Twitter bot posts the California DMV's vanity plate applications

Some of the most amusing vanity plates are the ones that get rejected. While these are not normally shared with the public, a Twitter bot gained access to the California DMV's records from 2015 to 2016 and began posting vanity plate applications on an hourly basis.

Spotted by The Drive, the account is called "ca_dmv_bot" and it has about 37,000 followers as of writing. Its posts all follow the same format: they provide the applicant's explanation of what the requested plate means, the DMV's interpretation of it, and whether the plate was accepted or denied. For example, the motorist who applied for "NJYABWL" claimed that's a DJ name, which might be the case. However, the DMV denied the application because it couldn't decide whether those letters mean "enjoy a bowl [of marijuana]" or "enjoyable."

Marijuana-themed plate applications are as common as you would assume in the Golden State. One motorist applied for "02ROUF," which the DMV rejected because it's "420" spelled backwards. Many of the rejected plates sound like they're trying to send a not-terribly-polite message to other motorists. The person who applied for "FQ OFF" claims that stands for "fashion queen outfitted for the future" but the DMV read it as, well... you get the gist. Denied, naturally. California's DMV also doesn't take chances when it comes to gangs: "SCHLR18" allegedly tells the world that the driver will get a PhD in 2018 but the DMV denied it on account that the number 18 is a gang reference. "88M5" sounds innocent to car nerds like me: it's a 1988 BMW M5, which is a very cool car, but "88" can be a gang reference. Denied.