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A grandfather from New York has been granted permission to keep his humorous yet cheeky license plate after intervention from the state’s governor. The plate, which playfully addresses a common issue faced in older age, had initially faced a ban.
Seth Bykofsky, 69, was informed that his personalized plate, reading ‘PB4WEGO,’ was in violation of state regulations and needed to be surrendered immediately.
In a turn of events, Governor Kathy Hochul personally reached out to Bykofsky, offering an apology for the confusion and assuring him that his license plate would be returned.
“I saw your story in the news,” she told him. “The DMV mistakenly took away your amusing plate. I found it delightful.”
Governor Hochul added, “We all need a reminder to ‘pee before we go.’ As a parent and grandparent myself, I fully support this lighthearted message.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Bykofsky rejoiced over the decision.
‘I am, to put it mildly, relieved,’ he said. ‘A victory for the little guy, whose voice is too often drowned out. More than this, a triumph for free speech.
‘We can all now PB4WEGO without fear or favor.’
The New York DMV ruled that Seth Bykofsky’s ‘PB4WEGO’ license plate did not comply with state regulations and ordered him to pull it
Bykofsky, 69, appealed to New York Governor Kathy Hochul after being informed of the decision. He called his individuality ‘lost’ and his personality ‘quashed’ without the plate
On January 24, Bykofsky shared a letter from the New York DMV that had been sent to his West Hempstead home.
‘Who doesn’t break out in a broad grin, or emit a mild chuckle, upon seeing a clever, witty, or funny custom license plate? Who?’ he wrote on Facebook.
Bykofsky answered his own rhetorical question: ‘Apparently, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.’
He rejected the notion that the license plate on his Hyundai Tucson Hybrid could be seen as derogatory or disrespectful.
‘In all my years as a parent and now, grandparent, the worst I’ve gotten has been a gentle roll of the eyes from my kids and grandkids,’ Bykofsky said.
The angry motorist described what he called a ‘subtle attempt by DMV to stifle free speech and infringe upon a basic First Amendment right.’
He wrote: ‘Individuality, lost. Personality, quashed. Even the semblance of mild humor, extinguished.’
Bykofsky also sarcastically noted the ‘fine state of affairs in the great State of New York,’ tagging Hochul in his post and urging parents and grandparents to ‘take note.’
Hochul personally called Bykofsky to inform the West Hempstead grandfather that she would allow his cheeky license plate to keep being used
The New York DMV said it wanted to remove Bykofsky’s license plate because plates considered ‘derogatory, contemptuous, degrading, disrespectful or inflammatory’ are banned in the state.
‘You must immediately remove plates PB4WEGO, destroy them, and replace them,’ the letter told Bykofsky.
It warned him that ‘continued operation of any vehicle bearing plate PB4WEGO is unlawful.’
The agency also urged Bykofsky to remove his old registration and replace it with a new one ‘immediately upon receipt.’
He directly appealed to Hochul after receiving the letter, writing: ‘Requesting a Pardon for my license plate. Literally!’
Bykofsky’s public plea for help worked, as Hochul stepped in to return his humorous plate.
‘I’m sorry for the inconvenience, and I’m glad we can put things right again, and I’ll settle that very soon with you,’ Hochul told him.
He responded: ‘Thank you, Governor. You always come through for New Yorkers. We appreciate it.’
Bykofsky shot down the idea that his customized license plate was disrespectful and insisted that ‘the worst I’ve gotten has been a gentle roll of the eyes from my kids and grandkids’
Bykofsky told Hochul that he had three grandsons and one granddaughter.
‘All who proudly pee before they go,’ he humorously noted.
‘They learned well from their grandpa, and I think that’s an important lesson,’ Hochul said.
Bykofsky said that his car was in Florida this week while he was in New York, but that he was already itching to use his license plate again.
‘I think it’ll be magnificent, because we’ll probably get more recognition on the roadways,’ Bykofsky told the New York Post.
‘Everybody will be looking and honking and say, ‘hey, it’s the guy who pees before we go!”
Bykofsky’s ‘PB4WEGO’ license plate is not the first to cause consternation at the DMV.
In 2024, New Hampshire resident Wendy Auger was ordered by her state’s DMV to remove the same license plate because of its links to ‘sexual or excretory acts or functions.’
Hochul said she could relate to the tongue-in-cheek message on Bykofsky’s license plate
Auger fought the decision, which ultimately reached then-New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.
Like Hochul, Sununu intervened and ensured that Auger would keep her license plate.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the New York DMV and Hochul’s office for further comment.