Road Rage and Demographics

[Fergie]

Had some Road Rage today, not from me, but towards me, the most extreme I'd seen.

Coming up to an intersection close to my house, I was making a right turn, heading north. The other vehicle was making a left turn north, from the inside lane of a double left lane. The road we were turning onto was a two lane road.

Knowing the drivers in Tucson don't like to turn into their proper lanes, I kept an eye on the driver as they made their turn and I made mine(both of us had a green light, no special turn arrows for her or me.) So, she turned into my lane at the same time I turned in to mine, so I hit the horn to let her know I was there, which she knew already. She cut me off anyway, and slowed down. I figured she was turning into the gas station or Chinese take-out place.

She slowed down, rolled her window down, and gave me and the wife the finger as we had changed lanes to go by her. We just looked over, laughed to ourselves, and kept going. I watched her in the mirror as she turned off on a side street....or so I thought.

Not 5 mintues later, we are filling up at the gas station, the same lady pulls up and blocks our vehicle in, and starts reading me the riot act. She was saying that I was going entirely to fast and that I was wrong for honking.

I asked her if she knew that she had turned into the wrong lane, and that she should have yielded as she was making the left turn. Her response to me was "Oh, trying to act big in front of your lady!?!"

At that point, I relaized she was just projecting, and couldnt be reasoned with, so I told her to politely STFU, and take a hike, and to quit bothering me while I was getting gas. She sped off, whith most of the gas station laughing at her. The guys at the next pump were saying I should be more cautious and never speed, sarcastically of course.

So, the reason this incident took me off guard was the perp. She was an American Indian, mid to late 30s....just caught me as highly odd that she belonged to that demographic, and not a more rage prone group.

Odd. Odd indeed.

[yellowxj]

I never count on people turning into the proper lane like that. Or knowing what to do in a uncontrolled intersection or how to act if the traffic lights are out....they get their lisc. off the back of a rice crispys box.

[RichP]

I don't trust anybody, I don't trust directionals till I see the nose change direction, countless times people drive with their blinkers on. Heck, I've done it where I signal for a left or right fork and don't turn the wheel far enough to engage the click release. With the TJ and top off I'm really bad that way because I can't hear the blinker and my eye level with reference to the steering wheel blocks it. Coming back from NJ last nite on Rt80 some $#%$# trash hauler was behind me with his high beams on riding my bumper and I had no place to go, doing 80 in the center lane with almost bumper to bumper traffic while the normal trucks were doing 60-65 in the right lane and I was doing 70, left lane was doing 75+. It is no coincidence that those trash haulers are involved in most of the accidents up here taking NY trash out to Ohio.
I also see alot of that rage in shopping centers, which I avoid at all costs, we went dishwasher shopping today and I drove the wifes Olds, was cut off a bunch of times in the lot, that almost never happens with the TJ and it's warn bumper :D :D I backed into a spot and not 5 seconds later some ahh ha pulls up and says 'I was waiting for that spot' and I said you were 300ft down the aisle I don't consider that 'waiting' for anything, %$#$ NY plates too..

[Dmanti]

I was told by my defensive driving course instructor (92 in a 55, lesson learned) that in Georgia, there is no legal right-of-way. If two people were to collide at a 4-way with no lights (Stop signs), it's both drivers' fault. Somebody has to yeild right-of-way.

I'm not sure if this is true, doesn't matter all that much if you drive like you should.

[XJ Dreamin']

Oh man, that kind of chit (the bad driving, if not the rage) happens so often every day that I can't even begin to pick which story to tell. Down here - dare I say it - 'near the border', the number of drivers who have no clue who has right-of-way is staggering.

OK, just two stories:
1) I was sitting at a stop sign on a side street. The cross traffic did not stop. I wanted to make a left turn and there was only one vehicle in sight on the cross street. She was aproaching from my left and her right-turn signal was flashing. Her speed was slowing as she aproached my street and she was looking at the curb where she wanted to turn into my street. When she had slowed enough to turn, and her wheels had actually started to turn to the right, I started lifting my foot off the brake. At that instant her head whipped around to look over her left shoulder, her singnal switched to the left, she turned her wheel left and opened the throttle. I went back onto the brake the instant her head moved and she blasted across my nose at near full throttle, all while looking over her left shoulder. If I had disregarded my Dad's warnings to never trust a turn signal I might have moved sooner. She would have had no idea if I had moved since she was looking over her shoulder when she hit the throttle.

2) I rolled into the parking lot at the pediatrician's office just this last January. As I rolled into the lot I saw a woman walking toward an SUV near the lot entrance. The lot was pretty full but I figured I had time to make a round before she would have moved out of her spot. As I aproached the front door of the office there was an open spot right in front of the door - HOT DANG - my lucky day. As I aproach the spot I find there's this goober standing in the middle of the spot with his umbrella (it was raining). He was looking across the parking lot to where the lady I had seen was now backing out of her spot. I realized that the lady wasn't leaving, her hubby was trying to hold a spot to move their rig closer to the door. Well, sorry buddy, but nobody holds parking spots at the doctor's office. I rolled right into the spot, forcing him to back up onto the sidewalk, all the while his head was swivling from me to his old lady. I threw the ZJ into park, shut her down, got our little girl out and walked on into the office. I thought about sticking around to listen in on the reaming he was sure to get for not holding that spot, but I thought that just wouldn't be cool. Suck it up buddy - get reamed by the old lady, or run over by a '97 ZJ - your choice :D

[XJ Dreamin']

I was told by my defensive driving course instructor (92 in a 55, lesson learned) that in Georgia, there is no legal right-of-way. If two people were to collide at a 4-way with no lights (Stop signs), it's both drivers' fault. Somebody has to yeild right-of-way.

I'm not sure if this is true, doesn't matter all that much if you drive like you should.

The Texas book states that right-of-way is not determined by who 'has' right-of-way, but by who must yield right-of-way. One of the two failed to yield - that's what the citation will say: "Failure to Yield".

I 'Failed to Yield from a private drive' once - $250. But, that was years ago in Missouri. Last fall I got "Following too close (no accident)," and "Unsafe Lane Change (failing to leave sufficient space when changing lane - no accident)" - $340. The cop gave me a lecture on agressive driving. I didn't bother to tell him I'd just finished a DD class for dismisal of an 82 in a 65.

And, yes, I have learned my lesson. I drive like my 79yo father now :lecture:

[RichP]

When I had my bike I could be a real prick, I'd cruise the other side of the parking lot lane and when I saw a car backing out I'd go between the two cars on the other side and pull into the space from the back as they were leaving, drop the kickstand down and be walking away before the car that was in there was fully out. Some would almost be foaming at the mouth they were so pissed that I got 'Their Spot'.... nothing like a little parking lot jousting...:rof:

[yellowxj]

I do hate "perchers"...people who follow pedestrians down the lane in the parking lot at a snails pace to see what car they are going to so they can cause further delays by waiting for the walking person to load their car then get the spot...to battle this behaviour my wife and I will walk down the lane NEXT to the lane our jeep is on...it never fails that if I park in the first spot I can I still get to the door just as fast or faster than some one who causes other people headaches by perching or holding spots...

and then one time when my xj was on 33's with open diffs I managed to powerbrake a little in a damp parking lot behind the "percher" who was driving at a walking pace behind a couple walking toward their car...kept that one rear tire going fast enough long enough to start it howling and smoking as I followed the slow car. Got a lot of looks in the parking lot.

[XJ Dreamin']

She was an American Indian

Careful there. I was working with one of my fellow civil servants in one of our campgrounds when one of our campers (a lovely little old white lady) came over to tell us what a lovely campground we have. 'Thank you very much,' we said. She started telling us about the campgrounds she had visited recently and mentioned a state park near the 'Indian' reservation [Alabama-Couchata reservation granted by Sam Houston] over by Woodville.
My co-worker says, 'Yes, that's a nice campground.'
'Oh,' she says, 'you know the area?'
'I live on the reservation,' he says.
'Oh, you're an Indian?'
'Yes, maam.'
'Oh, I thought you were Mexican.'
'No maam.'
'So, Spanish isn't your first language?'
'No, maam.' [At this point, I'm dieing. He was so cool and all, and I was about to pee my pants]
'Because you look just like a Mexican. It's so hard to tell - there's so many of them. They're everywhere now days.'
'Yes, maam.'
'So, you're an Indian.'
'Yes, maam.'
She went on for another 5 minutes about all the places she'd been camping. By the time she finally left I was so drained from holding myself together that all I could do was shake my head. He just grinned and shrugged his shoulders. What're ya' gonna do, I think was his sentiment.

Of course, that lady might have stopped to consider that, first, alot of the people crossing the border are not Mexican, and second, that alot of them are actually Native (Central) American who's first language is not Spanish, anyway. But, I guess I shouldn't expect much from little old white ladies.

[XJ Dreamin']

I do hate "perchers"...people who follow pedestrians down the lane in the parking lot at a snails pace to see what car they are going to so they can cause further delays by waiting for the walking person to load their car then get the spot...to battle this behaviour my wife and I will walk down the lane NEXT to the lane our jeep is on...it never fails that if I park in the first spot I can I still get to the door just as fast or faster than some one who causes other people headaches by perching or holding spots...

and then one time when my xj was on 33's with open diffs I managed to powerbrake a little in a damp parking lot behind the "percher" who was driving at a walking pace behind a couple walking toward their car...kept that one rear tire going fast enough long enough to start it howling and smoking as I followed the slow car. Got a lot of looks in the parking lot.

I've decided that, compared to the distance I'll end up walking through the store aisle-by-aisle, the walk to and from the front door is neglegible. I don't fight for parking spots anymore (except at the pediatrician's office :laugh3:).

[RichP]

I don't fight anymore either, however I consider a plowed snow mound at the end of a lane fair game for parking....as well as rock embankments provided there is no landscaping.

[XJ Dreamin']

I do hate "perchers"...people who follow pedestrians down the lane in the parking lot at a snails pace to see what car they are going to...

I enjoy it when we get inside the store and the wife says, "Oh, I forgot my coupon book. Could you run out to the car and get it?" Run? Hell, I walk as slow as I can and make a point of doing a thorough search before I finally find the coupons, lock up and head back to the store. A polite tip-of-the-cap to the waiting driver is always a nice touch.

[kubtastic]

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/29a.gif

maybe it was a CA driver - when turning left you get to choose any lane if you're the only one from your side who can turn left.

[IslanderXJ]

Not if there is somebody turning right into one of the lanes. You have to yield on a reguler green light when turning left.

[kubtastic]

Not if there is somebody turning right into one of the lanes. You have to yield on a reguler green light when turning left.

No kidding

[IslanderXJ]

No kidding. Is there any other speculation you would like to make about a dmv-provided graphic and its relevance to post #1?
Umm.. That looks like a 2 door XJ turning right?
EDIT: Decide to maybe think before you type?

[Hypoid]

Y'all are making me want to study the Colorado manual. 30 years ago I heard a state trooper tell my driver ed class that in a pending accident no one has the right of way. That Kalifornia pic: 30 years ago that was improper lane useage here.

Nowadays I'm too old and cranky for accident reports and tow trucks to take me home, a trip to the boneyard and a day in the driveway. I don't care who has the right-of-way, just GTF outa the way so I can go home please. Of course, from the outside that looks like courteous driving. Don't tell on me!

OK Fergie, you were taken off guard. It's my personal opinion (which may or may not be supported by fact) that any woman in her mid thirtys is a candiate for the change of life. Give those hormonal shifts their due, regardless of sex or age group. Do you have any actual demographics for road rage? At this moment I belong to the age group with the highest motorcycle fatality rate. Who else do I need to be looking for out there?

[8Mud]

Funny, I was driving up a narrow street, cars parked on one side, really only space for one car at a time to get through. I was almost to the end of the parked cars and some lady wearing a Burka pulls up nose to nose with me. Yelling, screaming, waving her arms in the air, reving her motor, then honking her horn.
I took out the newspaper and proceded to read the funny papers (again).
This woman is going absolutly nuts. Bus pulls up behind me ,the driver takes in the scene at a glance, pulls out his newspaper and procedes to read a little.
She finally drives up on the sidewalk, one tire in the gutter and squeezes around me and then figures out she can't clear the bus. He is still sitting there reading his newspaper, as I drive off.
If she would have backed up maybe ten feet, we could have gotten it sorted out in seconds.
I have the feeling that a large part of the problem in the middle east, is because of the women. Spikes in violence likely follow a monthly cycle.

[yellowxj]

Funny, I was driving up a narrow street, cars parked on one side, really only space for one car at a time to get through. I was almost to the end of the parked cars and some lady wearing a Burka pulls up nose to nose with me. Yelling, screaming, waving her arms in the air, reving her motor, then honking her horn.

I"D HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF HER WAY!!! Not to stereo type with out reason but she's probably mad she's not getting to the market quick enough to detonate during the 5 oclock rush.

[Fergie]

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/29a.gif

maybe it was a CA driver - when turning left you get to choose any lane if you're the only one from your side who can turn left.
Doesnt describe the situation that I was in.

And, in AZ, you must turn in to your lane of travel. ARS.

[kubtastic]

Doesnt describe the situation that I was in.

And, in AZ, you must turn in to your lane of travel. ARS.

On board with ya, except those dang Californians like to choose their lanes when turning left, which is I why I brought it up. In case you visit California, don't turn right on red expecting others to choose their nearest lane.

What's ARS?

[Fergie]

Arizona Revised Statutes.

[ECKSJAY]

Atlanta Rhythm Section

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/Atlanta_Rhythm_Section_-_Champagne_Jam.jpg

[summitlt]

i enjoy others road rage, comical to me.

We have a bridge in town that is two ways, but only one lane. So you gotta take turns. Im in my moms ZJ, im 2/3's of the way across the bridge and some 20year old PMS girl comes on the bridge, instead of stopping and backing off, she comes to the nose of the ZJ and motions for me to back up.

Sorry, but im literally 40 feet from the exit of a 150ft bridge, im NOT backing off. So I sit there and word "no you!"

Well she starts yelling profanitys, at this point im laughing, throw the ZJ in park, shut off the lights, shut down the truck and lean the seat back. Im ready to camp!

She gets out and starts screaming at me, all the while in laughing through a closed window. She eventually got the hint and backed up. I won.

[tupton]

2) I rolled into the parking lot at the pediatrician's office just this last January. As I rolled into the lot I saw a woman walking toward an SUV near the lot entrance. The lot was pretty full but I figured I had time to make a round before she would have moved out of her spot. As I aproached the front door of the office there was an open spot right in front of the door - HOT DANG - my lucky day. As I aproach the spot I find there's this goober standing in the middle of the spot with his umbrella (it was raining). He was looking across the parking lot to where the lady I had seen was now backing out of her spot. I realized that the lady wasn't leaving, her hubby was trying to hold a spot to move their rig closer to the door. Well, sorry buddy, but nobody holds parking spots at the doctor's office. I rolled right into the spot, forcing him to back up onto the sidewalk, all the while his head was swivling from me to his old lady. I threw the ZJ into park, shut her down, got our little girl out and walked on into the office. I thought about sticking around to listen in on the reaming he was sure to get for not holding that spot, but I thought that just wouldn't be cool. Suck it up buddy - get reamed by the old lady, or run over by a '97 ZJ - your choice :D

Don't know if that was such a smart idea. He could have just stood his ground and the moment you touch him he falls. In most places, drivers must always yield to pedestrians, regardless of where they are. That looks like an instant lawsuit and a lot of hassle that I wouldn't want to put up with just for a parking spot. Just my .02

[Blaine B.]

Maybe she was just angry that day since she found out she was getting kicked out of the Cherokee tribe and would no longer receive benefits from the US Government?

In Indiana I was always told in drivers education that if you are turning left at an intersection, you turn into the left lane, unless it's a two turn lane situation. Although it isn't a law - they just call it "good driving practice."

[Blaine B.]

I"D HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF HER WAY!!! Not to stereo type with out reason but she's probably mad she's not getting to the market quick enough to detonate during the 5 oclock rush.



HBAHAHAH, that made my day!:firedevil

[8Mud]

I"D HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF HER WAY!!! Not to stereo type with out reason but she's probably mad she's not getting to the market quick enough to detonate during the 5 oclock rush.
She drives a Mercedes, probably an $80,000 car, her husband drives a Taxi, they have five kids, two are retarded. One of her sons, spent most of his childhood jumping in front of passing cars, laughing and flipping off the drivers. He has since gotten older and graduated into bouncing empty plastic coke bottles off of peoples windshields as they drive by, he got me the other day. The city just moved them into a brand new house last month, likely worth $750,000.
I guess being obnoxious does have it's benefits. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Or the German methode is, if you throw enough money at them, maybe you can get them to shuck the fut up.
The Germans have a history of radical solutions to social problems. I've been wondering how long there patiance is going to last.

[XJ Dreamin']

Don't know if that was such a smart idea. He could have just stood his ground and the moment you touch him he falls. In most places, drivers must always yield to pedestrians, regardless of where they are. That looks like an instant lawsuit and a lot of hassle that I wouldn't want to put up with just for a parking spot. Just my .02

Oh, I never would have touched him :D He knew what he was doing was silly or he wouldn't have backed off. It was funny because you know he was gonna get reamed good from his wife for backing down. In the Texas book, a driver must always yield to a pedestrian in a parking lot. There is no stipulation about cross walks, etc.: it says only that cars yield to pedestrians in parking lots, so, no I would not have touched him.

It was funny, though. Maybe you had to be there to see his head swivle back and forth as he weighed getting run over against his wife's wrath.

[XJ Dreamin']

Maybe she was just angry that day since she found out she was getting kicked out of the Cherokee tribe and would no longer receive benefits from the US Government?

In Indiana I was always told in drivers education that if you are turning left at an intersection, you turn into the left lane, unless it's a two turn lane situation. Although it isn't a law - they just call it "good driving practice."

The Texas book says to choose the lane that interferes least with existing traffic. If one is turning left then that driver is obligated to yield to opposing traffic turning right, if both have green. In that case, the driver tuning right would be the existing traffic.

The ones I love are turning left where the receiving lanes are separated by a solid white, or double white. The book clearly states (and there is usually a sign as well) that one may not cross a solid or double white line. If you're turning into the lane on the right, they can get really pissed when you don't yield to them, even when they can't have any right to that lane because it is across a solid white. That blows me away. Even weirder: sometimes the right turn will have a Yield sign. Yield to whom? Nobody else can get to that lane. The straight traffic from the left and the opposing traffic turning left both go to the left lane, and neither can cross the solid white so where the frack is the traffic to whom I am supposed to yield? Drives me crazy :eeks1:

[bjoehandley]

In Illinois you have to turn into the left lane on a four lane road, I still almost got hit that way several years ago by somebody who wasn't and probably would have gotten the ticket if there had been a collision since I was trying to make a right turn on red. The SUV in the drawing looks like a first gen S-Blazer/Jimmy to me

[johnnyc]

In 30 years of driving in California, the scenario that Fergie presented has never been an issue. A car turning left and a car turning right should never be turning at the same time.

If it is a regular intersection or an intersection with no traffic signals or signs, the car turning right has the right-of-way.

If the car turning left has a protected left turn green signal, the car turning right must stop and yield. In this situation, the car turning left can turn into any lane because there should be no conflict.

How did California get dragged into this anyway? :dunno:

[Darky]

Because driver's out here generally suck, and everybody knows it. :D

I had a woman me behind on an off-ramp (going from the 5S to the 78E in Oceanside) driving a green mid-90's Accord. We were in the left lane, the right lane was about to end. Last second she decides that being behind me is the pits and it can't wait 200 more feet or so until we're on the 78 with 3 lanes to choose from. So she jumps over into the right lane, floors the gas, and jumps back into the left lane. Well, mostly. You see, she didn't account for the fact that her car deos indeed extend further than her backside and smacked her rear bumper into my front passenger side tire (sometimes it pays to be higher up than most cars). She then proceeds to get on the brakes to which I reacted by slowing down and staying behind her. We get to my exit and I get off and she dives off at the last second to follow me. She pulls in behind me at Wal Mart and tellsme its my fault she hit me becase my lane was ending and she had the right of way. I calmly (and politely) informed her that she was retarded and her recollection of events was flawed. She still insisted, so to get rid of her I told her, "Look, no damage to your car, none to mine, let's leave it at that."

[98XJSport]

I almost saw a bad one the other day. I drive a pretty dangerous road, lots of 55 mph traffic going to work and going home. Very very few places to pass, its 1 lane north 1 lane south. All it takes is some idiot to go 40-45 and the traffic backs up for miles. Quite a few people get killed passing in that situation.
One guy went out to pass on a nice straight stretch, probably got up to around 70. There is a small side road that enters with a stop sign. Some dumba$$ pulled up to the stop sign looking left, ran the stop and made a right turn. The guy doing 70 nailed the brakes and merged back in, probably 3 car lengths from a nice head-on.

I see near misses most days.

[bajacalal]

How did California get dragged into this anyway?

Really. But anyway, in California, don't make a right turn if there is on-coming traffic. Even if you are planning to enter the right lane and you think it is clear people around here like to merge over at the last second without any signaling and will make left turns into any lane sometimes disregarding who has the right of way.

[UNCC_99XJ]

Last fall I got "Following too close (no accident)," The cop gave me a lecture on agressive driving.

I was lucky enough to get one of those back in November. It was Friday afternoon, roughly 4:30, and I'm on my way from Charlotte where I go to school to High Point (where we lived at the time). Its about a 100 mile or so trip and takes about an hour and 20 minutes at normal speeds. I was on a stretch of highway that's not heavily traveled at all, runnin about 65 (the limit) just minding my own business, listening to some music and watching the scenery go by. This particular highway is well known for cops to be sitting on the side of the road as people like to speed and drive like morons cause it's not heavily traveled, and i'll admit that before I really knew the highway that well, when i was in a hurry i'd speed (no more than 10 over, save the lecture folks) to make up some time. This time I was just chillin, making sure I was doing everything properly so that there was no chance of anything happeneing. Well I approach a slower moving postal Jeep in the lane i'm in (right lane). So I check traffic behind me, which at the time was just an approaching van in the left lane, who was SPEEDING. I waited for him to go by, put my signal on, and began to make my lane change to the left. I had turned around one last time to double check there was nobody behind the van as I was beginning my lane change, and the person in that van had jumped on the brakes, and jumped on them hard. I wasn't expecting this, so me still running the speed limit, was coming up on this van that was now below the limit, and quite fast.

I jumped on my brakes as hard as I could with out locking them up or putting myself in danger of losing control, and right as I was beginning to actually slow down and back off of this dude, we pass a state trooper sitting in the median (that I couldn't see because the van was blocking my view and we were coming out of a curve). I figured, great, he'll grab that guy in the van for almost causing an accident. But he didn't move. Okay, that's odd I thought to myself. I moved back over to the right lane, went back up to 65 and continued on my trip. 3.5 (read THREE AND A HALF) miles down the highway, here comes a crown vic doing 100+....jumps in behind me and gets right up on my bumper and flips on the blue lights.

Long story short, I pull over to the side, he comes up and takes a step back when he looks in the back window of my Jeep. All I had was my laundry basket, computer bag, and book bag....basically stuff any college kid today would have when he comes home on the weekends.

He walks up to my window, asks for my license and registration and proceeds to tell me exactly what I was doing.

"young man that was a pretty stupid move you did back there."
"excuse me officer??"
" I bet you've been followin that guy like that for miles."
"No sir I haven't. I know what it probably looked like from your position, but honestly thats not what happened. Let me explain."

I get halfway though what happened and he cuts me off and says "I don't believe you." Walks back to his car and promptly writes me a $145 ticket for "following too close", as well as a paper explaining driving school that i'd have to attend in order for the D.A. to even think about reducing the charge. When I asked him to explain that driving school to me, as it was my "first time" getting pulled over and I was confused, he responded with "no, it's all explained on that sheet. have a nice evening sir."

........ok, well just see about that I said to myself.

Anyways, got a good attorney from my good friend's mom who works for the DMV, and who's husband has had his fair share of speeding tickets lately. $350 later, the charge was reduced from "following too close" to "Faulty Equipment" :D :D :D

When I looked up this particualr trooper's outstanding tickets on the NC court system's website, this guy had about 3 dozen open cases. When I handed my attorney the ticket he said "ohhh yes, officer (insert name here), we get a lot from this guy.

[Blaine B.]

Fukkin lawyers always getting people out of crap. Not saying you weren't deserving because given what you told us you were....but in general.

[Fergie]

Fukkin police always being dickheads....and I am saying...in general.

[UNCC_99XJ]

Fukkin lawyers always getting people out of crap. Not saying you weren't deserving because given what you told us you were....but in general.

When the person deserves the ticket they got, that's one thing. But i'll be dammed if i'm gonna take the hit on my insurance and the points on my driving record cause of something that wasn't my fault.

[WB9YZU]

Had some Road Rage today, not from me, but towards me, the most extreme I'd seen.

Coming up to an intersection close to my house, I was making a right turn, heading north. The other vehicle was making a left turn north, from the inside lane of a double left lane. The road we were turning onto was a two lane road.

Knowing the drivers in Tucson don't like to turn into their proper lanes, I kept an eye on the driver as they made their turn and I made mine(both of us had a green light, no special turn arrows for her or me.) So, she turned into my lane at the same time I turned in to mine, so I hit the horn to let her know I was there, which she knew already. She cut me off anyway, and slowed down. I figured she was turning into the gas station or Chinese take-out place.

She slowed down, rolled her window down, and gave me and the wife the finger as we had changed lanes to go by her. We just looked over, laughed to ourselves, and kept going. I watched her in the mirror as she turned off on a side street....or so I thought.

Not 5 mintues later, we are filling up at the gas station, the same lady pulls up and blocks our vehicle in, and starts reading me the riot act. She was saying that I was going entirely to fast and that I was wrong for honking.

I asked her if she knew that she had turned into the wrong lane, and that she should have yielded as she was making the left turn. Her response to me was "Oh, trying to act big in front of your lady!?!"

At that point, I relaized she was just projecting, and couldnt be reasoned with, so I told her to politely STFU, and take a hike, and to quit bothering me while I was getting gas. She sped off, whith most of the gas station laughing at her. The guys at the next pump were saying I should be more cautious and never speed, sarcastically of course.

So, the reason this incident took me off guard was the perp. She was an American Indian, mid to late 30s....just caught me as highly odd that she belonged to that demographic, and not a more rage prone group.

Odd. Odd indeed.

I'm going to take a different approach to this than the previous posters...
Perhaps... you... were... wrong ...

Wisconsin has a simple and basic statement which really does not cover this situation.
"The driver turning left must yield to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction, including bicycles."

However, the incidence around here where a left turn from opposite trafic would jam a right turn would be at a stop sign or a light where you have had to stop or you have a turn lane to the right.
Since I can never predict which lane a yahoo from the opposite direction will take, I wait until they comit themselves and are in whatever lane they have chosen and out of my way.

Perhaps that since you saw her, and were aware of the possibilities, you should have just taken care of your business and let her go about hers.
Your job is to drive your vehicle, not hers. It does not matter what violation she pulled, you were responsible for avoiding conflict if possible. It is not your responsibility to police others by pointing out their mistakes, except where you are in danger of harm, which you acknowledge you were not.
By not backing off and also "hitting the horn" you reminded her that she was in the wrong and triggered the emotional response. Who knows, maybe someone pissed in her oatmeal and she was locked and loaded and waiting for a trigger, which you were more than happy to provide.

Of interest and possibly indicative of your driving style up to that point, is that instead of diffusing the situation at the gas station by apologising, you further enraged her by arguing with her. I would have hated to be the next person she ran in to. Her reactions were bound to be just that more outragous.

baaa... :D :D

[XJ Dreamin']

I'm going to take a different approach to this than the previous posters...
Perhaps... you... were... wrong ...

Wisconsin has a simple and basic statement which really does not cover this situation.
"The driver turning left must yield to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction, including bicycles."

However, the incidence around here where a left turn from opposite trafic would jam a right turn would be at a stop sign or a light where you have had to stop or you have a turn lane to the right.
Since I can never predict which lane a yahoo from the opposite direction will take, I wait until they comit themselves and are in whatever lane they have chosen and out of my way.

Perhaps that since you saw her, and were aware of the possibilities, you should have just taken care of your business and let her go about hers.
Your job is to drive your vehicle, not hers. It does not matter what violation she pulled, you were responsible for avoiding conflict if possible. It is not your responsibility to police others by pointing out their mistakes, except where you are in danger of harm, which you acknowledge you were not.
By not backing off and also "hitting the horn" you reminded her that she was in the wrong and triggered the emotional response. Who knows, maybe someone pissed in her oatmeal and she was locked and loaded and waiting for a trigger, which you were more than happy to provide.

Of interest and possibly indicative of your driving style up to that point, is that instead of diffusing the situation at the gas station by apologising, you further enraged her by arguing with her. I would have hated to be the next person she ran in to. Her reactions were bound to be just that more outragous.

baaa... :D :D

If it's afternoon, I'd let her go. In the morning, OTOH, just stay the frack out of my way. I got a hair trigger in the morning.

[ren]

You know, I have to agree with Fergie. I am NOT apoligizing for something that is NOT my fault. And you want to talk about idiot drivers, well, try looking at it from a truckers point of view: WE are always the reason that you are late, WE are always the reason that your dumb ass got run up on the curb because you were in such a hurry to make that right turn that YOU TRIED TO TURN INSIDE THE RIGHT HAND TURN THAT I WAS MAKING, and now, YOU are stuck under MY trailer, having to explain to the cop WTF you thought you were doing, when you did this. And now, you really are going to be late. When it comes to road rage, man, I see this everyday that I am out so much that I actually find more entertaining than watching cartoons. I am not going to pick on one state, because they all have their idiots, and they all also have their good drivers, but I see more of the former than the latter.

[WB9YZU]

You know, I have to agree with Fergie. I am NOT apoligizing for something that is NOT my fault. And you want to talk about idiot drivers, well, try looking at it from a truckers point of view: WE are always the reason that you are late, WE are always the reason that your dumb ass got run up on the curb because you were in such a hurry to make that right turn that YOU TRIED TO TURN INSIDE THE RIGHT HAND TURN THAT I WAS MAKING, and now, YOU are stuck under MY trailer, having to explain to the cop WTF you thought you were doing, when you did this. And now, you really are going to be late. When it comes to road rage, man, I see this everyday that I am out so much that I actually find more entertaining than watching cartoons. I am not going to pick on one state, because they all have their idiots, and they all also have their good drivers, but I see more of the former than the latter.

I put on lots of miles a year. 1st, I like to drive-alot, 2nd the company truck gets me where I have to go. Interstate, backroads, city, it's all the same, you will have somebody pull some stunt you think was rude. Get over it and move on, you never know who you are messing with and a well placed apology, even though you were in the right, is a tool you should keep in your pocket, just in case.

[Fergie]

I'm going to take a different approach to this than the previous posters...
Perhaps... you... were... wrong ...

Wisconsin has a simple and basic statement which really does not cover this situation.
"The driver turning left must yield to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction, including bicycles."

However, the incidence around here where a left turn from opposite trafic would jam a right turn would be at a stop sign or a light where you have had to stop or you have a turn lane to the right.
Since I can never predict which lane a yahoo from the opposite direction will take, I wait until they comit themselves and are in whatever lane they have chosen and out of my way.

Perhaps that since you saw her, and were aware of the possibilities, you should have just taken care of your business and let her go about hers.
Your job is to drive your vehicle, not hers. It does not matter what violation she pulled, you were responsible for avoiding conflict if possible. It is not your responsibility to police others by pointing out their mistakes, except where you are in danger of harm, which you acknowledge you were not.
By not backing off and also "hitting the horn" you reminded her that she was in the wrong and triggered the emotional response. Who knows, maybe someone pissed in her oatmeal and she was locked and loaded and waiting for a trigger, which you were more than happy to provide.

Of interest and possibly indicative of your driving style up to that point, is that instead of diffusing the situation at the gas station by apologising, you further enraged her by arguing with her. I would have hated to be the next person she ran in to. Her reactions were bound to be just that more outragous.

baaa... :D :D

:speepin:

She was wrong. She knew it, and is a C for thinking otherwise.

The only part I see bad for me, is the fact that I didnt pay enough attention to where she was headed, and that she found me at the gas station.

Personal problems arent excuses for stupidity, and people should be held to a higher level of personal responsibility.

I'm not an agressive driver, but I do consider myself to be an assertive one.

[8Mud]

I think it has a lot to do with the season, the time of day, the phase of the Moon and the time of the month. :)
One good thing about driving a twenty year old Jeep, I don't Buffalo worth a darn, someone wants to play bumper cars, I'm game.
Funny, people can sense when you've just taken the heap off of full coverage and will try to run you up on the sidewalk. Defensive driving for me is slow in the residential areas, expect the unexpected from other vehicles, expect pedestrians and/or bicycle riders to pop out most any place. But I really don't flinch very often, when it comes to car on car encounters. Or face to face encounters for that matter.
Can you say attitude adjustment.

[Fergie]

I think it has a lot to do with the season, the time of day, the phase of the Moon and the time of the month. :)
One good thing about driving a twenty year old Jeep, I don't Buffalo worth a darn, someone wants to play bumper cars, I'm game.
Funny, people can sense when you've just taken the heap off of full coverage and will try to run you up on the sidewalk. Defensive driving for me is slow in the residential areas, expect the unexpected from other vehicles, expect pedestrians and/or bicycle riders to pop out most any place. But I really don't flinch very often, when it comes to car on car encounters. Or face to face encounters for that matter.
Can you say attitude adjustment.
Very true.

In res araes, I'll drive around 15mph, specifically for kids, and folks not paying attention. Same goes for campus driving(where I work currently).

Other than that, I usually subscribe to the "bigger, cheaper, uglier" idea. Two out of three wins.

[ren]

Zuki-Ron. Are you aware of the fact that in the instance of a vehicular incident, that saying the 2 little words of "I'm sorry", by legal grounds, is FULL ADMISSION OF FAULT, and it will be treated as such in court. This is really a very stupid thing to say in the above instance, as I have just invited the other party/idiot to feel free to sue the SHIT out of me, my company, and any one else that the other partys' lawyer can think of. So, once again, I WILL NOT apoligize for any mishap that I am involved in. The determination of fault is the duty of the court, NOT THE LAWYERS. AS for the "in general" road ragers, MOST of them are actually funny to watch, as they tend to get thiers within the next few miles (accident, pulled over, curb-stuffed, A$T whipped, etc...).

[WB9YZU]

Personal problems arent excuses for stupidity, and people should be held to a higher level of personal responsibility.



Dang boy, a bit hard on the rest of humanity aren't you?

Be careful to what standard you hold other people to, they may return the favor.

[WB9YZU]

Zuki-Ron. Are you aware of the fact that in the instance of a vehicular incident, that saying the 2 little words of "I'm sorry", by legal grounds, is FULL ADMISSION OF FAULT, and it will be treated as such in court. This is really a very stupid thing to say in the above instance, as I have just invited the other party/idiot to feel free to sue the SHIT out of me, my company, and any one else that the other partys' lawyer can think of. So, once again, I WILL NOT apoligize for any mishap that I am involved in. The determination of fault is the duty of the court, NOT THE LAWYERS. AS for the "in general" road ragers, MOST of them are actually funny to watch, as they tend to get thiers within the next few miles (accident, pulled over, curb-stuffed, A$T whipped, etc...).


What is said following those two little words is the legality.

For example: If you say 'I'm sorry you're having a bad day' costs you what exactly??
What legality is there in that statement? Are you now legally bound for their bad attitude?

How about: 'You're right, I was rude, forgive me'. What is the legality there if no harm was done and no sheetmetal swapped?

I just pointed out that it is a tool that you should keep in your personal arsonal.
The applications go beyond the road and into everyday life :D

[RichP]

I pretty much avoid all this crap now, 5am, 7mi drive to the train station and then back in the evening, unfortunately it's during rush hours but it's only 7mi.
As for truckers, most are pretty good drivers, the MAIN exception here in the North East bosnywash are the trash haulers out of NJ and NY...then need to have governers and GPS trackers put on those rigs and connected to the appropriate state police site for a permanent running record...