Gustavo Reveles Acosta: New license plate goes overboard with c...

The new general-issue Texas license plates are the first ones to use full color, the first ones to use seven digits instead of six and the first ones to be printed digitally.

[mando]

As usual, the Times story requires some corrections. The Texas Department of Transportation came up with the new design, not DPS (which is where you get your driver license). TxDOT's Motor Vehicle Division is in charge of vehicle registration, which includes license plates. Also, personalized plates cost $40 a year. Specialty plates, such as the UTEP plate, cost around $30 per year, not per month. If you want to personalize a specialty plate, the total cost would be $70 per year.

Aside from the technical errors in the story, where you may see the old Texas plate as "grand" and "monotone," others may see it as boring and unimaginative.

Great move bashing the license plate that the public chose, and for blaming the wrong state department. By the way, you may want to be on the lookout for State Troopers (part of the Department of Public Safety).

[EBE]

Ese Gustavo you outta stop wining, and mind your own business, if people want to buy what they like, butt out.

[Fed Up]

I have to agree, these new colorful plates are the ugliest I've seen! I think I'll pay the extra money for a more subdued tone. Who voted? Color blind people or kindergarteners?

[William Pena]

Fed Up wrote:

I have to agree, these new colorful plates are the ugliest I've seen! I think I'll pay the extra money for a more subdued tone. Who voted? Color blind people or kindergarteners?

I agree totally.
The new plates look like sheeit.
I can't believe so many morons voted for it -- most of them were probably from other states who hate Texas and wanted to get back at us.

[Sam R]

I personally think this is a huge downgrade of appearance compared to the previous plate. The old one had enough color and Texas pride the way it was, but now I will feel ashamed. I'm never going to get the new plate I'm just going to keep the old good looking one just red, white, and blue, the new one is disgusting like a rainbow threw up on it. Too bad.... );

[Insider]

I work for CBP and the plates are driving the plate readers batty. Most of the new plates' first 3 digits are BB8 or B8B and the plate readers are confusing the eights and Bs and I-s for 1-s. Even the officers have to look closely at the plates to distinguish the 8s from the Bs.

Furthermore, they're coming back as California plates on the plate readers. The officers are having to erase the plate readers' results and manually enter the digits themselves. This is time consuming adding time to the wait in line. This will only increase as more cars get the new plates.

I for one will look for an alternative to the plates on my cars or pay extra for personalized plates just so I won't have to place these ugly plates on my cars.

[Designer]

Aside from the so-called "Bad-look" they are definitely much harder to read, and this is from 5 feet away. Not only will it make it difficult for the cops to scan them quickly (making evaders REALLY happy) but this puts everybody in jeopardy who needs to read them quickly in an emergency situation. The decorative aspects of the plate should come last. The previous plates were more effective in this way. I actually like the new colors, too bad that's all we see first.

[tired of it]

Did you really have to weigh in on the license plate? I mean, did you feel like the negative, overly critical side wasn't being adequately represented on the issue. There are far more important issues you could be lending your analysis to happening each day in this city. Step your game up, Reveles.

[One Love For ALL]

What's up Gustavo??? I thought you liked those rainbow colors :-) I'm just kidding, no te ofendas!