I Didn't Even Know This Was a Thing

[Jim Koepke]

There are people making and selling license plate covers to avoid traffic cameras and other detection.

Having grown up and starting driving in California to the best of my knowledge these were illegal. Of course all states do not have the same Vehicle Code.

Here is a news story from San Francisco > https://abc7news.com/license-plate-c...hows/13999499/

jtk

[Doug Garson]

I've seen lenses that distort the license plate making it unreadable from an angle, pretty sure they are illegal.

[Mark Wedel]

This has probably been going on 20 years now. I remember Mythbusters did an episode on it. I think these first really started when bridges started with automatic tolling systems.
They are certainly illegal (at least in California) - no idea how many tickets are every really handed out. For that matter, in California, legally required to have a front license plate, but the number of cars lacking them clearly says to me that is not enforced much.

[Pat Germain]

In California a lot of drivers simply remove their license plates. They have figured out there are so many cars everywhere, they can drive like a maniac and get away with it because there is no license number. Apparently it's pretty unlikely a police officer is going to notice and pull them over. Anyway, they're doing it and getting away with it.

I had to laugh at a situation I read about in New England several years ago. High School students were taking digital pictures of their teachers' license plates, printing them out and taping them over their own license plates. Then they would drive through toll gates and blow through red light cameras. Their teachers kept getting bills, tickets and fines in the mail. Wow, evil, but clever.

[Edward Weber]

In California a lot of drivers simply remove their license plates. They have figured out there are so many cars everywhere, they can drive like a maniac and get away with it because there is no license number. Apparently it's pretty unlikely a police officer is going to notice and pull them over. Anyway, they're doing it and getting away with it.

I'm not sure where you came up with that information but I find it highly suspect, especially as someone who lives in CA.

Here in CA, we can also use License plate Wraps
https://licenseplatewrap.com/
And Digital Plates
https://reviver.com/rplate/?utm_term...d%20General%20[AZ]%20-%20Exact&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc =2761442170&hsa_cam=19725913104&hsa_grp=1493665155 94&hsa_ad=649196188495&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-23675550&hsa_kw=california%20license%20plate&hsa_m t=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad=1

Front plates ARE required but seldom enforced but it can be a fine up to $196

[Mark Wedel]

A few years ago, California cracked down on missing license plates. New cars would not have any plates, so systems that used them couldn't bill the owner for charges. The owner would eventually get the plates, but of course, not be in any real rush to puts the plates on. Steve Jobs bought a brand new car every few months just so he wouldn't have license plates and could park in handicapped spots with impunity.
Then they changed things, so even brand new cars have temporary paper plates, so at this point, every car should have plates. Given this, I think any car that does not have plates might actually be considered suspicious by the police and pulled over (the suspicion might not be traffic laws, but rather the vehicle being used for property thefts). It is rare I see cars without any plates at all.

[Pat Germain]

I am from SoCal and I have many relatives there. I saw multiple online articles about cars driving in SoCal without license plates. I didn't just make it up. :-)

[Edward Weber]

Steve Jobs bought a brand new car every few months just so he wouldn't have license plates and could park in handicapped spots with impunity.

Classy guy
https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/bu...ry-six-months/

Pat, I didn't think you made it up, I was wondering where you heard/read it.
I'm in the Sacramento area and I can say I've seen a couple, but it's rare.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

evil, but clever.

I was in school during the oil crunch of the nineteen seventies. Our teacher car prank was to pick up a teachers economy car and carry it into a tiny little V shaped alley that was in between two buildings. We would leave it with both bumpers touching the brick walls.

I am still waiting for a bill from the NY Turnpike Authority for a trip to the North East in 2020. Our 2010 car was new to us. It had brand new plates. Due to a typo, the title did not get processed until after the trip. I am sure the bill will arrive eventually.

[Pat Germain]

I was in school during the oil crunch of the nineteen seventies. Our teacher car prank was to pick up a teachers economy car and carry it into a tiny little V shaped alley that was in between two buildings. We would leave it with both bumpers touching the brick walls.

I am still waiting for a bill from the NY Turnpike Authority for a trip to the North East in 2020. Our 2010 car was new to us. It had brand new plates. Due to a typo, the title did not get processed until after the trip. I am sure the bill will arrive eventually.

That is an evil teacher trick. When I was in high school, one of my classmates was dared to remove the rotor from the distributor in the principal's car. Apparently, my classmate really didn't know what a rotor was and proudly displayed the entire distributor he had removed from the principal's car.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

That is an evil teacher trick.... proudly displayed the entire distributor he had removed from the principal's car.

Our car jacking victims always got help inching their cars out from the shop teacher and his floor jack.

My favorite scene in the movie The Sound Of Music is when the Nun's display the distributor and condenser from the natzi's car to their Sister, along with their confession.

[Bill Dufour]

California license plates are clear coated over the paint. This clear coat peels in the sun and the paint fades to unreadable.
Bill D.

[Mel Fulks]

No wonder the governor wants to move up. Then it’s all “ fix it “ and slam down the phone !

[glenn bradley]

In California a lot of drivers simply remove their license plates.

I'm not sure where you came up with that information but I find it highly suspect, especially as someone who lives in CA.

That was my immediate reaction as well. Being one who has been ticketed for a missing front plate twice in his life (both times on different used cars bought privately that I didn't bother to notice had no front plate . . . you'd think I'd have learned to check ) I was scratching my head. I have not seen this behavior or more likely just not noticed. One has to remember that California is a large, long state and we have a wide variety of communities and localized behaviors. Glendale is vastly different from Stockton for example .

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Will we eventually have a roadside devise will be able to recognize a drivers face as well as the VIN of the car?