How do you feel about those dashboard placards

[holstein13]

At most campgrounds they give you a couple of tags to put on your dashboards with your name, site number and checkout date on it. I'm guessing the reason for this is so that the campground management can quickly go around and see if any extra vehicles are parked where they shouldn't be.

My wife has a problem with this. She doesn't like our full name and checkout date listed on our dashboard for the world to see. She says it's a privacy issue. So she leaves the placard on the dash but turns it upside down. To date, no one has ever said a word about this.

What do you guys do with that tag?

[ol_Bombero-JC]

demoon wrote:
Have never seen one with a name - site number and check out only. However, I could care less and park security should know who is on site.

X-2 (or X-27 - not bothering to go further)

Been camping with RVs since 1970 - never have seen names on the tags.

What you/she *think* you may have as a most unusual last name - surprise!
There will be hundreds - even thousands in any given state..:S
Try a people search sometime on any last name.

But - to keep that paranoia under control -
No need to turn the card over.........
*If* the park puts *first names* on the card (or your city), just carry a marker and "black-out" the first name/s and city.

Mr & Mrs Ralph Brown. Snowflake, AZ....become "Mr. & Mrs Brown", AZ
Or - Ralph & Judy Smith...become - "Smith", AZ

Guess you could cover your license plate also - but that's a different thread, ROTFL..:R

~

[robatthelake]

Have You ever googled Your own RV Net Handle?

[B_s_Bunch]

LBL 1206 wrote:
.

I just went out and double checked. Yes, it has my full name on it. The campsites at Fort Wilderness put your full name and checkout date on the tag.

before we downsized from a 5th wheel yrs ago, we stayed at Fort Wilderness Disney World for 7 days...don't be concerned about your campsite card and it's info.
you were robbed as soon as you made/paid your reservation fees and drove through the gate. you were probably smiling at the same time this was taking place. Now that is funny I don't care who you are. And so close to true LOL

[bukhrn]

IF I'm given one, I put it on the dash as instructed, once I put my windshield cover on, it's a moot point anyways, (have been places that don't give them out),have never seen one with more than Last name & departure date.
I don't believe I've ever seen so many paranoid people in one place before. :h

[ependydad]

holstein13 wrote:
My wife has a problem with this. She doesn't like our full name and checkout date listed on our dashboard for the world to see. She says it's a privacy issue.

What is a "privacy issue"? What is her actual concern or what does she think someone will do with this information?

As for us- I don't recall having our name on a tag and were were at Disney FW this past June for a night but I don't quite recall. As for the tags I only 1/2 heartedly have them displayed but that's only because the campgrounds we frequent want you to hang them from the mirror and I don't like them there when I leave the park (driving visibility issue).

But I'm more interested in what your wife's actual concern is?

[DiskDoctr]

Vacationers and tourists are targets in many areas. They have cameras, extra money, etc in their vehicles, are more lax in their situational awareness, less familiar with the areas about town.

Generally, it is wise to remove all signs that identify you as one, such as rental car info, vacation tags like the cg placards mentioned, cameras, cellphones, electronic items, bank envelopes, vacation supplies, tourist brochures, and the like.

Some of us camp to escape daily stresses. It's nice to be anonymous once in a while.

Besides, the question should be, "Why do they *need* to require you to display your info (most places use rsvp numbers anyways)" NOT why do you want to keep it private.

In America, we do not need to defend or justify our right to privacy, rather the entity who wants to take it must justify with a compelling reason. Otherwise, we may as well just give up and sell our flag to Iran :R

Too many forget the sacrifices made so we don't have to play "Show me your Papers" or "If you don't have anything to hide, you should let us...search/take/track/etc"

Paranoid? Nope, it's called vigilance and appreciation. 😉

[Veebyes]

What is the problem. Usually it is only the last name. Who cares when you leave? Remove it when you leave the park for the day. Put it back in place when you re enter. Big deal.

[rockhillmanor]

At most campgrounds they give you a couple of tags to put on your dashboards with your name, site number and checkout date on it. I'm guessing the reason for this is so that the campground management can quickly go around and see if any extra vehicles are parked where they shouldn't be.

My wife has a problem with this. She doesn't like our full name and checkout date listed on our dashboard for the world to see. She says it's a privacy issue. So she leaves the placard on the dash but turns it upside down. To date, no one has ever said a word about this.

What do you guys do with that tag?

I simply request that the CG NOT put my name on the placard. They had no problem with leaving the name off or blacking it out if it was filled in before I got there.

I too do not want my name plastered on card in front of my site.

Actually most said the name is on them when they make the card up ahead of time for reservations which makes it easier to pick out when you arrive. All the CG's I stayed said there was no requirement that your name be on it and had no problem not putting in on or blocking it out.

They do use the 'leave by date' on these cards so they can drive around and make sure everyone is leaving when they should.

[BurbMan]

I always take them off the mirror when we leave the CG because they obstruct vision out of the windshield. Not really concerned about having my name on it, as was said, no thief is going to cruise a CG looking for people who represent empty houses hundreds or even thousand of miles away. They can just drive through a neighborhood on the afternoon of garbage day and see who hasn't brought their can in yet....

Camping has always been a friendly experience, you can leave stuff out at the site and it's not stolen....so I'm not concerned if somebody knows my name. As far as info like how much I paid and whether I paid cash or Visa, not sure how that helps the CG to have it on the site post, but it's not hurting me either....knowing how I paid for my site doesn't make me any more or less of a target for crime.

[LBL_1206]

.I just went out and double checked. Yes, it has my full name on it. The campsites at Fort Wilderness put your full name and checkout date on the tag.

before we downsized from a 5th wheel yrs ago, we stayed at Fort Wilderness Disney World for 7 days...don't be concerned about your campsite card and it's info.
you were robbed as soon as you made/paid your reservation fees and drove through the gate. you were probably smiling at the same time this was taking place.

[Homer1]

Look at it this way. It is the campgrounds way of taking inventory daily. If you do not want your address on the placard, take it off, they could care less. They are interested in the date in and date out.
If this sort of thing upsets your wife, what she doesn't know about the world of cyber information would send her to her grave early. Be careful but don't get paranoid over it. I have a sister that lives in hell worrying about stuff like this.

[wa8yxm]

wildtoad wrote:
The placards as described are not an invasion of privacy. Who cares when you are going to leave? If it had your home address on it perhaps your wife would have a real issue.

If I am crusing the park in my car (RV left at the big parking lot) looking for a vacant site, as I have done in one park I frequent, Then I may be interested in any tag with today's departure date on it.. I may be parking at the nearest comfort station and waiting for you to split so I can claim your site.

(Of course I know where the good, hidden, 50 amp sites are in that park so I do not often do that).

[p220sigman]

I also don't worry too much about someone getting our home address from most things because our address of record is a PO Box. I guess if they want to go to the post office and stare at the 4x6 door on our box, they can.

I don't worry too much about a thief getting my address while camping and going to break in the house either. By and large, thieves are lazy and are not going to drive 200 miles to break into a house that they don't know for sure is empty and accessable when there are thousands and thousands of houses between where we are camping and our home base.

Incidently, the most I've ever had on a tag was our last name, site #, and departure date.

[dodge_guy]

All you need is license plates or the V.I.N and a computer!

[Terryallan]

Lantley wrote:
While I understand your concern we sometimes get carried away with paranoia.
Your Name is a privacy concern? Really. Do you cross out your name on your credit card.
Do you worry a thief may rush to your house and rob you while your out shopping because he got your name , (first and last) off your credit card.
Where does it end? Do you give a phony name when you check in? Never know what that clerk may do with your name address and phone number. Better get a camping alias...LOL
I don't think I could enjoy camping if I were burdened with all the fear and worry some of you carry.

Yep. A person would have to stay home and guard the house.