1) I'm driving along on a 2-lane highway in the morning on the way to work. I'm behind a big red pickup in the left lane, as we gradually pass the slower right lane traffic. He's doing a perfectly fine speed, and I'm content to be a perfectly fine distance behind him. No strain. We finally pass all the right lane traffic and there's no more cars ahead for a mile or so, but Big Red shows no indication that he'll ever move out of the left lane himself as we continue along. I decide I'd rather be in FRONT of the big-ass truck where I can see better, so I signal, move into the right lane, and speed up to pass him. No agression or anger at all on my part, I'd just rather have clear road ahead of me. We're on a long uphill at this point. He sees this, and just as I get the speed up, he signals and jams into my lane in front of me, forcing me to slam the brakes on and lose a lot of momentum on the hill. I signal back into the left, and pass him. I'm trying not to flip anyone off these days, so I just gave him a "what the hell was that for?" look as I went past. In my mirror, I see him giving me the finger. 2) Sitting at a traffic light for a cross-street on route 20 in Paterson, in the far right lane of 3 lanes. Ahead of me is a lawncare truck with an empty flatbed trailer. He's apparently playing with himself because when the light changes he just sits there as the other two lanes (and everyone ahead of him) move on. Rather than being rude and beeping at him, I wait for a clearing to the left, accelerate around him, and signal back into the right lane after I go around him. In my mirror, I see he has barely even started to move yet, is a good 100 feet behind me, and yet he's high-beaming me in anger! 3) Today - I'm going up a long steep hill in the right lane on the way home, passing a conga line of idiots in the left lane who don't seem to realize the whole right lane is empty. Just as I'm approaching a fat kid on a motorcycle, he jams into my lane in front of me, less than one car length. By the look of his actions, he started the lane change without looking, realized I was coming too late, but committed himself anyway. Again I make with the slamming of the brakes. Again with the "what the hell!?" gesture. He then zips up to where he can't go any further in the right, and gets back into the left. This time he signalled, but not when he cut me off. I continue in the right, where traffic starts moving faster. Soon enough I'm right alongside the fat kid on the bike. Corner of my eye, I see him look at me, and apparently decide to make me the guy he won't let pass. He cranks the bike to full power, and just before he runs out of room, jams into my lane. Now, I'd had a clear shot up the hill with no one in front of me, but not any more!! This time, he deserves the double flip-off. He not only flips back, but slams his brakes on. I got about 2 feet behind him before I managed to slow to his speed. Now, I'm thinking, you idiot, you're on a motorcycle! So WHAT if you make me rear-end you - I'll get a smudge on my license plate and you'll fucking DIE. He continues to harass be for a few more miles by staying ahead of me agressively. When I slow for my exit he comes up alongside, beeps his horn, and when I look he shows me the ol' finger again and jams off at full speed. I suppressed an urge to give him the Indiana Jones nudge with my car. The kid's gonna die soon if he keeps acting like that. *** So - three people who CAUSE a problem on the road through their own agressiveness and/or inattention. And when the innocent victim of their shitty driving calls them on it, they bitch, whine and threaten. Is this not a definition of sociopath?
Also in general the bigger the car the bigger the arsehole behind the wheel. But then we all know that already.
I'm convinced that many of the folks in NJ and NY deserve a painful fucking death. I have no scientific evidence for this, only empirical stuff like Forbin posts.
I was on my way home from work tonight and a middle-aged woman in a Camry moved over into my lane without looking. She left maybe four inches between my front bumper and her rear bumper. I just shook my head and slowed down until I reached a safe following distance. Nothing to get worked up over. I'm not going to let bad drivers upset my calm.
Fun is when you've got the green on the 40 mph road and JUST as you're entering the intersection, the senile old lady coming from the opposite direction decides it's time to turn left across your lane...
I have to apologize to the world for the driving skills of my new girl friend. I rode with her the other day and I swear she thinks she needs to be within 4 or 5 feet of the car in front of us on the highway. Needless to say I'll be doing ALL the driving when we're going anywhere because I'm absolutely terrified to ride with her.
Now you know how I feel when I ride with...pretty much everyone. My train of thought is, "Yeah, I'd cite you for that, and that, and that, and that...OH GOOD GOD WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO DRIVE!? ...and that, and that, and that."
Sounds like you're that asshole cop who writes too many tickets, IMO. Really though, she has to be the worst driver I've ever been in a car with, ever. Speeds everywhere, tailgates everyone, talks on the phone... actually I don't let her talk on the phone when I'm there, but when I'm not I know she does... it's really really bad.
Right around where I live there are two roads - Elkhorn and Antelope. They are the main feeder roads in these parts to I-5, so a LOT of people use them to get onto 5 for the commute into downtown Sacramento. Well. Next week they're closing BOTH roads, on a Wednesday, to do some construction work. I guess that's why I don't run into much road rage - California drivers have a common enemy, CALTRANS.
Speaking of bad drivers....I'm about to piss off my coworkers tomorrow...they think I'm kidding. We're on TDY out here and we have to share two rental cars, one is in my name, and the other is in my friends. Basically uncle sam reimburses me for the bill, and the cars are treated like government vehicles. Well the three dayshift people are using the Camry in my name and the two of us on nights drive the Lancer in my friends name. I rode home with the dayshift group today...quite an adventure. First I pointed out the maintenance required light being on and if they are going to keep driving that car they should go by the rental place and have it checked. I was obviosly blown off by them. Then the girl driving is fucking scary, 75 in 35 zone...60 on a military base (anyone driving on one knows how base police are), she runs stop signs regularly...when I told her to slow down...I was told to not bother the driver. Oh by the way....one of the dayshift guys already wrecked a previous car in my name in a single car accident. I'm supposed to let them keep the Camry because the three of them need a larger car than the two of us on nights. I told them I was taking mine back tomorrow...I suspect they think the boss is going to override me. Of course that's his right...but he can go through the hassle of having someone else authorized to rent a car and take my name off.
I'm for that. They brought her out here to work and she's too new at the job and too stupid to do anything without someone holding her hand. You don't even want me to get started on that. Our boss wanted these "college kid" engineers out here because they won't question what he tells them to do or how to do it, they should have brought out some of the ex-military guys. The problem is these kids don't know shit about naval vessels, and I'm supposed to train her. I told the boss no on that one, considering the environment we are working in is the worst training environment imaginable, and I didn't come out here to be an instructor. /hyperventilates On the plus side....her body is kicking !!! (OK, I wish)
Oh man I used to get road rage on a daily basis, even on short drives. Then I just accepted that there's always gonna be somebody driving like idiot. By far the biggest reason is drivers talking on a phone, next up are elderly drivers, then tourists and finally people who just want to fuck with you.
If some dumb shit on a crotch rocket wants to die that badly, I say it's up to everyone else to respect his wishes.
It was SOOOO tempting. I could'a talked my way out of it being my fault even if i hit him from behind - "He just cut me right the heck off, officer, then slammed his brakes on! There was nothing I could do! Okay, maybe backing over him again was too much, but...."
[Bill Hicks] Hitler had the right idea!!!!!!! He was just an underachiever!!!!!!! Kill 'em aaaaaalll Aaaadooooolf!!! Whites, blacks, Mexicans, jews, everyone!!! Kill 'em aaaalllll!!!! The experiment didn't work!!!!!! Please God, rain for 40 days and 40 nights!!!!! Wash these miserable piles of fleeeeesh and booooones off of this plaaaneeeettt!!!!!! [/]
