Aussie mum learns hidden meaning of her name after personal number plates rejected
It's not unusual for drivers to have their custom number plates request denied by the government if their choice of words is deemed inappropriate or offensive. Such was the case last year when a NSW number plate appearing to honour the date of the recent Hamas attack on Israel made national headlines after it snuck through the approval process, prompting the state's Roads Minister to order it be seized.
But for one young Aussie mum, her simple request was reportedly denied for a far more surprising reason – her first name was deemed inappropriate.
Queensland mother Indica Bradford says she always wanted her "unusual" name on her number plates. After recently buying her own car, she was excited to see the option was still available on the Personalised Plates Queensland (PPQ) website when she went to apply recently.
Despite initially being approved, Indica's deposit was soon refunded. She told A Current Affair that she received a phone call telling her the plates were deemed offensive by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and would not be accepted.
Indica argues that the majority of Australians would not be upset by the plates displaying her name, and heavily criticised the decision. However the name Indica does have a somewhat lesser known meaning. It's a strain of cannabis, a fact that likely triggered the department's strict ban on drug-related references.
"I didn't even know what it was until I was informed by PPQ on the phone," she told the Channel 9 program. "I think the majority of Australia would be the same. It's just someone's unusual name.
"I'm not trying to offend anyone. It's just my name."
Transport department responds
Indicia is now calling on TMR to reverse its decision. "Everyone has personalised plates ... I was really excited about that for ages," she said. "It's my legal name on my birth certificate."
In a statement to Yahoo News, a spokesperson for TMR said Indica could challenge the decision if she chooses. "While most plate combinations are approved, a small percentage are declined. In most cases, customers are happy to work with PPQ to find an alternative that meets their intent while also aligning with policy," they said.
"This particular plate combination at the time was deemed inappropriate in relation to its interpretation as promotion of illegal drugs or criminal activity. The customer can contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads to seek a formal review of the request to purchase this combination."
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It's certainly not the first time a driver has had their seemingly innocent custom number plates rejected. Back in 2023, a NSW driver said he "died a little inside" after being told he'd no longer be able to drive around sporting his plates, that read: "W8N4U" — an abbreviation of "waiting for you".
"There's way worse plates out there, but somehow my plates got flagged for being inappropriate," he said at the time.
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