Too rude for the road — government yanks man's last name from licence plate

[Tennis]

Mr. Grabher wants his licence plate back.

A Dartmouth man is furious that after 25 years the Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles has cancelled his personalized licence plate with his last name Grabher on it, following a single complaint.

Lorne Grabher is of German heritage. He said he bought the plate as a gift for his father's 65th birthday. His father passed away in the 1990s and the plate has remained in the family.

Last December, he received a letter telling him the plate would be cancelled in January because the public cannot be expected to know it is his last name and "can misinterpret it as a socially unacceptable slogan."

"I was taken aback. How can you say my name is slogan when it is not?" Grabher told CBC News.

"Where does the province of Nova Scotia and the government of Nova Scotia get the right to discriminate against a person's name?"
Proud of his last name

Grabher said his father taught his children to always be proud of their name and where they come from.

He was even more offended by an email sent to CBC News by a spokesman from the Department of Transportation, Brian Taylor. It said: "A complaint was received outlining how some individuals interpret [the name] as misogynistic and promoting violence against women."

The email went on to say, "With no way to denote that it is a family name on the plate, the department determined it was in the public's best interest to remove it from circulation."

CBC requested an interview with Janice Hartland, the director of road safety at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, but was told there would not be one.

"I've never once had anybody come up to me and say they were offended," Grabher said. "They would look at it and say, 'Am I reading this right?' And I would go, 'Yes.' And they would go, 'Is this your last name?' And I would go, 'Yes.' And they would always just give a little chuckle."'
Possible backlash from Trump?

Grabher is familiar with the infamous recording of U.S. President Donald Trump using offensive language to say he wanted to "grab her" in reference to a woman. But Grabher said he is not Trump and that is not the intention of his plate.

Grabher worries that U.S. President Donald Trump's misogynistic comments have hurt his ability to retain a licence plate featuring his own last name. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

"Donald Trump is a totally different person. He's ignorant. He doesn't care about anybody and I shouldn't be put in a class like him," Grabher said.
Banned words

There are approximately 3,100 words that the provincial government has deemed unacceptable on licence plates.

Words are banned for religious reasons, for being sexual, or for being in poor taste. In some cases a specific reason was never inputted into the system.

Some of the words that can't be on licence plates include:

HESHE
GONADS
GRINGO
GOD4U2
69PRIX
HOOTCH
HOTFU
DOOBIE

"I guess now I'm going to have to take my name out of the phone book because a person's been offended by it," Grabher said.

"I guess my wife has to change the name of her consulting company, Grabher's Consulting. That has to be taken away? I guess I'm going to have to change my birth certificate."
Looking for help

Grabher said this is very personal, not only for himself, but his children and grandchildren. He's hoping someone will help him fight the government.

In the meantime, he has a Grabher licence plate his son sent him from Alberta. He's put it on the front of his car.
Lorne Grabher

Grabher's son sent him another licence plate from Alberta. (Yvonne Colbert/CBC)

"I'm proud of it and as far as I know in Nova Scotia we're allowed to put whatever we want on the front of the car."

Taylor, the transportation spokesman, said the list of banned words "is always evolving, as slang and language also continue to change and evolve."

He said the department does not take decisions like this lightly and understands Grabher's frustration.

The department has offered to print alternative wording or to reimburse Grabher for the cost of the remaining life of the plate.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...name-1.4037912

What an unreasonable position. It's an offensive license plate. End of story.

[Venant]

Clearly we need to make him change his name, but only after he is made to lose his job and all his friends and family. How dare he be born with such a sexist/misogynistic/racist last name!

[Gemini Soul]

Its his legal last name and was born with it, so it should be allowed on his plate.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

Tennisace what ISN'T offensive to you?

[Damajin]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...name-1.4037912

What an unreasonable position. It's an offensive license plate. End of story.

No it isn't. Cry more.

[Azadina]

My outrage machine doesn't seem to be working, if this is supposed to spark some.

[truckboattruck]

yes tennisace, keep telling people what they can or cannot say.

[Mormolyce]

I think that license plate laws like this are parochial to the point of being Victorian.

[Xeranath]

It is a rather amusing last name. But as the article alludes, this probably wouldn't have been an issue before THAT comment was made by Prez BabyRage.

[Tyrianth]

I emphasize with him but I agree with the governments reasoning. The public has no reason to believe or expect that to be his last name and not something misogynistic.

[the game]

Canada. The worlds thought police.

[Tyrianth]

It is a rather amusing last name. But as the article alludes, this probably wouldn't have been an issue before THAT comment was made by Prez BabyRage.

You're probably right, but so is the government of NS when they say slang and language change or evolve. It doesn't take much for language to change.

[klogaroth]

People, places, and things, especially ones originally named in another language, can have names that mean something else in English.

If your name from another language happens to mean something in English then that's on English speakers. To suggest otherwise is incredibly Anglo-centric, and I would argue that the cultural insensitivity here is worse than any connotation of the name's meaning in English.

[Skizzit]

He needs to look on the bright side. This is a good opportunity for a new beginning for him. A new start if you will. He should get a new plate to reflect that. Something like ANUSTART.

People, places, and things, especially ones originally named in another language, can have names that mean something else in English.

If your name from another language happens to mean something in English then that's on English speakers. To suggest otherwise is incredibly Anglo-centric, and I would argue that the cultural insensitivity here is worse than any connotation of the name's meaning in English.

So if I was Vietnamese and my name was Phuk Yu I should totally be allowed to have PHUKYU as my licence plate?

[Jaransan]

Lolwhat? Grow up and let the man have his license plate for shit sake. Id understand if it was just a bullshit excuse but anyone with access to his registration info can also see his name and should he able to make the god damn connection. Stop supporting / fighting social injustice at every turn and take things on a case by case without being so damn easily offended.

[Gemini Soul]

He needs to look on the bright side. This is a good opportunity for a new beginning for him. A new start if you will. He should get a new plate to reflect that. Something like ANUSTART.

I see what you did there lol

Just for kicks, he should sue the government letting them have such an "offensive" plate out for all these years.

[IIamaKing]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...name-1.4037912

What an unreasonable position. It's an offensive license plate. End of story.

He should have to change his name, think of all the people who may see it and be offended.

[klogaroth]

So if I was Vietnamese and my name was Phuk Yu I should totally be allowed to have PHUKYU as my licence plate?

If that were genuinely your name then yes. Canada is an interesting place when it comes to language, so you'd think the authorities would have more understanding of nouns that might mean something else in another language, although I will admit this is less common between French and English.

[Stop Pretending]

Tennisace what ISN'T offensive to you?

Full government control.

[Tennis]

Lolwhat? Grow up and let the man have his license plate for shit sake. Id understand if it was just a bullshit excuse but anyone with access to his registration info can also see his name and should he able to make the god damn connection. Stop supporting / fighting social injustice at every turn and take things on a case by case without being so damn easily offended.

His name is offensive to be put in a license plate. He can still drive. He just can't use that name for his license plate. No issue there.