Why do people cover their license plates? Options

[CELL_PROTOTYPE_X]

I don't understand why people cover their license plates up when they post pics on the site. What can someone do with your license plate #?

[conus00]

I don't understand why people cover their license plates up when they post pics on the site. What can someone do with your license plate #?

I'll just take a wild guess: It's very easy to (anonymously) report car stolen, or (again anonymously) call somebody in for DUI.
There is a lot of idiots who would do it as a prank or just for sheer envy.

I, personally, would blur/cover my license plates while posing pics too.

[Random_Stranger]

it is also easy to take electrical tape and use it to manipulate numbers and commit crimes, such as going through toll booths without paying, speeding through traffic lights that catch license plate images, etc.... They go by the license plate, and if they research make and model to be the same on the car, it makes it harder to track down the actual person who did the wrong.

[DEATH]

Paranoia mostly

[95CelicaST]

Yeah its paranoia. There's no legitimate reason to do so. People don't have access to a database with plates and addresses, nor are they going to file a false police report, because that'll just come right back to them.

[conus00]

Yeah its paranoia. There's no legitimate reason to do so. People don't have access to a database with plates and addresses, nor are they going to file a false police report, because that'll just come right back to them.

I hate to disagree but here is a (hypothetical) situation (please nobody get any ideas): Somebody gets pissed at you and sees you driving by in your car. He/she goes to closest public phone and dials 911. "Hi I just saw somebody breaking in the car, and they just sped away. I don't know who it was but I noticed that it was red Toyota, license plate XYZ. Click."

...and here goes quite a bit of trouble for you and he/she is home free without any problems.

[95CelicaST]

Yes, but that person would need to be in the general vicinity of the car, and this is about people seeing plate numbers in pictures. You drive around every day with your plate in plain view to everyone around you. Your hypothetical situation could happen to anyone at any time and has zero relation to the topic at hand.

Obviously if I'm in Washington and you're in Florida to inform the police about my allegedly stolen car they're going to know something's up.

So again, its all paranoia.

[NgoFcukinWay]

I think blurring out plates in pics is to prevent theft. Anyone can run plates online or at DPS offices/courthouse for a small fee and get owner information. I did it for my car for kicks and BAM! There was my info. Same thing with cell phone numbers.

[conus00]

Yes, but that person would need to be in the general vicinity of the car, and this is about people seeing plate numbers in pictures. You drive around every day with your plate in plain view to everyone around you. Your hypothetical situation could happen to anyone at any time and has zero relation to the topic at hand.

Obviously if I'm in Washington and you're in Florida to inform the police about my allegedly stolen car they're going to know something's up.

So again, its all paranoia.

I never said that the said person would have to be 10 states away. That's why I used word "hypothetically". You want to call me paranoid, that's fine. What I do know, though, is that cops ACT and then ASK questions later...
Just to broaden up your horizons, here is a real story:
Friend of mine (while living back in Chicago) pissed somebody off. Honestly, he was being a dick sometimes (so that was not very hard thing to do). Somebody called in plates on his Crown Victoria that he was seen selling dope. The undercover cops caught with him on the nearest rest area and before he even knew, him and his buddy were laying spread on the parking lot with 12-gauge stuck in his ear. He almost **** his pants. The whole thing got cleared up in few hours but that was definitely NOT experience he'd like to have again...
So before you say "paranoid" again think about this story. Could've happen to anybody.

This post has been edited by conus00: Oct 18, 2010 - 3:27 PM

[95CelicaST]

No need to broaden my horizons. I spent a night in jail from an "anonymous tipster". They released me the following morning and charges were brought up on said anonymous tipster for False Report. You're not anonymous. They have your number. They will be back in touch with you. They triangulate your cell phone, they trace home lines, they have their ways.


Which is why I say its paranoia. And if its theft you're worried about - if someone wants your car bad enough they're going to get it. No blurry plate will save you from that.

[conus00]

Sorry to hear that man.
It's very easy to "triangulate" public phone, though... It's much harder to find out who actually made the call.

This post has been edited by conus00: Oct 18, 2010 - 3:50 PM

[95CelicaST]

Public phones are typically in visual distance from a camera of some sort. Then they can match the voice recording.


Bottom line is that your plate is visible all day long. Posting it online is no more dangerous to you than driving around with it on your car.

[conus00]

I really don't want this to turn into argument but if you think that cops would check ANY cameras for False Reports, I believe that you put too much faith in police Force in general. You need to stop watching CSI on TV.
I got my car broken into and the person left CLEARLY visible fingerprint on on the radio removal tool (I stupidly left in glowebox).
When I called it in and the cop came, even though I pointed it out to him, the fat **** wouldn't even get out of his car. When I asked him if he was gonna take fingerprints I got a look back like I was from a different planet!
It took SOME convincing to even get police report from him...

Yeah, I can see them tripping over their feet to check the camera recordings in the area because of False Report.

This post has been edited by conus00: Oct 18, 2010 - 4:15 PM

[95CelicaST]

They did it for me. Sounds like you have a sh*tty department.

[CELL_PROTOTYPE_X]

Thanks for all the responses. I see both sides on this. Doesn't seem to hurt to blur your plates but if someone wants to f you over....well they'll figure out a way to do it

[Hanyo]

how come no one has thought up of the most obvious answer?

Its has to do with privacy. You really don't want everyone to know what exact car you drive and where you drive. Lets say you have a really nice sound system and you've invested over 10 grand upgrades.

If a local car theif found your plate numbers they dont have to take any chances of breaking into the wrong car. This makes the smash and grab plan go a lot smoother if you know what to take.


But generally if you are not worried about car theft or creepy internet stockers who like to gather information about you. Its generally not dangerous to post your plate number. Licence privacy laws this law was passed because Rebecca Schaeffer (an actor) was murders by a stocker who used licence plate information to stock her. Since then they have put more restrictions to get information from DMV records. However if someone wants something badly enough; they will find a way to get it. Therefore I would prefer spending a little bit of time to hide my plates just to make things a little bit harder and not rely on a law to protect me.

[schmooot]

how come no one has thought up of the most obvious answer?

Its has to do with privacy. You really don't want everyone to know what exact car you drive and where you drive. Lets say you have a really nice sound system and you've invested over 10 grand upgrades.

If a local car theif found your plate numbers they dont have to take any chances of breaking into the wrong car. This makes the smash and grab plan go a lot smoother if you know what to take.


But generally if you are not worried about car theft or creepy internet stockers who like to gather information about you. Its generally not dangerous to post your plate number. Licence privacy laws this law was passed because Rebecca Schaeffer (an actor) was murders by a stocker who used licence plate information to stock her. Since then they have put more restrictions to get information from DMV records. However if someone wants something badly enough; they will find a way to get it. Therefore I would prefer spending a little bit of time to hide my plates just to make things a little bit harder and not rely on a law to protect me.

lolz "stalk" is he correct term

[95CelicaST]

And Rebecca Schaeffer was a woman, so she was an actress, not an actor.


Semantics.

[Remy]

Do you guys know why we have to have license plates ?? If you do you will find your answer to your question.

[Urputus]

Well, in my country it is enough to know your license plate no. to know where you live. And then it's very easy to stole anything from the car. We do present pictures of our cars on our club web pages and on forums like this, as we are proud of it. We also like to see other people's car's, what improvement they did on their cars etc. Unfortunately there are also people who doesn't care about our cars the same way we do . And therefore if I don't forget it I blur my license plates.