# Almost hit a van this morning **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 14, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360 "2003-10-14T13:06:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/1 "2003-10-14T13:06:25Z")
As I was entering the ramp to the expressway this morning, I slowed and looked to the left, as I was merging and the other lane had the right of way. I was turning right on to the ramp and there’s some vegatation that kind of blocks the line of sight until you actually start the turn. As I did this I was looking to the left for other traffic, and I had to lock up the brakes and slide to a stop cause some idiot motherfucker was _reversing_ his way down the onramp. Traffic was a bit backed up, as this road **always** is at this time of day. Whatever his reason for executing this maneuver, bottom line is his feeling that his time is more important than everyone else’s. I wasn’t going that fast, but my driving 20 MPH and him backing up at 10 makes for a nice collision speed. I would have been perturbed. Pissed even. I might have been forced to profanity (which I now notice I already did up above. Oh well). That’s really the essence of road rage, I think. Someone thinks their time is more important so they can make some boneheaded move, and either the person they cut off pulls the gun, or the bone head pulls the gun 'cause no one will let them thru to their oh so important destination. Assholes. Sunday (!) morning driving to my parents house, the two cars in front of me on the residential street were doing a little dance. The folks in the first car were house hunting. My parents live in a ddesirable neighborhood and there are several houses for sale on their street. This car kept slowing and stopping, causing the person behind them and just in front of me much consternation. After a few of these moves, the person (a young woman, I think) in front of me gets fed up and zooms off down a side street, and, inside the car with the radio on and the windows up, we hear her yell “GOD DAMNIT”. The folks in the first car are unfazed, daddy is in back with little precious and mommy is driving all over the road looking at houses. I just move around them and go on. I’m on a mission to calm myself during these experiences cause I still can get really bent out of shape. I try to see the ridiculousness (ridiculosity?) of the irate person’s behavior. People suck. And lots of people are selfish. Stop it, and we’ll all be happier. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/2 "2003-10-14T13:19:47Z")
When I’m feeling the beginnings of road rage stirring, or at least impatience or agitation at being late, I make it a point to show courtesy – to crossing pedestrians, to drivers waiting to pull out from side streets, and so on. I find this works amazingly well at calming me down. Then there was the time a tailgater was annoying me as we were proceeding along a downtown street. I waved another car in front of me and in my rearview mirror caught him gesturing angrily. Thereafter I made it a point to slow/stop and wave people ahead of me every freakin’ chance I got. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pencilpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d6d6ee/32.png) [@pencilpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pencilpusher)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/3 "2003-10-14T13:28:38Z")
I stopped driving and sold my car in January because of road rage. I found myself doing things behind the wheel that could have gotten someone killed. My blood pressure would raise and my heart started pounding every time I got ready to go anywhere. I’m much happier now that I’m walking and you would not BELIEVE the peace I feel every time I see a stoplight now 😉 **EddyTeddyFreddy** Were you the one that stopped traffic for me yesterday so my baby and I could get across the street? Thanks!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/4 "2003-10-14T16:08:31Z")
Alas, 'twarn’t I, **pencilpusher** – I live in New England. No doubt it was a soulmate. 🙂 But yes, I do let moms pushing strollers cross. What’s really cool in the town where I board my horse is that at one point along Route 1A, where it passes between the schooling field and polo grounds of the Myopia Hunt Club, there is a crossing light whose button is set at rider height. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/5 "2003-10-14T21:22:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EddyTeddyFreddy \* > Then there was the time a tailgater was annoying me as we were proceeding along a downtown street. I waved another car in front of me and in my rearview mirror caught him gesturing angrily. Thereafter I made it a point to slow/stop and wave people ahead of me every freakin’ chance I got. 😉 This is one of my most favorite methods of rewarding tailgaters and cut-off artists. When being tailgated at freeway speeds, I’ve found that a handful of loose coins thrown over the roof works wonders. Not that I would ever recommend such a thing, nosiree Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/6 "2003-10-14T21:45:23Z")
If I was filming a movie where someone did that, what would realistically need to be portrayed as happening to the offending vehicle?😃 And, YOU CANNOT BACK UP ON HIGHWAYS OR ONRAMPS EVER EVER EVER!!! Don’t you have a nimber for the HP in your state like \*HP? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/7 "2003-10-14T22:04:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaddyTimesTwo \* > **As I was entering the ramp to the expressway this morning, I slowed and looked to the left, as I was merging and the other lane had the right of way. I was turning right on to the ramp and there’s some vegatation that kind of blocks the line of sight until you actually start the turn. As I did this I was looking to the left for other traffic, and I had to lock up the brakes and slide to a stop cause some idiot motherfucker was _reversing_ his way down the onramp. Traffic was a bit backed up, as this road always is at this time of day. Whatever his reason for executing this maneuver, bottom line is his feeling that his time is more important than everyone else’s. I wasn’t going that fast, but my driving 20 MPH and him backing up at 10 makes for a nice collision speed.** I’ve seen that guy’s cousin in a red pickup here. That fool picked an area routinely patrolled by state troopers and DoD police to pull his little stunt: 'bout 400 yards from the Pentagon. A county patrol car happened by a couple of minutes after I noticed that truck but I couldn’t get the driver’s attention. (I was waiting for a bus near 395’s northbound lanes.) ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/8 "2003-10-14T22:26:59Z")
After finding myself acting the ass because of the conduct of other drivers (Over which I can exercise exactly -0- control) I bought myself one of those Jesus fish and put it on my trunk under the theory that people with that christian symbol on their car don’t get all angry and insane with other drivers but rather are tolerant and forgiving. I am getting mixed results so far. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/9 "2003-10-15T02:55:36Z")
**Ilsa\_Lund** , as I do not have a cell phone, even if there was a number, I would not be able to call. It was a very short ramp and I don’t think it would have done any good in any case. I didn’t honk or holler or anything, I was too amazed or flabbergasted or something. I did grip the steering wheel way too tight for a good few minutes, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/10 "2003-10-15T02:59:17Z")
Take a license number and follow up later. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/11 "2003-10-15T09:33:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ilsa\_Lund \* > \*\*Take a license number and follow up later. \*\* Yeah, that would be a good way to spend about 25% of your life; following up on people who do stupid/illegal things on the road/interstate. ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-hit-a-van-this-morning/207360/12 "2003-10-15T23:52:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pencilpusher \* > \*\*I stopped driving and sold my car in January because of road rage. I found myself doing things behind the wheel that could have gotten someone killed. My blood pressure would raise and my heart started pounding every time I got ready to go anywhere. I’m much happier now that I’m walking and you would not BELIEVE the peace I feel every time I see a stoplight now 😉 > \*\* Wow. What a thoughtful, healthy, sane act. This deserves a thank you. So, Thank You. mischievous