I just saw a segment on the news about road rage. Said that most drivers have been guilty of it.

Have you? Were you a victim of an incident?

I'll tell later about incidents in which I and my son (separate occasions) were approached by furious drivers, who had no cause to leave their vehicles. One danged nearly hit my son's vehicle. Weapons were involved, but thank God, not used.

Yes, I have experienced road rage. Not proud of it but I admit I have experienced it.

I once flipped off a family of four after I saw them driving a car displaying a Cleveland Browns bumper sticker and flag.

I'm not proud of my actions, but I'm confident my rage was justified.

we see crazies and nascar wanna b's everyday on the road.....back off and give em a WIDE berth.....

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There's nowt so queer as folk

Same here. Thankfully, those moments are fewer and fewer.

I've figured out how to help myself through it, both for my sake and the sake of the other drivers. I look for bad drivers, I keep my distance if possible, and always let them go first.

I taught behind-the-wheel driver ed. at our high school for a year. I learned two things: 1. I don't have what it takes to let 15 year-olds drive me around! and 2. It taught me to be a better driver.

No, I wasn't a victim. And I'm not going to be.

I had a fool scream at me last month, he then turned around and began to pursue me. My passenger dialled 911 and passed the phone to me. I informed that I had a road rage situation, gave a discription of my and the ragers vehicle. "We're on our way" was the PD response, and in less than three minutes (!) a unit was behind the offender, and I went on my way.
His wife or girlfriend was with him, so I'm sure he paid a very high price for his moment of testosterone.

I have to add, his day turned out a lot better for him than it might have....

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Halfway and one more step

Yes, some idiot in a pickup decided he could extend his manhood by blocking the fast (left) lane of I-5 straddling a very slow moving truck in the right lane south of Stockton. There was a long line backed up behind me I hit the lights and he slowed down even more. After the lanes opened up to three (and he could no longer block the road) I tried to pass he intentionally ran me off the road into the center divider. He kept zig zgging in front of me and slowed to about two miles an hour on the freeway. I lost him by taking an exit and driving many miles out of my way. People in California do things like that because they know law abiding citizens are unarmed and cant do anything. If I had been driving a rental car I would have spun him with a PIT maneuver and left him upside down. "Gee officer, I was driving along in the left lane and he swerved into my lane......" But I didn't see it worth ruining my car over.

Amen. Yea I saw the segment on the news tonight too. Just like so many things these days the impression is the instances of it or anything bad is going up according to the commentary.

I think the advent of cell phones for calling the police from the road started the increase, not in instances but rather in reporting. And now the news media gets video and they love video. There are more drivers out there these days so the likelihood has gone up but all of those video clips are going to make you think it is much more prevalent than it really is.

But I could be wrong...

Not since I've been carrying. But I'm in the Burgh. We let each other go. I get mad when I wave a guy on, and he waves me on. There we are going nowhere. That story said men are in 3x more incidents than women. ONLY 3X?

It's becoming more frequent around here and in most other places that I drive in, it seems. When carrying it's good to remember that we give up our right to be azzhats in those situations. Later, in order to relax my blood pressure, I find it good to remember that famous quote about "...forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". It helps. -S2

A friend and I watched a reckless driver almost t bone 2 cars and then
nearly nail 2 teens on a cross walk.
He became aware of us watching, swung around along side us and produced a crowbar. We took off and he got behind us.
We turned to avoid being followed home only to have him follow.
We stopped, watched,as he looked as though he was going to get out
when he realized our phones and a weapon were ready.
It ended there except for his Police questioning and being straightened
out about his reckless driving and his threatening actions.
The Police were great!
Jim

Guilty as charged back in the day. As I've gotten older, especially since I started carrying, my fuse has gotten extremely long. Rarely use the horn any more.

One time back in the day..scenario..wife and kids and I had been to Ocean City Md..6 young'un in a convertible bumped us at a light..not hard..I let it go..happened again.so I got out held up traffic and checked the car... no damage...but they gave me a ration of Crapo... and pulled around me and left...15-20 mins there they were again... and did the same... so I got out went back to the car and shut the car off..ripped out the keys and threw 'em in the marsh..turned around and there was a BIG black guy standing behind me..he said I thought ya might need some help... I thanked him shook hands and left. Yeah it was a stupid thing to do and was glad for the help. Called the police from a ways down the road and reported what I had done... They had multiple reports on the jerks and said thanks..They had found 'em on the side of the road... and for me to have a good day. Even then I kinda realized I had been very lucky

I can internal road rage on a regular basis, but I've finally learned to keep to myself. I've only been the Victim of road rage once. Traveling at 3 MPH ABOVE posted speed limit, in slow lane, some fool kept tailgating me. I slowed down and waved him around me several times, but the fool would not pass me. I finally slowed way down, as he passed honked horn and signaled he thought I was number 1. Chump.

I enjoy elevating the blood pressure of morons through the simple act of driving the posted speed limit. I do it all the time.

Another great way to anger these fools is to signal well ahead and slow down before turning from a main road onto a side road with a slower speed limit. Apparently these days you're supposed to turn from a 35mph road onto a 25mph road without braking at all. When did they change that rule?

One time almost 40 years ago I was in a "parallel parking" spot. A guy left a spot for me to merge into traffic so I went. Guy goes nuts, honking and gesturing. I turn off into a neighborhood, guy follows. Goes on until I get out on Rt 46. I stop for a red light and the guy runs up, pounds on my driver' window then jumps on the hood of my big Buick "lead sled." Light goes green and I punch it, get up to about 35mph and lock up the brakes. Guy takes off like an F18 off a carrier deck. Didn't stop to see what happened and went about my day. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

You can't drive in Detroit without experiencing it both ways.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Too many instances to recall over the years. My policy is to try to get away from them if possible. My car goes 0 to 60 in 6 seconds, has decent tires and brakes. All, IMO important.

Another guilty , and was very disappointed in myself. I was taking the family to a beach (wife and 7 kids) in Wisconsin and it was 90 degrees out and our van had no A/C . I was fine until we arrived at the beach which was gated and I pull in and 1 car is in front of me checking in or trying to get in and a car pulls up behind me and hadn't even stopped rolling yet and hit his horn , I ignored it , then about 5 seconds later does it again , I ignored it , after doing this about 10 times he lays on the horn so I get out and said there is a car in front of me I can't move , he flipped me off , well , I walked up to his drivers side window and he couldn't roll it up fast enough , I just lost it and started punching the window until he put the trans in "R" and beat cheeks out of there. I was so ashamed to see the horror on my family's face , I've calmed down a lot since then.

A few years ago, I was filling the car when a guy pulled off a busy street, parked near me and approched me screaming i'd cut his girlfrend off.

They weren't in the same car so girlfriend was talking to boyfriend via cell. Boyfriend hadn't seen what gf described, so was guessing about the offender.

I told bf that I had no idea what he was talking about.

He left.

I don't know whether he figured out I had a M38 in my pocket.

I never took my hand out of my pocket.

I've been guilty in the past with letting another driver upset me, other than a horn blast or such never acted on it though. These days it seems that a lot of people are "wound tight" and do not (unless it would get to a dangerous level) respond any more. Perhaps I'm a bit wiser in my older age.

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Stay safe people!

I drive around all night with my employer's phone number on my car. You'd be amazed how much that mellows you out. When I'm not at work I don't get in my car unless I have to

I posted these in another thread but they apply here as well

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Retired Career Security Guard

Have been on both sides, but I'm much better about moderating my side...FL traffic will eventually wear the edges off. Worst experience was in San Antonio, coming home from Sea World after closing. Was chased by some idiot in a pickup for 10-15 miles; tailgating me, flashing high beams, honking...all the usual behavior. Thankfully, it was dry, no traffic to speak of, and I was foolishly confident of my ability to outrun him at speed well north of the limit, which I did. As luck would have it, the idiot in question followed me into Universal City, all the way to the PD parking lot, where things came to an end in short order. I parked, and the moron decided not to stick around. That, and the two PD cruisers in the lot probably discouraged him a bit...

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50 Years of DSOTM

I have a relative by marriage who is learning the hard way right now. It is still in the courts, so I won't go into great detail. He has a history of getting extremely angry with other drivers, and got into some "speed up, slow down" nonsense with another driver on a two lane highway. The allegation is that he displayed a handgun as the other driver finally passed him.

A few miles later the fun began. Red and blue lights in the mirror. Handcuffs. Gun recovered in search incident to arrest. Jail. Bail. Lawyers fees. Trial looming. He's a retiree well into his "golden years".

I don't engage with other drivers. I let silly stuff go. I'm saving my good guy green stamps for a situation I couldn't avoid.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I've found the presence of a small S&W revolver in my pocket has made me a more kind and gentle traveler on the highway. I never yell, gesture, or otherwise initiate a potential confrontation, although I do sometimes quietly talk to myself about another driver's abilities or the lack thereof.

A good and female friend of mine had a bad incident when she was in houston. Some sack of feces cut HER off-then followed her to a red light. She briefly looked at this gangbanger-wannabe PUNK. He looked at her, pulled a gun and aimed-then zipped through the red light. Because of that incident-is nwhy she doesnt care for guns. Ive told her time and again--dont blkame the gun, just the punk behind it. I MAY have started to get her to come around to our line of thought. Maria mentioned something about looking into maybe buying a gun and will let me know if or when she decides so.

Ive had my run-ins with these type punks too. Needless to say, when they are confronted with possible bodily injury on their part-they run like roaches. It seems when the outside temps get hotter-so do tempers.

Geeze you guys are something else and it ain't a good something.
Maybe is was from years of racing and seeing friends injured and killed that makes me drive gently. Things are hairy enough when we are all going the same direction as fast as possible.

Do they still ticket you if you run studded tires past May?

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

See it a lot in my neck of the woods. Lots of 2 lane highways around here. Funny how pissed they get when you drive the speed limit. No slow lane so how can I get out of the way? Seems tailgating is their drug of choice.

I have done things I am not proud of. None of them escalated to actual conflict. The last one was at a McD drive thru line. One of the double ones, where you form one line until the lanes split to two order boxes. Big, young no neck, comes around the line and pulls in line to the outside box, breaking in front of me and 2 other cars. When the car in front of him pulls up, he is messing with his phone or something and leaves a gap, a gap that my little Ranger can fit into. I pull right in front of him. He then pulls along side of me, and rolls his window down. He asks, "What the **** do you think you're doing?" I tell him that I don't think much of rectums breaking in line in front of me. He asks me to get out of my truck. I tell him I'd prefer that he come over here and try to drag me out of it. I also bluntly tell him that I will ruin the day for him and all his family. He just looked highly ticked and didn't know what he wanted to try to do. He was smart, he left. I should have just told him that since he broke in line in front of me, I was just doing the same. That's what I get for going to a place like McDs.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

My wife has a cc permit. So do I. She dropped our son off at high school. As she was leaving the parking lot a man was speeding down the street. She did not realize how fast he was going. She accidentally pulled out in front of him. He started tail gating her. I mean like 2 feet behind her. She stopped her car. He got out of his car and started toward her. She took off. He got back in and chased her. This continued for about 2 miles. He came to a passing zone and passed her. Then tried to force her to stop. She showed him her gun through the windsheild still in its holster. Her decided he wasn't as interested as he had been and took off.

There've been a few years during my life when I put in anywhere from 60 to 100 thousand + miles on the road. I learned early on that you've just got to learn how to let things go. It, also, helped me to realize that emotional rage is always self-destructive; and anyone who gives in to it is invariably courting some sort of serious personal disaster.

My only regret? I'm sorry that I wasn't there when an, 'inevitable event' finally caught up with each of the people I had a problem with; but, then again, I should probably thank: fate, fortune, and destiny for, 'small favors' because, every now and then, I was!

Just last Saturday I went out to buy the paper and was getting back in the Jeep when a toothless fellow in a pickup truck drove over the curb adjacent to me. He was NOT coming in the direction from which I had traveled. Was wondering what was happening in his world when he jumped out and approached me as I was by then in the driver's seat. He inquired 'don't you know what yield means?' I said I surely do at which time he said 'you don't' and then said I had failed to yield to him about a mile
before at a no stop (either way) intersection.

He noted the road I had, indeed, traveled so I said 'I'm sorry if I did' whilst thinking NO I did not as I travel that road daily and am well aware of the traffic pattern. He persisted and was starting to irritate me but I repeated my 'sorries.' He finally walked away; I drove away. Note: Dude was not at all intimidating nor a perceived threat.

In retrospect I do believe, however, he was trying to provoke a fight as he simply could not have been a 'victim' given the direction from which he was traveling and he had not followed me.

Perhaps he was trying to pick a fight; dunno, don't care.

Peace, out.

I was stopped at a red light when an imbecile on a motorcycle drove by the drivers side of my Toyota and started screaming vile obscenities at me. I had my kids, then about nine and 12, in the car and didn't like them hearing that.

I thought he was about to break my window, and opened a lockblade folding knife. Thankfully, the light changed and he took off.

A couple of months later, I was leaving a grocery store at an intersection where this hyped up jerk (almost sure it was him) ran the red light and was t-boned by a car. He went up in the air about 20 feet and came down dead. Good riddance. Very spectacular to see.

I think he must have used drugs.

Second incident:

I was almost hit by a car on a curve in a road where a sign was unclear about a narrowing of the road. The light ahead changed to red and the driver of the other car ran back to me and started ranting. I had opened my knife when I saw him get out and placed a sweater over my right hand, holding the knife. This was before my state allowed concealed carry.

I listened to him, probably looking at him as if he was nuts. After awhile, I think he realized that I was holding a weapon and that he was better off leaving. He did, and I breathed easier.

One of our motorcycle officers was on the freeway when a lady drove up beside him yelling and pointing at him and then to her speedometer. He then pulled her over and wrote her a ticket for speeding. (didn't go over well with the brass).
One time my patrol partner (note "patrol" partner) and I had just left the PD when some idiot pulls along side honking and pointing at us. As we suddenly slow to let him get in front of us in case we have to tune him up a bit, we hear things rolling on roof of the car. Seems we had left a walkie-talkie, night stick, and notebook on top.

I will add to the road rage but with a difference. gas pump hogs that stand there texting after he got done filling up his gas tank. The gas station only has two pumps so I honked the horn to get his attention, when he looked I waved for him to move on.
No luck, mister got all day took a couple of minutes to finish his business while I smoldered. After he left I paid for my gas and told the worker she needs to add a 911 button at the pump. She asked why, I said that these yahoo's keep blocking the pumps and soon someone is gonna have a gunfight at pump two!!

I admit I've flipped off a few people that have cut me off. Never escalated into anything. I think they usually realize what they just did and eat crow. Never in a company vehicle, though...I need my job too much.
One time when I was in my company van, I pulled out to fall behind a line of cars that were doing around 35 mph. There was a yahoo who was about a block behind this line of cars and he must have been doing about 70. Came up on me really fast, zoomed around me and almost hit an oncoming car before cutting back in front of me. About a half a mile later, it goes from 2 lane to 4 lane, but still 35 mph zone. He hops in the left lane and floors it, getting back up to 70 or so before getting to a little bridge that spans a canal. He practically got airborne over it and waiting on the other side of the bridge was a county deputy taking radar. Talk about Karma...I laughed my butt off!

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

Only once really, that I can count. For years I carried a key ring on a brass Kubaton. I stopped for a red light on the way home and this guy hit his brakes behind me. No where to go so I just sat there as he walked up to the truck- my window was down. When he grabbed the door he got a good swing of the Kubaton across his left hand. He never said a word and went back to his car. I am quite sure his next stop was the local hospital to set a few broken bones in his hand. Just the way it was.

DO I GET ROAD RAGE ??
Not a chance, I shop at Wal-mart

The worst case was when I was young, I was making a left hand turn with the signal on, bright red jacket, bright ret helmut, A guy locked up his brakes behind me and started sliding, without thought I revved it to the best acceleration RPN and redlined it in 1st, hearing him sliding behind me. I pulled over, knees were like water, he pulled in behind me, I thought to say sorry, I walked towards his car, an old man I knew, he then pulled out and stopped in front of me. I walked up to him and he spun gravel leaving. The water in the knees turned to fire in the brain.

I jumped on the bike and took after him. He had 2 middle aged guys in the car, one was the older brother of a guy I grew up with.

He flew up the raod and around corners and came to a screeching halt in front of a highway patrolmans house. I've had 2 tickets, he gave m both when I was in the learning mode. He also was my Dad's friend and reloading buddy.

I went to the drivers window and started chewing him out, the patrolman came out heard what was going on and went back into his abode.

My friends brother said buddy you can get as mad as you want, but if I had not screamed stop to him you would now be dead. I left.

A few days later a guy was yakking to his buddies and almost smacked me as he merged into my lane. Heavy traffic, I had to ride the yello line. I slapped his window with the palm of my hand, hard, I wanted it to break so I could pull him out.

2 days later I traded it for a Jeep. Been pretty calm ever since.

I have had my occasions, but, never let it get going. I have gotten pretty laid back and around here everyone is polite and in no big hurry.

A long time ago when working highway construction and was driving the limit through the work zone and a guy got on my rear and started honking, so I slowed down. He laid on the horn. I stopped, got out of the truck and went back and asked what the problem was. I think the 6'3" 260# guy walking up to his door must have fixed the problem because he quietly said "nothing"

My funniest construction road rage story.
We were repairing concrete interstate and had one lane blocked off with traffic cones. Traffic was going slow and after this guy went past us he pulled over through the cones into the construction lane and took off like a rocket. When he hit the spot a couple hundred yards up the road where we had removed the complete 8" deep slab it was really funny. Completely tore the bottom out from under his car and he came to a pretty abrupt halt setting in a totally trashed car. We were all laughing hard and he got no mercy from the HP that was keeping an eye on the job.

Oh Yes back in my younger, foolhardy days i have given
the one finger salute or a horn, or a loud shout.

But that was long ago. Not today folks !!
Not wise and no good can come out of it.

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

I would have paid good money to see that one!

Some moons ago, when I was a younger man, I had "the ragings of the roads" as it were.

But alas, I eventually realized that there are some people out there that jut can't drive worth a whoop and a holler. They just are REALLY bad at it, and no use in getting all mad about it none! I just keep my distance or pass 'em now.

Living in New York City, not only do we have road rage, we have parking rage. People come to blows with each other over this stuff. I got into a good one trying to stop somebody from knocking over a motorcycle. I thought the driverdidn't see the bike, when in reality he just didn't care and was using his SUV as a bulldozer. When I yelled at him to stop backing up he asked if it was my bike and then jumped out of the car and started screaming at me to mind my own business. Then he started shoving. I'm walking my two pitbulls on short leads and they are both being absolutely worthless, wagging their tails, and thinking Daddy just made a new friend. In reality, holding a leash in each hand I realize I can't even raise my own hands to protect myself if I had to...so...I did what your supposed to do...I walked away. I got to my door and looked down the block and he was backing into the motorcycle again. I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm a motorcyclist and I just got enraged at him for giving himself permission to knock over this bike. I hung the dog's leashes on the fence in front of our house and walked back to try and stop him. Again, he jumps out of the car and is up in my face. This time I notice that he is holding something in his hand inside his jacket pocket that he is not showing. It seems he has his hand wrapped around a little bit of false courage.

I trained in a variety of martial arts for 16 years and taught women's and children's self defense seminars. He just had no idea. Once again, I did the right thing and tried to walk away only this time I backpedaled to his advance, which I believe he mistook as retreat. We ended up back in front of my door with him screaming and yelling. Somehow we disengage, he runs back towards his SUV and I turn my attention to the dog's to try and get them inside. And out of the corner of my eye, what do I see? He's backing into the bike again. Now I tell him if he's going to go ahead and back over that bike I'm taking a picture of him and his license plate and I'm going to make damn sure that the owner of the bike gets it. He goes ballistic jumps back out of the car and bum rushes me. I backpedal and we end up back in front of my door. The precident has already been set so that he expects me to disengage right around this point again and just before we break he throws a sucker punch. It wasn't a very good one, but it was a punch nonetheless, all along I was half expecting to get pepper sprayed and not hit. Now it's on. I remember a very quick flurry and a palm strike under his chin that leaves him staggering back, he trips backward over a crack in the sidewalk, and hits his head on the concrete with a sickening sound. Now he's laying there flailing around on his back waving his arms in the air and I see in his hand that he wasn't holding pepper spray. It's a cheezy Tijuana switchblade and his thumb is on the button. I know I can't let him get up with that knife in his hand. I dropped a knee onto his stomach and went to work on his fingers to disarm him. Step by step I announced what I was doing to the crowd that had gathered around us and showed the knife so that when the police finally arrived (only minutes away when seconds matter) all the witnesses told pretty much the same story and it completely aligned with mine including the fact that I had tried to walk away three times but the clown keep following me back to my door escalating and instigating. He got arrested for menacing, assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of the switchblade which they take very seriously in New York City. Turns out the guy lives in the building across the street. Even his own doorman ratted him out. The hipster who owned the bike snuck away after the police arrived.

My son was almost hit by a creep who tried to cut in front and run him off the road. He had to stop on the entry ramp.

The other driver was a person of another ethnicity that I guess I can't mention here, but that alone would set the stage for many to react negatively toward him. And he had a pistol in his hand!

My son initially thought this was an armed robbery attempt. He drew a Colt .45 auto and ordered the man to drop the gun. He was a half second from shooting, but a small voice said to try not to. He has shot many men, and developed a sense of when it's needed. He is also a literal genius, based on tests. He's supposedly right on Brooke Shields's results/IQ. Maybe that helps. I think it's a cross between high intelligence, a quick mind, and a lot of experience and street smarts.

The guy dropped his gun and the son called police. A DPS officer or sheriff's deputy (I forgot which) responded and established that this was a road rage case, not an armed robbery. The officer told off the other guy pretty plainly, noting that it was a miracle that he wasn't dead. I don't think he was arrested, and he did have a CC permit, or was legal to carry in the car without license, under current Texas law.

The incident ended with no shots fired, but I bet that turkey learned that it may not be the height of wisdom to mess with a car that has a Combat Infantryman decal on the back window...especially in a state where guns in cars are rather common.

I asked my son why he didn't shoot. He said it just didn't feel quite right, although certainly legal. And he was just tired of killing, after three combat tours in Iraq.

That other driver was VERY lucky. I've seen my heir shoot, and he has the will to kill, demonstrated many times in battle. I'm glad that he has also developed that sense of when not to kill, even where a court would say it was warranted.

BTW, the son has shot pistols for years. He was coached in using a .45 auto by Jo Anne Hall when he wasn't even yet in jr. high school. Some of you may have read my article about Jo Anne in the Colt Handgunning Annual when she was world champion ladies IPSC shooter. She was also a good coach.

Anyway, I'm glad that this ended as well as it did. My son never saw the man until he was run off the road by him. Certainly didn't do anything to upset him. I think the jerk was just looking to scare someone with a pistol and maybe express some racial rage. I hope he learned a vital lesson.

Never done anything really stupid, but have expressed displeasure at others a few times.

One night in 1975 on a deserted stretch of highway a moron in a pick up truck forced me off the road and jumped out waving a tire iron as he cursed at me. Apparently I was driving too slowly in his way. He never saw the M29 I was holding behind my leg as I stood next to my car. He advanced three steps towards me and then returned to his truck and drove off. I had decided that if he took four I would shoot him. He never knew how close he came.

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No life story has happy end.

I learned how to drive on the Katy Freeway in Houston. I think, like parallel parking, road rage was part of our DPS driving exam!!!

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Get off my lawn!

I will admit to having it and receiving it. In all justification, much was just before I was diagnosed as diabetic (erratic due to high blood sugar=often a symptom indicating diabetes).

I will also admit two things really get my goat==motor homes/trailers and truckers, especially when they back up traffic. Just got back from Alaska and one motor home had a COUNTED 25 cars backed up. The Sterling Highway has slow vehicle turnouts every couple of miles but this idiot wouldn't use it. We got behind another idiot who wouldn't pull out (and sped up at the passing lanes!) for at least 20 miles. Kept doing 50-55 mph in a 65 zone!

Gotta go=my BP is rising!