The Bumper Stickers MN Police Say You Should Remove Immediately

I went down a rabbit hole after reading a Minnesota police department's warning about bumper stickers. Did you know bumpers weren't even a thing on cars until 1927? Soon after the release of the Ford Model A, people started tying cardboard signs to their bumper to express their opinions.

I have no idea what the earliest "bumper stickers" would say, perhaps, "My Other Car Is a Horse" or a more political message like "Repeal the 18th!", but nowadays you see bumper stickers with all kinds of messages and one Minnesota police department is warning that they could lead to big trouble for you and your family.

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According to carstickers.com, the "tie-on" cardboard signs of the Model A era were replaced by the adhesive stickers we use today sometime in the early 1940s.

Tourist traps and hidden gems across the country were the first to realize the power of a "sticky" ad. From the Grand Canyon to the North Shore, these stickers became the original "check-in," showing the world exactly where you’d been before social media existed.

Why Minnesota Police Are Calling Certain Bumper Stickers a "Safety Risk"

The Chaska Police Department says these and other types of bumper stickers could be a big problem. They shared the image and the message below to their Facebook page:

We don’t mean to alarm you… but your vehicle is oversharing. From one red light behind you, we now know:

1. You have 2 kids.
2. Their sports schedules.
3. That one is an honor student.
4. One is in hockey.
5. You have a dog named Donuts.
6. You love Hunting.
7. You love to travel.
8. Your spouse is in the military.

Listen, we love school pride. We love hockey moms (hockey moms forced us to say this). We even support your “My Child Is an Honor Student” era.

But your rear window shouldn’t double as a family encyclopedia. Every sticker is a tiny clue. Who lives in your house. What you value. When you’re gone. What might be in your garage.

You wouldn’t stand in Target and yell, “Hi! I have two kids, a golden retriever, expensive hockey gear, guns in my basement, and I’m gone most weekends!”

But your SUV just did.

Keep your back window boring. Stick smart.