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The government of Saskatchewan has once again forbidden one of its residents from owning an “ASSMAN” personalized licence plate.

Railroad worker David Assman (pronounced OSS-men) of Melville, Sask., first tried to put his last name on a licence plate in the 1990s, but had it rejected as “profanity.” A recent application was again denied on the grounds that his last name is “offensive, suggestive or not in good taste.”

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“I think they are too worried that people are going to have hurt feelings about something that is complete nonsense,” Assman told the National Post by direct message. “Even if it wasn’t my last name who is it going to hurt?”

Saskatchewan Government Insurance, like all provincial authorities in charge of vanity licence plates, kiboshes any applications that have a whiff of sexuality, drug reference, politics or religiosity.

I think they are too worried that people are going to have hurt feelings about something that is complete nonsense

“Even if a word is someone’s name and pronounced differently than the offensive version, that’s not something that would be apparent to other motorists who will see the plate,” said Saskatchewan Government Insurance spokesman Tyler McMurchy. He added that the agency generally errs on the side of caution.