Why We Do Not Need To Obscure License Plates for Photos

[mopwrd340]

Here in VA The dealers and the flippers do this a lot to hide who they are dealer plate has I D on it they mark it out but some times the I or D stick out and the flippers use tags that don't belong to the car i have seen people use tags that have been dead for years . The main reason they do this is they don't want to post in the dealer section and have to pay so they post in the owner section on craigslist .

 

[MrJLR]

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.

Doesn’t change the fact that everyone can see it all day long...

Jeff

 

[Photon440]

I always get a kick out of covered plates in CL ads. The same ad where the seller gives out his phone, email address and a picture of a map showing the location of the car for sale.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

I live in a PO box,,,licence,registration and deliveries

 

[65RoadRacer]

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.

I think people are misunderstanding the whole idea of blocking plates, and comparing a photo on a specific forum or group (where people are generally very interested in your car) to driving in public (where maybe one person might find it interesting but doesn't have the ability to write down your plate number) is not a fair comparison. When you post to a forum, you're specifically pointing out your car, what you've done, and why it's valuable to you. Driving to get lunch doesn't give anyone inside info on the car, what's in it, or any specific details.

I just think people are a little more protective when they purposely point out their car vs. just driving it around town. At any rate, it doesn't bother me one way, but I do get it that some prefer to block their plates.

 

[Dennis H]

For me this isn't just a plate issue. Working with people who don't want their name known in business settings, employees at call centers who must use "stage" names etc. We all have names, addresses and plate numbers. I'm not hiding and don't care who knows. Not talking about SSI or PIN numbers. Especially today with all the surveillance everywhere. Like people getting annoyed with photos. Don't go out. Everybody is a film maker today.

 

[Bruzilla]

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.

Quite simple. The odds your car and tag are being seen in public by an interested thief are pretty damn slim. Car thieves who are interested in our cars aren't wasting time driving around the streets or cruising parking lots hoping to stumble onto what they are looking for. They use the internet. They Google "red 1969 Dodge Charger", select Images, and start shopping. If you have such a car, and have pics of it with the tag showing, they can find out right where to go to get it.

And how do they find out? Because as we've been learning for years, we're not paying the folks at the DMV enough money for them to pass up a quick payday. If you have a "client" who's looking for a high-end car and willing to pay you say $50,000 for it, then offering some clerk at DMV $2,500 for some info is a no brainer. There have been quite a few DMV workers who've been arrested for providing driver info to burglars, and they still don't get the idea that burglars eventually get caught. But your better car thieves don't, so they are much less risky to do business with.

 

[Dennis H]

 

[Qbrozen]

Quite simple. The odds your car and tag are being seen in public by an interested thief are pretty damn slim. Car thieves who are interested in our cars aren't wasting time driving around the streets or cruising parking lots hoping to stumble onto what they are looking for. They use the internet. They Google "red 1969 Dodge Charger", select Images, and start shopping. If you have such a car, and have pics of it with the tag showing, they can find out right where to go to get it.

And how do they find out? Because as we've been learning for years, we're not paying the folks at the DMV enough money for them to pass up a quick payday. If you have a "client" who's looking for a high-end car and willing to pay you say $50,000 for it, then offering some clerk at DMV $2,500 for some info is a no brainer. There have been quite a few DMV workers who've been arrested for providing driver info to burglars, and they still don't get the idea that burglars eventually get caught. But your better car thieves don't, so they are much less risky to do business with.

Ok, BUT, if selling my car, I don't mind if it gets stolen. Its gone either way. ;b

 

[MrJLR]

I have really good insurance

Here's my plates...

Jeff

 

[Richard Cranium]

Someone fooled the registry.

 

[64 Post]

There are several stalkers on Yellowbullet that will take any tidbit of info, like a license plate, and run a full criminal background check, post google pics of your house/property, post family info, etc. These guys are part of the clique of current and ex-law enforcement.

 

[mmissile]

An IP address is all someone needs.

 

[CoronetDarter]

If I remember to, I'll blur my license plate, and other people's cars too, when posting photos on a public domain. I'm not paranoid or a conspiracy nut. Cautious, yes.
On the same note, before throwing away any mail with my name and address on it, I remove the label and shred it. USPS, Fed, UPS, doesn't matter. Overkill?? Maybe, but I'm not harming anyone.
It takes me 10 seconds to hide my identity, vs. hours and hours calling banks, credit card companies, Equifax, etc. if my identity is compromised. A no-brainer for me.

 

[kiwigtx]

There are several stalkers on Yellowbullet that will take any tidbit of info, like a license plate, and run a full criminal background check, post google pics of your house/property, post family info, etc. These guys are part of the clique of current and ex-law enforcement.

Bottom feeders the lot of 'em.

 

[64 Post]

An IP address is all someone needs.

I wouldn't know how to extract that info on a private forum.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

There are several stalkers on Yellowbullet that will take any tidbit of info, like a license plate, and run a full criminal background check, post google pics of your house/property, post family info, etc. These guys are part of the clique of current and ex-law enforcement.

There are many trolls there that were never on the job,they are just that phucked up.
And IP address is ah also a crapshoot.I know of such a troll that has an IP generator.I only knew of the Houston Texas,NZ and Aussieland IP numbers it could generate.With a few of those you could have ali-*** screen names from all over the cyberspace universe

 

[Qbrozen]

There are several stalkers on Yellowbullet that will take any tidbit of info, like a license plate, and run a full criminal background check, post google pics of your house/property, post family info, etc. These guys are part of the clique of current and ex-law enforcement.

So pretty much a lot of the crap that many idiots freely post on facebook, instagram, and pinterest about themselves. ;)