Why blank out the License plates?

conocelo · 07-25-2006, 10:10 PM

other thing you can do on the pictures of your cars is to put your mail or something that identifies you.
i have seen in some forums steel of photos..... YES they use the photo of your car saying its theirs.

ages944 · 07-25-2006, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSpira

And if you saw that car on the street or the cars at the festival, you would have the same license info.

The web gives way more people access than any car show ever would.

user1 · 07-25-2006, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ages944

The web gives way more people access than any car show ever would.

You have a point. Plus, a smart thief wouldn’t browse a car show and risk interacting with their potential victims in person.

A smart thief can go online to boards like this and find the exact car they want (or their customers “order”). Its like online shopping for thieves looking for specific specs and colors. Much easier than pounding the pavement looking for the right color but finding not all the specs needed. Its easy for a thief to browse through the specific specs of numerous e90s in their area to find a couple of matches. Then its a quick search to find out exactly where the owners live giving a lazy but smart thief a nice list of targets with just the right specs. The thief hasn’t tipped his hand to anyone or wasted time running around town. It’s a fast grab of the most open target of what has been found online.

I believe in being over cautious online even if its probably not needed. Even if the chance of your car being stolen this way is extremely minimal lets not be naive and not think there aren’t some dishonest people out there that use this method. Unless the thief is caught and talks no one would ever know this is how they found your car. I don’t post many things online but if I post a picture of my houses, cars or anything else I would blur the identifiable marks. No harm in that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuthair

They can get your VIN number... and with that VIN number they can go to the dealer and get a key for your car.

That's why I put a piece of paper covering my VIN on my dash. I had my last car stolen... I called up my dealer's parts dept pretending that I lost my key and asking for a new one: "Oh, no prob, give me your VIN number and we'll order a new one." No asking my name, id, nothing.

I saw one of those evening news investigative pieces where they did this. While a person was shopping at a mall they made calls from the parking lot, went a dealership and got keys. When the owner came out the news crew asked if they could open their car for the owner. If the news crew had been thieves the car would have been gone for hours before the owner even knew it was gone. A cop they interviewed recommended covering your VIN and not etching it into your glass (done to deter thieves from stealing the car for the parts). The officer did say something about covering the VIN makes police suspect those cars as stolen since thieves cover the VINs. But its better to be singled out by a cop once in your life than be singled out by a thief.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gitta

Why do they blurr them out on TV shows like COPS? I suppose to protect people, no?

No, only to protect the producers from potential law suits, nothing more.

There was a behind the scenes show where the producers & crew talked about the show and this question came up. The funny thing about that is the show Cops gets those people to sign waivers to allow their face to be shown on TV. Most of the time the waivers are requested by one of the shows crew right there on the spot. Sometimes they follow up if the person isn’t able to sign away (like if they are drunk). I’m always amazed at how many people actually are willing to sign the waiver. If the waiver is not signed they blur the face.

Gearcraft · 07-25-2006, 10:56 PM

say a lazy thief is browsing in here for a specific color.

came out with 3 matches in the same city.

one has a blurred plate. (since he's lazy he'll just focus on the other two with available plates.) he could do a search of the person's posts and learns that there's more items in the car and learns of the target's patterns. say... i work here... park my car here.... always have a camera in my car... and so on...

again. he could do a little bit of research on the one with the blurred plates but you wouldnt want to be the first on his list.

Nikki · 07-25-2006, 11:26 PM

I believe it started when expensive modded cars were posted online and thieves saw them and found out where they lived and stole them. I wouldn't worry about a stock e90, or probably even ones with mods. It's not like a civic or an integra with a motor swap and tons of things that are easily parted out.

Lost Rider · 07-25-2006, 11:39 PM

I think the paranoia comes from windows users, with all the warning balloons and messages that constantly make them afraid of something.

come and get it.

or this one

Luongo · 07-26-2006, 09:20 AM

Someone could call a cop and make a false report. "I just saw a car driving at an exteremely high speed in a school zone and running 2 stop signs and a red light. It looked like the driver was drunk since he was swerving in and out of the lane. It was a silver BMW wagon with an Illinois plate #9017066."

I wonder if cops would take this seriously and bother the owner or not? I'll just blank out my plate and avoid any potential problems...

Josh49 · 07-26-2006, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luongo

Someone could call a cop and make a false report. "I just saw a car driving at an exteremely high speed in a school zone and running 2 stop signs and a red light. It looked like the driver was drunk since he was swerving in and out of the lane. It was a silver BMW wagon with an Illinois plate #9017066."

I wonder if cops would take this seriously and bother the owner or not? I'll just blank out my plate and avoid any potential problems...

Give it a shot, and tell us how it went!

Luongo · 07-26-2006, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh49

Give it a shot, and tell us how it went!

I wouldn't do that to a fellow E90post member.

But this world is full of sick and wacky people.

Josh49 · 07-26-2006, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luongo

But this world is full of sick and wacky people.

Winner!! Most accurate statement made so far. Answers OP.

SoYank · 07-26-2006, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brien Crotty

...and I follow the Roosevelt philosophy of "Speak softly and carry a big stick" to account for all those who want to track me down ....
Brien

Me too, 'cept my stick has a couple of companions called Barrel, Receiver, and Magazine.

Lost Rider · 07-26-2006, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luongo

Someone could call a cop and make a false report. "I just saw a car driving at an exteremely high speed in a school zone and running 2 stop signs and a red light. It looked like the driver was drunk since he was swerving in and out of the lane. It was a silver BMW wagon with an Illinois plate #9017066."

I wonder if cops would take this seriously and bother the owner or not? I'll just blank out my plate and avoid any potential problems...

I guess that's possible, but considering I'm 1000 miles from my car, it shouldn't be too hard to establish an alibi.
There are wacky people I guess, but really I just think that car photos look better without the plate blackouts, especially the sloppy ones, and I'm not too paranoid about it.

SoYank · 07-26-2006, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c-lee

I can just take any old license plate number out of the parking lot and go to DMV and buy the personal information including home address, age, bday, etc (although i'm not sure if they still do this). eh....who knows y people do what they do

I don't think you can do that in California anymore after Rebecca Schaeffer was stalked and murdered back in the '89 by some fiend that did just that.

adamlaz · 07-26-2006, 01:29 PM

Maybe soon all of is will be able to look up license plates...

read this

I found that article on digg.

Brien Crotty · 07-26-2006, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoYank

Me too, 'cept my stick has a couple of companions called Barrel, Receiver, and Magazine.

Mine, too. I carry the Sesame Street stick, brought to you by the letters H&K, and the numbers 4 and 5.

puck724 · 07-26-2006, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMD

Parinoia at it's finest.

My California plate reads: 5RJZ398

Now, go for it!

lol..mine is 5RJZ677

kinda funny how close it is..we were on the same boat too...

Chesmu · 08-14-2006, 12:35 AM

oh man....

just live your lives.

If you worry about the bad things that others can do, you forget to do the good things you can do.

07-25-2006, 10:10 PM	#45
conocelo Private 10 Rep 60 Posts Drives: e92 335i Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: mexico df iTrader: (0)	other thing you can do on the pictures of your cars is to put your mail or something that identifies you. i have seen in some forums steel of photos..... YES they use the photo of your car saying its theirs. __________________ e92 335i Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota, Brushed aluminium. Step, PDC, Premium, Comfort accesss, Active Cruise control, Power rear sunshade. 188s 17in 225/45 255/40 06 Jeep Liberty 4x4
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07-25-2006, 10:56 PM	#48
Gearcraft misadventurer 60 Rep 708 Posts Drives: bubbie mystic blue whale Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: candied island iTrader: (0)	say a lazy thief is browsing in here for a specific color. came out with 3 matches in the same city. one has a blurred plate. (since he's lazy he'll just focus on the other two with available plates.) he could do a search of the person's posts and learns that there's more items in the car and learns of the target's patterns. say... i work here... park my car here.... always have a camera in my car... and so on... again. he could do a little bit of research on the one with the blurred plates but you wouldnt want to be the first on his list. __________________ 325i I SP
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07-25-2006, 11:26 PM	#49
Nikki Major General 1059 Rep 6,381 Posts Drives: Sepang Z4MC Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: LA iTrader: (9)	I believe it started when expensive modded cars were posted online and thieves saw them and found out where they lived and stole them. I wouldn't worry about a stock e90, or probably even ones with mods. It's not like a civic or an integra with a motor swap and tons of things that are easily parted out. __________________ Nikki
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07-25-2006, 11:39 PM	#50
Lost Rider Captain 91 Rep 805 Posts Drives: R NineT, X1 Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ventura County, CA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 BMW R NineT [0.00] 2015 X1 xdrive [9.00]	I think the paranoia comes from windows users, with all the warning balloons and messages that constantly make them afraid of something. come and get it. or this one __________________ GET LOST! www.lostrider.com
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07-26-2006, 09:20 AM	#51
Luongo Lieutenant 138 Rep 463 Posts Drives: 2018 Porsche Carrera T Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago, Illinois iTrader: (2)	Someone could call a cop and make a false report. "I just saw a car driving at an exteremely high speed in a school zone and running 2 stop signs and a red light. It looked like the driver was drunk since he was swerving in and out of the lane. It was a silver BMW wagon with an Illinois plate #9017066." I wonder if cops would take this seriously and bother the owner or not? I'll just blank out my plate and avoid any potential problems...
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07-26-2006, 01:29 PM	#58
adamlaz New Member 0 Rep 16 Posts Drives: 325i Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: norwalk, ct iTrader: (0)	Maybe soon all of is will be able to look up license plates... read this I found that article on digg. __________________ Free Mac Mini Also Installed: -Huper Optik 30 Tints- -Belkin iPod Auto Kit- -More To Come-
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08-14-2006, 12:35 AM	#61
Chesmu Brigadier General 96 Rep 3,011 Posts Drives: 2013 X6 Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Phoenix,AZ iTrader: (2) Garage List 2006 330i [0.00] 2006 330i [0.00]	oh man.... just live your lives. If you worry about the bad things that others can do, you forget to do the good things you can do. __________________ "Teach the ignorant. Ignore the stupid."
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