How do I get me a "Get out of jail free" license plate?

November 6, 2006 8:50 AM

What's the significance of having a front license plate with a black background and a single, wide, horizontal blue stripe?

All around Boston I've been seeing cars with a front license plate that has a black background and a blue stripe running across the middle. I'm virutally positive that they're cop-related, since the Boston College police cruisers all have them and they're on virtually every private car I see parked around the West Roxbury police station. When I see them around town they're usually on private cars that I associate with cops (mostly pickups, Crown Victorias, etc.) though occasionally I'll see one on a cheaply modded Honda (just a poseur?).

Whatever they are they've piqued my curiousity. How do people get them? Do they come with special privileges? Are they someting you get for donating enough cash to the International Brotherhood of Police Officers? If you have one, and you get pulled over, do you also have to know the secret handshake?

posted by santry to Law & Government (7 answers total)

Best answer: t represents "The Thin Blue Line" of police. Ironically, in states where two plates are issued many cops break the law by displaying that plate rather than the actual license plate. I have no problem with this except when they stop cars for failure to display two plates when two are issued.

via http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.military.com%2Feve%2Fforums%2Fa%2Ftpc%2Ff%2F2401981206%2Fm%2F2110021090001&ei=TGlPRdOYG5WSgwPrn9TEBA&usg=__RRsNE_Wyioy0UfpGTr1QgdPZO9w=&sig2=Y5oOau9PzXZMvOCgUva3Vw
posted by zeoslap at 8:56 AM on November 6, 2006

Best answer: Thin Blue Line stuff
posted by zeoslap at 8:58 AM on November 6, 2006

Isn't that also the emblem of the Black Rose Society, the well-known S&M advocacy group? Kind of ironic.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:47 AM on November 6, 2006

MrMoonPie, I don't think it's at all ironic, considering that zeoslap's merchandising link contains a section for Perfect Fit Leather.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:52 AM on November 6, 2006

Actually, I think the Black Rose Society has a vertical blue line instead of horizontal one...I could be wrong, though.
posted by thejanna at 11:48 AM on November 6, 2006

I've never seen such a plate out here in California.

And zeoslap, ten lashes for not putting that ungodly URL in an html tag. :P
posted by drstein at 12:06 PM on November 6, 2006

I dunno about BRS, but the black-and-blue color scheme is rather common in leather pride insignia. When I first saw the black-and-blue cop plates, I assumed they represented some subset of the leather community.
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:50 PM on November 6, 2006