A New Hampshire woman is pissed off with the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which told her to surrender her vanity license plate because of a common parental phrase – PB4WEGO.
Wendy Auger received a letter from the DMV informing her to turn in the plate, which she has had for 15 years, because phrases involving bodily functions are forbidden, according to seacoastline.com.
The bartender from the Gonic neighborhood of Rochester, NH, is fighting the bladder-related ban on the phrase – “Pee before we go” – because she believes it’s a free speech matter.
“Who has a mom or dad or parental figure who hasn’t said that to kids before leaving the house?” Auger told the news outlet. “I’m not the type to sit here with a picket, but come on.”
Not lost on many people who’ve voiced support for Auger on Facebook is the irony in the state’s motto: “Live Free Or Die.”
Though her appeal is no life-or-death struggle, Auger said “it would just stink” if she was relieved of her plate, which she still has until a final decision is made.
“If I have to take it off the plate, then I’m not going to be able to live free,” she said, adding that she has received complimentary honks from other motorists tickled by the toilet humor.
Auger said she had wanted the plate for several years and “jumped on it” when the state expanded its character limit to from six to seven, allowing her to fit it.
She said she considered getting rid of the plate last year when she bought a new car, but transferred it from her old minivan at the recommendation of DMV workers.
An email sent by the state states that the rules “were forced to be changed years ago by the NH Supreme Court as a result of a court order and now the rules are very specific.”
A DMV spokesperson said plates must be rejected “when they do not conform to legal requirements” within the administrative rules set by the state Legislature.
The rep added that the state cannot comment on Auger’s case because vehicle registrations are covered under the Granite State’s privacy laws.
Auger pointed out that she was never asked what her plate means before she received the recall notice, adding that she could easily claim it refers to peanut butter or praying.
But she believes “talking about peeing isn’t offensive.”
“Where do you draw the line?” she said.