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Why do people feel the need to "block out" license plates when selling a vehicle? Login/Join 
Jack of All Trades;
Master of None
Picture of Tomkat
posted
O.K., I'm willing to be educated prior to calling this a moronic act. So, someone, please fill me in on the secret. I often see, on both forums and craigslist, people providing pictures of vehicles (motorcycles, trailers, cars, trucks, etc.) they have for sale and they have taken the time to either cover the license plate with a piece of paper, their finger or even photoshop. Why in the world would someone do this? Keep in mind, these people are required, while driving around in public, to keep their plates visible to thousands of times more people than will ever see their stupid ad. Please note I couldn't care less whether or not they do this. However, they must think it is accomplishing something.


_________________________________________________________________________
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
 
Posts: 3518 | Location: Big Sky Country | Registered: December 19, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Still finding my way
Picture of Ryanp225
posted Hide Post
Same reason they block out the serial number on guns. Overabundance of paranoia imo.
 
Posts: 10827 | Registered: January 04, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Oriental Redneck
Picture of 12131
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Ryanp225:
Same reason they block out the serial number on guns. Overabundance of paranoia imo.

Yup, tinfoil too tight. Hey, that's my gun that was stolen years ago.


Q






 
Posts: 26203 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: September 04, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of az4783054
posted Hide Post
There's a new scam emerging everyday. There's good reason to be paranoid.

I see this asked on car forums all the time. On the street how many people see your license plate for a few seconds, maybe minutes? Multiply that by millions on the internet and its always out there.

Do as you feel comfortable. It's really no ones business if you chose to do it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: az4783054,
 
Posts: 11194 | Location: Somewhere north of a hot humid hell in the summer. | Registered: January 09, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Tomkat: Keep in mind, these people are required, while driving around in public, to keep their plates visible to thousands of times more people than will ever see their stupid ad.


Exactly. A car parked at a store could be photographed from a variety of angles, license plate clearly visible, VIN copied through the windshield, etc.
 
Posts: 8944 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
And yet, they post family photos and personal information on social media.
 
Posts: 17121 | Location: Lexington, KY | Registered: October 15, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
quarter MOA visionary
Picture of smschulz
posted Hide Post
Precaution to eliminate personal information that might be used nefariously.
 
Posts: 22858 | Location: Houston, TX | Registered: June 11, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of PowerSurge
posted Hide Post
I do it. Better to be safe than sorry. And I don’t do social media. Smile


———————————————
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 14:1
 
Posts: 3955 | Location: Northeast Georgia | Registered: November 18, 2017Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by PowerSurge:
I do it. Better to be safe than sorry.


Do you pull the plates and tape over the VIN when it's parked in public?
 
Posts: 8944 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of PowerSurge
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by MNSIG:
quote:
Originally posted by PowerSurge:
I do it. Better to be safe than sorry.


Do you pull the plates and tape over the VIN when it's parked in public?


Yes sir!


———————————————
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 14:1
 
Posts: 3955 | Location: Northeast Georgia | Registered: November 18, 2017Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of just1tym
posted Hide Post
I think this is what got John Wick in trouble at the gas station, his car and the license number tracked to his home.. Razz


Regards, Will G.
 
Posts: 9660 | Location: 140 mi to Margaritaville, FL | Registered: January 02, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
It's not you,
it's me.
Picture of RAMIUS
posted Hide Post
I agree. It’s silly.

If anyone truly wanted to, just from the info put forth by the average sigforum poster, a profile could be made with the following information:


Guns owned
Likes and dislikes
Political Affiliations
Food preference
Daily habits
Car driven
Current vehicle
Sock brand preferred
Address and relatives (with a little research and digging)


I could go on and on.
 
Posts: 7016 | Location: Right outside Philly | Registered: September 08, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of az4783054
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It always astounds me why people care about something that doesn't directly effect them. Unless there's a law against it, an owner should be able to do whatever that owner wants to do with their property.

Don't be a Democrat. Razz


Beware of a man whose only pistol is a 1911, he's probably very good with it.
 
Posts: 11194 | Location: Somewhere north of a hot humid hell in the summer. | Registered: January 09, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
thin skin can't win
Picture of Georgeair
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by RAMIUS:
I agree. It’s silly.

If anyone truly wanted to, just from the info put forth by the average sigforum poster, a profile could be made with the following information:


Guns owned
Likes and dislikes
Political Affiliations
Food preference
Daily habits
Car driven
Current vehicle
Sock brand preferred
Address and relatives (with a little research and digging)


I could go on and on.


I have a friend with a firm mining this sort of data on a mind-boggling scale every minute of every single day.

Well, not the socks.

quote:
Originally posted by az4783054:
It always astounds me why people care about something that doesn't directly effect them. Unless there's a law against it, an owner should be able to do whatever that owner wants to do with their property.
Razz


OP didn't say they should be prohibited, he just thought it was silly. And many but not all agree.

Looks more like liberty.



You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02

 
Posts: 12349 | Location: Madison, MS | Registered: December 10, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Little ray
of sunshine
Picture of jhe888
posted Hide Post
Paranoia.

People say "because scams“ but I have never heard anything that amounted to a real reason.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
 
Posts: 53118 | Location: Texas | Registered: February 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Jack of All Trades;
Master of None
Picture of Tomkat
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by az4783054:
It always astounds me why people care about something that doesn't directly effect them. Unless there's a law against it, an owner should be able to do whatever that owner wants to do with their property.

Don't be a Democrat. Razz


Jeezuz. Why do we even have a forum for pitching your bitch if people are going to come into said forum and wonder aloud why someone has pitched their bitch? To answer your unwritten inquiry, I did so because a) it interests me; and b) I don't know why it's done.

It doesn't affect me (effect in your world of the English language) other than I think it's dumb and inquired herein as to the reasons for it.

As someone else wrote, maybe they are paranoid and see it as a "[P]recaution to eliminate personal information that might be used nefariously". I guess, if you think about it from the tinfoil hat crowd, that is possible. As a matter of fact, I have always assumed that is the reason.

As to your stupid assertion about don't be a democrat, I would have had to state in my post: "There ought to be a law and this should be regulated". However, we conservatives don't make such assertions. Instead, we inquire about behavior we don't understand. You see, I am a moron. I don't see, anywhere in this thread, where I or any other posted asserted these people should not be allowed to do as they wish. As a moron, when something doesn't make sense to me, I inquire. Keep on keepin' on.


_________________________________________________________________________
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
 
Posts: 3518 | Location: Big Sky Country | Registered: December 19, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of az4783054
posted Hide Post
My apologies if my reply upset you that much. I answered your question based on my experience.

I was under the impression that everyone had equal opportunity to express their opinion, pro or con to the original post.


Beware of a man whose only pistol is a 1911, he's probably very good with it.
 
Posts: 11194 | Location: Somewhere north of a hot humid hell in the summer. | Registered: January 09, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Jack of All Trades;
Master of None
Picture of Tomkat
posted Hide Post
Apology not necessary az4783054. I'm actually usually quite thick skinned, tolerant and even docile. However, that's probably the one thing that makes me want to stick a fork in my eye, when someone questions a poster's need (mine in this case) to post a rant in a forum specifically designed for such rants. I too apologize if I came off as harsh and/or rude. I need to work on that.


_________________________________________________________________________
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
 
Posts: 3518 | Location: Big Sky Country | Registered: December 19, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Prefontaine
posted Hide Post
I do it. And I’m also not on social media apps. I grey out the license plate also and always will. After reading this thread I will now on scrub the alphanumeric string on my license plate and put P H U C K U in its’ place just to mess with folks. Big Grin



What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
 
Posts: 12569 | Location: Down South | Registered: January 16, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Sig Forum Smart-Ass
Picture of Rotndad
posted Hide Post
Some people do it in an overabundance of caution because their job has higher than normal risk for retaliation. For example a LEO might so his home address isn't found by searching the plate. In Florida LEOs and their spouses can have their information protected so people thay have arrested cannot easily find their information.





Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force, but through persistence.
-Ovid

NRA Life Member
NRA Certified Basic Pistol Instructor
 
Posts: 10192 | Location: Land O Lakes, FLA | Registered: June 18, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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