Photo: Marcelo Murillo / iStock / Getty Images
A 76-year-old woman from Pompano Beach, Florida, is drawing attention in her retirement community after the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issued her a license plate reading "SQZ A55," which can be interpreted as a risqué message. Nancy Dello Stritto did not request the plate and said she was shocked when she saw it on her new vehicle registration.
She called the news media to her retirement complex to share her story, wanting people to know the plate was assigned by mistake. Dello Stritto told WFOR, "I don’t think a woman that lives in a senior community that's going to be 77 years old next month will be driving around with what this plate has to say."
Some of her neighbors and family members encouraged her to keep the plate, while others suggested she request a different one. An 89-year-old neighbor even joked about the situation, while her sons told her to just have fun with it. Dello Stritto admitted she plans to keep the plate for now, saying, "I'm resigned to it; maybe it was destined for it to be on my car."
Despite the embarrassing mix-up, Dello Stritto is taking the attention in stride. "I can handle it if I get a few honks here and there. Actually, being over 70, I might like a few honks," she said.
Florida license plates are produced at a state prison in north Florida before being distributed through state agencies. Broward County officials said that any plate deemed offensive can be exchanged at no cost.
For now, Dello Stritto plans to see what kind of reactions she gets before deciding if she will exchange the plate. She has notified the state about her concerns, and Broward County offers a free replacement process for those uncomfortable with their assigned plates.