Photo: Facebook / Brandon Ciriello
Is it too soon for jokes? One Ohio driver has been granted the vanity license plate “COV1D19” by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and hopes his idea of a joke will bring some humor to a very dire situation.
Brandon Ciriello, owner of the Long Shot Performance workshop in Ohio, has renamed his 1986 Ford Mustang “The Virus” after the DMV granted him the permanent plate “COV1D19.”
This is a not-at-all subtle riff on COVID-19, the name of the disease caused by the new Coronavirus. You may have heard about it, since the almost entire world is, as of the time of writing, either in self-isolation or on lockdown to prevent further spread.
Late last week, Ciriello spoke to CarScoops about how he came up with the idea for the vanity plate, at a time when the Coronavirus situation wasn’t as bad as it is today. Yes, alcohol was involved: he was drinking at a pub when he came up with the idea for the plate and the new name for the car, which he had owned for 2 years.
He also revealed that staff at the DMV burst out laughing when they heard what he wanted on his license plate, but warned him his request might be turned down given the sensitivity of the topic. Then, over the weekend, Ciriello was granted the permanent license plate. It might still be revoked if the DMV receives complaints about it, but as of right now, he’s enjoying rides out in “The Virus” - and posting about them on social media.
In his defense, Ciriello says that his vanity plate isn’t meant to make light of a bad situation. He came up with the idea before the recent peak in COVID-19 infections in the U.S., he says. He insists the outbreak is “very serious” and that his “heart goes out” to all those affected. He just hopes to be able to put a smile on some people’s face in these difficult times.
This is a not-at-all subtle riff on COVID-19, the name of the disease caused by the new Coronavirus. You may have heard about it, since the almost entire world is, as of the time of writing, either in self-isolation or on lockdown to prevent further spread.
Late last week, Ciriello spoke to CarScoops about how he came up with the idea for the vanity plate, at a time when the Coronavirus situation wasn’t as bad as it is today. Yes, alcohol was involved: he was drinking at a pub when he came up with the idea for the plate and the new name for the car, which he had owned for 2 years.
He also revealed that staff at the DMV burst out laughing when they heard what he wanted on his license plate, but warned him his request might be turned down given the sensitivity of the topic. Then, over the weekend, Ciriello was granted the permanent license plate. It might still be revoked if the DMV receives complaints about it, but as of right now, he’s enjoying rides out in “The Virus” - and posting about them on social media.
In his defense, Ciriello says that his vanity plate isn’t meant to make light of a bad situation. He came up with the idea before the recent peak in COVID-19 infections in the U.S., he says. He insists the outbreak is “very serious” and that his “heart goes out” to all those affected. He just hopes to be able to put a smile on some people’s face in these difficult times.
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