How many times have you been cut off by some inconsiderate driver on the freeway? What’s your reaction when you do have some wacko gun it into your lane without signaling, forcing you to break suddenly or swerve on to the shoulder to avoid a collision? If your reaction to the aforementioned incident is not fit to print on this website—take heart–now you can avoid doing something stupid on the road in retaliation and still get a little bit even.
Two Washington, D.C.-area men have created a website that allows motorists to post the license plate numbers of bad drivers. Now, I’ve heard and done stories about websites that allow drivers to list certain highways and bi-ways where police officers tend to “hide” out in an effort to catch speeders. But, this new concept is one that intrigued me since I’ve been the victim of rude drivers on many occasions.
The new website is called platewire.com. It’s co-founder, recently told The Washington Post that he was inspired to create the site after he experienced on-going encounters with careless, rude and inattentive drivers. When he pitched the idea to friends they too shared stories of outrage over being cut off or nearly rammed into. Since the site has been up its creators’ told the newspaper they’ve had hundreds of messages posted from drivers “venting over the idiots they encounter on the roads.”
The messages have headings like “Maniac” and “Jerk on the Phone.”
But lest you think the site is just a place to complain about bad drivers—think again. On the site’s introduction it says, “Report and flag bad drivers, award good drivers, and even flirt with cute drivers.”
Here’s an example from the site of one driver’s warning:
Title:
Aggressive/confrontational
Wire type:
Hazard
Make:
FORD
Model:
Crown Victoria
Color:
white (old cop car)
Location:
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Description:
At a 3 way stop and blinded by the sun, I accidentally turned left on “his turn”. He had an old cop car spotlight and shined it into my car. It was so bad I could not see the road ahead and had to pull over. This jerk then pulled up behind me (putting his car in the ditch…hehehehehe) and proceeded to yell and holler. Needless to say I left the area and called the police. They pulled him over and lectured him to calm down. Personally I would have gladly paid a ticket for failure to yield if they had hauled this turkey off to jail for something…anything!
What do you think about the website? I find it rather humorous, but must admit at first I thought it may be abused by vindictive people who could easily post a fake incident just to get back at someone they don’t like. But, the site doesn’t post names. Basically, it gives you a great place to vent, especially if you’ve told your story one too many times to friends and family members. This gives you a venue to air your frustrations without seeing someone roll their eyes when you do so.
Related Articles: