Fulham FC fan in California sues over 'racist' number plate row

A Fulham FC fan living in California is suing a state agency after he was banned from having the letters COYW on a personalised car number plate, as they feared the slogan "Come on you whites" had racist connotations.

University professor Jonathan Kotler said he was "shocked" at the decision.

Launching his legal case, he claimed the decision by the California Department of Motor Vehicles violated his right to freedom of speech.

"It's just a shirt colour," he said.

"The people at the DMV are either extra thick or very PC."

Prof Kotler applied for a plate that would read COY-W - an abbreviation of the slogan commonly used by Fulham football fans - and a hashtag seen every weekend on many Twitter posts about the club.

The 73-year-old, who was born in New Jersey and now lives in Calabasas, California, has been a fan of Fulham FC for decades, after watching a match "by happenchance" during a visit to London.

He was originally a fan of both Manchester United and Fulham, but chose his current allegiance in 2006 when both teams were in the Premier League.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47876650

The State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is besieged with lawsuits over their rejection of certain selections in so-called vanity license plates.

They have a legitimate concern over avoiding belligerence on the highway. Studies show that any hint of contentiousness is strongly associated with road-rage, so they seek to minimize the opportunities.

Original Quill wrote:The State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is besieged with lawsuits over their rejection of certain selections in so-called vanity license plates.

They have a legitimate concern over avoiding belligerence on the highway.  Studies show that any hint of contentiousness is strongly associated with road-rage, so they seek to minimize the opportunities.

What studies?

So we should ban any political of religious symbols or messages. As they may inflame people?

Seriously get a grip. That is what the problem is today. Whilst I think the hat with "make America Great again", is laughable. As in no time has it been better in the past. This should in no way constitute people to be hateful and violent. The violence and hate is being whipped up by both sides, but its just a hat

A few that backs a football song, has no relevnce to any race, but the colours of the football team

The DMV are again bowing down to PC

phildidge wrote:

Original Quill wrote:The State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is besieged with lawsuits over their rejection of certain selections in so-called vanity license plates.

They have a legitimate concern over avoiding belligerence on the highway.  Studies show that any hint of contentiousness is strongly associated with road-rage, so they seek to minimize the opportunities.

What studies?

Studies about road rage.  The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website explains why this is the case on its website. “Aggressive driving is a traffic offense; road rage is a criminal offense.”

NHTSA defines aggressive driving as occurring when “an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.” It says that road rage is “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or an assault precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”

Dr. Leon James contends that this distinction is unnecessary, and that the term road rage should be used to describe the dangerous emotions and actions of more angry motorists.

“Any emotion of violence while driving can be called road rage or driver fury, which it is,” James says.

The DMV is loath to promote anything that creates or provokes the rage.

Original Quill wrote:

phildidge wrote:

What studies?

Studies about road rage.

What studies?

Post them up, that backs your claim

Original Quill wrote:

phildidge wrote:

What studies?

Studies about road rage.  The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website explains why this is the case on its website. “Aggressive driving is a traffic offense; road rage is a criminal offense.”

NHTSA defines aggressive driving as occurring when “an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.” It says that road rage is “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or an assault precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”

Dr. Leon James contends that this distinction is unnecessary, and that the term road rage should be used to describe the dangerous emotions and actions of more angry motorists.

“Any emotion of violence while driving can be called road rage or driver fury, which it is,” James says.

The DMV is loath to promote anything that creates for provokes the rage.

What has aggressive driving have to do with a number plate?

So the above makes no sense to the view by the DMV to ban this number plate

As anything percieved to be offensive would then have to be banned

Which would mean just about every number plate

As anyone can invent something they see offensive in anything

Like I said, this is yet more PC nonsense, as this has nothing to do with race or racism

Yet the DMV thinks that white is an offensive word

Since when was the word white some how wrong?

Follow the directions on the NHTSA website. Look under “Aggressive driving is a traffic offense; road rage is a criminal offense.”

More to the point, read my post completely. The source is in there. Are you a baby? No one should have to spoon feed you.

Original Quill wrote:Follow the directions on the NHTSA website.  Look under “Aggressive driving is a traffic offense; road rage is a criminal offense.”

More to the point, read my post completely.  The source is in there.  Are you a baby?  No one should have to spoon feed you.

Show me the link

I read your post and it was so utterly so poor and irrelevant. it was beyond belief.

As again, what is wrong with the word white?

Message from umpire: Quill 2. Didge 0. New balls, please.......

I have to admit to a certain element of bias, but I am one of those tiresome people who have personalised number plates on their vehicles... a BMW with my four initials and the fact that I had two dogs at the time of registration, and a classic Land Rover with my late wife's initials and my own year of birth.

No doubt a former Bletchley Park code breaker could work it all out, but otherwise I think that my identity is secure!

Fascinating exchange of opinions, though, guys. Not that I entirely understand it, you'll understand.........

Fred Moletrousers wrote:Message from umpire: Quill 2. Didge 0. New balls, please.......

I have to admit to a certain element of bias, but I am one of those tiresome people who have personalised number plates on their vehicles... a BMW with my four initials and the fact that I had two dogs at the time of registration, and a classic Land Rover with my late wife's initials and my own year of birth.

No doubt a former Bletchley Park code breaker could work it all out, but otherwise I think that my identity is secure!

Fascinating exchange of opinions, though, guys. Not that I entirely understand it, you'll understand.........

You are one of the many who use vanity plates merely to identify yourself, or say something quite innocent. More recently, since politics have polarized, some have used them for more political, and inflaming, messages.

These are what the DMV wants to avoid.

Original Quill wrote:

Fred Moletrousers wrote:Message from umpire: Quill 2. Didge 0. New balls, please.......

I have to admit to a certain element of bias, but I am one of those tiresome people who have personalised number plates on their vehicles... a BMW with my four initials and the fact that I had two dogs at the time of registration, and a classic Land Rover with my late wife's initials and my own year of birth.

No doubt a former Bletchley Park code breaker could work it all out, but otherwise I think that my identity is secure!

Fascinating exchange of opinions, though, guys. Not that I entirely understand it, you'll understand.........

You are one of the many who use vanity plates merely to identify yourself, or say something quite innocent.  More recently, since politics have polarized, some have used them for more political, and inflaming, messages.

These are what the DMV wants to avoid.

The most useful factor, from my point of view, is that no-one knows how old my BMW is. The current registration plate system reveals all.

The age of my Land Rover is very much a plus factor. It has increased in value more than 30 per cent since I bought it.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:Message from umpire: Quill 2. Didge 0. New balls, please.......

I have to admit to a certain element of bias, but I am one of those tiresome people who have personalised number plates on their vehicles... a BMW with my four initials and the fact that I had two dogs at the time of registration, and a classic Land Rover with my late wife's initials and my own year of birth.

No doubt a former Bletchley Park code breaker could work it all out, but otherwise I think that my identity is secure!

Fascinating exchange of opinions, though, guys. Not that I entirely understand it, you'll understand.........

lol, who made you the umpire mate?

Even more so when you admit to a bias here?

This is not about whether you like personalized number plates, but whether the DMV should be able to ban. Based on a football chant?

So how is that 2 - 0 to Quill based on your arguing off two different aspects here?

Again the reason they are banning is based on the word white

They have raciallized the word, when the "come on you whites" is in reference to football.

I fail to see why that is wrong, so maybe you can eloborate Fred?

Some people will see racism in anything.

My personal number plate would be FAB....for obvious reasons.

Syl wrote:Some people will see racism in anything.

My personal number plate would be FAB....for obvious reasons.

Indeed and here are their rules In California

BBC wrote:California's number plate rules
Plates will be refused if they carry any configuration deemed "offensive to good taste and decency", including:

sexual connotations, or terms of lust or depravity
vulgar terms, terms of contempt, prejudice or hostility, insulting or degrading terms, racially or ethnically degrading terms
Swear words or terms considered profane, obscene or repulsive
configurations with a negative connotation to a specific group
configurations misrepresenting a law enforcement entity
foreign or slang words, or phonetic spellings or mirror images of words falling into the above categories
The number 69 is reserved for cars made in 1969.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/wasapp/ipp2/initPers.do

So what I want to know, is how is the football phrase "come on you whites" breaking the rules above?

Hence is the word and colour "white" now deemed obsecene and repulsive?

Maybe the people who denied this are Liverpool supporters and deem it offensive to Liverpool fans....