While idiotic behavior's been on the rise lately, there's always been something about cars that turn normally rational people into fire breathing, territorial jerks. If you carry, everything changes. Hard as it is, you've got to let it go. I believe the wheel comes around. Knuckleheads like this get what's coming to them at some point, either from the police, or from someone who's a bigger jerk than they are. In the meantime, if I were you Smoke, I'd take a different route to work if at all possible.
I Do Not Understand This Mindset
- Thread starter Smoke
- Start date
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
Have no fear, I haven't ridden with her in at least three years and won't anymore, but I know she still does it. I have no idea why--she is easily the most intelligent person I know.
(For those who don't read back more than a few posts on the thread, she steadfastly drives below the speed limit in the fast lane on interstate highways. If people get upset about it, she shrugs and says it's their problem.)
Ivan the Butcher
Member
What goes around,comes around. You bet! A lady was doing 10-20 MPH on a country road about 5 miles from my house. when it was safe to pass I started to, she sped up to about 80 and laughed. I had to let it go. I had forgot about the incident, when 2 weeks later, at a intersection by work, there she was, her little blue car smashed into the side of a transit bus... that she passed while the bus was turning left. The police officer that did the paper work did security for our company, I ask him if she was at fault. Yes was the first answer, Then his face got red as he said, after the accident she assaulted thee bus driver and spit at him. She took a trip to the lock up. I felt so much better. Ivan
Speaking of good timing, I was on my way into work this morning (in the car) driving on the inside lane doing about 5MPH over the limit and coming up to a left turn lane.
The guy behind me passes me on the right and then whips back across both lanes to get into the turn lane and turn left at the light. To be clear he could have just as easily merged left into the turn lane and turn but he apparently wanted to send me a message.
I pulled up right next to him at the light and he sat there glaring at me until the light turned green.
Still not sure what I did
The guy behind me passes me on the right and then whips back across both lanes to get into the turn lane and turn left at the light. To be clear he could have just as easily merged left into the turn lane and turn but he apparently wanted to send me a message.
I pulled up right next to him at the light and he sat there glaring at me until the light turned green.
Still not sure what I did
Had one on a dirt road a while back so determined not to let me pass that on my 2nd attempt he tried to force me off the road...I figure his life must be pathetic.
Rick_A
Member
Try riding a motorcycle. As Rodney Dangerfield would say, "no respect."
The wife has followed me around at times and gets pretty shocked at the lack of care/concern motorists have for bikes. I used to get bent out of shape when I first started riding over a decade ago. Now I just get past and keep on. I'm over it in all of the couple seconds it takes to get some safe distance from the offender.
The wife has followed me around at times and gets pretty shocked at the lack of care/concern motorists have for bikes. I used to get bent out of shape when I first started riding over a decade ago. Now I just get past and keep on. I'm over it in all of the couple seconds it takes to get some safe distance from the offender.
She may be intelligent but the saying applies: stupid is as stupid does. Hope nothing really bad happens to her, but getting a ticket would be good for her.
Rick_A
Member
My favorite crazy person was a lady that blatantly cuts me off and nearly runs me over making a turn into my left turn lane from the non-turning lane. Just letting off some steam I wheelie past her with my finger extended. She goes from acting oblivious to my existence to behaving like a deranged caged rabid animal. She became all teeth and snarls...waiving her head around wildly while screaming "I'm gonna kill you!"
I couldn't help but laugh. Wrong thing to do all around, but I still find it amusing. To this day the thought of her crazed bobblehead makes me chuckle.
Less funny was a guy in a 5.0 Stang that wouldn't let me pass and threatened to run me over while I had a seven year old kid on the back. That guy had some major problems. You gotta wonder how some people make it through life.
I couldn't help but laugh. Wrong thing to do all around, but I still find it amusing. To this day the thought of her crazed bobblehead makes me chuckle.
Less funny was a guy in a 5.0 Stang that wouldn't let me pass and threatened to run me over while I had a seven year old kid on the back. That guy had some major problems. You gotta wonder how some people make it through life.
Try riding a mountain bike
tlay
US Veteran
We all as concealed gun carriers have to remember that if we allow ourselves to be bullied into a fight that we are bringing a gun to it. This is why Zimmerman was charged in the first place and ended up spending his money to defend it. Don't let someone push your buttons and back you into a corner. Be man or woman enough to walk away.
If you cannot control your temper, don't carry. If you like to drink at a bar, don't carry. If for any reason you feel that walking away from a confrontation will make you look like a lesser man, don't carry.
I had one of our forum members call me a name because I recommended the same thing I told here. Let the name calling start. After all it is just words. But if I felt that my life or my families life was in jeopardy that is a different story.
If you cannot control your temper, don't carry. If you like to drink at a bar, don't carry. If for any reason you feel that walking away from a confrontation will make you look like a lesser man, don't carry.
I had one of our forum members call me a name because I recommended the same thing I told here. Let the name calling start. After all it is just words. But if I felt that my life or my families life was in jeopardy that is a different story.
Rick_A
Member
Don't I know it...
Heck, even walking. Sometimes it feels as if I wasn't standing in front of my son he'd get run over.
Lobster Picnic
Member
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I got the same reaction in a convertible. We got a little Miata for city driving in good weather, but sold it after the strange reactions and attacks we would get. There especially seemed to be a problem with large American pickup trucks. Almost invariably at red lights, the occupants of the trucks would hurl insults, fast food garbage, lit cigarettes, large cups of Coke, etc.
My wife had several incidents while driving our grandson in the Miata, foul language, things thrown, and a kind of pure hatred we could not understand. This was no status symbol of a car - we paid $6k for it. Why did the people sitting in a $40k truck hate us?
tacreload
Member
An already shallow gene pool suffering from a severe drought.
That's why some people carry stem tools and stem all four after they go in, not that that's the right thing to do, but it's an effective lesson.
speedyquad
Member
i'd telling a fib if i said that never crossed my mind...
EugeneNine
Member
There are a bunch of Subaru drivers in WV. They stick a wing on the trunk and call it a race car then cut in front of you then go up a mountain with their little engine red-lined at 10mph below the speed limit.
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
Some of these storys reminds about this guy that smashed up his car on the way to work. After getting treated at the hospital he limped in to work only to find he had been fired. Then he took a taxi home and found a note on the table that his wife ran off with someone. There was a church across the road that he had never bothered going to. He was at the end of his rope. He crawled across the road, into the church, crawled to the alter and poured his heart out. Why lord? Why does everyone hate me? Things got dark. There was thunder and lighting. Then he heard this roaring voice. I dont know just what it is about you, but there is just something about you that I dont like!
finesse_r
Member
I find it always helps to remember the bell cure. Using a standard deviation of 15 points.
The average IQ in the USA is 100.
68 percent of all people will have an IQ between 85 and 115, which means 34 percent will have IQ's of from 85 to 100. An additional 14 percent will have an IQ of between 70 and 85. Hopefully those with an IQ lower than 70 are not driving in any significant numbers.
Based on this you have a lot of truly unintelligent people who are driving. Add to this those with an IQ above 100 who are just mean, angry, bad drivers, or crazy.
Add to this that people tend to feel safe when in their vehicle. This psychological feeling of safety encourages people to act more aggressively than they would in other situations.
Once you begin to understand how many stupid, how many crazy, how many crazy and stupid, and how many bad drivers there are on the highway, the amazing thing is how few such incidents we encounter.
Other factors that add to this problem are high density population and heavy traffic will add to people's bad temper and acting out. Also as we become more and more diversified in population, we get many people who did not learn to drive until they were older adults or who learned to drive in a different culture.
Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for 2 or 3 hours especially in Texas summer heat, while your car begins to over heat can make the best of us a little angry and short of temper. What would have been a 10 or 15 minute problem in the 1950's and 1960's can easily be a 2 or 3 hour problem today.
I avoid larger cities today because of high crime but even more because of the heavy traffic and congestion. As our population continues to expand, our infrastructure will become more and more over loaded, and so will out water resources and our electrical systems. Crime will spiral as will incidents of rage in vehicles.
This will only get worse, especially for those in larger cities. But it is spreading as more and more people flee the big cities for the countryside.
The average IQ in the USA is 100.
68 percent of all people will have an IQ between 85 and 115, which means 34 percent will have IQ's of from 85 to 100. An additional 14 percent will have an IQ of between 70 and 85. Hopefully those with an IQ lower than 70 are not driving in any significant numbers.
Based on this you have a lot of truly unintelligent people who are driving. Add to this those with an IQ above 100 who are just mean, angry, bad drivers, or crazy.
Add to this that people tend to feel safe when in their vehicle. This psychological feeling of safety encourages people to act more aggressively than they would in other situations.
Once you begin to understand how many stupid, how many crazy, how many crazy and stupid, and how many bad drivers there are on the highway, the amazing thing is how few such incidents we encounter.
Other factors that add to this problem are high density population and heavy traffic will add to people's bad temper and acting out. Also as we become more and more diversified in population, we get many people who did not learn to drive until they were older adults or who learned to drive in a different culture.
Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for 2 or 3 hours especially in Texas summer heat, while your car begins to over heat can make the best of us a little angry and short of temper. What would have been a 10 or 15 minute problem in the 1950's and 1960's can easily be a 2 or 3 hour problem today.
I avoid larger cities today because of high crime but even more because of the heavy traffic and congestion. As our population continues to expand, our infrastructure will become more and more over loaded, and so will out water resources and our electrical systems. Crime will spiral as will incidents of rage in vehicles.
This will only get worse, especially for those in larger cities. But it is spreading as more and more people flee the big cities for the countryside.
Because you are having so much more fun (and a much better life) than those ignorant morons are. That fact, unfortunately, makes you a bully magnet.
Poodle Soup
Member
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Usually when people freak out, I just lay my hand on my holster and smile... knowing they have no idea how stupid they are really being. Thinking "I wonder how big of a bad *** this guy is going to be when he gets to my car window and is looking down the muzzle of a gun" gives me a laugh.
The one that pisses me off... women. Who yell, curse, cut you off, scream, flip you off, and other things that are just plain stupid. I have always wanted to get out, walk over to her car, and ask... What would you do if I took offense and wanted to hurt you? I don't understand why a 5 foot woman would scream/curse at a 6'2 200lbs guy. Does society have them brainwashed that they stand a chance if a guy looses his **** and decides to rearrange her face?
A few months ago I was pulling the race car trailer. At a four way stop (I will admit I didnt come to a FULL stop but was creeping forward until my turn) a woman refused to take her turn, instead just sat there staring at me. So going straight I just pulled out. She hits the gas gets to the middle of the intersection (after Im almost all the way through it) then slams on her brakes, lays on her horn, and flips me off.
I let off the gas and slow down, lean out of the truck and look at her and hold my arm up in a (what do you want?) kind of way. Her eyes get real wide, she backs off, and drives 10 under the speed limit until I turn off a ways down the road.
She was totally unprepared for any kind of response. What if I had been some psychopath? Her (and Im assuming her kids were the children in the back seat) could have all been in harms way just because she wanted to play traffic cop.
The one that pisses me off... women. Who yell, curse, cut you off, scream, flip you off, and other things that are just plain stupid. I have always wanted to get out, walk over to her car, and ask... What would you do if I took offense and wanted to hurt you? I don't understand why a 5 foot woman would scream/curse at a 6'2 200lbs guy. Does society have them brainwashed that they stand a chance if a guy looses his **** and decides to rearrange her face?
A few months ago I was pulling the race car trailer. At a four way stop (I will admit I didnt come to a FULL stop but was creeping forward until my turn) a woman refused to take her turn, instead just sat there staring at me. So going straight I just pulled out. She hits the gas gets to the middle of the intersection (after Im almost all the way through it) then slams on her brakes, lays on her horn, and flips me off.
I let off the gas and slow down, lean out of the truck and look at her and hold my arm up in a (what do you want?) kind of way. Her eyes get real wide, she backs off, and drives 10 under the speed limit until I turn off a ways down the road.
She was totally unprepared for any kind of response. What if I had been some psychopath? Her (and Im assuming her kids were the children in the back seat) could have all been in harms way just because she wanted to play traffic cop.
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feralmerril
Absent Comrade
Thirty/fourty years ago in california I did have a few incidents like you guys relate however I havent had any trouble like that at all especialy since we retired here to utah. Maybe they make gestures and I dont bother to see them? Its definetly a age dont diss me thing I think.
I have been in four major ones many years ago but not in the last 40 years or so. My mother died in 1993. I had just got the word and was going to get a hair cut to fly home. I was making a left turn and a young man started walking across the street after I started my turn. It was no where near close in the huge intersection but he yelled out the most vile thing he could call me concerning a sexial act with my mother. His timeing was bad as it was about a half hour after I got the word of her passing. I stopped my truck right in the middle of the intersection if you can belive that, and went over to him. He had a mustach and was I guess younger than I thought. As I came up to him he yelled he wasnt 18 yet! I didnt hit him but he froze right there and I pulled part of his mustach out and told him he wasnt going to make 18 if he said another word. He just stood there crying as I pulled his mustach out by the roots!
I know it was dumb but that is what happened. That was the last road rage incident I can remember.
I have been in four major ones many years ago but not in the last 40 years or so. My mother died in 1993. I had just got the word and was going to get a hair cut to fly home. I was making a left turn and a young man started walking across the street after I started my turn. It was no where near close in the huge intersection but he yelled out the most vile thing he could call me concerning a sexial act with my mother. His timeing was bad as it was about a half hour after I got the word of her passing. I stopped my truck right in the middle of the intersection if you can belive that, and went over to him. He had a mustach and was I guess younger than I thought. As I came up to him he yelled he wasnt 18 yet! I didnt hit him but he froze right there and I pulled part of his mustach out and told him he wasnt going to make 18 if he said another word. He just stood there crying as I pulled his mustach out by the roots!
I know it was dumb but that is what happened. That was the last road rage incident I can remember.
......................
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Grayfox
US Veteran
I believe that the average person these days is a petty, small minded individual who thinks only of themselves. They hate their job, they're in debt up to their eyeballs, relationships stink and they are generally miserable.
Wrap them up in a couple of thousand pounds of steel and this is their own little world. Here they are in control. They are the Lord and Master. Heaven help anyone who dares disrupt their peaceful existence.
Anger is their outlet.
Road rage is their drug of choice.
Wrap them up in a couple of thousand pounds of steel and this is their own little world. Here they are in control. They are the Lord and Master. Heaven help anyone who dares disrupt their peaceful existence.
Anger is their outlet.
Road rage is their drug of choice.
Springfeildkid585
Member
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- 487
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I wish the anti-gun crowd could see this thread. It's a huge case for why gun ownership should be more wide-spread and acceptable. Most people who carry have no delusions of this being the wild west or road warrior. We are just as committed to non-violence as-if not more so than- these people. We are mindful of things in this world, we usually let cooler heads prevail. I've been in the car with many people when they lose their cool over minor slights on the road. I once had to put it quite bluntly to my mother after someone cut her off. "I don't want to shoot this guy because you're angry he almost clipped you," I said. She told me I was being over-dramatic, I told her people come to blows and worse over road-rage all the time. We don't ever know how someone is going to react, and it's often an honest mistake.
Mcwsky09
Member
I hear ya
it is likely that the vast majority of folks also don't have the foggiest notion of physics either or have seen what happens when an 80,000 pound truck with load collides with a 3,000 or 4,000 pound car.
I generally give truckers a wide berth not only for that reason and because it is the courteous thing to do but also because I assume that the trucker may not be able to see me and I DO NOT want to be in his blind spot when he (or she) decides to make a lane change - or needs to avoid some other idiot.
When sharing the road with truckers I am also wary of hills both up and down and the affect they have on heavy vehicles and adjust my driving as needed so that I don't inconvenience the truckers (in other words don't put myself in a vulnerable position should something bad happen regardless of cause or intent or lack thereof).
I will even make extra space when I see a trucker wanting to lane change and everyone else being oblivious - and will use the appropriate headlight signal to let the trucker know I am letting him in - many of them respond with the proper lights signal in acknowledgment/thanks.
it is likely that the vast majority of folks also don't have the foggiest notion of physics either or have seen what happens when an 80,000 pound truck with load collides with a 3,000 or 4,000 pound car.
I generally give truckers a wide berth not only for that reason and because it is the courteous thing to do but also because I assume that the trucker may not be able to see me and I DO NOT want to be in his blind spot when he (or she) decides to make a lane change - or needs to avoid some other idiot.
When sharing the road with truckers I am also wary of hills both up and down and the affect they have on heavy vehicles and adjust my driving as needed so that I don't inconvenience the truckers (in other words don't put myself in a vulnerable position should something bad happen regardless of cause or intent or lack thereof).
I will even make extra space when I see a trucker wanting to lane change and everyone else being oblivious - and will use the appropriate headlight signal to let the trucker know I am letting him in - many of them respond with the proper lights signal in acknowledgment/thanks.
SgtLumpy
Member
File under Karma:
I'm northbound I-25, north of Denver in my pvt vehicle. Prima Facie speed limit is 75MPH. Freeway there is 2 lanes northbound, 2 lands southbound with a wide, unguarded grassy median between them.
I'm in the number 1 lane (inside, 'fast lane'). I'm doing 5 OVER the posted speed limit. Traffic in my lane is all doing the same. Traffic on my right is doing less. Generally Colorado drivers on those long, fast 'Autobahns' are pretty good about going fast over 'HERE' and going slow or exiting from over 'THERE'.
Kid in a CJ series jeep, soft top, is several cars behind me in my R/V mirror. He's zipping in and out of all the cars he can. Gets up behind me and is literally inches from my rear bumper. When the right lane clears, he swerves over there, accellerates to pass me on the right, flips me the bird, yells the obvious words, then quickly jerks it back left to pull in front of me.
Some of you are seeing the outcome already. That little short wheelbase CJ didn't like being jerked around so quickly while doing 90+ MPH. He rolled into the grassy median with at least two complete rollovers.
I went back. Stopped. Did my paramedic thing. He may be alive today but I doubt it. Head injury, ribs, 2x femurs etc.
I don't like seeing people get hurt or die. But people do. Safest thing I can do when I see someone driving stupid is to let them do it and call the gerndarmes.
I figure stupid drivers are one of two things -
1) Psycho, transient super-pissed, drunk, drugs, criminal etc
or
2) Genuinely clueless, don't realize not to tailgate, texting etc
Either one is not worth ME dying for. I'll get OFF a freeway or turn off a city street if it means I can avoid being near a stupid driver.
My van has full time forward and rear outside video cameras. I'm delighted to present video as evidence when appropriate.
Sgt Lumpy
I'm northbound I-25, north of Denver in my pvt vehicle. Prima Facie speed limit is 75MPH. Freeway there is 2 lanes northbound, 2 lands southbound with a wide, unguarded grassy median between them.
I'm in the number 1 lane (inside, 'fast lane'). I'm doing 5 OVER the posted speed limit. Traffic in my lane is all doing the same. Traffic on my right is doing less. Generally Colorado drivers on those long, fast 'Autobahns' are pretty good about going fast over 'HERE' and going slow or exiting from over 'THERE'.
Kid in a CJ series jeep, soft top, is several cars behind me in my R/V mirror. He's zipping in and out of all the cars he can. Gets up behind me and is literally inches from my rear bumper. When the right lane clears, he swerves over there, accellerates to pass me on the right, flips me the bird, yells the obvious words, then quickly jerks it back left to pull in front of me.
Some of you are seeing the outcome already. That little short wheelbase CJ didn't like being jerked around so quickly while doing 90+ MPH. He rolled into the grassy median with at least two complete rollovers.
I went back. Stopped. Did my paramedic thing. He may be alive today but I doubt it. Head injury, ribs, 2x femurs etc.
I don't like seeing people get hurt or die. But people do. Safest thing I can do when I see someone driving stupid is to let them do it and call the gerndarmes.
I figure stupid drivers are one of two things -
1) Psycho, transient super-pissed, drunk, drugs, criminal etc
or
2) Genuinely clueless, don't realize not to tailgate, texting etc
Either one is not worth ME dying for. I'll get OFF a freeway or turn off a city street if it means I can avoid being near a stupid driver.
My van has full time forward and rear outside video cameras. I'm delighted to present video as evidence when appropriate.
Sgt Lumpy
SgtLumpy
Member
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
That is one of the most depressing assessments of humanity I've seen in a very long time. I'm no Pollyanna, but I think the general run of people are pretty damn decent and manage to have some happiness in their lives. Doubtless they have their troubles and worries--who doesn't? They have bad days, as we all do. But on average petty, small-minded, miserable and consequently hostile?
If I believed that I'd never leave my apartment or speak to anyone. I'm really sorry for anyone whose view of people is that jaundiced and angry. For me it would be a terribly unhappy way to live.
I don't know, maybe it's just because I'm old and feel I have little time for bitterness.
Doug M.
Member
*
Self resolving problem, and fortunately he did not take anyone with him. Thin the herd by culling the unfit.
