Road Rage - how do you cope?
08-21-15, 01:28 PM
#26
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
OP: Ever consider the possibility that you were tailgating to begin with? Maybe you weren't aggressive (honking your horn, flashing your lights), but a lot of people drive like it's a NASCAR race, thinking they can be right up on the bumper of the car in front of them. Could someone have easily merged into the spot between you and the car in front of you? If not, you were probably following too closely.
08-21-15, 01:33 PM
#28
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
I'm pretty chill to begin with, so I don't really get road rage and get over people doing dumb things pretty quickly. Never going to see them again, so no point in making a fuss and escalating.
And I tend to believe that people who rage all the time on the road probably aren't too safe themselves.
And I tend to believe that people who rage all the time on the road probably aren't too safe themselves.
08-21-15, 03:49 PM
#30
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Originally Posted by Brian Shannon
By realizing that it just does not matter.
Try driving in an area with real traffic sometime then you will understand.
Try driving in an area with real traffic sometime then you will understand.
What other drivers?
08-21-15, 04:17 PM
#31
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Originally Posted by MBoyd
I've mounted a swiveling camera in my car and started posting videos to YouTube of all these assholes complete with commentary and occasional phone calls to the police!
08-21-15, 05:41 PM
#32
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Originally Posted by Abob Teff
This. I'm lucky that most of my considerable amounts of driving are rural. If I have to go to Chicago (or St. Louis, but it isn't that bad) I leave plenty of time and enjoy the ride. Chicago should be about a 3 hour drive, but I block out 6-8 hours for the trip. Load up some good podcasts, hit the good greasey spoon restaurants on the way, and maybe stop to do some Geocaching along the route.
What other drivers?
What other drivers?
08-21-15, 05:58 PM
#33
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
I was driving home a few years ago and needed to get over a lane in order to make a right. Put my blinker on and this guy would not let me in. I still had time to get over so I sped up. Then he sped up. It was clear this guy was being a jerk. At that point I punched my petal and before I knew it I was doing 60 mph right through a red light. I was so focused on "winning" that I totally became oblivious of anything other than beating him at his own game. I could have been killed or even worse killed an innocent person due to my negligence. Now I ignore any jerks on the road and just get out of their way. It's not worth it.
08-21-15, 06:46 PM
#34
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
travel in a third world country. try to take a bus from point A to point B. see that there's no schedule and little rhyme or reason. realize over time that there are many things you cannot control, and getting upset about those things just causes you aggravation and doesn't lead to any beneficial results. Learn to chill and accept stuff.
come back to the US, and try to retain that attitude.
come back to the US, and try to retain that attitude.
08-21-15, 07:47 PM
#36
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
The thing that infuriates me the most is people using left turn only lane to get ahead of cars in right lane, but I usually just curse to myself and let it go. Had a couple of potentially bad episodes when I was younger and it just isn't worth it anymore.
08-21-15, 07:57 PM
#37
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
I realized long ago that trying to save 5 minutes at the possible expense of my life or that of others just isn't worth it. I may be impatient in many other ways, but I try my utmost to be stable and true on the road. However, I do walk whenever the opportunity and weather avails itself. I also go out of my way to avoid heavy traffic times. Then, just keep up a steady, moderate speed and relax. Let others pass me if they want, their shenanigans won't make me mad or infuriate me.
08-21-15, 09:35 PM
#38
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
I always remember the wisdom of the great George Carlin: Everybody who drives faster than you is a manaic & everybody who drives slower than you is an idiot.
08-22-15, 01:53 AM
#40
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
I try to never get angry. Instead, I have a little thing I call "The Sarcastic Thumb." If someone does something stupid enough to actually get my attention (require a honk, braking, etc.), I will drive up beside them, make sure they see me, and then plaster on an overly enthusiastic happy face and give them a big thumbs up.
Most of the time they know they did something stupid, and a surprising number of people get really pissed off when I do this, which is very satisfying. It actually works better than flipping them off, since most people expect that and ignore it. That's usually the reaction; I just get flipped off. But I've also been screamed at, followed, had things thrown at me... it's actually kind of fun to see people's reactions.
Most of the time they know they did something stupid, and a surprising number of people get really pissed off when I do this, which is very satisfying. It actually works better than flipping them off, since most people expect that and ignore it. That's usually the reaction; I just get flipped off. But I've also been screamed at, followed, had things thrown at me... it's actually kind of fun to see people's reactions.
08-22-15, 09:33 AM
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
To Living Dead's comment ... That is a problem with non-verbal communication. We don't have an acceptable gesture for "I did something dumb, and I accept responsibility. I am sincerely sorry."
08-22-15, 09:42 AM
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Originally Posted by celmendo
Surprisingly I didn't see a thread already in my quick search and I am truly asking...do most people have better coping skills than me or what? How does everyone handle the complete idiocy of most drivers every time you get in the road? I literally have a mantra/ritual I go through every time I get in the car to try to be a "better" driver. I know there is going to be an idiot or aggressive asshole every time I get on the road so I am not going to let an idiot make me become an idiot just like them. I'm better than that. I'm better then they are and I'm gonna be calm and be safe. Most of the time it works but today was a total fail.
I was in the left hand lane and the guy in front of me was going 70. Great. For no reason he started slowing and swerving into the other lane and slowed to 50. I got in the other lane to get around this person, still calm and just trying to move on. He immediately sped up, so I couldn't get around him, to 75. I lost it and swerved over in front of him and slowed down to 50 to piss him off becoming the idiot I was just trying to get away from. I got off the freeway and tried to calm down going about 50 and some one turned into my lane which was two lanes over for them and made me slam on my breaks since they were going about 25. I swerved around them honking the whole time acting like an idiot again.
I could keep going as I had about 3 more fails but you get the point. You drive too. How do you cope? What mental tricks do you use? I would seriously like any little thing that would help me not be the idiot I'm trying to keep from getting under my skin. I really think 80% of the problems could be avoided if people just paid attention to the very serious task they were performing and not use it as a staging ground for texting, phone calls, grooming time, acting entitled to do anything and everything as long as I get where I'm going regardless of everyone else, etc.
I was in the left hand lane and the guy in front of me was going 70. Great. For no reason he started slowing and swerving into the other lane and slowed to 50. I got in the other lane to get around this person, still calm and just trying to move on. He immediately sped up, so I couldn't get around him, to 75. I lost it and swerved over in front of him and slowed down to 50 to piss him off becoming the idiot I was just trying to get away from. I got off the freeway and tried to calm down going about 50 and some one turned into my lane which was two lanes over for them and made me slam on my breaks since they were going about 25. I swerved around them honking the whole time acting like an idiot again.
I could keep going as I had about 3 more fails but you get the point. You drive too. How do you cope? What mental tricks do you use? I would seriously like any little thing that would help me not be the idiot I'm trying to keep from getting under my skin. I really think 80% of the problems could be avoided if people just paid attention to the very serious task they were performing and not use it as a staging ground for texting, phone calls, grooming time, acting entitled to do anything and everything as long as I get where I'm going regardless of everyone else, etc.
By not being a bitch and accept that there is a normal quantity of dumb fucks that I don't want to be part of. Grow the fuck up and move the fuck on. I don't get some emotion for some random shitty people being a dumb fuck. Unless they hit me, I don't give a damn to grow a strong emotion for people I will never see. Until they make contact. I get annoyed at best for those iffy moments where they could have hit me but beyond that.... no fucks are given. Just get annoyed and move the fuck on.
08-22-15, 10:33 AM
#44
Moderator
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Originally Posted by Abob Teff
We don't have an acceptable gesture for "I did something dumb, and I accept responsibility. I am sincerely sorry."
Spoiler:
08-22-15, 11:27 AM
#45
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
I have thought about getting a dash cam and just filming all the horrible drivers around me and make a compilation video (without all the screaming in other vids 
).
People I know outside this area do not believe me when I describe some of the stupid shit (and/or plain asshole moves on the road) I see people do.
I think the Washington DC metro area has topped the worst in the US. On top of the horrible congestion and huge volume of traffic, you also have an area were 9 out of 10 people are just assholes that think they are better than everyone else and have a 'me first' complex and to top it off are always on their phones.
This behavior just amplifies the problem the volume of traffic causes 10 fold.
It gets very frustrating when people do everything but pay attention to their driving. It also gets frustrating when people drive in a way that intentionally blocks the flow of traffic.
I have been lucky the last several years and have been walking to work (my office relocated near my house) but that will most likely not continue past Dec of this year. When I drove to work everyday, I had a lot more stress.
Its funny some have pointed the finger back at the OP
I have driven in MANY other areas other than Washington DC, and I do not see the same level of stupid and asshole combined that I see here. I have even spent a good bit of time driving in traffic in LA and in San Diego (on the 5), people are not as ridiculously stupid driving in CA as they are here.
).People I know outside this area do not believe me when I describe some of the stupid shit (and/or plain asshole moves on the road) I see people do.
I think the Washington DC metro area has topped the worst in the US. On top of the horrible congestion and huge volume of traffic, you also have an area were 9 out of 10 people are just assholes that think they are better than everyone else and have a 'me first' complex and to top it off are always on their phones.
This behavior just amplifies the problem the volume of traffic causes 10 fold.
It gets very frustrating when people do everything but pay attention to their driving. It also gets frustrating when people drive in a way that intentionally blocks the flow of traffic.
I have been lucky the last several years and have been walking to work (my office relocated near my house) but that will most likely not continue past Dec of this year. When I drove to work everyday, I had a lot more stress.
Its funny some have pointed the finger back at the OP
I have driven in MANY other areas other than Washington DC, and I do not see the same level of stupid and asshole combined that I see here. I have even spent a good bit of time driving in traffic in LA and in San Diego (on the 5), people are not as ridiculously stupid driving in CA as they are here.
08-22-15, 11:34 AM
#46
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
I drove someone to the the clusterfuck known as LAX this past week and had an incident. I was at the very beginning of the departure terminal lanes - right before Terminal 1 and this asswipe tries to bust a move from his right to my left without signaling or at least waving and I honked at his bitch ass cuz he almost clipped my car. The motherfucker rolls down the window of his Nissan Leaf and sticks his melon fucking head out and flicks me off. I literally shouted back at him to go fuck himself then he advanced forward and took off. I was pissed. Then had to come to my senses, because I wasn't the only one in the car. In L.A. you look at someone wrong and you're dead, so it's 20/20 hindsight. I had to let the shit go.
08-22-15, 11:44 AM
#47
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Usually, I just let it go. I'm rarely in a hurry and am pretty mellow anyway, so if someone has to be such a serious jerk that it would affect me, I'm likely to purposefully get wayyy behind him.
I will admit to calling 911 once on an asshole because he was going to kill someone. I wasn't the first, either, because the operator knew exactly who I was calling about. Meth heads on the road are a scary thing.
I will admit to calling 911 once on an asshole because he was going to kill someone. I wasn't the first, either, because the operator knew exactly who I was calling about. Meth heads on the road are a scary thing.
08-22-15, 02:56 PM
#48
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Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Originally Posted by Paff
OP: Ever consider the possibility that you were tailgating to begin with? Maybe you weren't aggressive (honking your horn, flashing your lights), but a lot of people drive like it's a NASCAR race, thinking they can be right up on the bumper of the car in front of them. Could someone have easily merged into the spot between you and the car in front of you? If not, you were probably following too closely.
08-22-15, 03:01 PM
#49
Re: Road Rage - how do you cope?
Originally Posted by Living Dead
I will drive up beside them, make sure they see me, and then plaster on an overly enthusiastic happy face and give them a big thumbs up.
Let it go. Accept with resignation the fact that there are some very stupid people driving our roads, and get on to your destination.
