“I Did My Part for Road Safety”: Local Driver Feels Deeply Fulfilled After Honking at L-Plater Half a Second After Light Turns Green

Layne Hogg | Traffic Reporter | Sutherland Shire Gazette

20 May 2025

SUTHERLAND SHIRE - A local driver has reportedly achieved a deep sense of personal satisfaction after leaning hard on their horn at a learner driver who dared to hesitate for a fraction of a second at a green light on the Kingsway this morning.

“It’s about setting standards,” said the 47-year-old driver, still visibly puffed with civic pride from the incident. “We can’t just let them crawl their way through life. The light turned green, and I gave them a full 0.6 seconds. That’s more than generous.”

The L-plater, believed to be a nervous 17-year-old on her first solo lesson, had attempted to find the biting point before being blasted into another realm by the man’s 1997 Commodore horn - which witnesses say sounded like a dying foghorn but emotionally louder.

“I could feel it was going to be a learning moment,” the driver said, reflecting on the power they wielded in that split second. “She’ll remember that. I probably taught her more than any driving instructor ever could.”

When asked what they thought the learner might have been feeling, the driver replied, “Character building. If she can’t handle me at a red light, how’s she going to survive the M5?”

Witnesses report the driver then sped off, satisfied and vindicated, only to be overtaken by the same learner at the next set of lights after missing their right turn and shouting at Google Maps.

Local authorities remind drivers that the L on the plate stands for “Learner,” not “Launch Pad,” and that patience is, in fact, still a thing.