Road Rage!
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calmloki
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I've had some drivers who were aware and actually helped with the flow - feels good when you see that. Years ago I rode a 650 Triumph twin. Was always aware that right or wrong I would lose in a car/motorcycle accident. I tend to drive fast, but am always happy to let faster go on by and hopefully attract the cop.
My wife is always looking for a deal so we take the AARP driving course every couple years. It is inexpensive, on-line, so convenient and lowers your insurance. What they stress is 1 second for each 10 miles an hour. You watch the car in front of you pass some object bridge, sign car whatever and count how many seconds before you pass that same object. Tailgaters cause countless accidents
What someone tail gates me they IMHO are putting me and family at risk. I slow down and get out of their way when I safely can. I am all a big boy now <b>I wont join the idiots club </b>. No doubt about it their are some really bad drivers out there.
What someone tail gates me they IMHO are putting me and family at risk. I slow down and get out of their way when I safely can. I am all a big boy now <b>I wont join the idiots club </b>. No doubt about it their are some really bad drivers out there.
A former peer of mine transferred out of our division and I lost track of him. A year later I asked my peers in another part of Megacorp, what's Peter been up to? I was advised he was a senseless victim of road rage with another driver. The other driver chased him on a Florida interstate and my peer tried to exit off a ramp and he crashed into the concrete bridge support. He was only 54 years old.
VanWinkle
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I've been there mountainsoft so I feel for you. The emotions are hard to ignore, but I now consider it a victory to just smile and wave at the aggressor. I think that bothers them more than the 1 finger salute and they don't get the satisfaction of knowing they ruined your day. Easy to say, hard to do.
Yes, I've seen that too. And frankly, I've seen some very good driving to avoid almost certain collisions. So maybe the idiots are not the majority, they just stand out more.
My Triumph was a 750. What a nice bike! Riding sure does sharpen your wits about what's going on around you.
So true. The best I can usually muster is the slow "WTF were you thinking" head shake. The smile and wave, translated in the South into "well, bless your heart" would be even better. I used to applaud, but I think that's a bit too passive-aggressive.
The other gesture to other drivers is when I do something stupid. The sheepish "sorry...thank you" half-wave.
I had a guy do a similar thing except I wasn't even left lane camping, just a regular road with a line of traffic, pouring rain, and I was maintaining about 100 feet between me and the car in front of me for safe stopping distance, driving 60mph in a 60mph zone (it was REALLY raining hard too).
So this guy comes up right behind me, maybe 2 feet from my bumper. I start to slow down (but without hard braking). He swerves into the other lane to pass, only to see a semi truck coming, so he swerves back behind me and his car keeps going, into a farmer field (doesn't roll or crash but for sure stuck in the mud).
It made my day.
So this guy comes up right behind me, maybe 2 feet from my bumper. I start to slow down (but without hard braking). He swerves into the other lane to pass, only to see a semi truck coming, so he swerves back behind me and his car keeps going, into a farmer field (doesn't roll or crash but for sure stuck in the mud).
It made my day.
mountainsoft
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I wasn't camping in the left lane either. It's just a city road with two lanes. Both lanes were full with normal traffic. I had just moved to the left lane because the right lane ends several blocks ahead. There was no traffic behind me when I changed lanes. So I was surprised when the truck appeared out of no where.
I was boxed in with cars in front of me and in the lane next to me, with the truck on my rear bumper. There was no where to go, and swerving like a NASCAR driver wasn't an option either.
Like always I was allowing safe driving distance between the car in front of me, and I suppose that space was just too tempting to the truck behind me. I don't care if the truck wanted in front of me, but nearly taking out the front of my car in the process was the scary part. Then the futility of it all when the truck stopped to make a left turn at the next light.
I used to get upset with angry and impatient drivers but it served no purpose. It did not change their behavior and it only ruined my day. So I don't respond to aggressive behavior with more aggressive behavior anymore. I usually sing while I am behind the wheel and all they see while flying by (looking like they are having a stroke) is me having a good time.
I remember seeing a road sign while driving across Oklahoma City that read: "If you are late, you should have left earlier" or something along those lines. How true. Don't risk other people's life just because you can't manage your own time. I am almost never late and I drive on the same road as everybody else.
I remember seeing a road sign while driving across Oklahoma City that read: "If you are late, you should have left earlier" or something along those lines. How true. Don't risk other people's life just because you can't manage your own time. I am almost never late and I drive on the same road as everybody else.
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HarveyS
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Maybe the truck was camped out in your blind spot and you mistakenly did cut him off? I've had this happen to me so I have become careful not to drive in other's blind spots.
HarveyS
Full time employment: Posting here.
Seems excessive, and not very practical. At 60 mph that would suggest leaving a tenth of a mile in front of you. That would be impossible in/around Chicagoland at most times of the day.
Bestwifeever
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I’ve been told using your windshield washer when driving fast will also sprinkle the car behind you and may force it to back off a bit. I never remember this trick but personally, I try to not engage in any way, passive or not, with drivers who are erratic or dangerous, so I just get out of their way and thank God I’m not them.
I think the old saying about distance left is "one car length for every 10 miles per hour. Lots of folks try to intimidate with their cars by following 1-2 car lengths back....it never does anything other than raising everyone's blood pressure needlessly.
A mom with a "Babies on Board" decal came up behind me, crossed over the double yellow lines to get in the left turning lane. I was turning left also, but waited to get in the left turning lane after the double yellow lines. If I had not looked in my rear view mirror and seen her charging ahead of me to turn left first, we would have had one hell of an accident. I slammed on my brakes and let her go ahead.
At the next light, I was behind her. The light was red. I got out of the car, went to her window and said do you realize the accident you would have caused if I did not look in my rear view mirror and slam on the brakes? I went further to explain what she did. She was a young mother and looked at me and said "sorry."
At the next light, I was behind her. The light was red. I got out of the car, went to her window and said do you realize the accident you would have caused if I did not look in my rear view mirror and slam on the brakes? I went further to explain what she did. She was a young mother and looked at me and said "sorry."
gwraigty
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I learned a few years ago how to adjust the side mirrors to eliminate the blind spots. You can Google this and find some good videos about it. I feel more confident when changing lanes/merging onto a freeway now. We're teaching our son to drive and I've taught him to adjust his mirrors this way. I've also pointed out to him when people do reckless things and that you're usually right behind them at the next red light.
Bestwifeever
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I learned a few years ago how to adjust the side mirrors to eliminate the blind spots. You can Google this and find some good videos about it. I feel more confident when changing lanes/merging onto a freeway now. We're teaching our son to drive and I've taught him to adjust his mirrors this way. I've also pointed out to him when people do reckless things and that you're usually right behind them at the next red light.
Driving in other drivers' blind spots is also dangerous.
Music Lover
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I also adjust my mirrors to eliminate the blind spot but I also avoid driving in other car's blind spots because so few people know how to adjust their mirrors.
Adjusting the mirrors to eliminate the blind spot should be a mandatory pass/fail part of the driver's test.
scrabbler1
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This reminds me of a similar incident many years ago. I was a passenger in a car driven by my dad's 70-something ladyfriend. She was about to get into a left-turn lane when she spotted a car zooming up in that lane. She braked hard and aborted the lane change. The other car, meanwhile, was flying down the turn lane, picking up some speed as there was a slight downhill. At the bottom of the hill, he had to brake hard as there was some oncoming traffic. But the road was a little icy as it had snowed a few days earlier and the car skidded a little to the left into oncoming traffic before being struck head-on. Pretty scary sight as we went by the scene moments later.
mountainsoft
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Nope, when I turned onto the road the other traffic had red lights. There was no one behind me when I turned on the road and got in the left lane.
travelover
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There was a guy in Michigan a few years back that got shot doing this. The shooter claimed he was afraid for his life. As I recall, he went to jail but the guy who got out of his car died.
gwraigty
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I'm going to test that method against what I've been doing. I get the same results with the method I'm using: cars approaching from behind will enter the side mirrors first, then immediately enter the rear view mirror. The video I watched said to adjust your rear view mirror. Whatever is in the leftmost side of it, adjust your left mirror so that same thing is in the right side of it. Whatever is in the rightmost side of the rear view mirror, adjust your right side mirror so that same thing is in the left side of it.
Do the driving instructors know how? I went to driving school at 19. I remember being told to adjust my left side mirror (no right side mirrors at that time) so that I could see the back window/corner of the car. How is a new driver supposed to know that you have a blind spot that way? And to see if the left lane is clear to merge/change, oh, you just quickly turn your head to the left and look over your shoulder.
I saw my grandfather do that often enough, that I didn't question it. Maybe that's how everyone was taught? Now they talk so often about not taking your eyes off the road (texting, etc.), yet that was/is considered acceptable?
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I've also pointed out to him when people do reckless things and that you're usually right behind them at the next red light.
Ain’t that the truth. Two important points. One is that if you had just engaged that person negatively, you’re putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Second, once I realized that when I was being a jerk by recognizing that the person I just passed is right behind me at the light, I stopped that crap. All the weaving and driving fast will get you to the same light a little sooner than those you just pissed off. Just not worth it. I’ve calmed down considerably in the last several years.
gwraigty
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I just tried it and it doesn't work for me. Neither mirror wound up giving me the correct view. I'll keep using the method I described above. It's actually described and illustrated pretty well here:
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15131074/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots/
