Red P-Platers Cannot Win

[SKITTLES]

So I decided that almost loosing my license is a bad enough experience, and I've been much more cautious with how I drive. Woo for me, I'm gaining this sense of "responsibility" and "maturity".. weirdest shit.

Anyways, so I'm sticking to the speed limit, and the amount of people riding my ass / beeping / flashing lights / over-taking / shaking their heads / death staring me as they drive past... like wow, I'm a hoon and a half, ay?

Tried an experiment the other day, did the exact same thing but "accidentally left my p-plates at home after cleaning my car" (i had a set in the car for legitimacy ;] ) and stuck to the speed limit, drove at a reasonable speed around corners, and was an RTA-approvable driver.

Guess what?

No abuse what-so-ever.... Not even people over taking too much....

So er... what's the go? Haters just hatin' the P-Plater with a Skyline?

[GTR-N1]

Welcome to the world of bigotry!

People (via the devil) tend to pick on those who are just - well - different.

ie. skin colour (asian drivers), P-plates ('cause they're 'inexperienced' even if they've been superkart driving for years), Camry drivers with boxes of tissues on the back shelf, Skyline owners (through media-painting) yaddayadda...

I'm afraid that many people just don't take the time to get to better know - well - other people.

[VNS 24]

Yup, I get that too (But without P-plate).

When I am in my other cars and do speed limit, people don't care.

When I am in my V35 coupe and do the same, some just go nuts.

Edited December 13, 2010 by Victor.T

[sinistaGTR]

Welcome to the world of bigotry!

People (via the devil) tend to pick on those who are just - well - different.

ie. skin colour (asian drivers), P-plates ('cause they're 'inexperienced' even if they've been superkart driving for years), Camry drivers with boxes of tissues on the back shelf, Skyline owners (through media-painting) yaddayadda...

I'm afraid that many people just don't take the time to get to better know - well - other people.

Skittles, mate I feel sorry for you keep doing the right thing your just getting the short straw.

Terry-

I do agree with you here and ppl get generalised but something also to consider,

I have found in the last few years and as I mave matured, that P-Platers as a group are the worst drivers out, there all over the rd have poor car handling skills and poor concentration and i dont like driving near them.

Asian drivers (i am not racist so dont take it that way)- In general do have poor driving skills compared to the majority, just seems there awareness of what is around them is poor.

Some of the things you have stated havent come about without there merits.... Interesting topic but

[Birds]

SKITTLES just so you know, even with P plates in the car police will still fine you for not having them up. Even if your P plates have fallen down and there is clearly residue on the windscreen, they will fine you. It's shit but that's how strict they really are. You can also be fined for having them up on tinted windows.

Also, the sense of responsibility is an interesting phenomena I too experienced when I was on an option notice. Just as you used to be more careless about your driving, you'll soon find yourself (if you don't already) saying things like "dickhead" etc. about people who drive carelessly around you.

Biases do exist...people will try and find a reason for someone's driving behaviour, and sometimes they will create driving behaviour in their mind based on stereotypes (e.g. don't want to sit behind a learner even if they are going as fast as you). So it's no doubt that you got some weird looks when driving safely as a P plater, whom people expect to be faster.

The reality is that most people on the road don't drive well and within the law...so when you're faced with losing your licence and do that...you're the one who gets the stares and whispers (read: shouts).

TL;DR: everyone on the road is a hypocrite, myself included.

[xALmoN]

you cant win...

so i go by this.. "the closer you are, the slower i go"

well, but i never ever stick to the rightmost lane anyway.

[SiNNO]

Asian drivers (i am not racist so dont take it that way)- In general do have poor driving skills compared to the majority, just seems there awareness of what is around them is poor.

I'm Asian myself, and I cannot stand the way that some of them drive, spend some time in Cabramatta (which is an Asian populated area for you people outside NSW) and you'll see the most ridiculous driving ever.

Back on topic, I'm on my green P's and I drive about 10km/h under the limit pretty much all the time, I never get any abuse from anyone, just sometimes people overtake me. Must be the red P's?

[Imtooslow]

Im on green P's and I must say its mainly the older drivers who are the worst out there. The number of times Ive almost been taken out on a freeway because they dont check their mirrors or anything in order to chang elane is astounding. Tailgating is also a huge problem, only ever happens to me from non p plate drivers which I find very weird.

[MUZT3K]

when i was on my p's i got alot of differnt looks, from "wow check out that skyline" to "freakn hoon mobile" and yes..even thou i got off my p's start of the year.. i think this generation of p platers are pretty poor with there driving skills..i mean i look at my gf who is on her red's n theres soo many faults..same with my brothers friends..i think this 120hr thing has done nothing at all.

my 2cents

[sinistaGTR]

Im on green P's and I must say its mainly the older drivers who are the worst out there. The number of times Ive almost been taken out on a freeway because they dont check their mirrors or anything in order to chang elane is astounding. Tailgating is also a huge problem, only ever happens to me from non p plate drivers which I find very weird.

Lol i used to think the same as you...now being 26, you can def see p platers are the worst on the rd as a whole, old drivers are bad but they aren't irratic in there driving

[GTR-N1]

In defence of re P-platers (+ the fact that I'm Asian myself + and old-timer), I know that they know the road rules better than I do. I also know that many Asians can be a bit naive about reading the road conditions ahead even if they can be very good at car position (after seeing them drive in HK, BKK, S'pore, Taiwan). Old-timers know when to slow down in the wet. They also know how to adjust when stepping out (thru experience).

I just don't like and never will accept bigotry.

Even us old-timers need to be re-tested every 5 years. And that doesn't happen. They forget to indicate. They hog Lane #2

Red P-platers don't need to be retested every 5 years. They just need to gain experience - which means they should be on the roads under all kinds of road conditions > Advanced Driver courses > then who cares about others giving them the finger on the roads? > they're already above all that sh!t

[mad082]

i don't think it was because you were in a skyline on your P's, i think it is simply because you are on your P's.

[SKITTLES]

i think this generation of p platers are pretty poor with there driving skills..i mean i look at my gf who is on her red's n theres soo many faults..same with my brothers friends..i think this 120hr thing has done nothing at all.

my 2cents

I totally agree. 120 hours, if anything, made me worst because I was stuck driving with my grandmother. It ended up really affecting our relationship, too.

SKITTLES just so you know' date=' even with P plates in the car police will still fine you for not having them up.[/quote']

I know, I know. But some almost all police are really nice, and I'm not a fully-sick uleh driving a hectic car; I was in a stock Skyline and formal work attire (because i work in an office), so I figured I'd get a bit of leniency considering my cars totally stock and not defective. I got heaps of leniency when my cars tires were bald and I accidentally went sideways in front of a cop (yes, it was an accident!!! I promise haha. I just knew how to power-out from it...). I was even wearing trackpants and sneakers (Looked almost like an ehayz adlayz).

I have found in the last few years and as I mave matured, that P-Platers as a group are the worst drivers out, there all over the rd have poor car handling skills and poor concentration and i dont like driving near them.

There are some bad ones.

But generally speaking, I see a LOT of responsible green p-platers (especially females) who I have mistaken for fully licensed drivers.

And I did chase an L-plater in a camry doing 120km/h down Old Windsor once... that was the biggest lolfest I've ever had.

sometimes they will create driving behaviour in their mind based on stereotypes

OMG the amount of people who seem to purposely take-off slower than me is ridiculous. I've purposefully rolled off my clutch at a set of lights, and this mother in a prado STILL tried to go slower than me!

I really think society needs to re-consider their idea of a 'hoon', too. Because atm, doing 10km/h over the speed limit, in the right lane, to over-take someone doing 10km/h under the limit in the left lane is called hooning, and it's the reason why we all die in our cars and kill other people.

Gotta love white trash in astras. (no stereotype, it was an observation )

Tailgating is also a huge problem,

Especially with trucks.

I have a personal hate for trucks which was GREATLY amplified after I had one turn into me whilst I was driving my excel, writing off my car, then sent me the bill for the damage to his precious fuel tank (which was larger than the cost to repair the entire front end of my car.. go figure?)

Oh, and the irony there, I was a red p-plater with white throw-overs (because I play and work at paintball, and I didn't want to damage my interior, and I liked the look of white throw-overs at the time), so in the police's eyes, I was in the wrong and they were trying to help me keep my license.

I was pissed off with their prejudice, as it cost me over $4500, but was happy they still tried to help me and not the truck driver.

I was a truck tail-gating this camry once, who was well within his rights doing 80km/h down old windsor, and this truck was about 40cm from the back of him. Meanwhile there was a lane either side of the bastard, so he had no right to sit on this guys ass. I may or may not have done something slightly reckless to get the truck to back off, but this guy was on the verge of hitting the back of the car :S

Annnddd what else is there... sooooo many stories.

The old guy yesterday, backed into a Mercedes Benz, and I just sat there and watched the bumpers flex... he then realized, moved forward as I watched them flex back into shape, and he left a slight scratch. Then he drove off!!! He probably damaged the paint pretty bad, too..

Then there were the people who sped through stop signs in the car park, cutting me off.

The people who I was being nice to and let-in in traffic, who didn't even wave and snobbed their nose at me through the drivers window.

The people who beep at me to move forward when there's a couple-metre gap between me and another car, which was stopped waiting for the lollipop man to switch the sign to slow, and we were about 60 cars back in the queue to move forward... but no, I'm still in the wrong sitting there waiting to roll down the hill.. because it affects the time they get to work and all when they're sitting still in traffic.

The constant shaking of the head by people who speed past me.

The people who don't know how to merge in turn, only making life harder for themselves.

The people who sit on 90km/h in the right lane down the M2/5/whatever... next to someone in the left lane... when the speed limits 100 (i don't know what road I Was on rofl)

The people who rage when I make a simple mistake of not knowing that a lane ends / doesn't go where I want and I have to get over. The worst ones are the ones who cut me off and cause me to almost crash.

But then again, there was the nice truck driver to let me in yesterday when he didn't have to, and I had the give-way sign. he even let me in a second time when that lane ended (i turned into the street before the merging lane sign, so I had nnooooo idea. Then I got to the end, and I was all "OMFG NO WAY STUPID TRUCK BLOCKING THAT OMGOMG hey nice guys letting me in again ^.^"

There was the really nice merc who let me, and four other cars, in front of him when there was an old pokie driver doing well under the limit and we were all queued up like a mofo.

The people I've stopped and said hello to in traffic.

The lulzy guy sending who I beeped to tell him his light was green, who turned around from sending his message and glared at me, only to realize I was trying to tell him he had a green light which he missed because he was texting/glaring. We had a good laugh about that.

The numberous Skylines I've randomly cruised with.

ANnndd there were sooooo many cute girls in Hondas / Nissans this morning!!!!

/rant

My solution to this whole "p-platers are shit drivers". Make it easier to get them on a track. Seriously, no p-plater can be half assed to get a helmet, cams shit, iunno. It's too much hassle and money when all we need is a nice, open place we can go and drive at a rate we like every now and then.

Not only is it great for releasing that urge to speed or to drive fast, but it'll also help p-platers learn their limits when they're behind the wheel, and a simple advanced driving course will teach them everything they need to know about vehicle control.

*I'm booking mine when i get my lunch break today

[DivHunter]

Can't we just have a consolidated 'P platers bitch thread'?

[TurboDoseBro]

I don't know if this applies to R33s but on R32s the speedo runs optimistic by about 3km/h (on stock tyres and wheels obviously) so if you weren't measuring your speed by GPS then it may be causing you to go slower than you thought, leading to road tards.

[Sunkist]

i'm off my Green P's tomorrow. Although the only look I get is "Is that what the new Volvo looks like" or "I bet its his dad's Volvo"

In respect to the Noob drivers, Red and Green. You try telling a 30-40 year old to re sit a test without having further lesson, how many out of 10 would pass??

I wouldnt say many. I like to take care of my car, I paid for it n dont wanna lose the thing. The only times i have had to swerve or slam the breaks, has been because of a Non P plater.

Not saying all full licencee's cant drive well, but there are certainly a few with a naive mind. i like to think of it like this. "be careful, I could be the best driver in the world, but someone else may not be"

in respect for the Full licenced drivers - they're young n like the thrill. Its always a P plater in the media's eye. Why? because its the P plater in the video on the news doing something stupid. Sometimes I wonder, no wonder the Government brough out Stricter Laws and restraints on vehicles. Not that anyone listens.

any way, what Im trying to say is, its not secluded to P platers, or Full Licences. theres just a bunch of shit drivers around that ruin it for the rest of us.

[mad082]

I don't know if this applies to R33s but on R32s the speedo runs optimistic by about 3km/h (on stock tyres and wheels obviously) so if you weren't measuring your speed by GPS then it may be causing you to go slower than you thought, leading to road tards.

pretty sure all cars are like that. not sure if they may even be required to do it for legal reasons.

[Birds]

SKITTLES, never ever ever expect leniancy from a cop. It is a nice thing when it happens but I have heard and personally experienced some c*** situations. A delivery driver at our work lost his job because his licence was suspended. He was on an option notice and driving one of our work utes, for which we supplied him some P plates. Now being a ute you can't exactly see in your rear vision mirror if the P plate behind you has fallen down - you don't have the mirror angles for it. Cop still nailed him 3 points for it, even after we wrote a letter stating it was our fault for issuing him with P plates that didn't stick very well / it wasn't his own vehicle.

Also had an employee move a car from outside our driveway (quiet little industrial area too) into the workshop and got fined for not wearing a seatbelt. Stories aside, I strongly advise taking every precaution you can to avoid getting screwed over. I don't care about the breaking the law part, just don't want you to get picked on, because it's an easy target for a cop with a chip on his shoulder.

Where P platers get screwed is that the fine for not displaying P plates is equivalent to that of running a red light. I 100% disagree with demerit point fines for this and can't for the life of me work out why it is deemed so dangerous that people are unaware you are a P plater anyway...

As far as I know manufacturers are legally required to set an optimistic speedo because they can face many a lawsuit over speeding fines being issued if the speedo reads negatively.

Also, Terry is Asian...wtf...would never have picked it. Stereotypes out the door

[sneakey pete]

I get the "nice car/bloody hoon mobile" looks and i'm not on my P's,so its not those, just the car.

Worst "plated driver" incident i has was when i was on my red's doing 50km/h up the 50km/h suburban road (not double lanes) in my serria, and was undertaken by some moron driver. Who i pulled up behind at the lights anyway.

Where P platers get screwed is that the fine for not displaying P plates is equivalent to that of running a red light. I 100% disagree with demerit point fines for this and can't for the life of me work out why it is deemed so dangerous that people are unaware you are a P plater anyway...

You think that's bad? look up the fine for displaying P plates when your on an open licence.

Edited December 14, 2010 by sneakey pete

[jawrgy]

I get the "nice car/bloody hoon mobile" looks and i'm not on my P's,so its not those, just the car.

Worst "plated driver" incident i has was when i was on my red's doing 50km/h up the 50km/h suburban road (not double lanes) in my serria, and was undertaken by some moron driver. Who i pulled up behind at the lights anyway.

You think that's bad? look up the fine for displaying P plates when your on an open licence.

what is the fine???? ive seen a ferrari with red P plates. YES he was baiting all the other P platers to race, I very much doubt it was P plater behind the wheel just an adult looking for some fun.