Editing Plates. Why?

[Bikermole]

Right, I'm going to have a rant, it's been a while, and I've got a topic, so here we go.

I've seen quite a few people ask to have their numberplates edited out of any videos (not naming names) And I have to raise the point of why you might want this. If you're doing anything illegal, it really shouldn't be going on youtube, let alone YOU SHOULD'NT BE DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I decided to have a crack at editing BDB's plate after the london meet. He didn't ask for it, but I thought I would give it a go. I ended up putting a huge yellow banner across the page. Effectively ruining the video. Some of you may say that there are better ways of editing out plates, by using after effects etc, but I didn't do a creative media couse or whatever, and I work a 45 hour week, basically meaning that I just don't have the time to learn how to use better software.

So I ask these questions.

1. Why do you want your plates edited out.
2. Will you all troll me if I don't edit them out.
3. Does anyone agree with any of what I have just said.

I know this is a controversial topic, but I don't want any arguments, swearing, and unpleasantness. These are simply my opinions. And nothing you can say will change them.

Fire at will.

 

[CurlyBlakey]

I don't see the point either tbh

 

[Chrus600]

I don't understand it really either. If you do something illegal, you're very identifiable by your bike, gear, and camera strapped to your face. If the police happened to want to arrest/fine/warn/whatever you they'll just look out for you, or just look for bikes registered in your area that match the description.

No one tries to hide the make, model or age of their bike which means you've got a fairly narrow search for a perpetrator. A number plate would shorten the search a bit, but it wouldn't make it all that much easier.

Simplest thing, as you said, just don't do anything stupid on camera, or at least nothing prosecutable anyway!

 

[mrtommygunwhite]

Its not just the illegal stuff someone could clone your bike with just a numberplate.

 

[Bikermole]

Its not just the illegal stuff someone could clone your bike with just a numberplate.

If they're that desperate for your numberplate, they'll find a way of getting it. The people who would do this are professionals.

 

[MysteriousVlogger]

Its not just the illegal stuff someone could clone your bike with just a numberplate.

If they're that desperate for your numberplate, they'll find a way of getting it. The people who would do this are professionals.

I did want my blurred out for that reason but it's just like someone walking down the street and getting it. I'd prefer it wasn't on YT but I'm not all that fussed.

 

[mrtommygunwhite]

Its not just the illegal stuff someone could clone your bike with just a numberplate.

If they're that desperate for your numberplate, they'll find a way of getting it. The people who would do this are professionals.

whats easer than putting the name of the bike you stole into youtube and getting an identy for it would you put your pin in a post?

 

[Premises187]

If like me you record bad drivers then it's a really good idea block plates.
If someone hates you enough on youtube they could just copy your plate for about £5 on eBay and speed through a few speed cameras.
Of course you can appeal these fines & points but it's hassle.
Also if someone decides to use your plate for criminal activity then you'll always be harassed by the police until you sell the bike.

From experience I've had a few friends on YouTube telling me they've been contacted by some weirdo asking my plate details. This guy was willing to pay for info on me.
So I know the time I spent always blocking my plates paid off.

 

[mrtommygunwhite]

If like me you record bad drivers then it's a really good idea block plates.
If someone hates you enough on youtube they could just copy your plate for about £5 on eBay and speed through a few speed cameras.
Of course you can appeal these fines & points but it's hassle.
Also if someone decides to use your plate for criminal activity then you'll always be harassed by the police until you sell the bike.

From experience I've had a few friends on YouTube telling me they've been contacted by some weirdo asking my plate details. This guy was willing to pay for info on me.
So I know the time I spent always blocking my plates paid off.

Thanks prem for agreeing with me

 

[LeedsRider93]

I've given up on editing plates. If you don't want your plate to be shown, don't ride near me. Simple

 

[tweek]

I'm kinda meh on the topic.

Reason to blur it out: with a little work a person can do a reverse lookup and get your name and address. Depending upon their skill and some finer details it might not even cost them any money. For instance, if you know that the bike is located somewhere around Allen,Tx like a certain garden verity reptile then your search becomes really easy.

However, as for the criminal and police harrassment angel....At least in Texas: the police are either too busy or too lazy to be wasting their time watching YouTube videos hoping to find some squid doing something illegal and then all the other nonsense to identify the perp. But here is the real trick - the plate aint you. If the police (at least here) and a prosecuter went through the effort to charge you with something they'd most likely lose. Why? Simple: they have to prove it was you. They have to place you on the bike doing whatever illegal activity they are upset about and convince a jury that it was you. A decent attorney would get you off of it in the time it takes me to down a shot of jack. Plus - there are very few prosecuters who would bother going after a youtube video. Far easier to just go out and nail your ass next time you're doing a wheelie down an access road or something (not that anybody here would ever do such a thing).

A case in point: last year (or maybe further back) a bunch of squids blocked off the tollway and were doing a bunch of stupid shit. The idiots videod themselves doing said stupid shit. The police naturally busted their asses for it too. But not b/c of number plates - the idiots put their faces on the video same video where they featured themselves breaking the law. Hint - if you are going to do wheelies on the street or other stupid shit don't also put your face in the video. Again - in Amerika. Britian: you guys are just plain fucked. Sorry.

Other reason to avoid putting your plate on a video: thieves. Thief figures out that you're near by, theif sees number plate, theif spends money to find address, theif goes to apartments and borrows R6. Thieves don't generally have to follow rules of evidence in stuff in their line of work.

Reason I don't care - people would actually have to watch my videos for it to matter. I could post up my home address for all it matters and the only people who would know are my three subscribes, my cat and some weird guy in New Jersey who keeps trying to sell me steriods.

Overall - avoid providing too much personally identifiable information in to your videos. Or at least make the fucking theives work for it. Make it like some type of treasure hunt where they have to watch every video to get your entire plate and then go to some geocache where they get the coordinates to a pirate ship.

 

[Footle83]

As curly blakey biker said when some troll went to an extent through one of my longer videos to get my number plate and as a trophy post it in the comments as if he had just found wally and was proud of himself, ignore the troll just don't do anything illegal in your videos. Could you get better advise? in all seriousness though, plates will be found one way or another. whether someone somehow finds a social network page or goes trolling through a bunch of meet videos until they find a plate. I would feel sorry for someone who went to ace cafe and was told by every biker on the way out they did not want there plates shown

 

[Trinith]

I've given up on editing plates. If you don't want your plate to be shown, don't ride near me. Simple

THIS! If you don't want your plate showing up in my videos stay out from infront of my camera. Same goes for faces..I don't do the whole "I don't show my face" bullshit just because it's exactly that...bullshit.

 

[matth1138]

Yep. I dont worry about my plate showing, why should you?

 

[Iroquois14]

YOU SHOULD'NT BE DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

lol. cool story bro

 

[Trinith]

YOU SHOULD'NT BE DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

lol. cool story bro

Oh shut up and go back to your dungeon you albino bastard.

 

[LittleDevilBiker]

I see it as, the plate is bright yellow to be seen, one way or another people can get hold of your number plate if they really want to!

 

[MedicDan]

Mixed opinions on this.
Whilst yes it is a hassle to expect Vloggers to blank out your plate from said videos, I can also see that having a link to where you live and keep your pride and joy not a good idea.

Bike theft is a valuable commodity especially in today's times with money being hard to come by. Bike theft is and always has been rife. Not so much an issue for older bikes or smaller CC machines that don't have a high market value. Try looking on Ebay for parts for some bikes though. BIG money. I've been looking for a set of rear hangers and foot pegs for my Gixer and I can't find any less than £30, JUST FOR FOOT PEGS!!!

What I'm saying is, don't make it any easier for thieves to steal your baby by advertising where you live from your plate.

On the flip side, I avoid doing anything illegal when I'm on my bike anyway as it's inconsiderate and down right fucking stupid anyway.

I would have thought that anything that can identify an individual to something specific as their home address (and in this day and age it's easy to track anyone with a small amount of info), unless used by an authorised person such as the police, would be in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

I'm gonna look into this to find out the hard facts to so we are covered on Motovlog. The last thing any of us want is a tap on the door from another member claiming the reason their bike was stolen is because a video we have published on the web has given someone a direct link to where that bike was kept.

 

[Friz]

My thought is that anyone can see your plate when you're out and about and can track you from it. Less people will see your videos than when you're out riding anyway.

If you're blanking your plate because you're doing illegal or questionable stuff on film then you're seriously doubting someones ability to track an IP address.
You can track anyone quite easily. You'd have to register your youtube account and then only use it when behind a proxy and even then it only makes it harder for them, not impossible.

I do, however, sympathise with Premise. I can see why he'd want his number plate blanked.

YOU SHOULD'NT BE DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

lol. cool story bro

Oh shut up and go back to your dungeon you albino bastard.

:lol:

 

[thunderous71]

I'm kinda meh on the topic.

Reason to blur it out: with a little work a person can do a reverse lookup and get your name and address.

This is the reason I block my plate and ask others to do so. Not because I fear an attack against myself I just don't wan't my bike nicked or damaged.

The financial and insurance claim is not a good thing to have to go through.

If you're blanking your plate because you're doing illegal or questionable stuff on film then you're seriously doubting someones ability to track an IP address.

Not strictly true, the IP can be traced back to your ISP and if you know how to you local exchange, but you can't get any further without access to the ISP database.
So Joe Blogs can't access this information easily.