Road rage, dealing with. Avoiding the stupid, how to.

[vaskidmark]

http://blog.robballen.com/Post/25626/things-to-avoid-while-armed

I was driving somewhere on Saturday that required the use of the highway. Traffic was a bit heavy as people were trying to get onto I4 to go to the Strawberry Festival, but the left lanes were clear.

Until this jackass pulled out of the slow lanes to try to get 2 cars ahead and comes to a dead stop.

He got the horn, I got the finger – and then he went full road rage.

This guy pulled out of line, missed his turn intentionally, and started chasing me. In my rearview I could see him signaling for me to pull over (along with various other hand gestures that wouldn’t be welcomed in church). If I changed lanes, he changed lanes. He was waving his phone around then made a call, like he was calling the cops or something, but all I know was that he had lost his mind and I was going to be in a bad situation should he decide to follow me to my actual destination.

Pretty much standard stuff so far.  Worth reading again, tho.

My exit was miles away, so I didn’t feel the need to call the cops yet, but that was my plan.

I respectfully disagree.  Even in The Big City it takes a while to get the cops notified, figure out an intercept vector, and actually arrive in time to do something more than preserve evidence.  Besides, they are always telling us to call them if we see trouble.  Call early.  If your call gets dropped call again.

Plus, who knows if he was armed.

This is where I almost popped a gasket.  First, the enraged driver is armed.  He's got a several-million grain projectile.  Second, too many times we have read about enraged drivers who exited that several-million grain projectile and brought with them some other means of deadly force.

I'm always going to consider a driver engaged in road rage as armed.  I'll do my best to avoid a face-to-face confrontation but until his gas tank runs dry he's considered armed and dangerous.

stay safe.

[mtnbkr]

People are frequently emotionally attached to the several thousand dollar "projectile" and aren't likely to willingly damage it, even while enraged.

Bullets are less expensive.

Chris

[HankB]

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: on those rare occasions when some idiot takes enough exception to what he imagines I did on the road to set off his road rage, I don't escalate things; if possible, I shrug, smile, wave, and let the <expletive> think I'm apologizing. Up to this point, it's worked - he gets to drive off thinking he's Alpha Male King of the Road, and I don't have to shoot anyone. Good outcome in my book.

And if there's anything to the idea of karma, eventually he's going to run into someone just as hotheaded as he is - and the odds are, he's not going to be very pleased with the ultimate outcome.

[makattak]

My only experience with road rage had me exacerbating the situation.

A car sat at a green light (after turning from red) for 3-5 seconds. I wasn't angry, but clearly he wasn't watching the light so I tapped the horn to get his attention on the light.

After making the left turn, he pulls into the middle lane and slows down, shaking his fist and shouting at me. Unable to believe someone flipped out about a beep on the horn, I did what came natural. I laughed. He then proceeded to try to merge into me.

As I was taking the exit to the right, anyway, I just proceeded on my way. My parents and (soon-to-be) wife were in the car and were just as incredulous as I.

Apparently it takes almost nothing to set some people off.

[KD5NRH]

People are frequently emotionally attached to the several thousand dollar "projectile" and aren't likely to willingly damage it, even while enraged.

Which is why I like my $700 Saturn with light to moderate damage on pretty much every body panel; they know intimidation tactics aren't going to work because I don't care about my paint.  They also figure out pretty quickly that there's no way the damage to their vehicle won't cost more than the damage to mine.

[mtnbkr]

Apparently it takes almost nothing to set some people off.

Years ago, I was driving home in rush hour traffic and not going anywhere fast.  I had been sitting still for a while when some guy in a truck behind me starts yelling and gesticulating at me, then pulls around to my side via the turn lane, and starts hurling insults and threats for no apparent reason.  Once he got it out of his system, he pulls a U-turn and heads off in the opposite direction.

I wasn't holding him up, the traffic was stopped.  I had no offensive stickers or such on my car, nor was my car particularly attention-getting (dark green Camry).  I was the very model of a middle-aged "grey man".  I still don't have a clue what it was about.

Chris

[MillCreek]

  I still don't have a clue what it was about.

Chris

The longer I work in healthcare, the more convinced I am, based on what I see in my clinics, is how many people have anger management and/or psychiatric illnesses.

[tokugawa]

Years ago, at a city intersection, I made a right turn on a red, when all traffic was stopped, before the opposing traffic light turned green.  Then the light turned green and a guy pulled up on my right at the next light,honking and yelling, and I made a "what's up?" "sorry I offended you" sort of shrug. He kept screaming and ranting. He was pulling and pushing on his cars steering wheel so hard he was bending it, I expected to see it come off in his hands. Then his antics became so over the top I started laughing.  Then he really got going, actual foam was coming out of his  mouth, along with the words "I am going to kill you, you want to get shot?! And other words.
 I stopped laughing then and started planning. It is really odd how quickly one can think with the right stimulus.
 
 Millcreek is right- I think there are a lot of people out there just sort of hanging on, with a huge internal problem, and any perceived  slight, is enough to give them an excuse to erupt. They can't afford to let it out to their boss, or their wife, or anyone else they know, and it builds and builds , and any stranger becomes fair game, and  in their car they feel anonymous enough to let go. After the rage takes over for a couple of seconds,, they are so pumped with adrenaline they will do anything.
I feel sorry for them, seriously- I have met a few mentally ill people and it is the worst of afflictions.

[wmenorr67]

So glad I drive a POS, 1993 Ford F-150.  Damage to my truck is pennies compared to the damage you will do you your vehicle.  Plus it helps that people think I'm crazy because 90% of the time I drive around with my drivers side window down, even in sub-freezing weather.

[brimic]

I've learned to shrug off a-hole drivers, I see a rager at least once a week. Its gotten even worse since I bought a car that is typically stereotyped as a 'liberal's car.' I used to give a 'happy retard wave' to people who gave me the finger because it almost always enrages them more, but I don't even bother doing that anymore.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Road raging females are the worst. A male can meet mr tire iron but no matter what a guy looks bad cleaning a females clock. I had one follow me mikes and a quarter mile up a driveway


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[KD5NRH]

Road raging females are the worst. A male can meet mr tire iron but no matter what a guy looks bad cleaning a females clock. I had one follow me mikes and a quarter mile up a driveway

How bad did you beat her once you had her out of public view?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

The quater mile if driveway belonged to the county sheriff. He came out in his pj's and seemed to have it well in hand as i left. He did not tip me at xmas however


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[KD5NRH]

The quater mile if driveway belonged to the county sheriff. He came out in his pj's and seemed to have it well in hand as i left. He did not tip me at xmas however

So, officially, she beat herself unconscious *and* gave herself an over-the-head atomic wedgie?

I've seen more creative reports.

[MechAg94]

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: on those rare occasions when some idiot takes enough exception to what he imagines I did on the road to set off his road rage, I don't escalate things; if possible, I shrug, smile, wave, and let the <expletive> think I'm apologizing. Up to this point, it's worked - he gets to drive off thinking he's Alpha Male King of the Road, and I don't have to shoot anyone. Good outcome in my book.

And if there's anything to the idea of karma, eventually he's going to run into someone just as hotheaded as he is - and the odds are, he's not going to be very pleased with the ultimate outcome.

I agree that smiling and waving is usually the best plan.  It either disarms the situation or they go away knowing they didn't upset you as much as they were.  If the idiot tries to make some sort of claim to police that you did something, you want to be able to say no with a straight face. 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

She was a large woman. I was way outclassed. He had her at gun point when i left and his wife was backing him up from the porch while they waited for backup.

If it got physical it woulda been good pay per view.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[MechAg94]

Were you going there anyway?  Or did you just know him?  Also, did you get out?  Just curious about the story.

[KD5NRH]

She was a large woman. I was way outclassed.

The bigger they are, the more satisfying that squishy crunch of a knee bending sideways sounds.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Were you going there anyway?  Or did you just know him?  Also, did you get out?  Just curious about the story.

I deliver his newspaper I called ahead to warn him I was coming. He's got a sense of humor. I told him I had good news and bad news. Good news was I was gonna deliver his paper right to his porch, the bad I had a crazy lady following me. He said something religious about my mom and was waiting. He had 3 or 4 mins lead time.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Phyphor]

The bigger they are, the more satisfying that squishy crunch of a knee bending sideways sounds.

Amen.

[Boomhauer]

shrug, smile, wave, and let the <expletive> think I'm apologizing[/quote

I don't know if I'd even do that. These nuts can be set off by anything.

the more convinced I am, based on what I see in my clinics, is how many people have anger management and/or psychiatric illnesses.

The amount of nuts out there is truly amazing.

[Devonai]

It wasn't road rage per se, but I had a guy flip out on me after a very minor fender bender. It happened literally 100 feet from my town police department, so I pulled into the parking lot to exchange insurance info.

The other driver blocked me in and accused me of attempting to flee the scene of the accident. I calmly pointed out that while there is no shortage of dumb criminals in the world, this would take the cake. He refused to give me his insurance info until the cop arrived (there is typically only one cop on duty and it took him 40 minutes to arrive). He told the cop he wanted me arrested, the officer chewed him out for being an idiot and wasting his time. The damage to both vehicles was cosmetic.

[brimic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CceSRMmhv3w

 

[Jamisjockey]

I'll admit I've got a little bit of a hot head driving.  It boils over quick though, maybe it's just a quick outlet.  I don't have much patience for stupid people.  But that's a horn or a finger.  Not a good idea, I know.  Some people can't help but not drive off after that and will escalate. 
The dumb one was once tossing the contents of a full soda out the window while being tailgated.  Completely smothering the offenders window.
A woman.  She lost her *expletive deleted*it and did the pass and squat for a few miles. 

What I don't get is the green light honk rage. It's green.  You're looking at your phone.  I can see you looking at your phone.  You get a horn tap, and flip out?
I wave if I miss the light changing and get the beep.  And my first reaction to a beep is to....LOOK AT THE LIGHT AND SEE IF IT CHANGED. Not flip the person off behind me.

[brimic]

What I don't get is the green light honk rage. It's green.  You're looking at your phone.  I can see you looking at your phone.  You get a horn tap, and flip out?
I wave if I miss the light changing and get the beep.  And my first reaction to a beep is to....LOOK AT THE LIGHT AND SEE IF IT CHANGED. Not flip the person off behind me.

I don't get the tension at the traffic light either. Taking an extra second or two to get through a light isn't going to cause the world to end. Even moreso with the local uninsured ghetto trash who think red lights entitle them to a 3 second grace period for speeding through an intersection at 3x the speed limit.
Last year I was in a right turn only lane at a red light. The cross traffic allowed a few gaps where I could have sped around the corner and got in, but I passed those up. The guy behind me started honking incessantly and I could hear profanities being yelled at me. What did I do? I put the car in park and waited for a green light, then shifted it back into drive and casually took the right turn. The guy pulled up next to me screaming out his window. His aneurism, not mine.