Road Rage

[aap1966]

Originally Posted by Paul K

I guess the moral is that you never know how crazy the other driver is until it's too late.
.

And therein lies the problem.

[red-beard]

I've told this story before. My wife is a bit of a cautious (crappy) driver. She was in the right turn lane, waiting to turn right. The guy behind her starts to flip out, because she hasn't turned yet. He then honks at her.

I stop, to remind the audience, that my wife is Latin.

She puts the car into park, gets out and walks up to his window and starts in on him.

"Why you honking at me?"

I think the guy must have thought "who is this crazy woman?" And crazy she was and crazy she is. Never mess with the latins.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

I read the whole thread and inserted my two cents where I thought it was appropriate.

If you want to moderate a thread start your own, otherwise this one's open for comment.

No one's trying to moderate anything... your post seemed to indicate you had missed a lot of what had been said, but sure... let's talk...

What do you think of the story told by the original poster here... do you believe he might have been a little bit slack in the way of personal responsibility?

Or do you think it was all on the other guy?

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by rattlsnak

Ever heard of simply slowing down a little and letting the guy merge in front of you?

Of course... I've done that, too.

But I'm usually already over to the left, having moved over there way before the interchange.

But if I'm somehow stuck in the right lane and can't move left, depending on the timing of where I am, how crowded the lane is, and where the merger is, I may speed up a bit to get out of the his way before he gets to the end of the ramp... or I may back off a bit and let him in front of me if there's not someone real close behind me.

But I'm not gonna jam up everyone behind me just because Mr. Hard Charger came along at a really bad time.

If the right lane is jammed, that's his problem.

He can wait until there's an opening... even if it means coming to a stop. I realize that's not optimal, but I don't think it's right to slow up and affect 10-20 cars (or more) just to let one person in.

Slowing a few MPH is fine if there's room and it won't affect a lot of other cars... what I'm referring to is those who slow from 55-65 or more down to 45 or less and jamming people up really bad just to let somebody in.

I'm sure you've been caught in that sort of "politeness" before and have felt the love.

LOL

[schamp]

If you are running along in the right lane at an entrance ramp slowing or providing room is great, however, and I had a Georgia State Trooper give me this little tip. Cars entering are suppose to yield. If you move over and in the process get into an accident guess who is at fault. If there is no room, and stacked up at speed, as the on ramp lane starts running out they will get the idea or end up off road. I think the more common practice is that most people just kick it on the on ramp and figure there will be room, not really looking until time to move over. These are likely the same people that get in the left lane and just sit there. Some state just started giving tickets for staying in the left lane. Wish Georgia would do the same.

[kwm]

First off to defend myself for those who read this whole thread, I never said I was not at all culpable here. I did do as some have labeled a "douchey" thing by pulling in front and slowing down. However, I do feel that when NO ONE at all is in the left lane and you run a guy all the way onto the shoulder of the road at the end of a on ramp that this to is VERY DOUCHEY thing to do to someone IMO. Some may not agree with that but I always try to get left for people who are getting on the I-state I mean I almost always have better vision of them than they do of me correct? In this case the on ramp comes off a overpass and traffic headed south can see you (the entering car) from the second you start down the ramp but the entering car can not see southbound traffic till maybe the last 1/3 of the ramp. However, I have learned a lesson. I have been turning over new leaves in my life. Mainly due to a gorgeous blue eyed 8 month old daughter that I am now the father of so I guess I will add this to the list of less drinking...zero tobacco use of any sort.....and the sale of my motorcycle and just smile and grin every time I am around my kid. Thanks guys for the stories

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by schamp

I think the more common practice is that most people just kick it on the on ramp and figure there will be room, not really looking until time to move over.

E X A C T L Y

Best driving tip I ever heard was that a good driver never causes other people to speed up, slow down, or alter their course. That covers about 90% of situations that pi$$ me off.

I'll give people some leeway when they're trying to merge, especially when traffic is heavy and slow.

But it does really bug me when someone comes barrelling up the on-ramp completely oblivious, and at the end of the merge section suddenly realizes they have to contend with other cars. The idea of a merge lane is to get up to highway speed so you can enter traffic smoothly, not to get up to the highway at 70km/hr (40mph) and then decide what to do once the merge section ends. That causes accidents.

I'll move over if I have the room, but I'll do it in such a way that they realize I'm doing it because they're squeezing me out, and I'll try to make eye contact then go up ahead and move back into the lane. I don't get into aggressive stuff, but I want them to see they are forcing people out of their way.

However, if I am towing a trailer, you are on your own. I don't move over, I don't accelerate, and I sure as hell don't brake. I have pissed some people off when I'm towing, but ultimately it's their bad driving that is causing the problem and I'm not willing to start altering course with a truck & trailer because THEY can't be bothered to pay attention to what they're doing.

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by kwm

Snipped......
so I guess I will add this to the list of less drinking...zero tobacco use of any sort.....and the sale of my motorcycle and just smile and grin every time I am around my kid. Thanks guys for the stories

OMG dude, you gotta be spittin' nails by now.
No drinking, smoking. riding all at once?
No wonder you're a douche.
My aplogies.

[kwm]

dhoward
No doubt right, also combine those other items with the fact that I am a commercial collections officer for the largest Bank in the world and then you also have some idea of my workload and true level of douche-bag-ness as well. If I have one more business to foreclose on I just might really snap.

[dhoward]

LOL!
Good luck to ya!
P.S. If ya snap, do it in traffic and post interesting true story....

[kwm]

As I had mentioned in this thread, I learned a lesson on road rage and turned over a new leaf. Now, in good boy mode, after having turned over the new leaf I had some total ******* go off on me yesterday. I am in early morning bumper to bumper type of situation and about 100 yards of road opened up in front of me but clearly everyone was stopped just up ahead. So my rational was why hammer the gas and burn up my new $3.69 per gallon gas to get 100 yards down the road and stop again. Same Hwy 85S as before.....some guy in a Chrysler 300 floors it to go around me then cuts in on me so hard I have to swear and brake to miss him (in hindsight I wish I would have left him hit my stupid S10) and then once in front of me he squeals to a complete stop and gives me the prolonger bird for like 2 minutes. Not to mention, this guy had what I guess was his wife in the pass. seat. Then once we start driving (and I am not even on his ass mind you) he brake checks it like 8 times in 100 yards.. (*%*(&) *()^&&* morons.... I am sick of this $hit too! I may start to drive my 22 mile one way commute on all surface streets it is like once on the I-state people just lose it big time. However, I never had anyone mess with me in my SC so I started driving it today and everything has gone fine so far anyway.

[NICKG]

you don't know the meaning of road rage till you drive in Nj or cali...we all take courses in road rage to get the "maximun rage" possible out of everyone around us.

[gtc]

Lol, kwm, i had the same thing happen a while back.
Some toolbox in a Corrola swerved into my lane, cutting me off and forcing me into the next lane over. Then when my lane speeds up and I pass him, he rolls down his window and flips me off! I thought "Hey, I'm supposed to be the angry one here!"

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by vash

seriously. driving on the far right lane is foolishness. that thing is really reserved for merging on and off the hwy. if you are not about to do either activity, the manual encourages you into another lane. i just took traffic school... i am educated...

glad nothing really happened.

Here in Washington, driving in the right lane is not "foolishness", it's the law. Our freeways are clearly posted "keep right except to pass". Our State Patrol has identified left lane squatters as one of the single biggest causes of traffic congestion and ensuing road rage in others, as they camp in the left lane and refuse to move over to let faster traffic pass them on the left. They have now started pulling these clowns over and issuing warnings. Next will be citations, then "emphasis patrols" specifically targeting these left lane cruisers. I find it appalling that any traffic school would encourage left lane camping. Are you sure you read that right? Which traffic school is this?

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I find it appalling that any traffic school would encourage left lane camping. Are you sure you read that right? Which traffic school is this?

Jeff, note that vash said...

"if you are not about to do either activity, the manual encourages you into another lane."

I think his traffic school was talking about multi-lane freeways... ones with 3 or more lanes.

Just a guess.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

Jeff, note that vash said...

"if you are not about to do either activity, the manual encourages you into another lane."

I think his traffic school was talking about multi-lane freeways... ones with 3 or more lanes.

Just a guess.

That would make sense. Most freeways in Washington are only two lanes each way, with the exceptions being for the most part in larger population areas. Probably like most states. "Another lane" in that case only leaves one choice. I just hope they make a distinction between multiple and two lane freeways but, as dumbed down as most information meant for public consumption has become, I would be (pleasantly) surprised if they did.

[Craig 930 RS]

Warning: This does not end well.

Many years ago, on a rural Montana highway in the early 1960s my Mother was driving with a friend. Up behind them comes a VW Beetle full of kids, hauling about as much @ss as a VW possibly could. No speed limits in those days. No seat belts, either. They moved over after a few gestures from the VW, and the VW floored it and took off. Mom knew the road well...knew of a curve ahead.....by this time the kids were way ahead.

So around he curve Mom & Co come....the VW now in a million pieces and 4 bodies strewn about.
Mom had completed nursing school, went over to give assistance to one guy...whose head was head ripped completely off as he exited the VW.

[Craig 930 RS]

The problem is road rage is so easy...you feel as if you are in your own private area, but in reality ... you are in public.

IMO, this dichotomy is what makes people feel 'invaded' and makes them easily pissed off.

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by bell

THAT'S assault brother............

Actually,

when the dude got out of the car and approached, that is assault. The fire ex was defensive. I would never have convicted.

[p911dad]

My most memorable RR incident took place near Ft Worth, TX in 1966 in my cousin Bobby's Ford pickup. My best buddy, Jimmy O'Neill and I were on a total crosscounty marathon from NY to CA for summer jobs and back through TX to see Bobby, then on to SC to see cousin Kathy, and back to NY to get back to school. I was 18, Jim was 19 and Bobby was a pressman at the StarTelegram in FT Worth, maybe 38 years old at the time. Anyway, Bobby had boat on some big lake near town and we had spent the day on the boat drinking Pearl Beer and cruising around. We drove back to the house along a 4 lane divided road with little hills and stoplights every so often. We came flying up over one of those hills and almost rear-ended another pickup going very slowly. Bobby hit the horn and flipped the guy off, of course. Red light. We are sitting there and #2 pulls up and starts swearing up a storm and calling us out to fight. He pulls out some sort of pistol and starts waving it around and yelling, and sure enough, Bobby pulls a .38 out of the glove compartment and starts yelling back. Me and Jimmy hit the floor. The light turned green and off we go, no particular hurry. Bobby says, if that guy was gonna shoot, he would have done it in a hurry. Bobby said they were just jawbonin'.. I can recall that day like it was last week!