bob, they're called "party plates"...

The question is have multiple convictions reduced since the use of new plates? That is the group it will persuade. People never convicted are not going to be persuaded as this entire article suggests.

@airmom - I believe that Bob referred to them as such...

"Here's further evidence the plates are not having the intended impact: In some circles, especially among younger folks, restricted plates are referred to as ''party plates.'' So much for social ostracism."

I find it a bit ironic that I can drive down the street and easily identify the DUI offenders by their plates, but can't do the same with sex offenders. Instead, I have to go to a website and search for the sex offenders in my vicinity.

We make drunk drivers wear a "scarlet letter", but don't do the same with sex offenders. What does that say about our society?

all about the MONEY.

@Big L: I suppose the rationale behind it is that a drunk driver behind the wheel could be an immediate danger and others on the road need to be alert to wreckless driving. If it was JUST used as a "Scarlett letter" of shame and punishment, I suppose we could come up with a whole rainbow of restricted plates for various offenders. However, it seems like a mandatory breath test before you can start the car would be more preventative than the plates.

My impression of the "party plates" is that they make it easier for the police to see and keep track of people who have restricted driving priviledges. Period. I don't judge people with those plates because, let's face it, most of us have probably driven over the limit a time or two in our lives.

@Janine: I agree. Mandatory breath test before you can start your car ensures that the driver is sober. Another way it hurts is your pocket, because there is a monthly fee to have the device in your car and it notifies the court system if you fail. You can still drive intoxicated on "party plates". Also, among the young it's kinda "cool" to have the party plates.

If you are lucky enough to get the "party plates", just install the cool, smoky license plate covers so no one can tell you have party plates.

Airmon...READ THE ARTICLE BEFORE POSTING

@Chris: Now there you go applying logic to the story......lol

@ Lebowski:
If we are going to try and ID criminals we should do it accordingly.

The drinkers were breaking the law in their car so we place a yellow liscense platet to identify their car for authorities.
Other Felons: Lets just tatoo what they were convicted of on their forhead, that way whenever we come across a fellon we will know how to handle them.
Out of the Box is correct also, it is a running joke amongst some college students to laugh at each other over "party plates

The plates raise awareness for other drivers and the police that the person is a former offender. A license plate by itself will not deter a person.

Someone asked an appropriate question - have the number of repeat offenders increased or decreased since the plates were introduced.

Once again,Ohio's DUI/OVI laws have nothing whatsoever to do with the safety of the general public. It's all about making money,and giving the MADD Mothers the ILLUSION that nothing bad will ever happen to their precious babies.

The simple truth is that the so-called "Party Plates" show the autorities where the big money is. Repeat offenders = more revenue. The LAST thing the state of Ohio wants to do is stop people from driving drunk over and over and over again. In fact,they are banking on it.

Lebowski and Stuck in...two of the genius order to be sure. We could also bring back burning at the stake, stoning and cutting off body parts.

I like the plates. . .It should embarass the offender. . .I can honk my horn @ him/her & laff out loud. . .

Dyer, the only question I have is, how many of those in the statistics y'all presented, included folks that already had the pretty yellow plates??

As for the plates themselves, I could care less, one way or the other. I imagined that they came about because of some lobbyin' efforts.

I think drunk driving laws are stupid anyways. I don't believe that alcohol makes you dangerous unless you are too the point that you are seeing double, or passed out.

5-6 drinks doesn't make you a danger in my book. But in the eyes of our greedy governmnent--it makes you a target. DUI offenses account for a whole lot of money for municipalities---and they can extort everyday citizens under the guise of "public safety."

They do the same thing when giving out speeding tickets and seatbelt violations. Extorting money under the guise of public safety. Footsoldiers of an oppressive government.

@Spirit of Reagan - studies I have read (in corrections) have stated that jail, plates, testing your breath before you drive, etc. DON'T work because it doesn't combat the real problem...that a repeat offender is usually an alcoholic. Less money should be spent on these asinine plates and that money should be directed toward prevention programs.

Another great example of our wonderful politicians at work. If there is a perceived problem they "solve it" with some stupid new law. This special plate law is a prime example. Rather than aggressively going after repeat drunks with more appropriate punitive action the pols just pass some "feel good" law that does absolutely nothing to solve the real problem. I'll bet some of these good drinking buddies treat these plates as badges of merit!!

Hay, follow the orange plate they know where to PARTY.

I always thought cars with party plates were drivers from Wyoming......or Arizona....

Janine : we should all drive "wreckless"

Lebowski - I'd heard rumors that the state is trying to mandate that sex offenders have similar plates, but in pink. Though judging from the photos and addresses of some of the guys in my area, they can't afford a car.

Personally, I think they're a fine idea. Lets me know that the idiot sharing the road can't handle their alcohol or have the sense to call a cab or designate a driver.

Oh, and I'd love to hear the story behind the car with 'party plates' I spotted last summer parked in the keyed-entry doctors only parking lot at City Hospital. Hmmmm...

what? nothing about how it's the mayor's fault?

I have two issues with "party plates"
1. They serve as a form of public humiliation. I thought public humiliation, as punishment went out in the 17th century when people were placed in stocks in public places. The problem with this form of humiliation is that those driving the vehicle may not be the guilty party. This includes spouse and children. In my analogy about the stocks, it's like putting the whole family on display in stocks because of the transgressions of one family member. The entire family is, in all likehood, suffering financially and otherwise due to the drunk driving of one of it's members.

2. The enforcement of this punishment is selective in that it is up to the individual judge to decide whether or not to dispense the plates. Either do it for all who meet the standards or forget it.

Nancy
"Personally, I think they're a fine idea. Lets me know that the idiot sharing the road can't handle their alcohol or have the sense to call a cab or designate a driver."

Actually the "party plates" only tell you that someone that the person driving the knows got caught drunk driving. The person driving may have borrowed a friends car, dad's car, a nephew's car or whoever to pick up grandma from the airport. They're a silly idea that the MADD dingbats came up with that put some money in some politicians pocket.

And once again, Mr. Dyer, you criticize the law without offering a better alternative. Just like you criticize DUI checkpoints.

So, I ask you this: What would YOU do to combat the problem of drunk driving in Ohio? I'll be waiting for that column.

Give the plates to anyone who gets caught-and they stay with the owner for 4 years-period. In case you didn't realize it, Bobby, drunks kill people. If they were mandated for all who are caught & convicted, then people may reconsider getting behind the wheel. They should also revoke all driving priviledges & impound the vehicle of the people who try to hide or obscure the party plates.

@pudge1 Tooo funny!

I thought those plates meant you were a Hulk Hogan fan.

Let's face the reality of life in Ohio. This is a depressing place to live, and alcoholism has been rampant here since Moses Cleveland landed on the shores of the flats of Lake Erie. Heck, that's why AA was created here. If pot was legal, we would be potheads too.

Yellow plates or not will not deter D&D...People will continue to drive drunk until they get caught and jailed, then when they are out, ditto, or when they kill someone else/themselves...Drinking seems to grow balls on the offenders and I think it becomes their challenge. It's like this everywhere not just Ohio...

ABJ said No kidding. If we single out drunk drivers, why no special plates for murderers, rapists, extortionists, armed robbers and child molesters?


Although this statement could be a good idea......it doesnt wash.
Rapists don't use their vehicle to victimize people. So they are talking apples and oranges.

The party plates are just a modern form of public humiliation. I'm sure it does little to combat the problem, but the mob loves it (just ask "nancy").

"DUI plates are another Ohio flop"

The other "Ohio flop" to which Mr. Dyer refers to is the very periodical which employs him.

Here's a question maybe someone can answer for me: why does the court system feel compelled to change the acronym for drinking behind the wheel? DUI, DWI, OVI... seems like they're all the same offense to me.

Karl Rove(above) is right.

All these cheater do is just install dark smoked plates and hide them...

People should be offered a 50$ reward to turning these chumps in that the offended pays up.

They all hide them.

btw they do serve a purpose and it works. I bet the upswing would be alot higher had they not been there.

Sounds like the author had to wear a plate.

Molesters arent molesting in their car, they are committing murder while driving are they?

The plates are "driving" offenses, thusly the plates, get over it Bob.

@The Big Lebowski said:"We make drunk drivers wear a "scarlet letter", but don't do the same with sex offenders. What does that say about our society?"

That scarlet letters of any kind are stupid.

That's what the Nazis did to the Jews.

@Jimbo said:"Obama the no sense President must enjoy every minute of his stupidity."

BOOOOO!!!!!

@Crime of the Century - DWI is a legitimate offense,where you are obviously intoxicated,and have failed an actual blood alcohol content test.

DUI and OVI are bogus charges that can be levied against you,if you merely spilled a beer on yourself,and they have no actual proof that you are intoxicated in any way.

Under our current laws,the mere scent of alcohol means that you are automatically guilty of being under the influence,and therefore,a menace to society.

Like drunks really care about humiliation...

I thought those plates meant you were a Hulk Hogan fan.

-------------------------------------------
OMG You have my entire office crqcking up!!!
Touche'

Here goes Dyer again, looking at what works and doesn't by looking at the facts and results. Dang radical.

@Jimbo

Wow...way to NOT stay on topic.

@Greed Is Killing America

Actually DUI and OVI are meant to cover a wide range of impairments from alcohol, to the wackos that trip out on illicit drugs and decide to endanger the lives of everybody else due to their high.

Don't try to make this just an up and down issue about whether or not you think DUI laws are stupid- they're there for a reason.

I'm sure most of you would all be singing a much different tune if it was YOU on the receiving end of a seriously impaired driver's aftermath. The laws wouldn't seem so stupid now would they?

If I had party plates I would personalize them to say "wasted" or "smashed" or "hammered"

@CrimeoftheCentury: A DUI is driving under the influence, DWI is driving while intoxicated and OVI is operating a vehicle impaired. They changed everything to OVI to include bicycles, 4-wheelers, golf carts, etc., it also includes prescription drugs and even OTC cold medicines. They can pick you up for just about anything and charge you with an OVI. It's getting out of hand and ridiculous

leave it to ohio lol

Hey Bob, what exactly do you have against police and courts? Were you "wronged" at one time or another. Tired of all you complaining about anything police do. Keep that resume updated, you're going to need it. Gosh, you are so boring.

during the republican controlled state, there were lots of dumb decisions being made, all while we were being robbed under our noses

Having seen how offenders are treated when they have money and when they do not, trust me this has always been about the money. If the sentence was 3 days in jail and no fine no one would have ever heard of a check point. The stupid license plates are a political stunt. The only purpose it serves is to help law enforcement find a target.

@hicksfa2 - In my 47 years,I have known many,many people who have died as a direct result of just about every scenario involving drugs and alcohol. This does not change a thing.

If people are determined to drive under the influence,they are going to drive,regardless of the consequences. There are no laws that can ever deter them,and the state of Ohio is well aware of that.

Our laws were adopted for one reason,and one reason only. To raise revenue. Repeat offenders = more revenue. Yellow license plates just make it easier to spot the potential customers.

@Greed Is Killing America, where did you get the understanding of the law because it not be further from what the actual laws says.

I thought the yellow plates meant the drivers were cowards. My bad.

The laws are all bogus, They only affect the lower and middle class. Anyone with money has a license to drink and drive because if they get caught some fancy lawyer will hide the whole thing. I wonder what my sentence would be if I kiiled a man while driving drunk, say in Florida, even if the man was jaywalking? I'm guessing probably longer than 30 days. And I bet you won't see yellow plates at the new stadium b/c only the rich will be drinking

@Gain Some More Reality - It's called looking at the entire big picture,and forming one's own opinions,rather than believing everything the special interest sponsored bureaucrats want you to believe.

@Greed Is Killing America, you think the smell of alcohol alone is enough to get your charged with these offenses. That alone tells me you know nothing of the law and are not worth discussing this with.

what's even more funny is how many party plates you see in bar parking lots, liquor store parking lots or coming out of a drive thru.
yep they really are working. it's almost like some are "proud" to have them on their vehicles & go about flaunting it at these places.

WIsh I had new plates... I am tired of what we've been using for the last few years. Red and yellow remind me of Arizona's plates. Wonder if I can request the DD plates.

@Gain Some More Reality - It is common knowledge that blood alcohol content test results mean nothing in the state of Ohio anymore. They can be used to incriminate you,but cannot be used to exonerate you.

If the officer smells an odor of alcohol,you can be charged with OVI,regardless of sobriety test results. It is now left totally up to the officer's discretion. This has been published in the ABJ,and debated many,many times here in this forum.

For me the thought of having these plates on my car really makes me think twice about having a beer or two after golf and at wedding receptions, etc. It would be totally embarasing to my family and myself. My coworkers would snicker and my neighbors would talk. Keep the plates for the repeat offenders.

I think that the reason these plates are not working to reduce the stats is that the people that get assigned the plates could care less about their perception in society, etc. They are true dirt bags and the thought of having DUI plates doesn't bother them. That is why you see these cars in bar lots and drive thrus. I think that the portion of society that has something going on in their life (like a good job, porfessional status, high visibilty, etc) really go out of their way to avoid a DWI or DUI due to the thought of having these plates. The people that do get the plates are the bottom feeders who could care less about themselves and a productive role in society.

Plusquellic's anti-recall manager JEFF FUSCO, had a DUI, while driving a City vehicle.

Does JEFF FUSCO have DUI plates?

Do you really want to keep a mayor who has a convicted DUI offender as his manager. No.

vote FOR the RECALL on June 23rd.


why?

www.akronwatch.org
www.changeakronnow.com
www.recallmayordon.com

for more FACTS about Mayor Plusquellic.

Waste of our money...burp!

they work for people that actually care. Most idiots out in portage county like them and wear them as a badge of honor.

I turned down my road coming home from work yesterday and there was a contractor setting at a stop sign swigging a beer. (I assumed a contractor since he had ladders on his truck). It got to thinking how many of you nosy folks would have gotten his license number and reported him? I personally believe that drinking/driving laws are too strict and the fact that this guy was drinking a beer was no business of mine. We need to insist that the MADD idiots stop making laws in this state and lining the politicians pockets with money. I'd love to go to Applebees get a nice steak, a few beers, without feeling like I'm doing something wrong. The laws need to be loosened up so folks can go out and enjoy themselves a little.

@RUNUTS - Y'all obviously didn't know the fire chief had 3 DUI's prior to his appointment as chief.

I think the city hall hero considers drunks as kindered spirits.

IS Stallworths new plate going to be a yellow one???????

Hmmmm...a guy working and being paid with tax dollars....sorry - I would absolutely have reported him for drinking alcohol while on the clock.

I also think the courts should just turn the names of DUI offenders over to Dyer. He can do his top-notch 'investigative reporting' into their personal lives and publicly shame them in his column each day.

They should have special plates for people who are dangerous drivers while using the cell phone so those drivers can be easily spotted and avoided at all costs while on the road.

How does a discussion of OVI plates turn towards the recall again??

Mr Dyer...you are very anti-cop and anti law and order. You are not a subscriber to the social compact theory, which is very obvious.

When the burglars kick in your door and steal your stuff, or God forbid, hurt you or your loved ones OR you lose someone to a drunk driver, you may write a whole different story.

All cops are not bad and all programs like this one don't suck. Stop hugging the trees and join the real world, Bob-O.

@Greed Is Killing America: thank you for clearing that up.

Once again, the laws surrounding intoxicated driving are propelled by the insurance industry. MADD is just a front, whether they even realize it themselves.

personally i find it quite funny because everyone knows the only reason they are isuing those plates is to squeeze more money out of people and so the cops can pull over any car with those plates just cuz thats what they do if i am speeding and i have a reg plate and joe blow in the oter lane is driving the same with a "party plate" they are going to pull him over first but whatever i have never had a dui or anything like that so if you dont want to deal with it i guess your best bet is to not drink and drive

The sex offenders and child molesters need the special plates. They're the ones to worry about.

@usecommonsense.

" I personally believe that drinking/driving laws are too strict "

I agree to an extent that they are too strict on the legal limit of alcohol. its rediculously low, have two beers and your considered intoxicated.

on the other hand, i think the punishment for repeat offenders isnt enough. I think after one DUI/OVI you should be required to have a breathalyzer in your vehicle.

having personally lost my father to a drunk driver, i think the laws should be much much different to punish the repeat offenders and serious drinkers, and be more accepting to the individual that is enjoying a beer with his dinner.

The shouldn't let sober people drive after 9pm......problem solved...

@sensebeme
YOU GOTTA BE JOKING. 5 or 6 DRINKS DOES NOT MAKE YOU DRUNK. WOW. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOURE DRINKING AND DRIVING. I WILL STAY THE HELL OUTTA YOUR WAY.
WOW. IT TAKES ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE TO MAKE THIS WORLD, AND A LOTTA YOU ARE NUTS.

Party plates are all about MONEY. I heard it costs the person caught drunk driving %500 from purchasing to getting back to his old plates after the sentence of DUI is over. Then anther %500 to get license back. Just another way the state uses a SIN TAX to pay for its ways.

What about a license plate for bad politicians?

As I said just another TAX.

@david... It costs them that anyway. If someone has the yellow and red party plates, they are diving within their probationary period for work and/or school. I don't care if it is public humiliation - I think it is warranted. It might keep a first-time offender from getting a 2nd DUI due to embarassment... it might serve as a warning to the public that a drunk is on the loose! I dont' care if it IS a form of public humiliation - if you're impaired and a danger to others, too bad! ALSO - Sex offenders should be required to have the same type of plate in a different color.

Sex offender plates would cause problems too. It will attract every vigilante. Seeing as in this state you can be forced to register as a sex offender for urinating on the side of a road, nude sunbathing in your own yard, your 17-year-old son could be forced to register for rubbing the chest of his 15-year-old girlfriend, etc.

@Greed Is Killing America, you are totally wrong on what you think about what you think is happening in this area. Cops are not just charging people when breath or blood tests prove different. You are really clueless.

I don't think the plates do anything but humiliate the offender, as well as ones family. Especially, for those who own just one vehicle and aren't the only driver. It makes more sense to assign special plates to a "sex offender" warning children to stay away from the vehicle!! Besides, one can clearly see if another has been drinking and driving especially if they are swirving etc.

@Gain Some More Reality - Why don't you spill a beer on yourself,and drive through a DUI checkpoint,and let us know how that works out for you?

Don't drive 26 mph in a 25 zone in any small town. You're asking for 5 citations. Those cops will walk around looking for anything to fine you for. Dust on a tail light, etc.

@CLH, I understand your point with regard to the special plates for those who have been convicted of a DUI however what about the other family members who are affected. Especially when there is only one vehicle per household? Should the spouse/teen be humiliated as well? It makes more sense to have colored plates for sex offenders to WARN children to stay away from that vehicle. I see no other reason to assign the "party plates" than to humilate the convicted and in most cases the entire family members as well.

@Greed Is Killing America, I have been with people that smelled of beer and got pulled over. The driver, who was not drinking, was clearly not drunk and we drove away with no problems.

Officers are not arresting people that have beer spilled on them and that have not been drinking.

Sounds like you got pulled over for a DUI and tried to concoct a story to get off and the legal system found you guilty.

@Gain Some More Reality - I am referring to actual,specific stories that were published in the Akron Beacon Journal,within the last year or two,that caused a public outcry.

Did you just learn to read recently,or do you just like to argue ?

Akron Beacon Journal:
Again
Stupid
Sensors
Hinder
Other
Lingo
Evokers
Surely....

I know, I "sensors" should have been spelled with a "c"...needed the "s" to make the point.

@Greed Is Killing America, you have not linked to one story or one fact.

You simply posted that that the LAW allows arrest for smell of alcohol on your clothes when you stated "Under our current laws,the mere scent of alcohol means that you are automatically guilty of being under the influence,and therefore,a menace to society". Would love for you to show everyone that law!

You also punted to "common knowledge" when you stated "It is common knowledge that blood alcohol content test results mean nothing in the state of Ohio anymore".

I do actually agree with Bob's second to last statement. Let's bring back the pillories, as well as public flogging and summary executions. I know it's ugly and no one wants it on their hands. With all the statistics and numbers out there, I think it should be clear that our current jails/prisons where inmates have better living conditions than they do on the outside are not an effective form a punishment. A large portion of them simply will not learn/rehabilitate. Time to start singling them out and thinning the herd.

I doubt the usefulness of these plates. As many have pointed out - party plates are public humiliation for the entire family. That doesn't seem fair to innocents that need to use the car and other drivers can't be sure if it is the party person or someone else behind the wheel. Also, what's to stop the partier from driving a different car?

As far as using plates for other offenses, I think the same problems exist. Assigning a plate to a sex offender publicly humiliates anybody that needs to drive the car - guilty or not. And let's be realistic - how many sex offenders are going to look for victims from a marked car?

Let's take this a step further - when someone is guilty of multiple drunk driving offenses AND sexual offenses - are we going to create a striped or polka-dotted plate for them to say --- Hey some jerk associated with this car has multiple issues? Where will this end up?

Let's get the repeat offenders off the road with something that really works...
house arrest or jail time combined with mandatory intervention to help them get past their problems leading to the drunk driving - be it stupidity, depression, etc.

If you think having 5-6 drinks doesn't classify you as drunk, you must certainly be an alcoholic. If you need that many drinks, stay home and drink them ... don't put yourself on the highway risking everyone else's lives. I find it ironic that our illustrious government needs to spend taxpayers' money cracking down on those who smoke (which by the way I've never heard of a smoke-related traffic accident), but they refuse to ban all advertisements for alcohol or ban all alcohol from sporting complexes. If you need a drink that bad while watching a ballgame, stay home and watch it on TV! People who drink and drive are the most UNEDUCATED people on earth and put themselves above all the rest of humanity!

One more thought... as the economy gets worse and more people lose jobs, homes, and even their cars...
people should realize there will be a percentage of the population who see the free housing and meals provided by the jail system as being better than starving in the streets or in homeless shelters - and this will increase when it gets colder and harder to find a warm place to sleep. I pray that things get better before too many people start looking at life that way.

i think it is a good idea for the diffent plates , i feel if there stuiped to do domthing then everyone should know about it, now as fair as the drinking plates i feel the frist time the get the plate , 2 time they get to take the bus , 3rd time they get 30 days , 4 time is prison time sones good to me

I agree these plates are a joke. What's the worse that happens to them, people honk at them and say party on, or a guy sees a girl driving and he tries to get a date because she's a party girl. Does anyone really think the driver is embarassed or care what people think, seriously now. Oh joy, such punishment. You ask me, it makes the state look like asses for letting a drunk driver drive at all.

These Scarlett letter plates only serve to make those of us who have not been caught (at any crime )feel superior. Please!!!!

why dont they tax booze like they did cigarettes

Butchandangie...you have set the record for the longest sentence in history. Try using a period one time.

matt...
"If I had party plates I would personalize them to say "wasted" or "smashed" or "hammered""

Now that's classic!!

Anyone who knows me or who has read my posts over the years knows that I am staunchly intolerant of drinking and driving. There simple is no possible reason or excuse. None. Period. That said, the DUI license plates is a ridiculous idea. Sounds like some imbecillic idea that West Virginia would come up with (after all, we DO have the roadkill law!). They'd be better off to make them install those breath apparatuses that must be used before the car can be started.

@matt ... doofus! LOL

Crud ... I really wish they'd let us correct typos. Should have read "There simply is," not simple. Hey, it's Monday and it's still early. Give a girl a break! LOL

Debbie
"why dont they tax booze like they did cigarettes"

Do you really want politicians to use taxation to change the way people go about living their lives?!? I believe that any politician who uses taxes against us to achieve that result should immediately run out of office, tar and feathered and hung by their ankles in the middle of town square.
Taxation should NEVER be used to control a persons lifestyle.

Its not the plates that are the big money makers. I had recently heard that its the amount of fines you have to pay based on your pay level. People who commit the same dunk driving "crime" can pay different amounts based on why they earn...how is that fair? SO I make more than joe blo and I have to pay more than him, even though we did them same thing??

They are all repeated drunks that have them,But you know the problem is some have familys that must drive the same car and they are not one responsible. And those called drunks realy do not care who knows what.Jail does not cure them either,take away the license does not stop them from driving.Your going to have to ship them to and island to cure the problem!

Idiotic.
[A] Prove insurance paid ahead for the year to get plates.
[B] No insurance company will insure someone with a suspended license.
[C] At any traffic stop confiscate the car if it's not insured.
[D] On a DUI (the vast majority never get another) mandate counseling and other torture to annoy and inconvenience the defendant.
[E] On ANY subsequent DUI mandate 5 years in prison, increasing in 5's for the number of convictions.
Nothing- read my lips- NOTHING will ever prevent drunk driving, ok? Get that up front. But if someone gets a second one it means that he doesn't give a good G.D. about anyone else and prison is a safe place for him. Stop making drug possession illegal and we will have all the time room in the world for the drunk drivers.

I'm good with the 'scarlet letter' approach. So what if we call them 'party plates'. Does anyone else speed up to see what the driver looks like??

These plates made me laugh because where I'm from (Iowa) Iowa State University has these plates - because Iowa State's colors are gold and red. So when I started seeing these things 'round town I was all "where are all these Iowans coming from and why are they moving HERE?"

What they should do is this: When an offender receives the "party plates" the state should go one step further. The state should use some of the "fence money" for the Y bridge and wrap the offenders car inside a large circle of fence. Then the sober drivers (and / or cops) would REALLY see them coming. When an offender has done his/her time, the fence can be re used on the next offender. Or you could even add those plastic beer can lights on to the fencing like we used to hang around the campground.