Which is better, the old or new car license plates?

[sweetheart]

The old plate was yellow with the zia right in the center of the
plate in dark red... with little indian designs on the top.
All the plates are visible in this link:

http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/usa/US_NMXX.html

I can't help but notice that the new plate includes the white man's
air balloon... as well, it looks crappy on cars covered with
plate holders and whatnot. I understand changing the plate to
something better...

[Catch22Dem]

1. I used to have one like this

[ktowntennesseedem]

2. Cool site!

Feel the same way about the old Tennessee plates from a little further back. The plates from the 50's were actually shaped like the state, not rectangular. Just a bit before my time, but I remember seeing a few that some folks saved, or kept on the front of their car.

[punpirate]

3. Interesting thing about the new plate...

... is that because it's far more reflective than the old one, the police are a little less likely to notice that the license plate light is out--in my neck of the woods, that's their favorite reason to stop a car.

[comradebillyboy]

4. when i got my new car i kept the old yellow plate

the new one is really non-descript

[sweetheart]

5. It looks like dirt

I was watching several cars on the road to santa fe, and i swear that
i was not sure i was seeing a white plate covered with redish-sand
dirt... really pathetic.

Most of the time, a new plate is an improvement.... but in this
case, its a sign that the government in santafe has lost it.

The old plate was cool... i used to love my plate, favorite of all
the states... and being cool, of course the republican influences
would have to destroy it.

However, the los alamos ray bradbury museum to the atomic bomb is
still going dang fine. I was able to investigate everything from
nuclear triggers to the design of various nucear weapons... ain't
they so intelligent out thar. :-)

[all.of.me]

6. did you not get a choice of which plate to have?!

i'm in taos, and we can choose which plate we want. is that not state wide?! i see new yellow plates every day. i registered a car in october and chose ... yellow ... of course!

[comradebillyboy]

7. it never occured to me that i had a choice

but the old one is just fine, so no problem.

[phusion]

8. Yep, same in 'Burque...

I chose the old yellow plate...Looks much better than the stupid balloon.

[Cybergata]

9. I prefer the really old ones that had the county number

...and did feel we needed to put U.S.A. on it for those folks who don't know New Mexico is part of the U.S. It was great having the county numbers before the Zia on the plate. Traveling across the country as a kid in the sixties, every time we saw another New Mexico plate, we could tell what part of the state they came from. We lived in Santa Fe, which was about 1/4 the size it is now. If we saw another NM plate with a 1 before the Zia somewhere in the Midwest, it was like finding a cousin away from home.

BTW, anyone who is interested in NM plates of the past, I have a web page with old plates at http://cybergata.com/nmplates.htm

[462 firepit]

10. old yeller

I liked the good old yellow plate. I've lived in NM most of my life, and the balloon fiesta creates traffic that is just a pain in the ass ..... but "the white man's air balloon ???? whats with that??

[all.of.me]

11. yeah, i agree!

the white man's balloon! love it!

welcome to du!