Getting angry when someone cuts you off in traffic (woman, thoughts, people)

[wanderingthoughts]

(Scenario) Waiting at a traffic light, to the right of me there is a car in a clearly marked RIGHT TURN
ONLY lane. As soon as the light turns green, he guns the engine to cut me off going straight. I lean on
the horn and the guy seemed suddenly startled, either like he did nothing wrong or "who was I to honk my
horn at him" even though he clearly was in the wrong.

Thing is, I contemplated gunning the engine myself in order to deny him the ability to cut me off but ended up just honking the horn instead. It pissed me off in a big way. I understand it shouldn't be a big deal and the correct thing to do would be just to leave it alone but I can't seem to do that and even if I do it still makes me angry and aggravated.

It doesn't bother me as much if I get cut off by someone on the highway or trying to catch an exit ramp but this was so blatant it was ridiculous. I can understand if someone gets in the wrong lane and wants to go straight, I'd be happy to let them in. This crap about blatantly using the empty right hand lane as a chance to cut off people going straight and avoid waiting though is aggravating and I've been driving long enough to tell the difference when someone is in the wrong lane and when they are there just to cut everyone off.

[Billy_J]

The way I look at it is stress will take years off my life span - good to avoid it if possible. So I try to not get upset about things I have no control over. No point. Nothing I can do about it!

Same with situations like these. People are going to do stuff like that. Nothing I can do about it, no point in getting upset.

Also think about why someone does something like that. If he does it all the time, eventually he will get caught, get a ticket, and as a result have higher insurance rates. You can do those things sometimes and not get caught, but if doing it a lot all the time, then he will get caught.

Or maybe he doesn't normally drive like that. Perhaps there is an emergency. Maybe his wife is about to have a baby and need a ride to the hospital? Or maybe he is a doctor going to an emergency? i.e. Maybe some of these people have a good reason to be in a hurry? (I think most of them are just impatient! )

[key4lp]

There are too many "unstable" people out there. Sure some drive like idiots and they do make me mad but
you keep hearing about these road rage nuts and you don't know what they are going to do to you.
Once I parked my car to run into a store (parked it where I was suppose to and perfectly) when I came
back a car parked on an angle & I really was going to have a hard time backing out. I made a face to myself
and there was a woman sitting to my right. She must have had eyes on the side of her head. She got
out and went nuts. Banging on my window, screaming the F word non stop, waving her arms all over the
place......I told her to get away from my car or I was going to call the police. She kept screaming & I put on the
horn just so I wouldn't have to hear this nut. Luckily after she showed me how tough she was she went back
to the car. In short, I guess now with all the nuts out there, I have to have a constant smile on my face.

[fleetiebelle]

There's something about being in a car that makes people lose their minds. If you were walking down the sidewalk and someone walked out in front of you, they'd most likely apologize, you'd accept, and you both get on with your lives. Same thing happens in a car, and drivers go mental. You just have to think, is this worth getting upset about?

[ehoez]

i let it go

[hmmm_pieee]

For me it has to do with the potential cost of getting injured in a car accident. If someone walks in front of me and as a result I bump into him, no big deal unless I get seriously bruised or something. When someone dangerously cuts in front of me and drastically increases the likelihood of me hitting his car, think about the potential consequences. My car will be damaged, my insurance will go up, not to mention I might suffer injuries. The stake suddenly escalates.

It is necessary to tolerate other people's inconsiderate behavior, but sometimes it is difficult to just let things slide when you consider what's at stake. Having said that, I don't condone road rage, but feeling upset over other people's misbehavior does not seem like such an irrational reaction.

[Bulldogdad]

Damn was that you?

Sorry about that.

Meh let it go why let that ahole win by letting it affect you

[ukrkoz]

Originally Posted by wanderingthoughts

(Scenario) Waiting at a traffic light, to the right of me there is a car in a clearly marked RIGHT TURN
ONLY lane. As soon as the light turns green, he guns the engine to cut me off going straight. I lean on
the horn and the guy seemed suddenly startled, either like he did nothing wrong or "who was I to honk my
horn at him" even though he clearly was in the wrong.

Thing is, I contemplated gunning the engine myself in order to deny him the ability to cut me off but ended up just honking the horn instead. It pissed me off in a big way. I understand it shouldn't be a big deal and the correct thing to do would be just to leave it alone but I can't seem to do that and even if I do it still makes me angry and aggravated.

It doesn't bother me as much if I get cut off by someone on the highway or trying to catch an exit ramp but this was so blatant it was ridiculous. I can understand if someone gets in the wrong lane and wants to go straight, I'd be happy to let them in. This crap about blatantly using the empty right hand lane as a chance to cut off people going straight and avoid waiting though is aggravating and I've been driving long enough to tell the difference when someone is in the wrong lane and when they are there just to cut everyone off.

I was that way. But it's very trainable. Took me only about year or so of concentrating on not being upset with others. Now I am slow poke on the road and give way to everyone, and am not upset anymore. Bless their hearts and absence of common sense. Hope they get home safe.

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by wanderingthoughts

(Scenario) Waiting at a traffic light, to the right of me there is a car in a clearly marked RIGHT TURN
ONLY lane. As soon as the light turns green, he guns the engine to cut me off going straight. I lean on
the horn and the guy seemed suddenly startled, either like he did nothing wrong or "who was I to honk my
horn at him" even though he clearly was in the wrong.

Thing is, I contemplated gunning the engine myself in order to deny him the ability to cut me off but ended up just honking the horn instead. It pissed me off in a big way. I understand it shouldn't be a big deal and the correct thing to do would be just to leave it alone but I can't seem to do that and even if I do it still makes me angry and aggravated.

It doesn't bother me as much if I get cut off by someone on the highway or trying to catch an exit ramp but this was so blatant it was ridiculous. I can understand if someone gets in the wrong lane and wants to go straight, I'd be happy to let them in. This crap about blatantly using the empty right hand lane as a chance to cut off people going straight and avoid waiting though is aggravating and I've been driving long enough to tell the difference when someone is in the wrong lane and when they are there just to cut everyone off.

You were in my way, i was planning on going faster than you so i went around you.

[brokencrayola]

I am a courtesy sort when driving... until someone does something to me that puts me in jeopardy or is really rude or wreckless. I would have hit the horn too.