Americana: Unsafe at Any Speed

For 29 years, Irving and Annette Herman drove around Bridgeport, Conn., in cars whose license plates bore the first two letters of each of their names: IRAN.

Came the energy crunch of 1974, and passing drivers began to gesture impolitely. The Hermans persisted. But needless to say, things got worse recently. One night the Hermans found a note on their windshield: “The only reason I don’t set fire to your car is because I’m not sure you’re Iranian. Go home if you are.”

That did it. Irving hustled down to the motor vehicle office and got new plates with a nice safe number.