Why hide license plates in images?

[pipspeak]

Just a quick question that's related to posting images (and yes, I'm procrastinating!)

Why do people feel the need to hide their license plate numbers when posting images here? If the only other information about you on these boards is perhaps the city you live in, who cares if someone sees your license plate number? It's not like someone's going to start stalking you or steal your identity. People see license plates every day on the street, including neighborhood folks who know where you live and therefore know far more than any of us!

I can understand not wanting to reveal a license plate number if the image shows you doing something illegal, but it seems a waste of time to me to hide it otherwise.

Is this just something folks have got into the habit of doing for no particular reason, or am I missing something?

 

[Falls]

Because people like me can get alot of info off someone's licence plate. You just need the right contact's which someone like me has in law enforcement.

 

[Fourty-four]

Because people like me can get alot of info off someone's licence plate. You just need the right contact's which someone like me has in law enforcement.

Who cares? People like you can go out on the street and see all the license plates you desire.

His point was that a license plate is visible to hundreds or thousands of people every day. What's the big deal if people on this forum see it?

I think people are paranoid without any good reason. I've never blocked my plate numbers when posting pics of any of my vehicles.

 

[pipspeak]

Agreed... you can walk down any block and see every license plate number on every car and get addresses for most of them based on the driveway they're in. You can even take photos if you want (tho you might get some strange looks)

Why, then, bother covering them up in posted images if you don't cover them up on the street or in your driveway?!

It seems like it's just something people have started doing without actually thinking about why.

I like to ponder life's little puzzles

 

[AlphaQup]

Agreed... you can walk down any block and see every license plate number on every car and get addresses for most of them based on the driveway they're in. You can even take photos if you want (tho you might get some strange looks)

Why, then, bother covering them up in posted images if you don't cover them up on the street or in your driveway?!

It seems like it's just something people have started doing without actually thinking about why.

I like to ponder life's little puzzles

Lets say Joe Internet always post his license plates online, everytime without no problems arising from it. One day Jack666 comes along and they start a conversation in one of Joe_Internet's thread about how gay his wheels are. One thing leads to another and they start "E-thugging" on each other. The good ole, "I'm bigger & better than you syndrome". Then Jack666 decides to go the extra mile and use his contact at the DMV to run Joe's plates to find out where he lives. He gets the address easily and goes to Joe's house and.............. "Use your own imagination here." End of story.

Thats why people dont choose to post their plates online, due to some wacko behind their laptop who someday might just be knocking at a doorstep near you.

Some of you may say, "Well I'm big and bad! I aint scared of nobody!!" Well in your case, keep posting those plates. Nobody can hurt you. :

 

[teotwaki]

Agreed... you can walk down any block and see every license plate number on every car and get addresses for most of them based on the driveway they're in. You can even take photos if you want (tho you might get some strange looks)

Why, then, bother covering them up in posted images if you don't cover them up on the street or in your driveway?!

It seems like it's just something people have started doing without actually thinking about why.

I like to ponder life's little puzzles

.....or, Jack is always posting pictures of his killer $3000 stereo install, $2000 rims and tires as well as other goodies. Some low-life uses the license plate to figure out where Jack lives and steals the 4Runner to part the thing out......

 

[Uneek]

IMO, I think people cover them up because many in their signatures list the modifications and goodies they have put into their vehicles. By leaving plates uncovered, it makes it easy for a lurker to rip off a member's vehicle who is in the same area. When walking down the street or driving pass cars on the street, most will not take notice of what's in that vehicle unless it is in plain sight or the owner is flossing (showing off) their gear.

A few years ago or maybe a decade, many Honda/Acura members who had heavily modified vehicles had their cars stolen and stripped or equipment ripped off. It was then advised that members not list their locations in their profiles.

Unfortunately, not everyone out there are as honest as members here. The spare tire thread is proof.

 

[Falls]

teokwaki,uneek,Alpha..... atleast some of you get it !!....lol

There are much more than sex preditors on the web. As you know people make a living on the web , hacking , finding info , stalking the website activity , ect... it's WAAAAYYYYYY bigger than people think.

I'm not going to get into a whole story,but a guy in my jurisdiction had his Vette ripped off doing a very similar thing.

To each his own , if you wish to or wish not to display it , but to the orig. question that is why people do it , I don't think they are paranoid , just being cautious in today's society.

 

[pipspeak]

OK, so I can see why some might cover up license plate numbers. I was waiting to be convinced.

However, I never reveal much about myself on any forum (whether name, exact location, quantity of gold in my trunk, etc.), have a solid firewall, and usually use a proxy server when online, so I guess I have less reason to be worried than some.

 

[Thai]

Look at all the victims i have....uh, i mean, members.

 

[abin]

i didn't get my parent's permission to post pictures, so i have to mask the license plate like many TVs are doing...

 

[gonzo]

we are taught to be scared. we listen intently to stories about how someone got hurt, ripped-off, or killed. this society of fear, which seems to be perpetuated by the media, has taught us to be cautious of everything and suspect of everyone. it is very unfortunate.

i feel like i have fallen victim to this culture of fear as well. what is funny is that i feel that i should know better. i have a friend who never locks his suv (actually leaves the key in the ignition), never locks his house, doesn't use a lock on his locker at the gym, and leaves his wallet lying in plain view when we play volleyball. he has been living like this his whole life and has never lost anything.
kind of a nice way to live!

 

[N8G]

i have a friend who never locks his suv (actually leaves the key in the ignition), never locks his house, doesn't use a lock on his locker at the gym, and leaves his wallet lying in plain view when we play volleyball. he has been living like this his whole life and has never lost anything.
kind of a nice way to live!

He must live in Mayberry then because in any normal metropolitan area his stuff would be gone in minutes. I had a motorcycle that was locked and in patrolled lot stolen. I had a cell phone stolen off my desk at work by a stranger that just wandered through. A different company I now work for had 7 laptops stolen out of a locked office overnight.

I know that if some people want something bad enough they can get it whether locked up or not, but don't make it easy for them! I do tend to agree the media sells hysteria because it makes for good ratings, but I have seen enough stuff walk away in areas you think are perfectly safe to make me think twice about presenting my stuff on a platter.

 

[Fourty-four]

Wow, so many people living in fear!! Anything you guys mentioned could easily happen with a guy in a bar, or a guy who lives down the street. Or even someone just looking in the window of your 4Runner.

Somehow I think the risk of danger or theft by posting pictures of your vehicles license plates is somewhere in the neighborhood of the risk of getting struck by lightning. Sure, it can happen, but 99% of people go through life without ever getting hit.

That said, I'll worry about more important things than people being able to see my plate number on the Internet! LOL.:biggrin2:

 

[teotwaki]

Wow, so many people living in fear!! ....

If you never have any problems I will be truly happy for you. Unless you experience it, you won't understand it. I have had two previous incidences of cyber-stalking, both involving threats to me and disruption at my workplace. The first nutcase was in Vegas and it seems that someone went in person and had a nonverbal chat with him. The second person had strewn personal information in bits and pieces all over the internet. I collected it all, filled in the gaps, got a free e-mail account with his name and then proceeded to post "my" biography everywhere possible.

That kind of stuff is a lot of work and I would rather not have to be distracted by it.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Hey Fourty-four,let's see a plate pic. :


I understand both sides and I guess I'd fuzz out mine since you are adding a huge number of people that will see your plate daily instead of the ones that see my plate from my drive to work and back otherwise it's in the garage so the number of views is still limited but on the net it lives on for what could be easy reference to you.

 

[Falls]

People saying it's "living in fear" are still not getting it !!! That's not what it's about. It's not a direct threat to personal bodily harm ( at this time ) . I too leave my key's in my 4R , wallet ect.. in my garage , driveway,but that's the extent of it. You have no idea about cyber stalker's. It a very proven fact that people in car ring's pose as actual owners on site's to gain trust and info. It does happen onn very end high priced vehicle site's mostly, but it still happen's.

It's not "LIVING IN FEAR" it's actually living smart in today's society.

Thai, on the other hand has us all sucked into this web , that we can never leave , he watches our every post & move . He has secretly placed wireless monitor's/camera's into our 4R's and see's where we go and what we do............OK I'm joking !!! please don't get paranoid !!!! Thai would never do that........or would he ????????????
:satan: :satan: :satan:

 

[Thai]

Thai would never do that........or would he ????????????
:satan: :satan: :satan:

I know what you did last summer....

 

[Thai]

On a more serious note, i thought about this long and hard a while back. I decided to "live in fear." It's not really living in fear because blackening out license plate does not disrupt my daily activity. Isn't that a more accurate definition of "living in fear"?? If blackening out your license plate is ruining your love life or work production, then YES, you are living in fear. If it just involves 2 minutes on the computer's paint program, then it's just a little extra security. Since this is so easy to do, then why not do it??? Two minutes (or less) is worth it, even if it is only for that 1% chance of badness. Hell, that is more benefit than playing the Lotto!

Who would not want a little extra security in their life? Of course, you guys probably figured out already, i am a chickenshit.

My opinion.

 

[AlphaQup]

Wow, so many people living in fear!! Anything you guys mentioned could easily happen with a guy in a bar, or a guy who lives down the street. Or even someone just looking in the window of your 4Runner.

Somehow I think the risk of danger or theft by posting pictures of your vehicles license plates is somewhere in the neighborhood of the risk of getting struck by lightning. Sure, it can happen, but 99% of people go through life without ever getting hit.

That said, I'll worry about more important things than people being able to see my plate number on the Internet! LOL.:biggrin2:

You obviously havnt been a victim and probably live in hickville USA, where everybody and their sister knows each other by first and last name. Right? Because if you lived in The City, your sh*t will be gone in less than "60 seconds", I kid you not.

Most ignorant people will only choose to learn from their own mistakes, rather then taking advice from other people who have already been there, and done that. Like I've already stated, there are people who just think they are invincible, big, bad, individuals. They always learn the hard way.

Just wait till something happens to you, then you'll look back and say, "Damn, why didn't I listen?" So go on and keep your keys in your ignition, your wallet in your 4R, your windows wide open, your house unlocked, and your mind free from fear. Just don't come to The City with that mentality or you'll get sh*t outta luck real fast. :hello: