I have a bad temper.

[crazykg85]

As the title says, I have a bad temper. This is one of those things that I am able to realize and I am able to avoid having stupid meltdowns. However, I almost let my emotions get the best of me today. I was driving home from a 6 mile run at one of our local reservoirs, I was driving the speed limit (55mph), and this person pulled up to the intersection and waited at the stop sign ( I was on a country highway with no stop sign). I thought he was waiting for me to pass, but he decided to pull out in front of me as I was coming up on him. I actually had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him, smoked the tires and had the rear-end tail a bit avoiding the collision. This person proceeds to throw his middle finger out the window and me.

I was pretty angry but I did not try to do anything stupid. He drove 15 mph under the speed limit for the next 5 miles until we got to a red light at an intersection close to town. He got in the turn lane and I was planning on continuing my drive home by going straight. He rolled the windows down and proceeded to aim a layer of profanities at me in my truck. Now mind you, I do not know this person, the intersection where we almost collided at is clearly signed saying that it is not a 4 way stop and I did not ride his bumper to try and get the point across that he screwed up.

As he was cussing at me and waiving his arms, I had decided I was going to put my truck in park, exit my vehicle and punch off his side view mirror and throw it in the cornfield next to the intersection. Luckily, I did not, although it would have been freaking hysterical if I had. Either way, I think it is a win for me considering that as a 26 year old married father of a 5 month old boy, I did not do anything stupid and let my emotions get the best of me. However, I am still irritated that I did not do anything,but I know I will wake up tomorrow without a jail record.

 

[ditrina]

As the title says, I have a bad temper. This is one of those things that I am able to realize and I am able to avoid having stupid meltdowns. However, I almost let my emotions get the best of me today. I was driving home from a 6 mile run at one of our local reservoirs, I was driving the speed limit (55mph), and this person pulled up to the intersection and waited at the stop sign ( I was on a country highway with no stop sign). I thought he was waiting for me to pass, but he decided to pull out in front of me as I was coming up on him. I actually had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him, smoked the tires and had the rear-end tail a bit avoiding the collision. This person proceeds to throw his middle finger out the window and me.

I was pretty angry but I did not try to do anything stupid. He drove 15 mph under the speed limit for the next 5 miles until we got to a red light at an intersection close to town. He got in the turn lane and I was planning on continuing my drive home by going straight. He rolled the windows down and proceeded to aim a layer of profanities at me in my truck. Now mind you, I do not know this person, the intersection where we almost collided at is clearly signed saying that it is not a 4 way stop and I did not ride his bumper to try and get the point across that he screwed up.

As he was cussing at me and waiving his arms, I had decided I was going to put my truck in park, exit my vehicle and punch off his side view mirror and throw it in the cornfield next to the intersection. Luckily, I did not, although it would have been freaking hysterical if I had. Either way, I think it is a win for me considering that as a 26 year old married father of a 5 month old boy, I did not do anything stupid and let my emotions get the best of me. However, I am still irritated that I did not do anything,but I know I will wake up tomorrow without a jail record.

GOOD FOR YOU>>>

 

[SW_shooter]

I was wondering who that was in the other vehicle!
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[rimfired]

It takes years of experience before you are truly
"justified" in letting your temper control you instead of the obvious alternative. BTDTHTS

Be well and calm.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Really want to tick them off?
Just look them square in the eye, shake your head, and laugh.
NOTHING will irritate an idiot like that more than knowing their brand of stupid didn't phase you.

 

[doublesharp]

Congrats on staying cool. One stupid screw up and your gun fun could be in jeopardy. I remember being 26 though and it sounds like the clown was really baiting you. Good job!

 

[bamabiker]

I was the same way when younger. Could not stand for some idiot to do something like that. One night with my future wife in the car with me an idiot just about hit us and I about ran off the road to avoid it. I turned on the gas and went after him. About four miles down the road when I get up beside him and I was all ready to give him the finger and a few cuss words of my own the guy points some kind of semi-automatic right at us. I slammed on the brakes and he kept going.
You just never know what the other person is going to do. The guy you saw might have been giving you the finger while his other hand was holding a gun.
There is the old saying "Don't argue with a fool. He'll drag you down to his level and beat you with experience." You don't want to fight with these fools either if you can avoid it. Most the time you'll just end up on their level and that's usually a place you don't want to be.

 

[crazykg85]

Really want to tick them off?
Just look them square in the eye, shake your head, and laugh.
NOTHING will irritate an idiot like that more than knowing their brand of stupid didn't phase you.

At some point in the future this will be easier to do. My temper is in its 4th generation that I know of. My great grandfather was a boxer back in the day. In 1969, he got rear ended by a person around the age I am now. My Great grandfather who was 76 at the time, got out of the car and young man threw a beer bottle at him,so my GG broke his jaw and cracked a rib. In 1977, he got into a barfight and his injuries from that later led to his death. I have many bad examples to stop me and make me think, but it is hard to let your mind convince your heart otherwise.

 

[Airpark]

Last one I had give me the finger I very nicely asked him,

"IS THAT YOUR AGE OR YOUR IQ" and drove on.

 

[jag312]

Golly gee whiz! I almost feel sorry for you. You need to live in a large metropolitan area, like the San Francisco Bay Area. You'll have an interesting traffic experience several times a week. Sometimes several times in a single day.

 

[crazykg85]

Golly gee whiz! I almost feel sorry for you. You need to live in a large metropolitan area, like the San Francisco Bay Area. You'll have an interesting traffic experience several times a week. Sometimes several times in a single day.

It wasn't the traffic issue by a longshot! Btw, I did live in LA for a year. I have seen lots of stuff .

 

[Doug M.]

I just call them in as an erratic driver/possible DUI; if not that, they at least need to be stopped for DWHUA. I give the best description I can of the vehicle and driver, and of the actions. I of course give my contact info so LE has a known witness upon whom they can rely.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Really, I don't understand the thinking of fools that rant and rave at others they know nothing about.
I've been on the receiving end, all the time thinking to myself "if that idiot only knew I have a select fire MP5 sitting next to me on the seat".

 

[quneur]

I live near Boeing so I experience crazy drivers all the time but crazy doesn't compare with stupid. The other day while walking to my car in a busy parking lot, a lady two cars over emptied her shopping cart and instead of pushing it 25' to the cart stand, she pushed it loose in the parking lot; she did it smiling. The cart hit a taxi and the driver got out to see what happened, bounce off and was heading towards another parked car. Luckily, I was near enough to stop it. The lady, oblivious to everyone, got in her car and drove away.

 

[Hillbilly77]

You really want to irritate somebody like that?
Blow 'em a kiss.

Good for you for not putting yourself in a bad situation. You've got more important things to concern yourself with - being a good man to your wife and a good dad to your son. You don't have room for BS like that in your life.
This is the voice of experience.

 

[captorquewrench]

One morning a few years ago, I watched a guy who kept riding my bumper and get irritated at me for not riding th ebumper in front of me.

As happens in a large city's rush hour, I had to stop VERY suddenly. traffic looked like it was beginning to flow, but nope, STOP.

Anyway, the guy in back of me kept at it. He was making me uneasy that far up on my back end. Apparently he thought I was driving to annoy him purposely and just kept on and on making a game of how fast and close he could get before stopping.

He didn't rear end me, but did come on my passenger side yelling at me, with his arm out of his window pounding up the side of my car as he passed and slapped off my side mirror. I figured something was going to happen, so I had a scribble pad and a marker ready and yes I did, I took down his plate number and called the police right away.

Being stupid is one thing. Being stupid and scaring a woman is another thing. Being stupid and scaring ME in your WORK truck is a very VERY kind of SPECIAL stupid, indeed.

He didn't feel so smug scaring a lone woman and beating up her car while she was still in it when the 5-0 showed up at his job to talk to him about it. The officer said he was BRAGGING about it.

Don't be that guy.

Good for you, for not being that guy.

 

[LVSteve]

It seems that many drivers have a blind spot for the "Cross traffic does not stop" notice when THEY are on a minor road. The OP's antagonist would seem to be one of the club. A hard core of them believe that ALL stops should be four-way. A few years back after a wreck some guy on TV pointed to the "Cross traffic does not stop"notice and spat the words out like they read "Child molesters, plenty of 11-year olds inside". They feel that such stops are unfair, that they "don't get their turn". Boo-hoo. I guess they were dumb enough to believe their hippie parents that life was fair, too.

 

[RightArm]

I commend you. At 26 I would have spent at least one night in jail. Even now, I can't guarantee I'd be free if I was you. I work everyday on keeping my temper in check. Some say it's because I'm a redhead. I just think that I don't always think. You have much better control and have your priorities in place. You'll be okay. Let them say you have a bad temper. You know better.

 

[627 city hunter]

My father's father told him and he told me:

"Remember to let the big head do the thinking not the little one."

Don't let emotion take precedence over reason.

 

[LoadedRound]

Good for you.

Congratulations. Most of us don't learn as early as you have.

You understand what's important and what's not. Go home and look at your beautiful family and think about how little "Mr. Middle Finger" really matters.

You're a good man.