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  #16  
Old 07-25-2017, 03:02 PM
FLRon FLRon is online now
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I've lost track of how many times I've encountered drivers here in Florida that make me want do something I'll later regret. At the end of the day it's just not worth it. Going to jail for losing control of myself doesn't solve a thing. Besides,I would never jeopardize my family over some fool who cares only for himself.
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  #17  
Old 07-25-2017, 03:45 PM
jhmulkey jhmulkey is offline
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As others have said, raging at the other driver will only increase the potential for something else bad to happen. Psychologically, it can be a form of catharsis ("Whew, I feel better after telling them off!"), but the risk outweighs the benefit, imo.

The main things that irritate me on the road are:

1. Failure to stop/yield...e.g.
  • running a stop sign or red light
  • continuing to turn left after the green arrow expires and straight traffic is trying to go
  • driving down an open median as if it's a traffic lane so you can cut ahead of people
The red light running is rampant in certain areas of my daily commute, and I've seen both state troopers, county, and city police just watch 2 or 3 cars go through a red light and do nothing! Unbelievable...

2. People tailgating me when I'm not in the passing lane even when the passing lane is free for them to pass me or when there is only one lane in each direction and I'm going the speed limit.

3. People who leave gaps for people to make dangerous left turns against multiple traffic lanes that are not all stopped...and especially when they do this once the light turns green and we're supposed to be moving. People don't realize that being "nice" is often far more dangerous than sticking to the right-of-way.

When I see these things, my blood pressure goes up, so I have to make a conscious effort to let it go and realize that poor drivers will always exist, and I can't control their actions (though it would sure be nice if the police around here would do more of that!), but I CAN control mine. For example, instead of being an idiot and "brake checking" the tailgater or even slowing down (which will usually just irritate them more), I can simply pull of the road or change lanes if it is safe to do so.

Defensive driving + calm composure are your best friends on the road.

P.S. PSA for everyone: GET A DASH CAM!!! (no, not so you can make a YT channel but for insurance/evidence purposes in case something bad happens that requires police and/or insurance involvement)

Last edited by jhmulkey; 07-25-2017 at 04:12 PM.
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  #18  
Old 07-25-2017, 03:47 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Default ROAD RAGE! How Do You Deal w/Idiots?



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  #19  
Old 07-25-2017, 03:58 PM
mattbn73 mattbn73 is offline
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Download and listen to "The Recovery Podcast" while you drive. Your blood pressure, serenity and happiness will benefit.
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  #20  
Old 07-25-2017, 04:09 PM
Rudals Rudals is offline
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Lol!
I actually saw a red light runner on a pkwy that is right off of my neighborhood. He could have T-boned me but he was kind enough to honk his way thru the red light while going about 60 mph. What's funny is I caught the guy on camera and reported his tag # to the police instead of following him. I called the police back after 2 hours and they said they haven't caught the driver but put out a lookout on his car. So basically they did nothing. That infuriates me. What if he T-boned while my wife was coming out of my neighborhood?

Dummies tailgating me or others is so annoying. People texting/web browsing.
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  #21  
Old 07-25-2017, 04:39 PM
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  #22  
Old 07-25-2017, 04:50 PM
Don Lampson Don Lampson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rudals View Post
Not another dumb thread!

Okay, not sure if anyone remembers but I had some anger issues that surfaced whenever I got behind the wheel. After getting some great wisdom from members like Sir Cotten, I was able to calm down and have stopped driving aggressively and have stopped reacting to dumb things that other drivers do. However, this past weekend, this car cuts over 3 lanes almost missing an exit. I got cut off and this car put my wife and my son in absolute danger when this vehicle cut us off on a highway. How would you have reacted if you were me?

Me? I lost my cool and flipped off the driver.

I guess what really ticked him off was the fact that I flipped him off but was only looking straight. He was trying so hard to get me to turn and look at him.
What are you going to do when one of those "idiots" you "flip off" has a lot more "road rage" in him than you do, and is willing to bump up the confrontation to the next level? Maybe you don't want to do anything illegal, but he might not care about any of that when he's showing his "idiot" who runs the road?

Don
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  #23  
Old 07-25-2017, 04:56 PM
Rudals Rudals is offline
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I should make a sticker like this...
"ROAD RAGE? JUST MOVE ON"
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  #24  
Old 07-25-2017, 04:57 PM
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Most states have a number to call to report aggressive or unsafe drivers. Use that. In Colorado it's *CSP in California it's 1-800-TELL-CHP. They will contact them if they believe it's necessary. Otherwise they will compile complaints on that license plate and follow up if/when necessary. What I have chosen to do is........ take the train.
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  #25  
Old 07-25-2017, 04:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HHP View Post
You'll need to be more specific than "idiots" Term cover majority of the driving public
Yea? What's your point? I usually call them names in the privacy of my own car and then tell or ask my wife how and why what they did was nuts.

You gotta love her for putting up with me.
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  #26  
Old 07-25-2017, 05:02 PM
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There was a time not that long ago, and it may even still be believed and practiced by some, that you should act on your emotions-get them out so to speak. That keeping them bottled up created a "pressure cooker" that would eventually blow up. Now they weren't advising you to get into fistfights, or to become drama queen or king of the year, just go punch a pillow or go in a room by yourself and cry-whatever emotion overtook you, get it out.

I always found it strange that discovering the reason something had such an emotional affect on you, much less working to understand it was never even bought up.

There's no pressure cooker, no bomb that's going to blow up if you don't act with such immediate emotion.
Staying calm during your own emotional turmoil has no downside. You don't have to understand everything all the time. Immediate gratification and self discovery are mutually exclusive.

Now this does not mean that you should tolerate poor treatment by others who mean you harm. It does however make you responsible for your emotions-and that's exactly where that responsibility lies.
Take some time-lots of it if need be, to consider the possibilities. Yours, and the other persons.

If your wife or child says or does something to upset you, do you "go off" on them? Yelling, screaming, flipping them off, swearing at them? I guess not because you say you have a wife and child.
Do you try to process what happened? Try to understand maybe they had a bad day? Or maybe you did. Or perhaps your child lacks the emotional maturity to deal with what happened to them, and had no other way to deal with it.

Why would you treat those you don't know with less understanding? They don't deserve it? Because they are not worth your time?
Ultimately it's you, you're taking care of, not them. It's your emotions you're dealing with, not theirs. You have no idea why others do what they do. Take some time with that.

But you do know you have work to do, or you wouldn't have shared your story. (Yes, that's my understanding even it it's not correct)
It's difficult work. Once you really start trying to understand, it gets a little easier each time. In a relatively short time, you'll find a new perspective to things. Whether you intend to or not.

Not everyone was taught what you were taught. Your family beliefs, your long and short term situation. They have no idea why you don't understand them. But don't kid yourself into thinking you know exactly why anybody does anything. You couldn't if you tried. You shouldn't either. You should be busy trying to understand yourself, take care of your family, and moving on with the business of life.

Mark
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  #27  
Old 07-25-2017, 05:12 PM
jhmulkey jhmulkey is offline
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If any of you want some assistance in resisting the temptation to rage at other drivers, type "road rage" into YouTube and see just how crazy these situations can become, to the point where someone can lose their life. Then remember that the next person you feel like flipping off or laying on your horn at might very well ready to explode and your actions may light the fuse.
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  #28  
Old 07-25-2017, 05:20 PM
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It's a jungle on the road now, with small morons speeding around in gigantic pick up trucks, and all of the new and unnecessary distractions. I'm teaching my middle daughter how to drive, so the topic comes up a lot, and my kids are watching everything about driving. Flipping someone off does nobody any good, better to smile and move on. I've had a gun pulled on me in traffic, after the man cut me off. Driving my motorcycles for the past 2 years has helped me to drive more defensively and control my temper.
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  #29  
Old 07-25-2017, 05:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Denny B View Post
I drive my car the same way I ride my motorcycles...

I assume everyone on the road is out to kill me, and sometimes they almost succeed...sometimes I think it's out of ignorance, sometimes I believe it's an intentional act of anger and rage...

Of course, no one's killed me yet, so when these things happen, my first reaction is relief, and my next is to get as far away from the idiot as possible, and get my mind back on my driving...

Because the next idiot is coming right up...
That's definitely the motorcycle survival mantra.
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  #30  
Old 07-25-2017, 05:42 PM
jhmulkey jhmulkey is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aknow View Post
It's a jungle on the road now, with small morons speeding around in gigantic pick up trucks...
like this:



...and all to get a couple cars ahead (oh yeah, and assert their imagined dominance )
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