Posted by Clint Dixon on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 19:21:35 :
In Reply to: I feel the same way too!! posted by Dana (in Ma) on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 17:23:08 :
I don't want to argue with you guys. Maybe your reasons are valid ones. I don't want to sway anyone who has a problem with it. I would, however, like to sway those who have been intending to register their trucks, but have not gotten around to it. I would like to see the total on Phil's Registry reach 500.
I am curious to learn more about your points of view on the subject. Maybe I am looking at it all wrong. Here are my opinions.
I do not quite know how someone would use the information contained in the following fields against anyone: Wheel Rim Date, Winch Number, Winch, Gross Vehicle Weight, Electrical, Bed Type, Transmission, Gross HP, Net HP, Engine Number, Engine, Body Tag Number, or Make. None of those fields are required information anyway.
Stated Year and Model are required fields, but I can not see how someone could use those against anyone either.
The following fields are also optional and/or private: Last Name, First Name, Country, State/Province, and City.
That leaves the following two fields: Frame Number and Serial Number. I can see where someone may be concerned about this information being available to the public. However, one can walk up to almost any vehicle in any parking lot and get that information at will. Even the Serial Number from a locked Power-Wagon is easily attainable as long as the Frame Number has not been rendered illegible. It is not like we are voluntarily giving out social security numbers, credit card numbers, or license plate numbers (you do not have to show either in fields or photos). It is surprising just how much information a criminal can find out from a license plate number.
Anyway, I am interested to hear more thoughts on the subject. Here is one that many have not thought of. If one of my trucks were stolen, I would be glad that it was listed on the Registry. It would be somewhat more difficult for a thief to pass off one of my trucks as their own with a full description on the Registry as a matter of public record. We have a tight network of collectors/restorers/parts resellers. The more that are aware that “this” particular truck is “mine”, the better, I think.
Even at 471 trucks, it is interesting to compare options, numbers, colors, etc., etc., at least for me. But hey, I like to read parts manuals over and over again. To each their own.
Junior
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