1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: Stuff Lauren bog Obam here. The state of Vermont could 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: soon be giving its license plates and upgrade. The plates, 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: which currently have white lettering on a leafy green background, 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: are some of the most basic you'll find anywhere in 6 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 1: the United States. Even Vermont's special interest plates, which signify, 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: for example, the motorists fondness for Ham radios or affiliation 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: with the National Ski Patrol, feature the relevant logo on 9 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: the side of the plate like an afterthought, and the 10 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: list of special interests that motorists can choose from is 11 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: shorter than in many other states. They can't even buy 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: a plate to boast about their favorite national sports team 13 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: because Vermont doesn't have any. In other words, when it 14 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: comes to license plates, the Green Mountain State is traditionally 15 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: all business. Until now. That is, Vermont has a new 16 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: bill that would let motorists add one of six yet 17 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: to be determined emoji two new license plates. The bill 18 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: was introduced by state Representative Rebecca White and passed onto 19 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: the state's Committee on Transportation in late January. Of the 20 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: emoji would be in addition to the standard letter and 21 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: number combination. Either assigned by the state or chosen by 22 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: the motorist, rather than replacing any of those characters. That 23 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,199 Speaker 1: means the letter number combo will remain the official plate number. 24 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: In other words, it's unlikely that Vermont State troopers will 25 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 1: be calling out eggplant or sunglasses emoji over the radio 26 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: in much the same way they don't identify special interest 27 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: or other special types of plates. However, that's just speculation. 28 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: Weirder things have happened, and by recording time, Representative White's 29 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: office did not respond to our requests for comment. Believe 30 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: it or not, there's already precedent for what seems like 31 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: this pretty off the wall idea. Queensland, Australia has had 32 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: emoji license plates since five. Emoji are available for the 33 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: plates faces with a laugh, a wink, sunglasses, heart eyes, 34 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: and the standard smile, and as in the proposed Vermont plates, 35 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: they're not part of the identification sequence there. In addition 36 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: to three letters and two numbers, in Queensland, motorists also 37 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: get to choose text and background colors and from a 38 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: variety of background designs, including scenic landscapes and cartoon character logos. 39 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 1: Certain plates can also be inscribed with custom captions to 40 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: Motorists can even buy duplicate sets of plates with different 41 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: designs and swap them out on a whim. If the 42 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: Vermont bill passes, it would be the first state in 43 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: the US to offer such an option, though it's a 44 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: little too early to let imaginations run truly wild. Pricing 45 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,239 Speaker 1: and other details have yet to be worked out. As 46 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: for whether will eventually see a plethora of emoji license 47 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: plates across the country is anybody's guests, but we certainly 48 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: hope that other states catch on and lighten our moods 49 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: in traffic jams. Today's episode for Certain by Shery's three 50 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: Wit and produced by Tyler Clang. Brain Stuff is production 51 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: of i Heeart Radios has Stuff Works. For more in 52 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: this and lots of other curious topics, visit our home 53 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: planet how stuffworks dot com and for more podcasts. 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