Personalized plates are fun. They're also a great way of getting a laugh out of total strangers, mobile mechanics and re-humanizing the road. There's almost no limit to what you can do with your plates, and you can have a ball in the process. Your plates will take a bit of thought, but let your imagination go into overdrive. Fun plates When personal plates first became fashionable, they were for the very rich. They're now almost an essential, particularly for people who don't want to be bored to death with mere letters and numbers. It's an identity thing, and a way of interacting with other people on the road. Personalized plates, ironically, instead of implying status, now give status to drivers. Good personal plates are appreciated, whether you're driving a fossil or a Ferrari. By rights, they should have awards for the best new plates conducted annually to keep the standards rising. Great plates contain humor and a certain level of extended logic, cultural values and even heartfelt messages. If you check out some of the more inspired plates on the road, you'll be reassured that some sort of mental life is behind the wheels of the cars.

• IAMLATE: A sort of diagnosis, as well as a statement and an explanation.
• GRIMRPR: Suitable for hearses, probationary drivers, and commuters.
• WHOME: An expression of innocence.
• MADSOD: Just being honest, usually unnecessarily.
• BRSTRD: Character reference and complete genealogy.
• RATBAG: Official Australian driving award.
• NUTKS: American driver, probably lost.
• ALLBLACK: New Zealand driver, requires scrum slow down.
• DSVYDNYA: Russian driver, can't read signs.
• REDNEK: The car is the driver's mother.
• 5OFNDTUF: A policy statement.
• GODUTRUST: "I can afford to drive like this, you can't."
• HORMONES: Enough to worry anyone.
• WERHAPPY: A plate capable of tripling the income of psychologists and social workers anywhere on Earth.
• ROADKILL: A mission statement, either way you look at it.
• OWHYME: A plate which will guarantee privacy even if parked in front of Buckingham Palace.
• DUMSOD: "You shouldn't have got behind me or in front of me."
• OMIGOD: Irish driving proverb.
• 9CNICHT: German driving proverb.
• COCHON: French driving proverb.
• UKWIT: British driving proverb.
• WETNWILD: Dutch driver, didn't use ferry.
• DELHIPLS: Desperate appeal for help from Indian driver.
• LIVER: Timely reminder to organ donors who aren't paying attention.

A really good plate is a good joke which makes other people feel like idiots when they can't read it properly and far worse when they understand it. Wherever you are, you can always be sure of driving somebody mad trying to figure out your plates. Just remember to gloat properly, when it happens. When roadside assistance arrives, you can always be sure you'll get full attention, and maybe even counseling.

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