An unexpected surprise in the mailbox
We all come across questionable personalized license plates from time to time, but rarely does the state Department of Motor Vehicles do the dirty work for you, saving you the need to come up with something awkward yourself. That’s exactly what happened to Nancy Dello Stritto, a 77-year-old retiree living in a quiet senior community in Pompano Beach, South Florida, who never asked for it.
How the plate went viral
When Nancy opened her mailbox, expecting a routine vehicle registration renewal, she instead saw a new license plate with the inscription “SQZ A55”. The problem with this set of characters is that from a distance, the two fives look almost like a double “S”, forming a very provocative command.
Read more: Drivers keep choosing this plate, and Colorado is making millions from it
The retiree’s reaction and those around her
The retiree from Pompano Beach admitted that her first reaction was far from cheerful. She wondered how such an obviously crude combination could have slipped past the state’s automated check. However, when she asked for opinions from her neighbors in her senior community, the response was mostly positive. Eventually, her sons and her 89-year-old neighbor convinced her to keep the plate on her Hyundai Sonata sedan.
Nancy joked that at her age, she doesn’t mind extra honks on the highway. In a conversation with CBS News, she said:
“I’ve made peace with it; maybe this plate was destined to be on my car.”
How it happened: A system error
But how did “SQZ A55” end up in the mail from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles? The “Sunshine State” license plates are actually stamped by inmates at a state prison in North Florida. Despite digital filters designed to block offensive language, the random generation of alphanumeric combinations sometimes lets such “gems” slip through.
Read more: North Carolina drivers just got a plate that was 110 million years in the making
History repeats itself
As reported by our colleagues at Autopian, this is not the first case of accidental license plate comedy in Florida. Back in 2004, the Department of Motor Vehicles issued plates starting with “A55”. That plate, combined with the central orange graphics, caused the “A55 RGY” sign on a Lincoln LS to become an internet sensation long before the advent of social media.
Options for the dissatisfied
Any Florida resident who lacks Dello Stritto’s patience has a way out. The Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office confirmed that anyone who receives an offensive plate can exchange it for a replacement free of charge.
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This story shows how randomness and human factors can create unexpected situations even in routine matters like issuing license plates. It also serves as a reminder that automated systems are not always perfect, and that humor and support from loved ones can turn an embarrassment into a reason to smile. For those not ready to put up with such quirks, there is always a simple way out — a free plate replacement, highlighting the system’s flexibility in such cases.