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Michigan cancels offensive plate

State cancels 'offensive' plate
'DYNGR' read as racial slur by complainant
Updated: Sunday, 13 Dec 2009, 2:03 PM EST
Published : Friday, 11 Dec 2009, 6:19 PM EST

By Leon Hendrix
MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) - A motorcycle license plate with the letters D-Y-N-G-R has been on the roads for more than six years but now is being called offensive.

The state sent Richard Macaulay a letter last month informing him that it was canceling his license plate after receiving a complaint.

While the letter didn't state a reason for why the plate was offensive, Macaulay says he now understands that the first two letters of the plate, DY, could be read as "die," and the last letters, NGR, could be read as the 'N' word.

"It's a sad comment on where we are as people," Macaulay said. "We've had 200 years to try and straighten out this racial crap and people still hate each other."

Macaulay says the letters on the plate represent his favorite Harley Davidson bikes, the Dyna and the Springer.

"You talk to most bikers and they'll look at the tag right away and know what it meant," Macaulay said.

The secretary of state's office told 24 Hour News 8 that Macaulay could have appealed its decision, but he decided not to.

"I can see where this would upset somebody if they wanted to look that far into it. So, I decided let's let it go," he said.

The state said that problems with custom plates are rare but occasionally come up. Of the state's 9 million license plates, about 283,000 of them are custom.

There are state staff members that screen the requests, but sometimes plates that they don't realize are offensive slip through.

Macaulay, who said he was reluctant to talk with reporters about the plate, said he now wants the unexpected attention to go away.

"I feel bad," he said. "I'm sad that the whole thing had to happen."