Post Office, a thieving directory?

[rosie631]

I ran a carjam check on the bike I just bought. $12 I think. Gave names and suburbs of previous and current owner. Don't think it gave actual street address but easy enough to look up in phone book when you have name and suburb. I think it's bullshit. Makes it real easy for the bike thieves.

[Hitcher]

Makes it real easy for the bike thieves.

I think that that is an urban myth. Most thieves of motor vehicles (with a few exceptions) are opportunistic, illiterate, knuckle-dragging oxygen thieves. The key word there is illiterate. It is hardly likely that they have ability to read, let alone how to operate a device with an associated web browser.

I have yet to see anybody present any evidence that supports the claim that nickers of other people's bikes trawl motor vehicle registration databases to find out where a bike may be parked up.

If I wanted to thieve off with a bike, I would be hard pressed to go past the buffet of bikes on offer on bike parking ranks around this city. All I would need would be a furniture removal trailer from Hire Pool and I'd be in business.

[vifferman]

I don't know it it's been passed into law yet, but there's a bill before parliament to change things so that it is no longer possible to obtain address details from a car registration number.
AFAIK, the intent was not so much to lower the risk of car thefts, but to stop people using it for 'road rage research'.