Road-Rage: Is it acceptable? - Writers Forum

Sam Winchester · 05-15-2008, 06:03 AM

You're driving through your local city, enjoying the pleasant weather, when some a**hole in a BMW cuts across you, causing you to slam on the brakes to avoid certain collision. What do you do?

(a) Smile politely and pretend it never happened.

(b) Stick one (or two, depending on your mood) fingers up and scream obscenities at the driver.

(c) Pull the hand-brake, stick the hazard warning lights on, and jump out of your vehicle and throttle the driver.

(d) Ram your less expensive car up the arse of the BMW!

If, like ninety percent of the population, you didn't answer "a" to the following question, you have a problem with road-rage, my friend. But, is road-rage an acceptable way of dealing with things, or is there a more civilised way of dealing with ignorant drivers?

05-15-2008, 06:30 AM

I smile politely, while calling the driver a cunt. Were does that fit in?

Truth-Teller · 05-15-2008, 06:47 AM

(e) pull up it front of them, and slam the brakes

Truth-Teller · 05-15-2008, 06:48 AM

So if he does rear-end me, he pays out of his pocket.

That's my method.

The Backward OX · 05-15-2008, 06:54 AM

This problem rarely occurs for me. Mostly I drive a superannuated cement-mixer. The only road users that dare cut in front of it are bloody Volvo drivers wearing hats and who never see anything anyway.

Foxee · 05-15-2008, 06:59 AM

Good lord, my husband's a truck driver (tractor-trailer not pickup truck) and if he reacted with road rage every time something like this happened he'd be dead from a stress-related aneurysm in a single day.

As for myself, I used to react with more anger than I do now. What changed? The fact is, getting angry at the other driver does absolutely nothing to change what happened. Nothing. You turn purple with rage and work on a stroke while the other driver is happily oblivious.

If you actually do something stupid like hurt them you get arrested and that doesn't get you to the destination you were aiming for.

Anymore my reaction is to ask a rhetorical question, "Since when is that YOUR right of way, Boopie?" (yes, it helps to call them ridiculous names...also then I'm not cursing in front of the kids) and if I'm really upset I'll call my hubby and complain into his mostly-sympathetic ear.

Other than that I just try to get away from the offending driver...which is why tailgating is possibly the thing that drives me the craziest.

But anger? If you let them get you screaming, cussing, and beating up your steering wheel, they've won!

Also a note from the other driver's point of view: I am a pretty good driver but I've made mistakes when I've been tired or distracted. Not often but I know how rotten it made me feel when I pulled into the 'Exit' drive of McDonald's only to have a guy in a pickup truck scream at me over and over that "It's a one-way!" By the way he was carrying on you would have thought I'd slammed into him on purpose. As it was, we were the only two vehicles there and he had plenty of room. Yeah, I made a mistake but there was no accident the screaming and carrying on from the other driver really did nothing but show what a jerk he was.

buyjupiter03 · 05-15-2008, 07:11 AM

Somedays it's reaction B) with a slight modification, I don't yell out the window. Mutter to myself about crappy drivers yes, but I am not sticking me head out of my A/C to yell in the desert. Other times it's reaction E) turn the radio/cd up and sing really loudly. Either way I feel better.

Not driving at the moment so I don't really have to worry about idiot drivers! Yay!

Sam Winchester · 05-15-2008, 07:28 AM

When I was 17, I used to car-pool to my city gym three times a week with a Scottish fellow originally from Glasgow, but who'd been living in Ireland for years - a big monster of a man - about six-five and three-hundred plus pounds. I was only getting started bodybuilding at the time, was just over six foot, and only a hundred and eighty pounds, I think. He used to be able to lift me and military press me over his head. But he was on all the steroids of the day.

One day we were driving along this country road. There was a jeep in front of us, doing about thirty miles an hour. The one thing Joseph (I think his last name was MacKay) hated was slow drivers. He was a speed aficionado. He owned a Subaru Impreza. Before he left the country to go back to Scotland two years later, he was a self-made millionaire. He owned his own company when he was 17. He could have well afforded a Ferrari at that point, but he had a thing for rally cars. But every time we came to a straight on the road, he couldn't pass because there were cars coming the other way. He was cursing and blinding at this driver, who was a middle-aged woman. So when he finally saw the opportunity to overtake her, he cut sharply to the right (we drive on the left side of the road over here) and punched the accelerator. At that exact same moment she turned into an entryway on the right. BANG! He hit her back door at about sixty miles an hour. Next thing I knew, I was outside trying to restrain him from pulling her head off. And I mean that literally. He had a hold of her by the collar, and spittle was dripping down his chin. 'What the fuck sort of driving is that!' The lady was scared out of her wits. She tried to call the police, but he grabbed the phone and smashed it off the ground. I thought, fuck me, there's gonna be a homicide here shortly. Mercifully, I managed to calm him down enough to let go of her. At that point in time he would have broken me in half, had he wanted to. Lord knows what he would have done to her if I hadn't been there. In the end, she was that petrified that she didn't call the police, press charges, or exchange details. She just got into her car and drove off. And I couldn't blame her.

Steroids were mostly to blame for that encounter; another reason why I hate them.

Sam.

papertears · 05-15-2008, 07:33 AM

It is not acceptable, but probable. I have a few ways to handle it:

*I allow myself to curse, but don't give the finger. When people get out of the car to come tell me that I should have run over the car in front of me at the red light though, I sometimes pull down my bottom eyelid and stick out my tongue like they do in Japan. I only do this if they aren't carrying a weapon.

*I try not to drive on the busy highways during the high traffic times by sleeping in and working late. We had flex time so I could get away with it if there was no meeting.

*I slow down, not enough to cause an accident--because going to slow is bad too. I just don't even try to keep up with the drivers that think they have Champ, Indy or Nascar cars and are driving on professional tracks. They may get to the next exit 4 minutes faster, but my blood pressure stays below normal and I feel a little safer.

*I use the horn if someone is about to wipe me out. Its unnerving how few people even notice it, but at least I try.

sundara · 05-15-2008, 07:45 AM

I think that road rage is ridiculous and immature- there is no excuse for it. We should all be driving defensively and when you manage to avoid an accident that someone may have caused then you should be thankful you have such skill and finesse. The fact is that we all make some stupid blunder every now and then.

Driving can be a raise your blood pressure, hostile, stressful experience that only hurts you, or it can be a pleasure to listen to the radio, enjoy the ride, converse with passengers or soak up the solitude experience. In the end road rage reflects badly on the angry person and diminishes that person’s ability to drive safely- hurting only the angry person.

The rest of us shouldn’t have to share the road with hair trigger maniacs. I don’t get cut off because I travel a safe distance behind and that leaves room and I let people in when the traffic is tight. Instead of rage we should make an effort to show courtesy to other drivers.

Share the love, man!

buyjupiter03 · 05-15-2008, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundara

I think that road rage is ridiculous and immature- there is no excuse for it. We should all be driving defensively and when you manage to avoid an accident that someone may have caused then you should be thankful you have such skill and finesse. The fact is that we all make some stupid blunder every now and then.

Driving can be a raise your blood pressure, hostel, stressful experience that only hurts you, or it can be a pleasure to listen to the radio, enjoy the ride, converse with passengers or soak up the solitude experience. In the end road rage reflects badly on the angry person and diminishes that person’s ability to drive safely- hurting only the angry person.

The rest of us shouldn’t have to share the road with hair trigger maniacs. I don’t get cut off because I travel a safe distance behind and that leaves room and I let people in when the traffic is tight. Instead of rage we should make an effort to show courtesy to other drivers.

Share the love, man!

Have you ever driven in big city traffic? Everyone and their 89 y.o. grandma thinks they're Tony Stewart. No one drives very carefully here (i.e. legally) and everyone thinks they're invincible. If most people didn't think they were A) Tony Stewart, and B) invincible there would not be the three hundred accidents a week that I normally get stuck behind.

I just wish more people would use their turn signal. It's there for a reason. Use it.

sundara · 05-15-2008, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Winchester

When I was 17, I used to car-pool to my my city gym three times a week with a Scottish fellow originally from Glasgow, but who'd been living in Ireland for years - a big monster of a man - about six-five and three-hundred plus pounds. I was only getting started bodybuilding at the time, was just over six foot, and only a hundred and eighty pounds, I think. He used to be able to lift me and military press me over his head. But he was on all the steroids of the day.

One day we were driving along this country road. There was a jeep in front of us, doing about thirty miles an hour. The one thing Joseph (I think his last name was MacKay) hated was slow drivers. He was a speed aficionado. He owned a Subaru Impreza. Before he left the country to go back to Scotland two years later, he was a self-made millionaire. He owned his own company when he was 17. He could have well afforded a Ferrari at that point, but he had a thing for rally cars. But every time we came to a straight on the road, he couldn't pass because there were cars coming the other way. He was cursing and blinding at this driver, who was a middle-aged woman. So when he finally saw the opportunity to overtake her, he cut sharply to the right (we drive on the left side of the road over here) and punched the accelerator. At that exact same moment she turned into an entryway on the right. BANG! He hit her back door at about sixty miles an hour. Next thing I knew, I was outside trying to restrain him from pulling her head off. And I mean that literally. He had a hold of her by the collar, and spittle was dripping down his chin. 'What the fuck sort of driving is that!' The lady was scared out of her wits. She tried to call the police, but he grabbed the phone and smashed it off the ground. I thought, fuck me, there's gonna be a homicide here shortly. Mercifully, I managed to calm him down enough to let go of her. At that point in time he would have broken me in half, had he wanted to. Lord knows what he would have done to her if I hadn't been there. In the end, she was that petrified that she didn't call the police, press charges, or exchange details. She just got into her car and drove off. And I couldn't blame her.

Steroids were mostly to blame for that encounter; another reason why I hate them.

Sam.

What a horrid story! I would hate for that to happen. I don't get angry when I drive, but I don't have any qualms defending myself. If I were approached by a hostile looking body builder he would be greeted by a locked door and me on the cell with 911 holding a loaded pistol. I would strongly recommend caution when showing your butt on the country roads around here! I think road rage would be greatly reduced if all of the jerks knew that even middle aged women were caring loaded weapons between the seats.

It’s lucky for the lady and for your friend that you were there.

The Backward OX · 05-15-2008, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxee

Good lord, my husband's a truck driver (tractor-trailer not pickup truck)

So that's how you knew about our 38-wheeler B-Doubles.

Quote:

Also a note from the other driver's point of view: I am a pretty good driver but I've made mistakes when I've been tired or distracted.

Tired or distracted and driving don't mix.

Quote:

Not often but I know how rotten it made me feel when I pulled into the 'Exit' drive of McDonald's only to have a guy in a pickup truck scream at me over and over that "It's a one-way!"

Why was he getting upset? You were only going one way.

sundara · 05-15-2008, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buyjupiter03

Have you ever driven in big city traffic? Everyone and their 89 y.o. grandma thinks they're Tony Stewart. No one drives very carefully here (i.e. legally) and everyone thinks they're invincible. If most people didn't think they were A) Tony Stewart, and B) invincible there would not be the three hundred accidents a week that I normally get stuck behind.

Though not often I do have to drive in the city on occasion. It makes me nervous! Every city has their own problem, in New Orleans you have to worry more about pedestrians than other drivers, in St. Louis you have fast drivers, constant construction, you can’t tell where the roads are going… I don’t get mad though. I’m probably the one everyone else is getting mad at. I figure that they would be much more unconvinced by a pileup then by me only going 60.

I live in the mountains and most travelers have a hard time here. I would rather they take it slow and make it, than try speeding around the curves. You can’t anticipate the road here and the road is often on the side of the mountain. If you look out your window it’s just a big drop. I don’t think that people should drive faster than they are comfortable driving.
What bothers me is when people don’t stop for school buses or yield to emergency vehicles.

JosephB · 05-15-2008, 08:15 AM

Kids tempered my road rage. We were all driving along one day and a woman pulled in front of me. I muttered something and slapped the steering wheel.

My then three year old daughter said, "Shit! Huh, Daddy?"

My wife wasn't pleased. You think they don't pick up on your little under-the-breath utterances, but they do.

I used to be quick with the finger too, when I was younger. But too many people around here have guns.