don't have a problem with off-duty EMTs or RNs helping at accidents. Maybe I'm just not understanding your story.

 

[Shugardrawers]

I'm not quite getting the connection either but the ones I hate are the ones that say something like 2hot4u or something along those lines. Talk about VAIN. I also dislike the ones that you just can't figure out what they say. If I'm sounding it out over and over and can't get it, what was the point? The best one I ever saw was on a urologists SUV and it said NOPCME once it dawned on me it was hysterical.

 

[skiwee1]

Don't know what your annoyance about someone offering assistance but I have seen a plate that I think is very irksome! There is this beautiful red corvette that seems to always be parked at the store when I'm there. The plate says GR8NBED. No kidding! So I was dying to see what creep could possibly put such a vane plate on his car. I just knew it had to be guy! It was. This over the hill fart comes out with some ditzy looking blond, young enough to be his granddaughter, on his arm and he hops into the drivers seat. I was totally shocked. He had graying geled back hair and looked so stuck on himself. So funny! I am sure the only way he would be GR8NBED is with a little help from Viagra!

 

[Beth76]

Originally posted by Shugardrawers
I also dislike the ones that you just can't figure out what they say.

I hate those too. I think those people should be required to have a bumper sticker or something that tells us what it means.

 

[DawnCt1]

I guess what I am saying is that I don't quite see the need to advertise. I have worked with plenty of men and women who have no need to advertise and they do a superb job in life threatening situations and conversely I have had great skeptism and low confidence in those who wear their credentials on their sleeves and rush into situations in which they neither have the skills nor the judgement. The trucker that stopped to render assistance had poor judgement. He laid a fully mobile victim down beside a burning car that was leaking gasoline yet he used his credentials to validate his actions. While someone may be proud of their accomplishments and have worked hard, is it really necessary to "advertise on a license plate. Additionally, where is the wisdom in doing so. While first responders are protected in many states by the good samaritan laws, why would one want to advertize that they have a license and perhaps deep insurance pockets that can be tapped for percieved mistakes? Again, to me, it calls into question their judgement and motivation.

 

[txSleepingBeauty]

ummm, my mom's a nurse and her plate says MLM(her intials)-RN. She's not advertising anything. She worked incredibly hard for her degrees and is very proud to be a nurse.

As an ICU/trauma nurse in one of the country's leading trauma centers she's fully equipped to stop and render aid and does such when needed. The ironic thing is that she hasn't had to since she got the plates.

I still don't see a how being proud of your job is a bad thing. Why shouldn't she advertise it? If she can't then why should anyone advertise anything through their liscense plate.

 

[kasar]

Oh, by the way - who's driving around with DSNEY1 (Mass. Plates). I saw this the other day and it must be a DISer!

 

[Philharmagik]

the OP seems to have a lot of things that are upsetting to her in these topics she talks about. maybe the dmv should ask her approval before issuing vanity plates. in reading her second posting about high skepticism and low confidence of those who wear their credentials on their sleeves makes me want to ask her if police, fireman, emt's and other first responders should be in plain clothes.

silly of me i know but isn't it sillier not to have those in emergencies readily identifiable?

 

[krissy3483]

Originally posted by skiwee1
The plate says GR8NBED.

I'm surprised they gave him plates that said that. Here in NY, there is a board of people who review all vanity plate applications looking for hidden meanings and such. Not that GR8NBED is terribly dirty or anything, I dont know, I was just surprised.

 

[missyc]

Hey, take it easy on DawnCt1! She (and I) can't be the only ones that know what she's talking about?! It's kinda like the person who does something really nice just so they can make sure that other people know what they did or how much they gave. KWIM?
And the trucker EMT did something very stupid, but he thought he was saving the world because he could say he's an EMT!!
There are a lot of professionals out there who have the title (just like to be able to put letters after their name!), but have no practical knowledge or skills.

 

[swea_pea1]

Originally posted by missyc
There are a lot of professionals out there who have the title (just like to be able to put letters after their name!), but have no practical knowledge or skills.

 

[LisaZoe]

Originally posted by missyc
There are a lot of professionals out there who have the title (just like to be able to put letters after their name!), but have no practical knowledge or skills.

Yeah, I know a lot of people who spend years in college and go into debt just to add 2 or 3 letters after the last name.

As for the OP, why should what someone has on their license plate irk you? Unless you know the reason for the message, I wouldn't be so quick to judge. I had a co-worker friend who got vanity plates for her new Mercedes. I can't remember exactly how it was written but it basically said "Earned it". I have no doubt some people interpreted this much differently than what it meant to the owner. She was struggling to survive a recurrance of breast cancer and the chemotherapy she was undergoing. She bought the car as a special "gift" to herself knowing that she wouldn't be around much longer to enjoy driving and she did feel she earned it. Every time I saw that car and it's plates, I smiled knowing that she wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Perhaps the EMT-RN has a similar story behind the choice for the license plate. Maybe someone who worked to become an EMT then continued with training while working to become and RN. Each person has his/her own way to mark special occasions and significant events in life and a vanity plate is just one of the ways.

 

[Disney Doll]

I actually kind of feel sorry for people who have to put their education or credentials on their license plate. Seems kind of sad that they feel they have to validate themselves that way. BTW, I too am an RN with a degree, so worked hard to get where I am as well.

As far as people not knowing what to do, I agree with you Dawn. I have been in many "emergent" or "urgent" health care situations where someone came rushing throiugh the crowd, yelling about being a doctor, nurse, or EMT, and then had no clue about proper inital first aide, such as not moving the victim(unless there was a risk of an explosion), etc.

I was at a Christmas concert once where a woman seized in the theater lobby. My DSIL, 2 friends and I (all nurses) were there, plus a doctor that worked at my hospital. We assisted the woman, kept her turned on her side etc while waiting for the ambulance. A security guard rushes in, yelling about she's trained in emergency medical response, proceeds to try and turn an actively seizing woman on her back(thus multiplying exponenetially the risk of aspiration) to "assess her", and starts screaming into her radio for "assistance with crowd control" because all us medical people were arguing with her not to do that. Since this was on a college campus, I later called and reported her to the Security Director, who tried in vain to defend her actions. Little did he know that I knew that his "very professional"(his words) security officer was an EMT who had been fired from our local ambulance service for failure to perform.

Scary to think that she might be the first responder to a party on a college campus with a bunch of kids who may have over-imbibed and are now vomiting. Can you say aspiration?

 

[WishingStar]

Although people who are "trained" for emergency services, may sometimes think they know more then they actually do. I don't see how that has anything to do with a vanity plate. I have way more important things in my life. If you're going to be under this much stress from a license plate, maybe you need a vacation.

 

[txSleepingBeauty]

Originally posted by Disney Doll
I actually kind of feel sorry for people who have to put their education or credentials on their license plate. Seems kind of sad that they feel they have to validate themselves that way. BTW, I too am an RN with a degree, so worked hard to get where I am as well.

there's nothing sad about. My mom put herself through nursing school with 4 small children at home, was top in her class and then put herself through college and graduate school while working 60+ hrs a week and going through cancer. She has sacrificied quite a lot for her job, including her health and if she wants to identify herself as an Rn on the back of her car more power to her. there is NOTHING sad about that

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by krissy3483
I'm surprised they gave him plates that said that. Here in NY, there is a board of people who review all vanity plate applications looking for hidden meanings and such. Not that GR8NBED is terribly dirty or anything, I dont know, I was just surprised.

Here is MD we too have to have all plate requests reviewed. I have no idea how he could have gotten away with it. I think it's terrible.

 

[crz4mm2]

Mine say 'midwyf 1'. I have never had to stop beside the road to deliver a baby

I worked long and hard for my education and yes, I wanted to brag about it~!

Too many people know it is me now though, so next time I am getting regular DMV issued plates.

 

[Lisa F]

For some people, their car and its "accessories" are somewhat of a reflection of who they are. IMO, someone to identifies their profession on a vanity plate is not a "sad individual." It's just someone for whom what they do is a big part of what they are. There's nothing sad about that at all.