NAMES IN THE NEWS : License Plates Judged 2B Best

It’s the 20th anniversary of personalized license plates in California, so car-care company Eagle One held a contest to find the most creative plate on the road. The winner, chosen by a panel of TV comedy writers, was motion picture production manager Robert P. Schneider, whose plate, IM2BZ2P, refers to the 16-hour days he says he works.

The runners-up--culled from 600 entries from 36 states--were OUT50GZ (Out 50 G’s), a reference to the cost of Linda Ressler’s Mercedes in Valencia; O4A4RE (Oh for a Ferrari) on Lou Mickley’s Honda in Bethlehem, Pa.; AUDIDOD (Audi Doody) on Joyce Matuszak’s Audi in Sandwich, Ill., and BRTQLIT (Be Articulate) on speech therapist Rita Larson’s car in Burlingame, Calif.

Schneider won a CD player for his car and $500 in car-care products. Replicas of the plates will go on display at the Improv comedy nightclub in Hollywood.