# AARGH! For the second time in a year, my rear license plate gets boosted!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [April 16, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596 "2005-04-16T03:33:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/1 "2005-04-16T03:33:26Z")
:mad: :mad: I am so fucking irritated. Is my car some kind of magnet for license plate thieves? :mad: :mad:
The most irritating part is that I noticed just as I was leaving my car to head into work. I would have had a much more pleasant day if I hadn’t happened to have looked back at my car that one last time.
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/2 "2005-04-16T06:40:36Z")
Stop getting those vanity plates reading SEXY ONE? 😉
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### Author:  [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/3 "2005-04-16T06:55:34Z")
Why don’t you secure your license plate properly, such as with security screws? Some are meant to use special screw bits, and others are meant to only screw in and never screw out, but are installed with standard straight screw bits. Another tip-use Nylock nuts. It takes time and energy to remove something with nylocks and special bits, most likely too much time and brainpower for the common thief.
Sam
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/4 "2005-04-16T07:00:47Z")
> [@rjung](#):
>
> Stop getting those vanity plates reading SEXY ONE? 😉
Never!
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/5 "2005-04-16T12:30:13Z")
> [@GaWd](#):
>
> Why don’t you secure your license plate properly, such as with security screws? Some are meant to use special screw bits, and others are meant to only screw in and never screw out, but are installed with standard straight screw bits. Another tip-use Nylock nuts. It takes time and energy to remove something with nylocks and special bits, most likely too much time and brainpower for the common thief.
>
> Sam
My ex secured our license plate “properly” three times, and twice it was stolen. Even the secure ones aren’t thief proof, and if your car is parked somewhere that a thief can take a little extra time to get the thing off, so much the better.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/6 "2005-04-16T12:31:44Z")
Stupid question, maybe - but why on earth does anybody want to steal them?
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/7 "2005-04-16T12:34:45Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Stupid question, maybe - but why on earth does anybody want to steal them?
To stick on a car that isn’t registered, probably. At least, that’s what I have always assumed. I imagine it’s the kind of thing that you could get away with until you get pulled over or noticed by the cops in some other way.
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### Author:  [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/8 "2005-04-16T12:35:06Z")
Loctite. The red kind. Unless you ever want to take it off again.
Or, use a different style fastener on each corner, standard, phillips, torx, and allen.
Make it easier to steal someone else’s plate.
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/9 "2005-04-16T13:06:14Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Stupid question, maybe - but why on earth does anybody want to steal them?
From reading various Dean Koontz novels, it’s easier to steal a license plate than it is to steal a car when you need to make a fast getaway from the genetically enhanced villians and their masters who are chasing you.
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### Author:  [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/10 "2005-04-16T16:36:29Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Stupid question, maybe - but why on earth does anybody want to steal them?
Well, my ex roomie stole them because he didn’t have a valid license or insurance. So he’d pick one that looked similar to his car (the car was his, cheap crappy things they were) and he’d drive around with the stolen plates.
I didn’t find this out until after we got pulled over by the cops.
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### Author:  [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/11 "2005-04-18T05:52:52Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#):
>
> :mad: :mad: I am so fucking irritated. Is my car some kind of magnet for license plate thieves? :mad: :mad:
>
> The most irritating part is that I noticed just as I was leaving my car to head into work. I would have had a much more pleasant day if I hadn’t happened to have looked back at my car that one last time.
That sucks AND blows. Are they random assigned plates or fancy personalized ones?
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/12 "2005-04-18T06:16:13Z")
> [@inkleberry](#):
>
> That sucks AND blows. Are they random assigned plates or fancy personalized ones?
Random. I’m hoping I don’t get a license plate where the letters spell an unappealing word – PIG or MOM or POO whatever – or the numbers on the plate are all 6’s.
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### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/13 "2005-04-18T06:23:39Z")
In the Philly area, they will often just tear off the corner of your tag-seeking the registration sticker which is more difficult to counterfeit than an inspection sticker or registration wallet card. Like **GaWd** , I make it extremely difficult to kipe my plate.
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### Author:  [@the\_approximate\_walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_approximate_walker)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/14 "2005-04-18T17:26:36Z")
**Snoopy**
I think another doper found your plate:
[here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=312496)
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### Author:  [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aargh-for-the-second-time-in-a-year-my-rear-license-plate-gets-boosted/299596/15 "2005-04-18T20:17:00Z")
The key is to get a personalized lisence plate no “gangsta” would want to steal. Some suggestions:
**IBU MAMA**
**2TAME4U**
**MILD1**
**SNO5PY** … 😉