that old chestnut: road rage

[legrandefromage]

Ok so I pulled out in front of you at a roundabout on a duel carriageway. So why didn't you simply overtake rather than sit on my rear flashing your headlights. So I gave you the internationl sign for brilliant driving when you did pass - does that then give you an excuse to swerve into the same lane as me iinches from my car? I braked and passed you. So thgen you decide to follow me with your camera phone - to what end? Two wrongs don't make a right.

What are you to do in this sort of situation? A punch up? I might lose my taxi license, so I do nowt and lose him at a junction muttering oaths...

 

[tintin40]

'Turn the other cheek' it's not worth the trouble.

 

[unkleGsif]

Either,

- dont pull out in front of him at said roundabout, or (admitedly, you dont say how closely you pulled out on him)
- dont flip him the bird if he's upset if you did pull out rather closely (fans the flames)
- turn the other cheek

G

 

[greenstiles]

Ignore...........i used to get rode rage on my motorbikes...........it shocked me the thoughts and possible actions i was prepared to take ' to get vengeance'..............later i decided to just drop back or calmly overtake........why get stressed if someone else is a Dick, let them carry on in their own silly life.

 

[Neil]

Either,

- dont pull out in front of him at said roundabout, or (admitedly, you dont say how closely you pulled out on him)
- dont flip him the bird if he's upset if you did pull out rather closely (fans the flames)
- turn the other cheek

G

Have to say, I agree with this.

Does sound like you fanned the flames, there. Many drivers overreact, when they are at fault, as sort of double-bluff, or defence mechanism against any response that they could actually be at fault.

On the other hand, there are those people who make something of a cheeky, but harmless situation a big issue, when it needn't be. By that I mean, there are times, when you may pull out of a junction, or onto a roundabout, and actually get on with it, and don't actually cause any issue to the approaching car, I suspect they just think you might, but they take offence, anyway, and speed up to try and make a point - sometimes you can see it in your rear view mirror, that they're desperately trying to get speed out of their jalopy in order to try and make out you caused them a problem.

Thing is, though, especially if you've got things to lose - if you've pulled out on somebody, it's probably best to let their reaction slide - it may not be right, they may be making a mountain out of a molehill, but all the same, people do overreact, and it's best to not aggravate a situation by coming across as somebody who's totally belligerent to any issue you've actually brought upon yourself.

 

[suburbanreuben]

Why is it that you meet more prats on the school run than you do in all the other 23 hours of the day?
It probably has a lot to do with my daughter's advanced and varied vocabulary.

 

[Neil]

Why is it that you meet more prats on the school run than you do in all the other 23 hours of the day?
It probably has a lot to do with my daughter's advanced and varied vocabulary.

Not sure, but I'd agree with the phenomenon.

Manic is how I'd describe them - the amount of times I see completely ridiculous driving, parking - actually scrub that - almost total abandonment of cars anywhere, and the most likely propensity I've seen for road rage has been when I've been taking my son to school.

It's kind of nice walking past all these idiots, shaking my head at the sheer stupidity of things I see.

 

[ere-tis]

What are you to do in this sort of situation?

Breathe deeply, count to 10 and think of pastel colours......

.Manic is how I'd describe them - the amount of times I see completely ridiculous driving, parking - actually scrub that - almost total abandonment of cars anywhere...

It's kind of nice walking past all these idiots, shaking my head at the sheer stupidity of things I see.

Don't walk past them, take a photo with your phone and send it to youparklikeac*nt.com

There are some real gems on there.

 

[legrandefromage]

I did pull out and gave plenty of room but I did also flip the bird so Ito expect some sillyness afterwards. Just wasn't eexpecting to be made to swerve off the road as a result. That was definitely an over reaction to a minor event.

It is my work and most of the time I just ignore it all bt sometimes I am quite amzed by other drivers reactiions.

 

[Neil]

Manic is how I'd describe them - the amount of times I see completely ridiculous driving, parking - actually scrub that - almost total abandonment of cars anywhere...

It's kind of nice walking past all these idiots, shaking my head at the sheer stupidity of things I see.

Don't walk past them, take a photo with your phone and send it to youparklikeac*nt.com

There are some real gems on there.

Well ignoring the awful, manic driving and the fairly regular road-rage (near my son's school, they effectively turn a road into a one-way road, by the obsessive and aggressive manner that they all bunch up, and don't give an inch, or a second of consideration that traffic and drivers may assume that a two-way street is still a two-way street), it's that odd obsessive behaviour about parking as close to the building as possible - ignoring road markings, driveways, or whether it's causing an obstruction.

Have to say, just don't get that mindset, it's often observable (perhaps to a smaller degree) in supermarket car parks. It's like some people MUST park as close as humanly possible, for fear they may have to walk a few extra feet.