What's the problem with 'L' plates

Steve

Driving home today I saw 3 learner drivers all with the 'L' plate on back to front. Not the first time either, this seems to be quite popular.

What's the deal - are people really that thick?

I am normally very tolerant of cars with 'L' plates and will give them more room, allow for mistakes etc.. but if they can't even display a letter the right way round then IMO they lose any right to compassion.

Can anyone explain this phenomenon?

Wossack

stevec wrote: »

What's the deal - are people really that thick?

yes

DublinDilbert

It does show a lack of spatial awareness

I believe up north you get penalty points for having the L-plate the wrong way around....

stevec wrote: »

Driving home today I saw 3 learner drivers all with the 'L' plate on back to front. Not the first time either, this seems to be quite popular.

What's the deal - are people really that thick?

I am normally very tolerant of cars with 'L' plates and will give them more room, allow for mistakes etc.. but if they can't even display a letter the right way round then IMO they lose any right to compassion.

Can anyone explain this phenomenon?

Wishbone Ash

stevec wrote: »

Can anyone explain this phenomenon?

It looks OK from the inside!

congo_90

its not back to front that annoys me because if people apply them from the inside they assume the L is ok. Its putting it in the wrong position eg instead of bottom right in back window (drivers side) they put it top left or people who put the L on the body of the car ugh!

Seth Brundle

congo_90 wrote: »

its not back to front that annoys me because if people apply them from the inside they assume the L is ok. Its putting it in the wrong position eg instead of bottom right in back window (drivers side) they put it top left or people who put the L on the body of the car ugh!

I firmly believe that if they are too thick to put up a sticker correctly then they shouldn't be allowed the privelige to drive!

Cionád

congo_90 wrote: »

or people who put the L on the body of the car ugh!

While it does look hideous, I'd prefer them all to have it on the body, that way it's not obstructing any of their view.

Steve

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It looks OK from the inside!

That's what bothers me - do they not look at it from the outside after they stick it on?

It scares me to think how they interpret things they see in their mirror.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I've seen this one a few times (normally women drivers in hatchbacks)..

They put the L on with the boot up - looks grand.

They close the boot without ever noticing that their L is now a 7

_feedback_

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It looks OK from the inside!

It is just one of those things I can't understand ... HOW would they not notice ! Or people putting it in the centre of the rear / front windows.

edit: bottom centre!! don't think anyone could really be stupid enough to put it bang in the middle !

bigpinkelephant

Or the ones that cut out the white part so it's just a red L... is this the trendy thing to do or something? Haute couture designer L plates!!!

Rovi

Mairt wrote: »

I've seen this one a few times (normally women drivers in hatchbacks)..

They put the L on with the boot up - looks grand.

They close the boot without ever noticing that their L is now a 7

Wouldn't it be a capitalised Gamma (Greek alphabet): "Γ"?

Perhaps they're Greek scholars.

Bard

Wow, some people are silly enough to put a sticker on a window upside down without noticing...

Get over it. YOU still know it's an L plate and therefore still know to give them the time, space and patience that they need.

Doesn't take much to piss some people off, does it?

beerbaron

bigpinkelephant wrote: »

Or the ones that cut out the white part so it's just a red L... is this the trendy thing to do or something? Haute couture designer L plates!!!

People, to quote the rotr:

Your vehicle (unless it is a work vehicle or motorcycle) must display an "L" plate front and rear. The plate should be a red "L" on a white background.


front and rear Can be on the window / bumper etc.

red "L" on a white background. The white background doesnt have to be the big white square - It could be a perimeter of the red L - as long as the background is visible.

seamus

beerbaron wrote: »

The white background doesnt have to be the big white square - It could be a perimeter of the red L - as long as the background is visible.

Actually it does. It must be a square plate, at least 15cm at the edge. A red L with a tiny bit of white along its edge is not legal.

corcaigh07

dont mind the on the bumper thing, but people that dont have an L Plate on right dont deserve to be on the road! most people that have those L plates with the white cut off are usually boy racers who are too embarassed about it.

Alanstrainor

elviscostello wrote: »

edit: bottom centre!! don't think anyone could really be stupid enough to put it bang in the middle !

I've seen it done:eek::eek::eek:...more than once!!!

seamus

For anyone who's interested, it's actually has to be a rectangular plate, but at least 15cm high, so tough to avoid. A cut-out "L" is definitely not legal.
S.I. No. 352/1999 Section 20.6 (b)

(iii) a person provisionally licensed to drive vehicles of category B, C1, C, D1, D, EB, EC1, EC, ED1, or ED shall not drive such a vehicle unless there are displayed on the vehicle rectangular plates or signs bearing the letter “L” not less than fifteen centimetres high in red on a white ground, in clearly visible vertical positions to the front and rear of the vehicle,

_feedback_

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I've seen it done:eek::eek::eek:...more than once!!!

:eek: indeed ! ! !

Bard wrote: »

Wow, some people are silly enough to put a sticker on a window upside down without noticing...

Get over it. YOU still know it's an L plate and therefore still know to give them the time, space and patience that they need.

Doesn't take much to piss some people off, does it?

^^ Obviously not ! ! ^^

cjt156

Bard wrote: »

Wow, some people are silly enough to put a sticker on a window upside down without noticing...

Get over it. YOU still know it's an L plate and therefore still know to give them the time, space and patience that they need.

Doesn't take much to piss some people off, does it?

I think the issue most people have with this is; if you don't "notice" this, what else don't you "notice"?
Faulty headlights or tail-lights? incorrect tyre pressures? dashboard warning lights? lane position? pedestrians? other vehicles? road signs? traffic lights?

If you can't do this one simple thing correctly then it doesn't bode well for your overall attitude to driving IMO.

RedorDead

kbannon wrote: »

I firmly believe that if they are too thick to put up a sticker correctly then they shouldn't be allowed the privelige to drive!

Agreed x 1000. They should be dished out fines and penalty points. That would learn them quick.

beerbaron

seamus wrote: »

For anyone who's interested, it's actually has to be a rectangular plate, but at least 15cm high, so tough to avoid. A cut-out "L" is definitely not legal.
S.I. No. 352/1999 Section 20.6 (b)

Has anyone ever see one of the rectangular "L" plates ?

javaboy

beerbaron wrote: »

Has anyone ever see one of the rectangular "L" plates ?

A square is just a fancy rectangle with the same height and width.

gerardk55

BTW does anyone know when the new unaccompanied learner driver law comes into play? I bet you'll see a lot of "L" plates going missing then!

alexi_mcg

New rules come in June 08.

You guys need to get a life! There's bigger problems on our roads than a couple of backwards stickers - if its red and white and stuck on the back of a car it's an L-plate! You mustn't be paying attention to much else if you're getting all hot and bothered about how someone puts a sticker on a car.

masterwriter

stevec wrote: »

I am normally very tolerant of cars with 'L' plates and will give them more room, allow for mistakes etc.

Very noble

Sandwich

seamus wrote: »

For anyone who's interested, it's actually has to be a rectangular plate, but at least 15cm high, so tough to avoid. A cut-out "L" is definitely not legal.
S.I. No. 352/1999 Section 20.6 (b)

The law stipulates plates or signs.

The cut-out technique is legal if you cut it in two to make two sections with a red straight line on each (plus the minuscule white boarder of course). The you place them so that they form the L as normal. So you have two rectangles.

It helps learner drivers with low self esteem who feel people may notice their learner status less if they adopt this technique. They are just as noticeable however. But if it makes them feel better.....

ergonomics

There's a girl going round Kilkenny and her 'L plate' is one of hen night ones. It's pink with red flashing lights. She doesn't have the lights turned on or anything but I just think that if you can't be arsed buying proper L plates, or decide to use idiotic hen nights ones, then you probably can't be arsed doing a lot of other things properly and shouldn't be driving.

Steve

alexi_mcg wrote: »

You guys need to get a life! There's bigger problems on our roads than a couple of backwards stickers

Such as people in control of cars that lack the intelligence to notice that they've put a sticker on the wrong way around. If they are incapable of realising that then their driving ability must also be questioned.

masterwriter wrote: »

Very noble

Thanks, I think so.:)

Cionád

ergonomics wrote: »

There's a girl going round Kilkenny and her 'L plate' is one of hen night ones. It's pink with red flashing lights.

That is Hilarous!! :pac:

Dean820

I printed my L plates on normal paper and stuck em on. lol

arybvtcw0eolkf

Dean820 wrote: »

I printed my L plates on normal paper and stuck em on. lol

Your from Cavan?.

Tropheus

kbannon wrote: »

I firmly believe that if they are too thick to put up a sticker correctly then they shouldn't be allowed the privelige to drive!

+1

seamus

Sandwich wrote: »

The cut-out technique is legal if you cut it in two to make two sections with a red straight line on each (plus the minuscule white boarder of course). The you place them so that they form the L as normal. So you have two rectangles.

Both rectangles would have to be at least 15cm high. Which would be one big goddamn L.

Besides, it's unambiguous. Each "plate" must bear the letter L on it. It's not one big L, constructed of plates.

alexi_mcg

stevec wrote: »

Such as people in control of cars that lack the intelligence to notice that they've put a sticker on the wrong way around. If they are incapable of realising that then their driving ability must also be questioned.


Do you honestly believe that? Most people don't care how their L-plate is up - once its not in their way then why should it matter? Maybe they have noticed and just have better things to do than fix it. Sure thats like saying if I button up my shirt wrong and don't notice than I'm incompetant and should't be allowed to work.


And as for being "noble" for allowing for mistakes where learners are concerned, theres nothing noble about stereotyping them, assuming that all learners will do something stupid, when really you should treat all drivers the same way. 'Non-learners' should be given just as much room for error as those with L-plates, the only difference being that "experienced" drivers tend to do far stupider things at ridiculous speed.

_feedback_

alexi_mcg wrote: »

Most people don't care how their L-plate is up - once its not in their way then why should it matter? Maybe they have noticed and just have better things to do than fix it.

The previous posters were simply saying that if somebody has an L-plate on arseways, they are not paying much attention to detail, and other aspects of there driving may lack that similar attention to detail that driving requires.

I had L-plates up until last year, but I can't imagine the first day I put them up.. if I put them on wrong, just leaving them and walking away.

alexi_mcg wrote: »

stereotyping them

followed by:

alexi_mcg wrote: »

"experienced" drivers tend to do far stupider things at ridiculous speed.

hypocrisy is a word that springs to mind.

Steve

alexi_mcg wrote: »

Do you honestly believe that? Most people don't care how their L-plate is up - once its not in their way then why should it matter? Maybe they have noticed and just have better things to do than fix it.

The reason it matters it that it's a legal requirement to display the letter "L", not "7", not "Γ". The same way that it's a legal requirement to have correct tyre tread depth, seatbelts, and working brakes.

If they lack the cop-on to notice it's wrong then it's also likely that they lack the cop-on to notice more important things that might affect the safety of themselves and other road users.

The same holds true to your statement that they 'dont care'. What else do they not care about?

alexi_mcg wrote: »

Sure thats like saying if I button up my shirt wrong and don't notice than I'm incompetant and should't be allowed to work.

Personally, I'd point and laugh.
If someone came in to work with their trousers on back to front, yes, I'd question their intelligence / sobriety.

alexi_mcg wrote: »

And as for being "noble" for allowing for mistakes where learners are concerned, theres nothing noble about stereotyping them, assuming that all learners will do something stupid, when really you should treat all drivers the same way. 'Non-learners' should be given just as much room for error as those with L-plates, the only difference being that "experienced" drivers tend to do far stupider things at ridiculous speed.

The idea behind 'L' plates is not to brand learners as stupid, it is to allow more experienced drivers to recognise that they are learners and therefore *more likely* to make mistakes.

Any decent driver will recognise this and allow them more room, and generally be more forgiving when they do make mistakes.

And yes, I always assume a learner is about to make a mistake, that way I'm ready to react to it.

The 'more experienced' stereotype as you put it have no excuse for their mistakes.

Driving is not a right, it is a privilige that must be earned.