Why We Do Not Need To Obscure License Plates for Photos

[themechanic]

I saw a bunch of digital photos with plates blurred and assumed the worst that some low life would use my tag number to find out where I live and started trying to obscure the plates on my vehicles when posting photos from the back. That is, until I read this today.

https://jalopnik.com/why-do-we-always-blur-license-plates-on-the-internet-1691298199

 

[Budnicks]

Here's my twisted thoughts on the subject,
this has been thrown around here a few time already...

You just never know...

I don't think any of my cars plates in photos
have been obscured, no purposely anyway...

1st off;
Raising girls I tended to be a protector, it's a hard habit to break...
I've been in many places all over the USA & other countries,
humans area a fickle-d bunch, it takes all types, hoodlums thugs
some are crazy as hell, some are loony as all get out some have an agenda,
also some are the best & nicest people you'll ever meet...
BUT;
There's some unscrupulous types out there,
sometimes it's the mentality, it's better to be safe than sorry...
It's that 47%-ers of this the country, is fucken' crazy right now
"In My Mind" thanks to the previous divisive leadership...
IMHFO It has set US back 50+ years in civility/moralities, honor in this country...

I tend to side on the safe part, there's some loony tunes out there
there's people that have done ****, they shouldn't be able to do,
but still did...
I am a bit safety & security minded person, I always have been...
comes from growing up in the SF East Bay Area smaller "Inner-Shitty",
there's douchebags everywhere, you have to be careful, even in the burbs...
I'm certainly not paranoid like some members here either,
like some that think the govt./CIA or whomever agencies is out to get me
or flying over me & putting chemicals in the air off wing tips of aircraft
{they know whom they are }

I know if push came to shove,
I can hold my own, they will be in a world of hurt...

But, Why push your luck ?...

We spill our guts out already telling a shitload of personal stuff
on the internet, but the line is stopped there,
why be insecure with your family & privacy ?,
most any information is easily gotten, if wanted enough...

It's like locking your house at night !!!
But any robber, murderer or rapist etc., if they really wanted
can break in threw any window, easily, alarms or not...
I tend to still lock my doors at night & I live in a mostly 100% crime free
neighborhood, in a rural county/town...
Just like;
why do you lock your car doors when you go into a groceries store ?
you have a perception it'll make it safer, people won't steal your stuff...
Why tempt fate ?, easy to side on the safe side...

I personally think the same thing about people posting
all these gun photos it invites trouble, in some cases feed the fires...
Don't get me wrong at all, I love them all just as much too,
I just really limit what I share in some items...
There are some sick fucks even on here,
that would stoop to doing the wrong things...
I'm not some anti-gun lame *** antigun nut Liberal at all either
probably for 99.9999% of people posting license plate #'s &/or guns etc.
{pick your poison}
nothing will ever come of it, but why show "all your hand" ?

No I don't think everything is a conspiracy BS
like some nut-cases do, even some on here...
I just think there's
a time & a place to be open & a time & a place to not be so open
with personal & public information, because the internet & a public forum,
isn't the proper place IMHFO...

carry on

 

[Qbrozen]

He makes the same point in the article I have made myself many times regarding this subject. My plate is always exposed in public, so why the hell should I care if it is exposed in public on the internet? There is nothing anybody can do with that info any different than when they see it on the street.

 

[65RoadRacer]

Here's my take - and I say this because I did car features for a national publication and had people asking that of me - some people seem to be more bothered with someone obscuring their plate than they should be. I mean, who cares, really? If you want to obscure your plate, go right ahead. If I'm taking the photos and writing the article and you ask me to blur your plate, I'll gladly do it - I'm not going to explain to you that nobody could possibly track you down, I just oblige you and no harm no foul.

I think the fact that I've seen some people get a little agitated that someone blocked their plate is enough reason to do so. For starters, I think it's funny that something that really doesn't affect them at all actually affects them so much, and also because it makes me wonder why they are bothered by it.

 

[Dennis H]

View attachment 547253
YGJ-516. Ca.

 

[1967coronet440]

You certainly can get an address from a license plate, but like stated above I drive it publicly all the time so what’s the difference? I don’t block my plate when I post pictures on my Instagram page, if someone goes through the trouble of finding me and my car, they’ll wish they hadn’t.

 

[themechanic]

View attachment 547253
YGJ-516. Ca.

I searched Dennis' plate number and got this as the first response

 

[themechanic]

I would advise extreme caution when approaching his vehicle or house if you really do find it. Dennis knows what I mean.

 

[65RoadRacer]

so it's true... Dennis DOES live on the internet...

 

[Dennis H]

I searched Dennis' plate number and got this as the first response

Palo Alto Coucourse about 5 years ago. Still can't believe they let me in.

 

[themechanic]

Palo Alto Coucourse about 5 years ago. Still can't believe they let me in.

Looks very hoity-toity. Did they make you promise not to do any burnouts on the lawn?

 

[ws23jrt]

I've always thought that blocking the plate number in photos was kind of silly and maybe a bit OCD.
Question for those that do----Does that same bug about revealing your plate number on the internet cause anxiety while driving on public roads? Everyone these days has a camera in hand and are only a couple of clicks away from putting you and your car online as they share what they think is cool stuff with their friends.

I did get a bit nervous one day when a guy followed me home. (I was driving my C500). I have a long private driveway and he followed me all the way in. He was just interested in chatting about the car and was a nice guy. My point is that he found me in traffic and where I lived just by following me.

 

[ws23jrt]

I searched Dennis' plate number and got this as the first response

What is that? A google pic. of his house at night time?
Oops. what I first saw was just a blank screen.

 

[oldbee]

I would advise extreme caution when approaching his vehicle or house if you really do find it. Dennis knows what I mean.

Yeah I think he has a .440!!somewhere close.

 

[WP29440SE]

come get some . if you want my car so bad , I dare you

 

[ws23jrt]

When I bought my 69 Hemi Coronet RT in 1980 it had this plate on it. A few years later I tried to research the plate to get some early history information on the car and came against a wall from California. Even then --tracing a plate number was not easy for the general public.

 

[1967coronet440]

Gotta know someone at a dealership, that’s how i used to get my Info.

 

[flypaper]

a overactive imagination will do in the best of us..

 

[MrJLR]

Hundreds if not thousands of people see it every time you drive it....I have never tried to blurr it out.....geez.....

Jeff

 

[65wgn440]

I was ordering a part for a customer's car a couple months ago, and didn't know the engine size, so I told them to hold a minute while I went out and popped the hood. He asked if I could see the license plate, and I said yes and read it to him, and he was able to pull up all of the vehicles info. This was O'Reillys, but pretty sure they all can do it. DMV selling this info to some company that puts together this program ?? This is in Ohio.