Also, to me, again, to emphasize, "plate dressing" is one of those very, very touchy areas - with the end-result not only being affected by what should be, objectively speaking, the quantitative target of minimizing LIDAR return, but also with the very subjective, very non-quantitative need to address this concern in a manner which will not cause you to get the evil-eye from enforcers - or perhaps a "fix-it ticket," or, at worst, an actual equipment-violation citation.
Stealth Stalker, from his posts here, is an admitted former LEO. Having the pulse of his local Brothers-in-Blue, he knows that, in his area, a "tinted" plate covering garners much more ill-will from both himself as well as fellow enforcers than does the LaserShield.
Yet, as I often bring up, in many LIDAR-heavy areas, enforcers also know well what the LaserShield and other such devices are, and specifically target enforcement of "plate-cover laws" towards such.
Some thus see the use of a/a set of replica (either commercial or home-made) plate(s) as being the compromise solution, but yet, at the same time, others don't feel comfortable doing this, due to either potential legal complications and/or the fact that their plate design incorporates impossible-to-replicate and highly visible holographics and/or other fine details.
For the latter, as well as for those who shy away from obvious plate-coverings, using either VEIL on the plate directly, or, alternatively, electing to use 3M Clear Duct Tape are ways around some of such concerns - but with the former, the obvious tinting of the plate, particularly on lighter colored ones, has always been brought up as a concern. Yet, it's also undeniable that for those who don't keep their cars showroom-sparkling-clean or whose vehicles see a lot of road-miles, the "slightly dirty look" that a coating of VEIL gives the plates can be readily passed over, even by less-than-casual observation.
It's this complex interaction of personal-preference - the inner debate between potential risks and benefits - added to each of our unique considerations for aesthetics, too, that will solidify, for each indiviual and unique end-user, the "right" set of passive protective measures to pursue, in respect to this most vulnerable and pervasively perplexing "plate dilemma."
In rendering my opinions on this topic, I always have to take the long route.
I feel that it's important to present *all* of the *VIABLE* options, and to let the unique individual decide what best fits their specific situation.
Yes, there's a continuum of effectiveness, quantitatively, in terms of what works "best" or "better."
But for this most troubling aspect of seeking passive protection, I truly think that there's more to consider than just that.
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