Having an "L" plate made other drivers drive crazy

dickwod1

I brought my second car (99 polo for my other half to learn how to drive in) over to Ballymun NCT center for its annual test and on the way back from the test the fact that I had an "L" plate on the car made other drivers drive like lunatics

Im driving since 97 and have a full licence since 99 so I'm a pretty decent driver but the attitude of other drivers because of the "L" plate was scary

Coming out of the NCT centre/IKEA roundabout at junction 4 M50 going down the sliproad onto the M50 a jeep undertook me on the ghost island another car that was behind him was up my ar$e untill he could get onto lane 2 on the M50

At the Blanchardstown center a van overtook me on the roundabout at Blakestown (and then to go into the right turn lane for Fortlawn/Mountview so pointless as I was going straight!)

Outside Coolmine fire station the pedestrian lights were green for the pedestrians so I stopped before the junction to let a car out of the industrial estate and the car behind me started beeping and doing hand gestures towards me to move on

I am 100% certain this was because of the "L" plate because it doesn't happen me when I'm driving my normal car apart from the once a blue moon incidents but this was 4 in a 20 min journey!

Henry Ford III

Why not take the L plate off whilst you are driving?

CiniO

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Why not take the L plate off whilst you are driving?

I think this wasn't OP's point.
He can surely take it off, but his other half can't - and that's what he's concerned about.

biko

I think the point OP is trying to make is that driving normally, but with an L sign, will make other motorists do crazy stuff.

Might just put some up on my car to see if others behave differently

Aka Ishur

Jeez Hanry Ford

Yakuza

I've noticed a similar pattern, the missus took up driving on Irish roads in earnest last year (she passed her test in Spain a few years ago...well...lets just say in the nineties), so she bought a few magnetic L plates for her car to (so she thought) get a bit of slack from fellow road users. It seemed to have the opposite effect (esp from other women), in that it seemed to draw out the worst kind of impatience and intolerance from them. They didn't last long on the car. It didn't seem to happen to me the odd I drove it without removing the plates, mind.

H3llR4iser

CiniO wrote: »

I think this wasn't OP's point.
He can surely take it off, but his other half can't - and that's what he's concerned about.

Yes, I noticed something similar. Sometimes I end up driving my girlfriend's car, and she sticky-taped the L plates inside the front and rear glasses, therefore I do not remove them.

Indeed the attitude of other drivers changes quite a bit - e.g., they tend to jump stop and yield signs, assuming my closing speed would be lower than normal, try to cut in front and so on; Generally, what could be described as a bullying behaviour.

That said, I'd really like to see their faces when what they think is a "learner" driver overtakes them at 120kph, or drives around a completely jammed junction and leaves them to their whoes

BGozIE

You do see this all the time OP. I completely agree with you here. I think because people generally come across bad L plate drivers (as can be expected) and so drive irrationally around any L plate driver

Jesus.

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Why not take the L plate off whilst you are driving?

For fu*k's sake

thegreatiam

100% the lplates make some people more impatient and aggressive. But in general those people, imho, are more impatient and aggressive than the average person anyway.

With L plates on I found I was getting honked more at lights, people pull out from side streets leaving me not much room to brake. they cut you up more often when overtaking. when facing cars turning rights at lights they tend to turn infront of the lplate assuming that you cant move off as quick as they can.

Ive had to slam my brakes on many occasion because people drive more aggressively dangerous when they see the lplate.
I think its partly because they assume a lplate will be slower on the take off, not rach high speeds as quick, and that they feel they 'have more of a right' to the road so the lplate can be pushed around.

Ronnie Beck

I'm in a the same boat with the missus and a polo too. It's madness some peoples attitude especially if you drive by the actual speed limits around town here. Most people are sound but there are plenty of wankhrs. I just take the plates down now whenever I'm driving. It got too annoying. People parking a foot from your rear bumper on a decent hillstart was probably the worst thing. Pulling out on front of you just so they wouldn't be stuck behind you was another regular thing, in a city where there only stuck in traffic anyway.

I started a thread a few months back on the same thing just to make sure it wasn't my imagination.

S28382

Some fully licensed drivers should be driving with an L plate up.

dudara

When I had L-plates up, I "accidentally" forgot to replace the rear plate when it fell off. Things got a little quieter after that.

I do live near one of the major testing centres, so the roads around our house are infested with L-drivers. It can be painful sometimes when someone is stalling repeatedly or taking ages, but you've just got take a deep breath and give them a chance.

CianRyan

This is exactly why I don't have my L plates up, I noticed an instant improvement in other road users once I took them down.
Stop at a checkpoint last night too, no L plates and no fully licenced driver with me and all was fine, she just said to put the L plates up when I have a chance.

No brainer really.

thegreatiam

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

Pulling out on front of you just so they wouldn't be stuck behind you was another regular thing, in a city where there only stuck in traffic anyway.

This is ridiculous behavior, why overtake someone to gain 8 feet of tarmac?

most of the time they overtake in a unbelievably dangerous manner, and then squeeze in front of you again (usually without indicating). which forces you to slam on or hit them.

only for them to have to sit in the same traffic jam, slightly ahead of where they would've normally been if they didn't endanger everyone else.
either that or they will overtake only to immediately turn off the road in a display of utterly pointless ignorance.
In the time it would have taken them to take a deep breath they would've been away from you anyway.

S28382

CianRyan wrote: »

This is exactly why I don't have my L plates up, I noticed an instant improvement in other road users once I took them down.
Stop at a checkpoint last night too, no L plates and no fully licenced driver with me and all was fine, she just said to put the L plates up when I have a chance.

No brainer really.

Oh oooooh the High Horse brigade are on the way

You sir are a criminal and you should be put off the road for your crimes against....other do gooders.:pac:

CianRyan

S28382 wrote: »

Oh oooooh the High Horse brigade are on the way

You sir are a criminal and you should be put off the road for your crimes against....other do gooders.:pac:

Oh I'm used to my points not being agreed with around here!

Not displaying my L plates and making Dublin's roads just that little bit safer. :cool:
I always have them in the glove box anyway incase a Guard does ask me to throw them up there and then.

Viper_JB

Not to justify it but with the aggression and stupidity I see daily out on the roads it's not too surprising that this behavior is common place, generally coming from the worst most dangerous drivers on the road. I'd say if you wanted to get some good footage for the garda all you'd have to do is put up a dash cam and some L plates on the car and watch the madness unfold.

Veloce

I'd love to put L plates on the back of the 350z to see what peoples reactions would be.

Zubeneschamali

Yes, I've seen this behaviour in other drivers. I'm inclined to give L-platers extra space, myself, we all learned once.

At one time, we had a mean looking black Alfa 155 and the weird-looking Multipla. I would drive the same way in either in town, but would be treated much worse by other drivers in the Multipla. I think they were afraid to let a mammy-wagon in front of them for fear it would beetle along at 30 kph, so they would cut me up and never let me out.

I've been driving with L plates for three months now and so far not a single issue has appeared that I would contribute to the L plates.

Perhaps it's a Dublin thing?

dgt

CianRyan wrote: »

This is exactly why I don't have my L plates up, I noticed an instant improvement in other road users once I took them down.
Stop at a checkpoint last night too, no L plates and no fully licenced driver with me and all was fine, she just said to put the L plates up when I have a chance.

No brainer really.

That was a grand auld checkpoint last night

CianRyan

Deleted User wrote: »

I've been driving with L plates for three months now and so far not a single issue has appeared that I would contribute to the L plates.

Perhaps it's a Dublin thing?

Could well be, Dublin is an angry oul place to drive.

dgt wrote: »

That was a grand auld checkpoint last night

Had they only seen us driving before and after the checkpoint. :pac:

dgt

CianRyan wrote: »

Had they only seen us driving before and after the checkpoint. :pac:

Sure they wouldn't see a thing with all the smoke.... :pac:

Veloce

I think that the type of car the L plate is stuck to is a big influence on the attitudes of impatient / aggressive drivers.

GreeBo

H3llR4iser wrote: »

That said, I'd really like to see their faces when what they think is a "learner" driver overtakes them at 120kph, or drives around a completely jammed junction and leaves them to their whoes

Veloce wrote: »

I'd love to put L plates on the back of the 350z to see what peoples reactions would be.

dgt wrote: »

That was a grand auld checkpoint last night

dgt wrote: »

Sure they wouldn't see a thing with all the smoke.... :pac:

Awesome driving lads, well done.

I've often wondered why unmarked police cars dont put up L plates, simple way to catch moronic drivers tailgaiting, over taking dangerously and generally driving like a pillock.

CianRyan

GreeBo wrote: »

Awesome driving lads, well done.

I've often wondered why unmarked police cars dont put up L plates, simple way to catch moronic drivers tailgaiting, over taking dangerously and generally driving like a pillock.

Entrapment?

dgt

GreeBo wrote: »

Awesome driving lads, well done.

I've often wondered why unmarked police cars dont put up L plates, simple way to catch moronic drivers tailgaiting, over taking dangerously and generally driving like a pillock.

I didn't mention driving now did I..... The gardai were cheerful at the checkpoint (must be the weather) and the smoke was from someone's house who had lit the open fire.

Did you jump to an immediate conclusion with no concrete facts and speculation?

Veloce

GreeBo wrote: »

Awesome driving lads, well done.

Cheers Garda

ScrubsfanChris

When I was learning to drive I was out once with the instructor in an Aviva car (you can't miss the thing, lots of decals and giant L's)
I was driving along the road in rush hour doing I think between 40-45 in a 50 zone, then out of no where a taxi behind beeps. Instructor tells me to ignore it, I'm doing nothing wrong. Then the taxi pulls up next to us (he was turning right) rolls down his window and starts shouting at the instructor, across me.

Taxi man: "Why do you have a learner driver out in busy traffic!"
Instructor: "Why not?
Taxi man: "He's a danger to others on the road!"
Instructor: "He's been driving perfectly fine"
Taxi man: "Thats not the f**king point!"

He then speeds of. Some people just like to feel high and mighty on the road.
I passed my test 2 years ago, the memories of learning are still fresh in my mind so I would never give a person with L plates a hard time.

CommanderC

A lot of people seem to have unbelievable inferiority complexes and anyone that they are in a position to belittle, they will attack given half a chance.

'L' drivers are easy targets as they can be abused from the safety of another vehicle and a very quick getaway can usually be made afterwards.