Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm too worried about getting anywhere alive these days that any road rage I feel is extremely short-lived. There's always the next person to worry about.
i usually tailgate people who are falling asleep behind the wheel when theres open road ahead of them and they are blocking me from "breaking free"
i dont jump into peoples lane when next to their car i might move into their lane while very close to the front but in that case im doing so to fill up the gap lazy driver left between his and the other car in front of him
im from NYC so a lot of people from other states/cities might not get it.
i become more polite and calm when driving out of state because mostly thats the kind of driving i see there.
over here if not you someone else will cut you off and leave you behind especially in manhattan if you dont force other drivers to let you do whatever you are planning to do (change lanes, come out of parking spot, etc.) you will be parked forever or stuck in one lane and no one will care about your blinking light city keeps moving
NYC drivers have no business telling anybody how to drive. You guys can't go more than 30 sec. without leaning on your horn.
But to be honest I have driven in Manhatten when I lived next door and if you don't drive like they do while you are there they will leave you in the dust and if you're real lucky maybe with your fenders intact.
Why? Take out "road" & you may possibly have rage issues that could be diminished greatly by being addressed off the road.
Quote:
How do you keep yourself from getting pissed off when someone cuts you off or when someone is tailgating you?
1. I've been hurt in 2 bad car accidents (1 hit & run & with the 2nd, the driver had a heart attack behind the wheel) & it took decades of my incredible persistence & will power to recover. Knowing the raw power behind a giant hunk of metal traveling at 50+mph gives one respect for the fragile human body, especially if you've ever had the misfortune of having to recover yourself or have seen someone hurt/recovering. To that end, if someone is tailgating or just making bad choices on the road, move over & let the nutter pass. It's never worth risking getting hurt.
2. In Atlanta one evening, I saw the occupants of a tailgating car draw enormous guns on the car they were trying to force to move over. The speed limit at that time was 70. The front car, refusing to let them pass was filled with stupid 20-somethings, chiding the car behind them... once the guns were pulled on them, the entire carload was screaming, the driver panicked, veered into an adjacent lane, slammed on the brakes... he almost caused several accidents & almost ran a few cars off the road... they could have injured others just by stubbornly insisting the tailgater shouldn't pass. Why jeopardize your safety AND others? Move over, call 911 if there's a real safety issue at hand & be grateful for being alive.
3. I spent 3-4 hrs/day for 15-yrs taking public transit in Boston/NYC to work 5-days/wk. When I'm in my car, I'm grateful that I have a nice cup holder, a radio/CD player, can regulate the temp so I don't need to be dressed in bulky clothing in order to stay warm & am not crunched next to a fat, smelly lad or leering perv on the bus/train. I'd be sitting in the same traffic were I on the bus.
4. I don't have rage in my daily life & address anger in a healthy way before it hits rage level.
i usually tailgate people who are falling asleep behind the wheel when theres open road ahead of them and they are blocking me from "breaking free"
i dont jump into peoples lane when next to their car i might move into their lane while very close to the front but in that case im doing so to fill up the gap lazy driver left between his and the other car in front of him
im from NYC so a lot of people from other states/cities might not get it.
i become more polite and calm when driving out of state because mostly thats the kind of driving i see there.
over here if not you someone else will cut you off and leave you behind especially in manhattan if you dont force other drivers to let you do whatever you are planning to do (change lanes, come out of parking spot, etc.) you will be parked forever or stuck in one lane and no one will care about your blinking light city keeps moving
You just mentioned my biggest peeve on the road. Well, that depends on big of a gap you're referring to. Can you elaborate? Are you talking about a gap the size of your car, or the gap someone safely leaves between them and the car in front? Why do you call them lazy for safe driving habits?
I only get angry if I'm in a rush to get somewhere. Having 2 kids to haul around everywhere means I can't always leave earlier, because there's frequently something that needs to be done last second, literally.
Yesterday some SUV decided not to proceed with their left turn at our left turn lane while the light was green (no red turn arrow). No cars were coming either. WTF man... stop playing with your phone or whatever and get a move on. Instead they sit there for 5-10 seconds and the light turns red - we got there 5 minutes later. Obviously missing the one light affects timing on all the other lights following.
When I was younger I used to go out of my way to make the "offending" driver experience what they just put me through. I'd cut them off if they cut me off, brake hard or drive extremely slow if tailgating me, flash lights, beep, scream, I have sadly jumped out the car on several occasions. Over time I have came to one solitary conclusion, I am apparently the best driver on the road In this comfortable place I've created for myself, I drive with the understanding that no one else can drive, at all! So I don't get mad anymore because I expect it from everyone. I drive now looking to see who I think can drive waaaaay less stressful! I can now dismiss things that used to create fury, anger, and a violent mind state in me. Self control is great but if you don't have it immediately stop expecting people to drive well and become a firm believer that you are part of an elite group of highly specialized drivers rare in sightings that have the knowledge and skill set to predetermine what all the "other" drivers are thinking! If they surprise you then well, you should have seen it coming so get mad at yourself for not. Works for me. I wish I knew enough to ask for help back then.
Self control is great but if you don't have it immediately stop expecting people to drive well and become a firm believer that you are part of an elite group of highly specialized drivers rare in sightings that have the knowledge and skill set to predetermine what all the "other" drivers are thinking! If they surprise you then well, you should have seen it coming so get mad at yourself for not. Works for me. I wish I knew enough to ask for help back then.
^That.
You have to expect it and anticipate it. Situational awareness. If I see someone coming fast in the rear-view, and a driver to my left just passed me ... I may drop it down a few mph, because I expect either a) left lane driver will change lanes in front of me, or b) speed racer will cut me off to pass on the other car on the right.
There are so many other drivers out there (many from other states like California, in my area) with differing driving styles, habits, and expectations. Many of them don't know certain traffic laws, don't care, or are self-absorbed. Expect it and anticipate it (if you can).
I have road rage, and bad driving is something that I'm trying not to allow bother me so much. How do you keep yourself from getting pissed off when someone cuts you off or when someone is tailgating you?
I lived in Boston in my late 20s.. need I say more? Road rage crept into me, I must admit....
but
you can not believe my stories and I wouldn't tell them here they are lude from other drivers.
Road rage and originality in rudeness was an art form for men.
How I conquered it...I was a passenger with a dear Boston native...Italian, sweet, little Beverly.
she was all over the road...no signals....my mouth dropped...but she was absolutely oblivious
to the guy she swerved in front of....I then saw....Oh my gosh, these can be sweet people
that are just innocently 'nutty' drivers!!!
They mean no harm...they are just bad or stupid drivers ...
I had way more understanding.
Now, that my attitude has completely changed ..I never have any incidents, for decades now
...I create peace around me...think that is nuts...well, factoid, newsflash for some...
we create the whole world we see.
Say to yourself quietly, 'Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.'
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When the idiots on the road get you angry, pull over and take a break. 
Expect it and Anticipate it
