lol
The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an apology Thursday after a personalized license plate referencing the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel was spotted in Culver City (Los Angeles County).
The custom plate, on a Tesla Cybertruck, read “LOLOCT7,” combining internet slang for “laugh out loud” with a reference to the Hamas-led assault in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 were kidnapped.
The organization StopAntisemitism raised concerns about the plate on social media, condemning it as a “sickening display” that appeared to trivialize the violence.
In response, the DMV quickly apologized, calling the plate “unacceptable and disturbing.”
The department acknowledged that the plate had been approved due to an error in its internal review process and vowed to strengthen its procedures to prevent such oversights.
“The DMV Is taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review process to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again,” the department said in a statement.
It added, “The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways.”
A DMV spokesperson confirmed that the owner of the Cybertruck, who was not publicly identified, would be notified of the recall, though they could appeal the decision.
The agency also stated that it would review its entire database of personalized license plates, also known as vanity plates, to identify any similar content.
The use of a Cybertruck is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways.