[imagesource: @Kyenedy / Twitter]

Let this be a lesson to car owners around the world.

If you have a personalised number plate that references the speed at which you drive, and you are involved in an accident, people will show little to no sympathy.

This story starts with the images of a Jaguar with the plate “2FAST4U WP” smashing into the outside seating of a café at the High Constantia Shopping Centre, and that alone would have been enough to secure viral infamy.

Then comes the video showing the moment of the crash, and you know it’s going international.

Finally, there’s the interview that the woman behind the wheel, 69-year-old trucking company boss Erica Holt, gave about the accident.

If you haven’t yet read that, she slams Capetonians as unfriendly, and chirps the “Constantia ladies” that “drive around in their husbands’ cars”.

I feel she may come to regret those chirps, but let’s turn our attention towards some of the international coverage.

To start, UK-based the Metro has a few great lines, quoting one onlooker:

‘I guess it brings a whole new meaning to a drive-thru breakfast – but the driver was just so mortified…

‘A waiter joked that if the lady wanted a table she only had to ring to make a reservation…The man who turned up was not impressed and emptied her shopping out of the crashed Jaguar and put it in his Mercedes and she just sat in the front looking so embarrassed.’

Canadian car site Motor Illustrated also covered the crash, calling the number plate “the real cherry on this sundae”:

We’re tempted to joke about the plate but we will remain civil. Might we, however, suggest changing the number plate once the car is repaired – it’s going to be famous from now on and it’ll never go unnoticed.

Agreed. That would perhaps be a shrewd move.

There are other sites, too, dotted across the globe, but let’s stop there.

Mistakes were made, lessons were learnt, laughs were had, and most importantly, the 30 eggs on the front seat emerged unscathed.

[sources:metro&motorillustrated]