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Original poster

Am I the only one that has just clocked this

254 replies

iwantavuvezela · 24/01/2022 21:08

that front numberplate on most cars are white, and the one at the back is yellow.
Just bought a car and thought perhaps the dealer had made a mistake until I noticed that all cars had this!
Am I the only one who has only just noticed this.

OP posts:
Trisolaris · 25/01/2022 16:52

I never noticed. I have a really poor visual memory and I couldn’t tell you whether I thought they were yellow or white, in fact I would probably have found it confusing before reading this thread because I would have a vague idea that I’d seen both but not why.

I’ve never been in an accident and have driven all around London and up and down the country for work so I’m a very safe driver. Same way that not remembering how to spell a word doesn’t mean you haven’t paid attention to the words on the page - it just means you are dyslexic. People’s brains work in different ways.

Goawayangryman · 25/01/2022 16:53

I have so much other stuff going on that I can honestly say, I have no regular thoughts about number plates. Or didn't, until the outrage appeared here :)
Cars, and all their accoutrements, are in my 'couldn't give a fuck' mental category. They are so boring. I'd much rather look at people and nature when I'm out and about.

FatFucker · 25/01/2022 17:25

I've been driving 40 years and didn't know that!!! Every day is a school day on mumsnet!

FatFucker · 25/01/2022 17:31

Tbh what surprises me the most is the vile fucking comments of the smug mners who did know this, and can't believe that some of us didn't.

Whoop deee fucking dooo!

Must be great to be so fucking perfect!

Ps I have a HGV Licence, motorbike licence and driving a car for over 40 years. Never had an accident in any of them!

Omicrone · 25/01/2022 17:57

@FatFucker

Tbh what surprises me the most is the vile fucking comments of the smug mners who did know this, and can't believe that some of us didn't.

Whoop deee fucking dooo!

Must be great to be so fucking perfect!

Ps I have a HGV Licence, motorbike licence and driving a car for over 40 years. Never had an accident in any of them!

It's hardly 'smug! 🤣

So did people think they were both white or both yellow?

PupInAPram · 25/01/2022 18:02

@FatFucker you hit the nail on the head there. @Omicrone I didn't notice what colour they were or give a toss really, I just know I can read them. The whole tone of this discussion puts me in mind of mansplaning.

ErrolTheDragon · 25/01/2022 18:02

Tbh what surprises me the most is the vile fucking comments of the smug mners who did know this, and can't believe that some of us didn't.

Yeah... I knew the colours (no idea whether by education or observation at some point in the dim and distant tbh) but think it's an interesting phenomenon rather than a source of pride or shame either way.

ErrolTheDragon · 25/01/2022 18:08

Oh, and enough of the occasional sexist comments based on the assumptions
A) that the posters on this thread who didn't know the colours are all women and
B) that the same mix of responses wouldn't apply on a male dominated forum (if they were being honest).
I'm pretty sure the incidence of blokes getting nicked for speeding, presumably due to not noticing speed limits and/or speed cameras, isn't markedly lower than for women, which is a rather more important test of observational skills.

Shuffletime · 25/01/2022 18:22

@Omicrone

I thought they were both yellow. But the only time I've ever particularly stared at a number plate is in traffic so...

I'm more concerned that so many drivers are getting distracted by the colour of number plates rather than keeping their eyes on the road where they should be! A numberplate is not a potential hazard, I keeping my attention on things that matter.

Omicrone · 25/01/2022 18:23

Have people who genuinely didn't notice this ever been abroad? Because you tend to notice foreign car number plates abroad (it's kind of one of the many signals to your brain that you are not in your home country), and then that gets you thinking about the differences between those number plates and British ones which would surely then make you think 'ah yes, because ours are yellow'.

I am kind of fascinated by this tbh!

Omicrone · 25/01/2022 18:27

I'm more concerned that so many drivers are getting distracted by the colour of number plates rather than keeping their eyes on the road where they should be!

I'm not distracted by the colour of number plates whilst driving, I'm pretty sure I knew this way before I started driving. It's not even anything to do with driving really, the vast majority of people see hundreds of thousands of cars in their life before they reach an age where they can drive.

I honestly don't mean that in a smug way at all, I just don't get how so many people can not have noticed this.

Is it like the Mandela Effect?

FatFucker · 25/01/2022 18:52

The whole tone of this discussion puts me in mind of mansplaning.

Yup silly little women not noticing!

I wonder how many of you can strip an engine and put it back together. I'm amazed that some of you can't do this! How have you been able to drive all these years!!

OP maybe you should have warned the Gloaty McGloats by putting "lighthearted" in your title?

This is the mumnset of 2022 after all and posters LOVE to try and belittle people. Sad fuckers l!

DickMabutt73962 · 25/01/2022 18:56

@BillMasen

It’s not that it’s a vital piece of information you can’t truce well without, of course it’s not.

It’s indicative of a lack of observation skills. Not knowing this implies you’re a driver not paying attention to their surroundings, not aware of what’s around them. If you’re not observant enough to spot this (which is really clear and obvious) I’d say it’s also likely you’re not spotting lots of other clear and obvious things.

We all miss stuff and make errors, but not seeing this over a number of years driving is a bit scary

Hysterics
DickMabutt73962 · 25/01/2022 19:07

@Omicrone

Have people who genuinely didn't notice this ever been abroad? Because you tend to notice foreign car number plates abroad (it's kind of one of the many signals to your brain that you are not in your home country), and then that gets you thinking about the differences between those number plates and British ones which would surely then make you think 'ah yes, because ours are yellow'.

I am kind of fascinated by this tbh!

Yes I've been abroad (grew up abroad), no I didn't notice. Clearly it's interesting to you.
upinaballoon · 25/01/2022 20:31

I'll have a look tomorrow. Knowing this wasn't part of any test I took. This thread has made me smile.

Goawayangryman · 25/01/2022 21:50

I have driven in Pakistan, Greece, Makedonia, Albania, Montenegro, BiH, UAE, Turkey, Spain, Azerbaijan, Australia, NZ, Canada, US, Tanzania, and Ghana. And most other EU member states. I could not tell you the features of number plates anywhere. Because in most of those places I was more concerned with avoiding hazards, potholes, police bribes, car jackings and wildlife.

Surgarblossom · 25/01/2022 22:17

Oh dear!

ErrolTheDragon · 25/01/2022 22:32

@Goawayangryman

I have driven in Pakistan, Greece, Makedonia, Albania, Montenegro, BiH, UAE, Turkey, Spain, Azerbaijan, Australia, NZ, Canada, US, Tanzania, and Ghana. And most other EU member states. I could not tell you the features of number plates anywhere. Because in most of those places I was more concerned with avoiding hazards, potholes, police bribes, car jackings and wildlife.
Grin I used to live in Pennsylvania, and I can tell you the motto on their number plates is (or was then anyway) 'you've got a friend in Pennsylvania'. Which when I saw it shortly after we'd arrived, but DH had gone away on a work trip to Arizona, and I didn't know a soul closer than Massachusetts, reduced me to homesick tears so that definitely wasn't a useful observation while driving.
Goawayangryman · 25/01/2022 22:56

@ErrolTheDragon agh. Horrible passive aggressive numberplate slogan :(

eattooomuch · 25/01/2022 22:57

I don't want to blow your mind but you can tell the area a car comes from by the first two letters of the number plate. My DH didn't realise this until I said it's so weird seeing all these RE number plates around here and he thought it was a coincidence .

Omicrone · 25/01/2022 23:14

I wonder how many of you can strip an engine and put it back together. I'm amazed that some of you can't do this! How have you been able to drive all these years!!

Are you saying you can strip a car engine and put it back together....but you didn't know that a car's front numberplate is white and the back is yellow?

RainbowMum11 · 25/01/2022 23:15

Have you also noticed we all tend to keep to the one side when we're driving? Top tip.

😂😂😂😂

Shunter350 · 25/01/2022 23:16

I remember when some cars only had three wheels.. and who remembers those blue wheelchair cars.?
Oh and indicators that flapped up and down.
And don't start me on those vacuum driven wipers...

cheekychaplin · 25/01/2022 23:54

@eattooomuch

I don't want to blow your mind but you can tell the area a car comes from by the first two letters of the number plate. My DH didn't realise this until I said it's so weird seeing all these RE number plates around here and he thought it was a coincidence .

You can't really, a lot of cars will be out with their registration area. Arnold Clark sell bucketloads of Preston registered cars in Scotland.

cheekychaplin · 25/01/2022 23:57

Sorry that wasn't very clear, the dealer buy in bulk and register the cars, but these cars have never seen Preston, they arrive new to our dealerships.

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