Bumper stickers seem like a good idea. They provide you with a great opportunity to put your own personal stamp on your vehicle, helping you stand out from the crowd. In some cases, they provide you with a wonderful opportunity to brag about your child, spouse, and pet. They can also be a great conversation starter in parking lots.
Before you attach that super cute, personalized bumper sticker to your vehicle, you need to understand that doing so can be a dangerous act.
While you might see a benign, adorable bumper sticker, a predator sees something very different. For example, that honor roll sticker your child brought home provides a predator with information about what area you live in, where your child goes to school, and even tells them about what age your child is. In some cases, the sticker might even provide the child’s name.
But what about that cute bumper sticker that provides the breed and name of your dog? Still not a good idea. If someone wants to break into your house, they know about what size your dog is, what to call it to convince it to stop barking. Having the dog’s name on your bumper sticker also provides a dog snatcher with the information needed to lure your best friend from your car and into theirs.
You should also avoid bumper stickers that contain information about the types of sports/hobbies you enjoy. A simple sticker that states you’re a golfer tells a thief that there might be valuable golfing clubs in your car. The same is true of a bumper sticker that professes your love of computers or skiing. You don’t want to make your vehicle an appealing target.
Even a completely benign bumper sticker that shares no personal information but simply draws people’s attention can be dangerous. It provides a stranger with an opportunity to draw you into a conversation. Ninety-nine percent of the time this is a good thing, but there is always a chance that the person who is chatting with you about the bumper sticker is trying to lure you into a false sense of security before they try snatching your purse/keys or shoving you into their vehicle.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy those cute stickers. You can still buy them. Just place them somewhere that they can’t tempt a thief. The front of your refrigerator is a good, safe, choice.