Moncton — A recent joint report by Service New Brunswick and Facebook’s Moncton newschasers has concluded that water damaged licence plates that have been spotted all throughout the province are the hottest trend of the closing summer.
“I absolutely adore the new layouts that started appearing last spring,” said Minto resident Sara Barnstead. “The rips and stains go perfectly with the rust on my sagging bumper.”
The fad is spanning demographics, with parents and adults donning the plates as badges. “My kids get their clothing second-hand — full of holes and spots,” recent early-retiree Bill Boyd explained to The Manatee. “My new plates kind of give off that Value Village chic, too.”
Some of the more popular designs include the signature erosion on the top left corner, followed by a few missing characters; others are more “rip’n tear” dominated. The report also underlined the fact that if more of the plate is missing, the more “bold” of a statement the driver is attempting to make.
Besides the obvious aesthetic charm, the study noted, the degraded plates are being lauded for their practical application to everyday problems.
“My plates make me untraceable, like a ghost on the highway,” said Steven Dow, 17. “Only way for them to get a whiff of me would be to tail — no way are the cops catching up to me on the New Maryland.”
In response to the findings, Service New Brunswick has said they will replace damaged plates free of charge — an apology for jumping on the trend so late in the game.
“We strongly believe that our organization is up to date and efficient, whether that’s referring to our tasteful style or our wait times,” said a Service New Brunswick rep in a written statement. “The last thing we would want is for the public to assume we can fall behind.”