Why do people cover their license plate?

[Gearhead82]

It just seems to be a standard thing on any car/motorcycle forum I've been a part of, when people post pics of their vehicle they always cover their license plate or edit the picture so the numbers aren't visible.  What's the logic behind this?  Hundreds of people see my license plate on the road everyday.  Am I missing something?

[Mad River Marc]

So that somebody can't look up your home address by your plate number after you post about all the nice expensive farkles you just installed...

[Mister Tee]

Well, plus some of us don't want any personally identifiable information posted on message boards.

[Son of Pappy]

I think I hear a black helicopter over head

[yoman]

So that somebody can't look up your home address by your plate number after you post about all the nice expensive farkles you just installed...

I can get up close and check out all of your farkles in the parking lot and get your license number too.

[Mad River Marc]

Yes you can, but many MORE can do it over the internet

[Strawboss]

Although there have been a few instances of agressive behavior here, I would doubt that somebody who attended a COG function would attempt to do harm to another Cogger using plate info, of course there are exceptions. The internet is WORLDWIDE. Some folks here have some very nice things, very expensive and valuable things, irreplacable things. I'm not going to help someone find out where I live, similar to my unlisted phone number. Any other fire/police/Gov't know what I mean?

[Leo]

Not everyone who scans these pages is "one of us".  You can witness that by the weird responses when you post a for sale ad.   Once something is on the internet, it is there for ever.  Dishonest people spend time on the internet piecing together information to get enough together to either break into a house or to steal identity.  I was an identity theft victom in 1996 and it was years (and a bunch of money) before everything got straightened out.    Several years ago, a nameless person showed me he could access the State license plate files and with a plate number he had all the owners official information.  I am still a little bit careful when I am on line.  I figure why make it easy for the bums?   

[Gearhead82]

Although there have been a few instances of agressive behavior here, I would doubt that somebody who attended a COG function would attempt to do harm to another Cogger using plate info, of course there are exceptions. The internet is WORLDWIDE. Some folks here have some very nice things, very expensive and valuable things, irreplacable things. I'm not going to help someone find out where I live, similar to my unlisted phone number. Any other fire/police/Gov't know what I mean?

Is that why you have your location pinpointed on a map in your profile?  lol

[Strawboss]

Do you see an address?

[B.D.F.]

Hey, you are riding your bike all crooked like....

Brian

I think I hear a black helicopter over head

[B.D.F.]

I blot mine out before posting photos because it is information no one needs to know. Not to be paranoid as I use my name and have posted my name more than once so obviously I am not trying to hide but my license plate number, just like my driver's license number, is information that cannot possibly help anyone and there is a possibility that it could cause harm. Besides all of that, it is really easy to cover the number up.

Brian

It just seems to be a standard thing on any car/motorcycle forum I've been a part of, when people post pics of their vehicle they always cover their license plate or edit the picture so the numbers aren't visible.  What's the logic behind this?  Hundreds of people see my license plate on the road everyday.  Am I missing something?

[Son of Pappy]

Hey, you are riding your bike all crooked like....

Brian

There was some speed involved

[Conrad]

Is that why you have your location pinpointed on a map in your profile?  lol

Who says that's the true location?

[VirginiaJim]

Who's to say I am what I am....

[Outback_Jon]

Who's to say I am what I am....

Popeye?

[VirginiaJim]

I yam what I yam   

[VirginiaJim]

Guys, you don't even need any info on the profile to find information about someone.  Information in the profile is an added bonus, of course.  We use aliases here for our names and we are creatures of habit so we may use those aliases in other Internet places as well.  It's easy enough to do a Google search on someone's alias and we find out possibly enough information on someone to gain their address, real name, line of work, and tax records.  It ain't that hard to do.  The point of this is to leave as little information as possible for someone to gain a foothold on identity theft or something much worse.   

[Conrad]

The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Nice bulgy forearms there Popeye!

[jim_de_hunter]

Anybody can take a pic of the internet and post it anywhere.

So suppose some shady character uses my photo of my truck with my plate number to scam somebody.  Now said scammee is after me, supplies my name or plate to police or attorney general or something.  Why bother with it when I can simply rub out the plate when I show off my beautiful GMC Sierra.