I assume “road rage” in this context refers to a passage earlier in the article:
So 5-8 times a month, people are reportedly on the receiving end of someone shouting/swearing at them, driving erratically around them, gesturing obscenely to them, or stopping their car to “confront” them.
How often do you experience something like this? I honestly can’t remember the last time someone did any of those things around me (and no, it’s not because I’m not paying attention…).
I can only think of two times I had somebody flip me off. One was a new driver who clearly thought he was the best driver on the road, the other was a typical “redneck” in a big pickup truck.
As for myself, I very rarely feel road rage. I might call another driver an asshole about 5 times in a year. I’m pretty mellow and just take traffic for what it is.
I’d say once a month or so, max, and I drive a thousand miles a month or more on average. Much more often people drive erratically around me because they are trying to pass me by getting in between me and the car I am ahead of (as if being the first person rather than the second person behind a slow moving car is getting them anywhere.)
I’ve never acted out toward another driver, but I’ve muttered under my breath at them, if that counts.
I’m surprised they didn’t mention honking. Honking is a favorite in Philadelphia. I’m not often the victim of road rage but I see it on some level pretty much every day.
Probably an average of once every 10 years, considering that I’ve been driving for about 35 years, and “road peevishness” might be a better description than road rage. Usually I do something stupid and realize it immediately, the other driver begins to throw his hands up in disgust, and I make eye contact and mouth “I’m sorry” before he can even make an, um, fist. Maybe it’s a Minnesota thing, but that’s about as bad as it gets.
Just about never. I remember once someone was PISSED at me for not turning right on the red light, which I WOULD normally always do when it’s safe, but it was a red arrow which I assume means, you know, don’t turn right on red.
I get road rage almost every time I drive though. I would never dream of stopping my car to confront someone, I just cuss at them to myself. And I have flipped people the bird a few times, but I doubt anyone has ever seen.
5 times a month? Whoa. If we’re talking about shouting and swearing, put me down for every other day or so. I’m really tired of dumbasses who don’t know how to merge.
If I didn’t drive erratically, I couldn’t drive. OK, not really true. I never go out during rush hours since I know the frustration that awaits. When I do go out, it’s not exactly open road to the horizon, but I can drive more like I’m behind the wheel of a go cart. You can’t get too crazy since the cops around here, esp. some towns, will load you up with half a dozen tickets for shit that you didn’t even know was illegal if you piss them off. But if you’re not moderately crazy, they figure you’re up to something. You just have to be able to find the right balance which means not pissing other drivers off.
I used to get upset by people doing stupid shit. Never understood and realize I can’t hope to. Now when I have a close call, I’m too relieved that I’m able to drive away with no damage to get very upset.
A couple times a year, perhaps. I’ve had people swerve their cars into my lane, threatening me with collision. I’ve had people tailgate me, coming dangerous close up behind. I’ve been flipped off a few times. Once, someone threw a bottle at me.
(My habit of driving at thirty miles an hour at all times may be an explanation…)
As a driver, I can think of maybe once in the last year and I did do something dumb and felt relieved that I didn’t cause and accident and embarrassed for my error.
As a cycle commuter, maybe 2-3 per month, but less here in Oregon than in the South. I recently had a guy in an obnoxious 4WD pickup speed up and try to run me down and as I was able to swerve out of his way, slow down to pace me while screaming red-faced at me through his closed passenger window. We exchanged “up yours” salutes and I made it to work shaking and angry with the realization that I damn near just died. FTR, I did nothing illegal as I was signalling to cross two lanes of traffic to make a left turn into the parking lot at work. The first guy slowed to let me into the first lane, then the douchenozzle in the pickup slowed to allow me into his lane, then floored it as I started to merge.
It’s road rage when they are trying to scare the everloving fuck out of you or outright kill you, right?
I live in the ATL so it’s a fact of life. Last time I got the finger was 2 weeks ago. Wasn’t driving fast enough for the a-hole behind me. Nevermind I was accelerating or that he was driving too fast or that I was planning on a pretty quick left turn. He didn’t like it so he blew past on the right and gave me a generous helping of finger. You have to have thick skin and nerves of steel around here. People are stupid.
I mean “getting in between me and the car I am behind”, lest people think I am a left lane slowpoke.
A couple months ago I was road raged when a car didn’t cross on a left light until it was yellow, then me and the car in front of me weren’t able to go. I honked and the car in front of me thought I was honking at him and so even got out of the car. I pointed to the car leaving and he got back in.
I can only think of one incident in all my years of driving where somebody was really pissed off at me. It was my fault and occurred when I tried to go into a lane I thought was unoccupied without checking my mirrors or over my shoulder. (I was in a hurry somewhere and had a complete brain fart.) Nothing happened, but the driver of the other vehicle was visibly agitated, having to swerve out of my way before I realized he was in the lane and swerved back. I couldn’t hear anything, I didn’t get a finger or anything, but there was wild gesticulation going on, while I looked sheepish and apologetic.
But that’s all I got in about 22 years of driving.
Almost never but that may be because of my daily course, 24 miles one way into the Baltimore metro area along two-lane roads. You can’t pass so everyone has apparently reached the same conclusion, that there’s nothing to be gained by aggressiveness so you might as well concentrate on getting there without incident. It’s a pretty mellow drive.
