I always wondered about covering up the license plate, as in why is the marketing and sale of the racks that are almost certainly going to cover up plates legal?

Must be the all-powerful bike-rack lobby. Your experience is enough to make me find a solution that won't have the cops stopping me for such trifles.

Never mind that it is a good idea (and often the law) to keep the plates and lights visible -- that is a given. For me, the biggest benefit to society by my complying is that I want to increase the likelihood that police officers wlll be able to serve the community in some more meaningful way. Perhaps it will reduce the chance of their adminishing me while some more immediate nearby threat goes undetected.