# What is this on this car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838 "2017-03-23T16:01:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/21 "2017-03-23T17:46:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > One of the companies making automated license plate readers is a [division of 3M](http://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/All-3M-Products/Security-Hardware-Software/Automated-License-Plate-Recognition/Safety/Public-Safety/Plate-Alert/?N=5002385+8709322+8709393+8710673+8710824+8711017+8734404+3294857497&rt=r3). So it’s _possible_ that what the OP saw was one of the engineers testing the equipment? Then why is his license plate not “MMM 001”? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/22 "2017-03-23T17:46:57Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Dana\_Scully](#): > > No, and you should have blurred out the license plate; you’ve just invaded this person’s privacy and possibly endangered them. The legal issues are being addressed in the ATMB thread here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=822259](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=822259) Anyone who wishes to comment further on the legal issues should post their comments in that thread. Let’s keep this thread restricted to identification of the device in question. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/23 "2017-03-23T19:05:23Z")
A Del Sol still driving? Christ, they must be time machines. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/24 "2017-03-23T19:15:10Z")
I’ve twice seen a similar set up on a car where I live. On an Audi, IIRC. If I see it again I’ll look more closely to see if it is an ALPR system. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/25 "2017-03-23T19:35:39Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > They look very much like license plate scanners to me. > > They aren’t just used by law enforcement. He may be a repo man or private detective, technologist, or whatever. It isn’t a violation of privacy to take photos of things you see in public. Look like scanners to me too. I have seen them drive through parking lots scanning both sides at once. They are set up to deal with both angled and perpendicular parking. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/26 "2017-03-23T19:38:20Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > [Here](http://cgscomputer.com/tech-blog/2017/01/08/police-scanner-tracking-privacy/)’s a link to a page about automated license plate scanners. The photo shows the trunk of a police car, with two boxes on the left and right sides. They look similar to the thing in the OP. Except in the OP’s photo, all 4 devices are pointed sideways. All photos of license plate readers I could find have the 4 devices pointed in opposite directions (right forward, right rear, etc). ETA: This might make sense if this guy was specifically scanning parked cars rather than cars sharing the road. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/27 "2017-03-24T00:35:13Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Except in the OP’s photo, all 4 devices are pointed sideways. All photos of license plate readers I could find have the 4 devices pointed in opposite directions (right forward, right rear, etc). > > ETA: This might make sense if this guy was specifically scanning parked cars rather than cars sharing the road. He could also just be driving somewhere and not actually scanning at that moment. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/28 "2017-03-24T02:43:54Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > And what about if you just took a photo of a woman walking down the street while wearing a skirt? Is that an invasion of privacy too? I think you should be allowed to wear any sort of pants or skirts when out taking pictures of things in public. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/29 "2017-03-24T09:34:51Z")
wrong thread oops ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838/30 "2017-03-24T13:20:02Z")
There are a few answers [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1kxop9/whats_this_on_the_back_of_the_car_license_plate/) for the same configuration. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-on-this-car/782838.md?page=1)