Road Rage, tail gaters, etc... (1 Viewer)

[Stan]

We're a decent sized city, but have one big street through our city. Six lanes N/S with turn lanes, and lots of stoplights.

I usually avoid it, but couldn't help it because I had to go to a Costco store.

This ignorant twit, probably mid '50s just had to be in front of everybody else. Zipping in and out, changing lanes, riding my ass for part of the journey, often with just inches to spare, only to hit the same red light I did.

(The secret to deal with tailgaters is the closer they get, the slower I go, works every time)

After about four miles of this, we both once again got the same red light, side by side, me perfectly calm, him just a pissed off jack-ass. I couldn't help it, politely waved but my hand suddenly morphed into the infamous middle finger salute as I smiled at him.

Pissed him off even more, but I just don't participate in things like that. He'll probably kill somebody eventually, get a load of speeding tickets, reckless driving, etc. Just wish there were a way I could contribute to stop people like him from driving.

No politics, no religion, I think I'm safe posting this

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I have a long commute cross town one day a week, so get to see this behavior a lot. As I've gotten older I try to just ignore the idiots once they get by me (and I'm doing 75-80 mph on parts of the freeway during this commute!). As a former boss of mine liked to say, "you can't fix stupid".

 

[KeithAP]

Pissed him off even more, but I just don't participate in things like that.

All evidence to the contrary, you seem to be a willing participant and no better in regards to traffic safety IMHO. I hope in the future you will consider to try and do your best to ignore such drivers instead of making things worse for everyone on the road.

-KeithP

 

[TravisR]

All evidence to the contrary, you seem to be a willing participant and no better in regards to traffic safety IMHO. I hope in the future you will consider to try and do your best to ignore such drivers instead of making things worse for everyone on the road.

-KeithP

You're basically correct but at the same time, I see no reason that the other guy should get to be an asshole without anyone ever calling him on it either.

 

[Stan]

All evidence to the contrary, you seem to be a willing participant and no better in regards to traffic safety IMHO. I hope in the future you will consider to try and do your best to ignore such drivers instead of making things worse for everyone on the road.

-KeithP

Maybe my attitude was a bit off that time. I do try to ignore things, just be neutral and not provoke people or get involved. I don't drive much, and I time my trips to avoid traffic, but there are always bozos on the road.

Thanks

 

[Paul D G]

Good. Now I have a place to tell my story!

Taking my son to a movie one Sunday morning a couple weeks ago. We're on a main road - four lanes (2x2, double yellow line). Speed limit is 45. Light traffic. I'm doing around 50 on the inside lane. There's a car in the outside lane doing 45 that I'm slowly passing. All of sudden I hear this engine roar behind me and I see this jackass swerve into the oncoming lanes of traffic (no cars - they were about a block away) and blow past me.

I catch up to him at the stop light where we're merged into one lane due to construction at the intersection. As soon as the second lane opens up he floors it and races ahead. Because of traffic I'm never more than a block behind him, so we get a full view of him weaving in and out of traffic and cutting people off.

About two miles down the road he is the lead car at a stop light. I'm just about to pull up right next to him and he floors it again - while the light was still red! This is one of those areas where there's another light half a block away so again he has to stop and there I am pulling right next to him. (he got so far ahead over those five miles )

We're both sitting at the stop light and we have the following conversation:

Me: Hey!
Driver (20 something in a hoodie): What? (very tough guy attitude)
Me: Knock it off! You're going to kill somebody!
Driver (now leans over, trying to intimidate): What's it to you, asshole.
Me: What's it to me? You're cutting people off, crossing into oncoming traffic, you just ran a red light... You are GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY!

I notice the light is now green so I add "And probably yourself too." and drive off.

I will say this, after that he drove normally, at least until I turned off a couple blocks later.

 

[Malcolm R]

Engaging with these people is just asking for trouble, especially if you have passengers or kids with you. Who knows when a gun or some other weapon will suddenly appear?

I do my fair share of cussing inside my own car at these types of people, but I would never talk to them or make gestures.

 

[David_B_K]

Engaging with these people is just asking for trouble, especially if you have passengers or kids with you. Who knows when a gun or some other weapon will suddenly appear?

I do my fair share of cussing inside my own car at these types of people, but I would never talk to them or make gestures.

I agree. I think it does no good to tell someone they're an asshole. It's their job, they already know it. It's an insult when you say it, but to the asshole, it's probably a compliment for a job well done.

One thing I have figured out is that it takes a lot of energy to tail-gate or zoom into and out of small lane openings. I really cannot do it. I probably could when younger, but now that I take blood pressure meds, I find it takes the edge off. Those warnings about "operating heavy machinery"? I can operate them, but not with the speed and accuracy of someone with razor-sharp reflexes (unless it is an emergency and my adrenaline is pumping, like trying to get to the hospital when a family member is there).

Another thing I've noticed: guys who drive black trucks are usually assholes, particularly if the truck has been modified with stuff like giant wheels and dark window tint. I drive a smallish silver truck, but would never drive a big black truck for fear of either being perceived as an asshole driver or of turning into one.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Another thing I've noticed: guys who drive black trucks are usually assholes, particularly if the truck has been modified with stuff like giant wheels and dark window tint. I drive a smallish silver truck, but would never drive a big black truck for fear of either being perceived as an asshole driver or of turning into one.

Truck profiling.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Okay, I'll share a humorous story from early this summer. My wife and I eat breakfast every Sunday morning at a local Greek Coney Island restaurant. I always back into the parking spot, as some cars parallel park behind the spots near the door, which can make it tight backing out (plus it's much easier for me to see pulling out of the space then backing out in my crossover). So, I'm backing into a spot by the front door when a guy comes flying into the parking lot, comes to an abrupt stop as I'm backing in, has to wait maybe a total of 10 seconds for me, then pulls quickly into another spot.

My wife immediately pleads with me to not say anything, and I'm not planning to. However, as we are walking into the restaurant the jackass asks in a very nasty tone "can't you pull into the spot?".

Well, being the smart ass I can be, my reply in a very calm, friendly tone was "no, people parallel park right there, making it difficult to back out. Besides, it's a lot safer to pull out than back out if someone comes flying into the parking lot like you did."

The guy walks into the restaurant, and just gets more pissed when several of the waitresses and hostess all greet us by name and chat with us like old friends. He ended up sitting several booths from us and stared at my wife during his entire breakfast, was rude to the waitress (she told us afterwards), and stormed out after eating quickly.

We all had a good laugh at this moron's expense. None of the staff recognized him, and I told them they'd never see him again after he embarrassed himself that much in a public place.

 

[Mike Frezon]

What a great story, Scott.

A perfect example of why some people are bound and determined to go through life so angry and unhappy. It is so unnecessary and sad.

You handled that perfectly.

 

[Stan]

Engaging with these people is just asking for trouble, especially if you have passengers or kids with you. Who knows when a gun or some other weapon will suddenly appear?

I do my fair share of cussing inside my own car at these types of people, but I would never talk to them or make gestures.

I understand, and I'm normally like you. Curse to myself, think evil thoughts, etc. But this one just pushed me over the edge. Nothing happened, but not a behavior I'll ever show in the future.

 

[David_B_K]

Scott, your story reminds me of a parking pet peeve of mine, which is people who go the wrong way in directional parking lots. I'm talking about the ones that are one way in each direction. They look like this:

Because of the angles, these spots are easy to pull into and back out of. There is not enough room for cars to pass each other if some idiot enters the aisle from the other end. On the next aisle, the stripes angle in the other direction. Besides being irritated with morons who go the wrong way in the aisle, I am equally peeved with the ones who park through to the next space and are thus pointing in the wrong direction on the next aisle when it is time to leave. Last week I saw a guy backing out of an angled spot. He looked behind him and was doing fine, but some asshole comes zooming from the wrong direction and honks his horn at the guy who was doing everything properly.

People who cannot figure out directional parking are assholes who probably make all manner of driving mistakes/violations in the course of their day, like driving the wrong way on a one-way street.

 

[Sam Posten]

Towanda!

 

[Stan]

Scott, your story reminds me of a parking pet peeve of mine, which is people who go the wrong way in directional parking lots. I'm talking about the ones that are one way in each direction. They look like this:

Because of the angles, these spots are easy to pull into and back out of. There is not enough room for cars to pass each other if some idiot enters the aisle from the other end. On the next aisle, the stripes angle in the other direction. Besides being irritated with morons who go the wrong way in the aisle, I am equally peeved with the ones who park through to the next space and are thus pointing in the wrong direction on the next aisle when it is time to leave. Last week I saw a guy backing out of an angled spot. He looked behind him and was doing fine, but some asshole comes zooming from the wrong direction and honks his horn at the guy who was doing everything properly.

People who cannot figure out directional parking are assholes who probably make all manner of driving mistakes/violations in the course of their day, like driving the wrong way on a one-way street.

Add in to that, the people who go the wrong direction on one-way streets.

Happened to me yesterday, three lanes one-way south and some confused senior citizen in a gigantic LTD, unmarked cop style car (as if we'll ever not notice those), pulls out and heads north.

Could have been very serious, but myself and everybody else stopped until he could figure out what was wrong.

Some people just need to realize they shouldn't be driving any longer. They may have the keys and the car, but the driving ability has vanished.