Vanity plates.

Out from the movie. It is still quite sunny and I am walking back to the subway enjoying an ice cream. There is a man asking for money on the sidewalk. I lower my head in an almost automatic way to avoid his gaze. I hear him ask "Who chose this color?". I raised my head and see that he is talking to the driver of a shining Beetle convertible stuck in traffic. The car is a pale blue with a hint of silver. It is a beautiful and unusual color for a car.
The driver is proud to answer "I did". She is a woman in her late thirties, early forties. There are two kids in the car with her and they too seem to enjoy the attention. The beggar is clearly impressed. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have good tastes?". I hear a laugh and a clear "Well, yes". Spoken as if it was common to be complimented on your tastes when stuck in traffic. Spoken with the ease that comes naturally to beautiful people in beautiful cars. Her license plates read "IM DCNG".