# Unprovoked road rage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 9, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395 "2015-08-09T19:41:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kimbosquee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kimbosquee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimbosquee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/41 "2015-08-12T01:49:21Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > The words ‘warn’ and ‘quickly’ does not really help your position. And it does not seem, at least in the video, that you have a very good plan when driving. > > You must always be diligent, and expect others to do unexpected things. Umm… Oh I definitely expect the unexpected. That’s how I’ve avoided many accidents. For example, I take my foot off the gas when I see people waiting to pull out or see them approaching slower cars. Thank you for your thorough replies while avoiding being rude. ---
**Author:** ![Kimbosquee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kimbosquee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimbosquee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/42 "2015-08-12T01:58:12Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > No, you didn’t. In fact, you didn’t have to exit at all, and shouldn’t have. Once you missed the exit–that is, once you reached the point where you had to cross solid lines–you should have proceeded to the next exit. That would have been the case regardless of the traffic situation, but it’s _especially_ true here, where you squeeze between the semi and a nearly stopped SUV. > > Plan ahead better next time, and if you make a mistake–as we all do sometimes–take your lumps and go to the next exit. I definitely should have just kept going. There is a route that involves staying on that freeway, but I am not familiar with that route. In my mind at the time, I was in a hurry and “had to” make the exit, or I would have no idea where I was going and would have “had to” fire up the gps while driving. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/43 "2015-08-12T02:02:01Z")
> [@Kimbosquee](#): > > Oh I definitely expect the unexpected. That’s how I’ve avoided many accidents. For example, I take my foot off the gas when I see people waiting to pull out or see them approaching slower cars. > > Thank you for your thorough replies while avoiding being rude. No prob. It’s crazy out there as we all know. Take what you can from this thread, and be careful. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/44 "2015-08-12T02:25:35Z")
> [@Kimbosquee](#): > > I definitely should have just kept going. There is a route that involves staying on that freeway, but I am not familiar with that route. In my mind at the time, I was in a hurry and “had to” make the exit, **or I would have no idea where I was going and would have “had to” fire up the gps while driving.** Umm… bolding mine. Just advice for you and the rest of us. Get off the interstate, and then fire up the GPS. You will likely need to turn around anyway, right? The thing is to pay attention to driving. And relax, you’ll get there. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/45 "2015-08-12T02:42:54Z")
> [@Kimbosquee](#): > > I said I do not signal far ahead in advance. Please read carefully next time. I signal to warn others by signaling and then making my move quickly. I do not signal and wait for someone to let me in unless there is no room. If I signal and wait, people speed up. not helping your case at all - I read it exactly as you intended and as you re-iterated here - “I signal to warn others then I move quickly” - which means you expect everyone else to treat you as the queen of the road. Based on the video - and your interactions in this thread - you get what you got because you ask for it. Have a pleasant day - ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/46 "2015-08-12T03:42:14Z")
> [@Kimbosquee](#): > > I definitely should have just kept going. There is a route that involves staying on that freeway, but I am not familiar with that route. In my mind at the time, I was in a hurry and “had to” make the exit, or I would have no idea where I was going and would have “had to” fire up the gps while driving. I’m glad that you recognize it as an error. What you’re describing is a known psychological problem that happens to even highly trained people–pilots sometimes call it “hurry-up syndrome.” By being too focused on getting a thing done now, you ignore serious lapses in safety. There’s no surefire way to avoid it, but it helps if you can learn to recognize it in yourself, and if you think you’re being influenced, back off from whatever it is you’re trying to do. In this case, once you recognized that you probably weren’t going to make the exit, just focus on safely staying in your lane, and remember that you can always find a gas station or whatever where you can plan your route. Nothing will cause more of a delay than being in an accident, so it’s worth the extra minutes to continue safely. ---
**Author:** ![Kimbosquee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kimbosquee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimbosquee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/47 "2015-08-12T19:29:10Z")
> [@simster](#): > > not helping your case at all - I read it exactly as you intended and as you re-iterated here - > > “I signal to warn others then I move quickly” - which means you expect everyone else to treat you as the queen of the road. > > Based on the video - and your interactions in this thread - you get what you got because you ask for it. > > Have a pleasant day - Say what you will, but I’m definitely not “queen of the road”. I would let you into my lane in a heartbeat and have even been stupid enough to stop in the middle of the road to let people pull out. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/48 "2015-08-12T19:47:23Z")
So is that you making the sound right before you almost rear ended another vehicle? What is the sound? ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/49 "2015-08-12T22:46:39Z")
I just want to know what that squeal was right before you almost slammed into the back of the innocent white SUV. You should have started merging over at the very beginning of the video IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Kimbosquee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kimbosquee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimbosquee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/50 "2015-08-12T23:07:49Z")
I think you two are referring to my teenaged sister screaming my name from the back seat. > [@Spud](#): > > You should have started merging over at the very beginning of the video IMHO. I will have to agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![Kimbosquee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kimbosquee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimbosquee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/51 "2015-08-12T23:13:25Z")
I wouldn’t say I almost rear ended them. I didn’t have to hit my brakes too hard and there was no jolt backwards like you would expect if you had slammed on the brakes. Still a dumb move, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/52 "2015-08-13T00:23:04Z")
Well, it was close enough to make your sister scream… maybe we have different definitions of “slamming on the brakes.” I drive a performance car with carbon graphite brakes and I would have been uncomfortable in that situation. You asked for people’s opinions… you got them. Not counting your own, count how many think you were in the right versus those that think you were not driving safely and/or that the you were at fault and not the other driver with “unprovoked road rage.” You are far from alone here… many many people have asked for an “opinion” actually hoping for validation and didn’t get it from the responses. I’m sure I’ve done the same. ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395/53 "2015-08-13T03:04:59Z")
To the OP: Read the comment under your youtube video. It’s by M. Piedlourde and as of now it’s the only comment. I agree wholeheartedly with that commenter. YOU were the problem in the whole incident. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unprovoked-road-rage/727395.md?page=2)