Jeff acted like an asshole, Brian acted like an asshole, you acted like an asshole, things got completely out of control. Learn what you can from it and move on. And apologize to Jeff, if that seems appropriate, but don’t expect him to be gracious.
Yeah, Jeff and Brian were assholes.
And you? You were the third player in the fight. In hockey terms, that makes you the one who AUTOMATICALLY goes into the box.
Next time remember. No one gets into fights over Sinatra CD’s.
Wait, I know these people. “Jeff” appears to be a pseudonym for Cary Grant, “Brian” must be William F. Buckley, and “Amy” simply HAS to be Queen Elizabeth II. They are all instantly recognizable for their sauveness, courtliness, and panache! I’m really impressed by the company you keep!
But seriously, I wouldn’t worry about this. If all these knuckleheads (including yourself) are so impulsive as to throw everything in the car out the window in a space of two minutes, you’ll all probably be consumed with some other outrage within two days. No need to feel bad about the others’ feelings.
However, hopefully now you understand the meaning of “two wrongs don’t make a right.”
Hmm…Air Supply…Fatal Accident…
Tough call.
Throwing the CD out of the car was reprehensible. If that’s indicative of his impulse control that boy is heading for a serious beatdown by life.
Seems like everyone had a lesson to learn from all this.
Jeff now knows that you can’t be a dick and expect others to just roll over. If you don’t want your stuff thrown out the window, don’t do it with someone else’s stuff. And don’t be a dick and then start crying when someone gives you a taste of your own medicine. That’s just embarrassing.
Brian now knows that you have to ride the donkey sometimes. By that I mean, if you’re in the company of someone with jerkish propensities, just grit your teeth and bear it. When Jeff started showing his asshatness by whining about the music, Brian should have let Jeff have his way. Don’t start an argument over something as light-hearted as music.
You now know not to butt into a fight that’s not yours. Although you were sticking up for your pal, it was his matter to take care of, not yours. What if instead of going after the glove compartment, Jeff had tossed your things out of the window? It would have been you standing in the middle of the street, crying.
Amy now knows not to be in a car with three guys.
All the behavior here was reprehensible. If Jeff’s CD player was damaged, I think you should buy him a new one. It wasn’t your place to even get involved in the fight. Sincerely apologize, and hope he accepts it. Yes, Jeff was a jerk, but throwing piece of electronics out the window was excalation beyond any realms of rationality.
Jeff should do the same for Brian.
You… You started throwing shit? Out of the car!?! WTF!?! Be glad there weren’t any cops…
[sub]You just started tossing other people’s things out the window?[/sub]
You all acted in a very reasonnable way. Unreasonnable people would have found a way to crash the car in the nearest tree out of spite, instead of just throwing away eachother stuff, like any sensible person does in a similar situation.
For instance, when I’m in disagreement with a coworker or boss, I put his desk on fire or throw his laptop out of the window, instead of wasting valuable time arguing.
I get along fine with my neighbor because I know that he cut down my trees last night only because I had poisoned his dog (he threw a stone through my window after I keyed his car…that’s why), not because he hates my guts or something silly.
You avoided a Darwin award by not totalling the car or having Jeff being ran over while he was gathering his stuff. That’s the only thing that matters. However, I would advise against any interbreeding between you guys, or these nasty recessives genes could take over and it would probably prove fatal for the offsprings.
Hmm, if you wanted to stick up for your friend, I would have thought that between you and Brian, you could have gotten Jeff out of the car.
Yes, I think you were completely out of line.
But great story though. I was wincing throughout. Its like one of those movie moments where you know whats coming, and you’re screaming at the screen, “Don’t do it!”, but the characters can’t hear you.
Thanks for the responses but wasn’t it just Jeff and I that were the jerks and Brian was the victim?
I wanted to apologize to Jeff except I found out that he told my mother that “Brian” and I were teasing him because he was fat and that is a complete lie.
But in any event I will try to use what I’ve learned in anger management to keep my actions in check and if I am in a similar situation in the future I won’t be throwing stuff out of the window.
Yes and Amy did actually say that she would avoid riding in cars with boys.
Oh, I think that would be very fine behaviour for a Cliff Richard fan! For someone who actually believes the lyrics to ‘Devil Woman’ have got something to say!
But you just said all property is theft, Rik!
All this because someone’s uptight about a little music. Oh my gosh.
Fortunately, by the time you reach 30 (or younger, or older), nobody will give a flying damn which band you listen to, or whether or not it is “cool” enough.
I am also in the “Driver Comfort” camp. I always thought that was the rule. You drive, you get to set the station (or tape, or CD). Since I’m always the one to drive when I’m in my car, I’ve always played “my” music. Only rarely has someone complained, and if they do, it’s too damned bad. I often say that my car will only run when the station is set to the Classical station. I also have been known to say that anyone who touches that radio dial will walk away with a bloody stump. (Okay, not really! ;))
If someone is so rigid or idiotic that they’d find it unbearable to listen to a little unfamiliar (or uncool) music for a while, they can walk home. Sometimes you have to deal with Music Nazis (“Why are you listening to that?!?! I can’t possibly be expected to listen to that!”—while of course they see nothing wrong with inflicting you with their musical crap for hours on end). But in your own damned car, or while you are driving, no—you don’t have to tolerate a Music Nazi.
I think Brian could’ve played something else. Not necessarily Jeff’s first pick, but something everyone could agree on (and if Jeff is such a prick that he wouldn’t agree with anything, well… he can walk next time). Of course, Jeff could have presented his opinion with a little more tact, so I can understand Brian being a little stubborn.
Then again, I don’t agree with this whole “Driver Comfort” business. Say I’m in the car with my mom (I’m driving). Now, I happen think she’s crazy with all her, “rap/rock/anything except Journey gives me a headache” nonsense when she can listen to Bon Jovi at full volume no problem, but I give her a pass because she’s my company, and I think I should make my company comfortable. Plus, she’s my mom and, 45 or not, she could probably kick my ass. 
Or if I’m in the truck with my dad (a week at a time, he’s doing most of the driving), we alternate music picks. He actually likes Eminem now.
I don’t remember ever getting into a such an extreme disagreement with my friends over music, not even in HS. During cruises, we either talk (a lot) or we “vote” on a CD to listen to. That’s easy enough though, since we like the same kind of music.
Word of the Day: compromise
Of course you’re right, Silver Fire, but part of what gives you (when the driver) “comfort” is knowing that you’re making mom and dad happy with the music choice, at least some of the time. I’m the same way. I can only subject my love to so many show tunes and industrial earbleeders before I start feeling guilty and let him listen to Nick Drake. But at key parts of a long drive, Nick Drake’s gonna put me to sleep, and that would be **Not a Good Thing ** [sup]TM[/sup]. So I guess our rule is closer to “Driver Veto.” We’ll compromise, and switch off and behave like rational adults most of the time, but at least once a trip I have to enact the Driver Veto and put in something maybe he wouldn’t like right now. (Unless he wants to drive, which he never does! He’d rather listen to Once More With Feeling again.)
Of course, last I checked, cars worked without the sound system turned on, too. You could always try having a conversation! :eek:
Too bad Drew Barrymore couldn’t have done the same.
How is Brian a jerk? As far as I see it, he did absolutely nothing wrong. He was driving, but he let his passenger play their music. Then, he wanted to play his own music, and he got upset when someone threw it out the window.
The real downside to all of this is that Brian probably has lost any shot at Amy.
The lesson to take away from all of this is to never let Jeff ride with you again.
As for music in my car, we go by “He who paid for the car and pays the insurance, maintenance and gas gets to listen to what he wants, regardless of who drives. If he is not present, it’s any woman for herself [wife - only alternate driver, daughter, MiL].”
I have to be the master of at least one domain.
You’ll never completely grow out of things like this, START. So don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Quit acting like you’re in high school” or something similar. Well I have news for you: That’s how people act. Go into any office full of grown-up, “mature” adults, and you’ll see the exact same shit. No matter where you look, you’ll see cliques, back stabbing, rumor mongering, silly fights about nothing, etc. It’s all there! That’s how people act. “A Person” may grow up. But “People” never stop acting like that. It’s part of our collective psyche.