Her ‘FART’ license plate was rejected — so NC woman made her case on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

A North Carolina woman fighting to keep her custom license plate made her case in front of a national audience on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

In the segment, Asheville resident Karly Sindy tells the story of her license plate — which says FARTSM — and the letter she received from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, saying she either had to defend her choice or risk having the plate taken away.

Sindy’s story, first reported by The News & Observer, could have ended there. But instead, she turned to Reddit for help building her case. Other users suggested that Sindy claim the letters stood for something, and one commenter with the username VRpetparent came up with the phrase “Friends of Asheville Recreational Trails.”

Sindy created a website for the organization and added photos, bringing the club to life. Soon, eager prospective members told Sindy they would love to join the club for real.

“That’s when I was like ‘oh, we should meet! That would be great!’” Sindy told McClatchy News.

The club’s first meeting was at a park in Asheville on Feb. 24, and Sindy told McClatchy News afterward that she was pleasantly surprised by the level of excitement and support she witnessed — one person brought a cardboard sign with the club’s name on it, others took photos with the plate, and two representatives of Friends of the Smokies gave Sindy a year-long membership to the wildlife organization as a thank-you for her support.

On Feb. 25, the North Carolina DMV told McClatchy News that the “personalized text in question has been on our do not issue list for some time and was mistakenly approved in our Special Plate Unit,” adding that the “plate has been recalled.”

But Sindy said on Reddit that she hadn’t heard back from the agency, and her cause continued to gain support. Soon, she had the attention of FARTers across the country, and on March 3, Sindy told her story on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

“So if I understand correctly, the DMV supplied the plate, but now they may deny the plate,” Kimmel said on the show.

Kimmel asked about the club, calling it a “scheme,” but Sindy clarified that FART is “a legitimate club.”

“We have stickers, we have 60 people on the email list, we’ve got a website,” Sindy told Kimmel.

Kimmel asked Sindy if she would consider leaving the state if her appeal isn’t accepted by the DMV and Department of Transportation. Sindy’s answer was a firm no.

“I’m an Ashevillian forever,” Sindy said. “I really hope they let me keep my plate.”

Kimmel told Sindy to “keep fighting the good fight” and said he and the audience “are with you 100%.”

In another Reddit post, Sindy said she submitted her appeal to the department on March 3 and that “it was inspired by all of you hilarious and talented people.”

“I have not received any communication from the DMV other than the original letter so contrary to what a lot of news articles are saying I feel like there may still be a small chance they let me keep it,” Sindy wrote in the post. “Or maybe I’m delusional. But if being delusional means you have this much fun I don’t want to be sane.”

Sindy posted her appeal on the Friends of Asheville Recreational Trails website with the hashtag #dontdenythefart.

“I’d like to start off by pointing out that acronyms are an excellent way to gain attention and unify around succinct causes that mean a lot to all of us,” Sindy wrote. “Whether that be UNC, WNC, NCSU, NCDOT, these short collections of letters have a meaning and help establish identity.”

“F.A.R.T. operates with the best intentions to be stewards of the roads, wildlife, signage, and trails that connect North Carolina citizens to the countless beautiful natural areas in and around the Smokey Mountain region,” the letter continued.

Sindy’s website also includes a monthly newsletter for the club. In the March issue, she promoted the club and the appeal to the DMV, adding that the club will meet again on March 13 to “exchange pleasantries and FART jokes” before going on a hike.

“After being a part of this wonderful club, FART and FARTSM represents joy, fun, nature and community,” Sindy’s appeal said. “Let us not be ashamed or try to repress this word or action.”

The North Carolina DMV and Sindy did not immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News.