Have you noticed an increase in the number of bumper stickers that read “student driver?” No, you’re not imagining things. Dozens of other folks have noticed them too. It seems that in multiple cities across the country, the number of student driver bumper stickers has exploded. And many of these cars don’t belong to students at all.

I first saw this question posted in the subreddit for the city of Ann Arbor, near where I live in Michigan. “I feel like the number of student driver stickers on cars around town exploded this year but my wife disagrees. Is it just me?”

Of the 67 comments this post currently has, a couple folks suggested that in the summertime teens are learning to drive, so the number of stickers would increase. But the vast majority of commenters agreed that in the past few years, the number of stickers and magnets has exploded. These redditors admitted they were from multiple cities across the country. What’s more, they pointed out that a lot of the drivers with these bumper stickers appear to be middle aged.

Redditor sillyrabbit117 said they know one non-student with just such a bumper sticker. “My 36 year old sibling has them on their car because they are quite literally the worst driver on earth. ?”

Another redditor, AmarissaBhaneboar replied to the above comment, “I put them on my car when I first got it (in my 30’s) because it was my first manual car and I didn’t want people on my a– on hills ?? Those worked better than my ‘manual car, may dtall or roll’ magnets.”

So there’s the truth, at least two 30-something drivers have slapped “student driver” stickers on their bumpers so other drivers chill out around them–or forgive their mistakes. Steaksrhigh said, “yes 1000% its jsut a fad to try to reduce road rage.” No_Translator112 agreed, “My theory is some people put them on their car to let others know they suck at driving.”

Many of the reddit commenters already suspected this. Some even guessed it’s a social media trend. And a few weren’t very happy.

Mechaotaku said, “People put them on their cars so they can drive too slow. They think the sticker exempts them from keeping up with aggressive traffic. I moved up here from Dallas last year where there were so many student driver stickers around it became a city wide joke. They were literally selling them at all the Asian grocery stores.”

There is one more reason some non-students put these stickers on their bumpers: irony. Zomiaen said, “I think it’s kind of funny when they’re applied on a clearly modified sports car that definitely isn’t driving like a student driver– because irony is funny…But lol, the majority of them of them are like middle aged solo drivers in CR-Vs.”