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I guess the failed ones drive the dust-carts around here. ;>)
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I now content myself with a good swear under my breath, but I never get involved anymore. Too many nutters out there and even the biggest howler from other drivers is met with a smile and a "No harm done" shrug of the shoulders.
It wasn't always like that, I can remember screaming a few prayers at a taxi driver who turned right across the path of my motorcycle on a busy high street many years ago. I loudly drew everyone's attention to his receeding hairline in a frank and candid manner, and enquired as to the marital status of his parents in similar terms.
I now look back on that with embarrassment, we all make mistakes.
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People generally become calmer as they age, although some are driven to insanity by the tedium of the ageing process itself.
I have always suffered from easily-awakened road rage, but I try to keep it to myself. Not always successfully of course, as my poor wife sometimes reminds me. But at least it stays in the car, give or take the odd hyaena-like sardonic grin, ambiguous enough to pass more or less unnoticed.
Instances of poor or obstructive or aggressive or downright idiotic driving are very commonplace after all. The thing to do with bad drivers is to give them a wide berth and leave them far behind. On the rare occasions when they are themselves going rapidly, the thing to do is let them go (as HJ did in Thailand). The thing not to do is to get entangled in any sort of tit-for-tat road manoeuvres or gesticulating or bawling contests. They are undignified or even risky and can lead to trouble.
It is difficult for a young, careful, competent but inexperienced driver to resist the temptation to show at least a finger out of the window when another driver has revealed him or herself to be a PFD, but I always advise strongly against it. Leave the rude signs to the traffic police. It's their job even though there aren't nearly enough of them to do it.
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I've posted this before, but it's worth bearing in mind that road rage isn't restricted to drivers. There are plenty of very aggressive pedestrians and cyclists. I once saw an irate large pedestrian punch the driver of a scruffy white Transit pickup through the open o/s window, laying him out (I have no idea why). This occurred at the junction of Hampstead Road and Marylebone/Euston Road above the underpass, in the middle of a weekday.
It's a jungle out there.
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SWMBO once had a go at me on the M4 because I didn't toot my horn at some idiot in a Golf that had come up the inside and pulled sharply in front of me as I was about to overtake a lorry. I just thought that it looked like he was used to doing that sort of thing, and any sign of annoyance from me would probably give him a feeling of satisfaction - depriving him of that was probably my best option.
Cycling to the station a few months ago I stopped at a junction behind another cyclist in all the gear, including shoes that clip on to the peddles. There were metal railings at the side of the road to encourage pedestrians to use the designated crossing points, and he held onto the railings to save having to unclip his shoes.
However, a 'yoof' decided to walk along the kerb between the ralings and the road. When he got to the cyclist, whose arm was blocking his way, the cyclist didn't want to let go of the railings, perhaps objecting to the yoof not using the pavement proper. Justifiably the yoof didn't want to walk into the road to go round the cyclist, and perhaps objected to having his way blocked.
Heated words were exchanged, the yoof managed to barge his way through, and as a parting shot threw a drinks bottle at the cyclist who couldn't really respond. The cyclist ended up obviously very worked up, and I just thought - really, it's not worth it.
In fact it got worse for the cyclist - further down the road he shot past a slower bike, then stopped for a red light at a pedestrian crossing. But of course the slower bike just kept going and sailed past him. When Mr lycra eventually caught up, more words were exchanged, although I think it was mostly one way - slow cyclist just wondered what all the fuss was about.
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I have to admit that it is something I am going to have to work at. I do get annoyed with the idiots (or people that I THINK are idiots!) but then I probably end up being an idiot myself. Two examples.
Low speed bit of dual carriageway in town. Car in offside line in a free flow situation driving very slowly. I overtake on the inside. In doing so I notice that are gesticulating / shouting / having a joke (I think) through the passenger window with somebody on the footpath. They speed up as I undertake and I cut them up a bit when pulling back into outside lane. It becomes apparent that they are following me. i.e I indicate right, so do they, but I didn't turn right I went straight on, so did they. Red mist descending by now!! Instead of going home - didn't want them to see where I lived - I went past my house and turned right and right again into a quite street. I pulled over, they parked behind me, I got out and started to walk back to the car, to my relief (I admit) they drove off with a very frightened look on their face and the tables were turned, I followed them up the road, but only for a couple of hundred yards and at the first opportunity I went a different way to them, even though it was not the way I wanted to go. The trouble with this situation was that in my opinion it could have happened to many people. Facing with the situation back on the dual carriageway I bet many would have undertook and subsequently been followed in what was a very threatening manner by this person.
The other situation was somebody again driving at 25mph in a 40mph limit. Yes, so I got close, they got slower and slower, so I overtook, which clearly pink fluffy dice them off and at the next lights there was a bit of a shouting match through open windows. For goodness sake - what did they expect!!
Both happened last summer and I really am making an effort and nothing since, but in the above who is the idiot really. Me I think, though there is some mitigation ..... isn't there???
All the best.
FTF
Edited by Webmaster on 18/05/2009 at 02:02
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I've only ever once got out of my car and that was to prevent someone having a go at another. Was fun watching them run back to their car once they realized they weren't jsut dealing with a single woman in the car in front of me.
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I was crawling along a road in London many years ago, looking for a street number.
Guy behind got very irate, so did I, and slammed the anchors on.
He stopped, but too close to the rear of my car to pull round, so out I get, yank open his driver's door and tear him off a strip.
I can remember a by now very frightened man saying "Yes mate", or "No mate", every time I paused for breath.
I soon ran out of steam, thanked him, shut (not slammed) his driver's door, got back into my car and drove off.
That was about 25-years-ago in Grove Green Road, Leytonstone, and was the last time I got really annoyed in a car.
Try to keep calm nowadays, although it takes a conscious effort in some situations.
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In all fairness were you showing due considerstion for the vehicle behind you?
Did you for instance pull in to tne side and signal him past?
If it was a busy road shouldnt you have parked up and conducted your search on foot?
I was crawling along a road in London many years ago looking for a street
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Farmer Boy,
I possibly was not showing due consideration, which is why the post is neutral.
Can't remember if I indicated for him to go past, but both of us were probably at fault.
Having said that, two-way street, cars parked everywhere, how is one supposed to look for a house number?
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