Why do people cover their number plates in photos?
Why do people cover their number plates in photos?
Author
Discussion

Kj159

Original Poster:

233 posts

142 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Just wondering what the reason behind it is? I mean people will see your number plate every time you drive so why go to so much effort when putting a picture of your car on here?

moffat

1,020 posts

255 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
I don't do it, but for some it is to stop cloning. Coming on here to look for a specific model in the right colour and cloning the visible plate. Pretty hard to do that by standing on the road and waiting for the right car to drive past.

R8VXF

6,794 posts

145 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
moffat said:
I don't do it, but for some it is to stop cloning. Coming on here to look for a specific model in the right colour and cloning the visible plate. Pretty hard to do that by standing on the road and waiting for the right car to drive past.
Apparently they don't even bother cloning the right make/model anymore, iirc someone with a Monaro got a parking ticket for a Ka at the other end of the country! Suffice to say the council revoked the ticket pronto rofl

Lucky I have the only car in the country in my colour that is registered on the road biggrin

Blib

48,182 posts

227 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
R8VXF said:
Apparently they don't even bother cloning the right make/model anymore, iirc someone with a Monaro got a parking ticket for a Ka at the other end of the country! Suffice to say the council revoked the ticket pronto rofl

Lucky I have the only car in the country in my colour that is registered on the road biggrin
Stick up a photo of it.

R8VXF

6,794 posts

145 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Blib said:
R8VXF said:
Apparently they don't even bother cloning the right make/model anymore, iirc someone with a Monaro got a parking ticket for a Ka at the other end of the country! Suffice to say the council revoked the ticket pronto rofl

Lucky I have the only car in the country in my colour that is registered on the road biggrin
Stick up a photo of it.

RobM77

35,349 posts

264 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Just to explain the cloning mentioned above: If you have a certain make and model of car in a certain colour (let's say a Ford Mondeo in blue) that you wish to park or use congestion charge in for free, then you just find another similar model online (another blue Ford Mondeo for example) and copy the numberplate. To try and stop this, they've now tightened up on numberplate printing, but I'm sure it still goes on.

mwstewart

8,586 posts

218 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
- Car cloning
- If you have a project thread online detailing some choice modifications, or showing the car is low mileage, exceptional condition etc. it becomes easier for people to identify it out and about.

I always cover the plates and try to mask anything that makes it easy to identify my property.

DrDoofenshmirtz

16,952 posts

230 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
People copy plates to avoid parking tickets and congestion charge zones etc, which is a PITA for the actual owner...and some people do more serious things of course!
But they usually just search the classifieds for the right car as it's easier.

Either way - not covering your plates for internet pics is pretty daft. Some people are more trusting than others I guess.

Doesn't bother me though..check out my SAAB


Edited by DrDoofenshmirtz on Monday 15th December 10:59

nicolelh

69 posts

149 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
I also don't understand it at all.
I know a few people do so when they come onto sell for example a track car, it can help cover up how much abuse its had

JakeT

6,002 posts

150 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Not just cloning. But to commit crimes on those plates also. I. March the plates were stolen off of my car and used for a bilking... Brilliant.

R8VXF

6,794 posts

145 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
DrDoofenshmirtz said:
People copy plates to avoid parking tickets and congestion charge zones etc, which is a PITA for the actual owner...and some people do more serious things of course!
But they usually just search the classifieds for the right car as it's easier.

Either way - not covering your plates for internet pics is pretty daft. Some people are more trusting than others I guess.

Doesn't bother me though..check out my SAAB


Edited by DrDoofenshmirtz on Monday 15th December 10:59
rofl Good effort, problem would be for you when it comes to an ANPR car seeing mismatching information wink

mwstewart

8,586 posts

218 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
DrDoofenshmirtz said:
Doesn't bother me though..check out my SAAB
biggrin

Rude-boy

22,227 posts

263 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Sometimes I do, some times I don't.

Most of the time I do not care, but I do tend to blank out the plate on one of my cars as it is a personal plate and doesn't require a rocket scientist to work out the name of the owner from it and then on to other ID related things on sites like this and so on.

Not that I really bother than much - if anyone is intent on finding out ID's then they can easily do it with a little effort - but why make it easy if you don't want to?

Pothole

34,367 posts

312 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
JakeT said:
Not just cloning. But to commit crimes on those plates also. I. March the plates were stolen off of my car and used for a bilking... Brilliant.
Not sure how covering the plate on an internet pic would have prevented this, but...

My own opinion in answer to the OP is because internet/mass media paranoia. It's about as likely to happen to you or me as an individual as my taking off if I walk along swiftly flapping my arms!

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

285 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Kj159 said:
Just wondering what the reason behind it is? I mean people will see your number plate every time you drive so why go to so much effort when putting a picture of your car on here?
yes the effort required is enormous. I reckon it takes me several days of recovery after using a photo editing tool for a couple of minutes.

Kj159

Original Poster:

233 posts

142 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Mr2Mike said:
Kj159 said:
Just wondering what the reason behind it is? I mean people will see your number plate every time you drive so why go to so much effort when putting a picture of your car on here?
yes the effort required is enormous. I reckon it takes me several days of recovery after using a photo editing tool for a couple of minutes.
Almost as much effort as it took you to write a completely unhelpful and sarcastic comment? yes

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

285 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Kj159 said:
Almost as much effort as it took you to write a completely unhelpful and sarcastic comment? yes
Yes, pretty much the same effort: bugger all.

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Pothole said:
JakeT said:
Not just cloning. But to commit crimes on those plates also. I. March the plates were stolen off of my car and used for a bilking... Brilliant.
Not sure how covering the plate on an internet pic would have prevented this, but...

My own opinion in answer to the OP is because internet/mass media paranoia. It's about as likely to happen to you or me as an individual as my taking off if I walk along swiftly flapping my arms!
Agreed.

Paranoia, Paranoia, everybody's coming to get me...

Osinjak

5,453 posts

151 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Kj159 said:
Mr2Mike said:
Kj159 said:
Just wondering what the reason behind it is? I mean people will see your number plate every time you drive so why go to so much effort when putting a picture of your car on here?
yes the effort required is enormous. I reckon it takes me several days of recovery after using a photo editing tool for a couple of minutes.
Almost as much effort as it took you to write a completely unhelpful and sarcastic comment? yes
I'd have a look down the back of the sofa if I were you, your sense of humour might be there.

coppice

9,741 posts

174 months

Monday 15th December 2014
quotequote all
Search me guv. I have never had the slightest intention of covering up my plates . But there again I don't have security gates , live in a 'gated community ',have CCTV and I have never had the temptation to buy a dash cam . Must be something wrong with me - I feel entirely free of paranoia .