NO FOIA VANITY PLATE?

I saw this piece and found it kind of amusing.  Apparently a lawyer in Washington, D.C. named Allen Bluestein, who does a lot of Freedom of Information Act work applied for a vanity license plate that said “FOIA.”  And the District of Columbia rejected the request.

According to the article, it appears the District relied on a section of the Municipal Regulations that prohibit plates that “[s]uggest in any language, a government or governmental agency.”  I guess they felt that “FOIA” plate would suggest some sort of governmental affiliation.

I think it’s a stretch, as does Bluestein, who is appealing.  But I can’t see what the problem is here. Does the District think other drivers would see the plate and come to a screeching halt to ask Bluestein the status of their pending FOIA requests?  Seems unlikely.  I say give the man his plate.  It seems to mean a lot to him.