Official Road Rage Thread

[Milford Cubicle II]

I had a road rage incident the other night and now I'm bored and didn't see an official road rage thread so I figured I'd start one. Everyone feel free to contribute and vent!

Ok, so I'm stopped at a light turning left and the light has two left turn lanes, I'm in the left and this 1 ton long bed dually GMC is in the right left turn lane beside me. Light turns green, I stay on my side of those dotted turning "templates" but I don't clip the corner like most people do, including the guy in the truck to my right who nearly turns into the side of my jeep during the turn. We had just taken off from a stop and were going no more than maybe 10mph so it wasn't that big of a deal at all but for some reason I had a feeling that it wasn't gunna end there. Sure enough, the truck follows me into the Hi-Vee parking lot. I play it cool, not "expecting" a confrontation but like I said, I had a funny feeling so I was prepared for a confrontation. A muscley guy in his 20's and his girlfriend get out and he says I need to watch where I'm goin cause I almost hit them blah blah blah. The funny thing is, if I hadn't have seen the girl get out of the truck with him, I never woulda thought she knew him from Adam. She was keeping her distance. I explained to him what the dotted white lines meant and of course it wasn't worth trying to reason with him but I couldn't resist screwin with him. The easiest way to really piss someone off is to laugh at them... which is exactly what I did, and it worked. He puffs up and gets in my face, I laugh and ask if I can help him. He mouths and mouths then backs down. People need to learn never... EVER get cocky and take someone for granted. I'm not necessarily intimidating, which I'm very used to. I have a baby face and I hide my weight well, I'm 5'10" and weigh 205lbs but I look about 170ish. What this guy didn't know was that I've been around the block a few times, and have PPCT as well as other LE/Security training and experience. And most importantly I'm smarter than to get cocky and start making assumptions based on appearances and I prepare accordingly. He also had no clue about the 23" ASP that I had my hand around in my right pocket the whole time I was talking to him :roflmao: The funniest part was that after he went in the store and I stayed outside to wait for my buddy to smoke, his girlfriend (who was really hot) actually came back out to appologize for him. I asked her how many times she's had to do this and the pause before she said "well, he's just had a rough day" said everything. Poor girl. And for whatever reason, she came out a second time and appologized all over herself some more! I think she wanted me... :laugh3:

 

[a1racer]

you started like 3 of them at the same time. and i get pretty angry here in socal on the freeways. but i just relax and calm down and think happy thoughts like them getting ran over by a truck and that calms me down.

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

Damn triple post, my bad!

 

[hubs97xj]

Lame. So what if he violated your line making a turn in a long wheelbase vehicle. Just shut up and drive.

 

[5spd_xj]

Lame. So what if he violated your line making a turn in a long wheelbase vehicle. Just shut up and drive.

It's not like the OP started the incident at the gas station... if that were the case I'd agree with you.


To keep with the spirit of the thread... A few weeks ago, my right-rear directional was out. I was taking a right-hand turn into my bank's parking lot, and despite my usage of a hand signal, some dingleberry in a Tundra behind me layed on the horn, pulled into the coffee shop's lot immediately after the bank. As I got out of my jeep and was walking to the ATM entrance (~7pm, bank was closed) he rolled down his window and screamed at me to stay right the *vulgarity* where I was. I ignored him, went inside. He whipped out of the lot to come over to the bank, and in the process cut someone off. He parked across 3 spaces, gets out leaving the door open, and is yelling at my friend demanding to know where "the *vulgarities* buddy of his" is at. So, I opened the door to the ATM and asked if there was a problem, very politely and calmly.

He storms over to me and says (edited again for language ) "Why didn't you use a directional pulling in here? You almost caused an accident. I got 2 kids in my truck and you think you can drive like that? And then when I use my horn you gave me and my kids the finger? That really pisses me off pal. (insert more BS anger redundancy, I'll spare you of)"

I replied, "Sir, my directional is out, I'll show you if you'd like. And I wasn't giving you the finger, that's what you call a hand signal. I'd appreciate if you'd calm down a bit, there's no need to be a royal dick about how you don't pay attention when you're tailgating someone. Despite that, you're absolutely no better than me even IF I had done any or all of what you claim. You're supposed to be a role model to those kids you keep talking about...is this really the best thing to be doing?"

Him: "I'm not here for a fight but you really pissed me off."

Me: "I'm sorry you're pissed, but the fact of the matter is, that's not my fault. Calm down, get in your truck, and go home."

^^ Somehow, that one really got him going... "Go ahead, hit me. *Vulgarity*ing hit me and we'll see who's the big guy."

Me: "I thought you weren't looking for a fight??" with a polite

Him: "I'm not. But you almost caused a big accident, and I got my 2 boys...blah blah..."

Me: "After seeing you pull out of that parking lot to come here, I wouldn't say I was the one almost causing an accident. I'll tell you again. Everything will be alright sweetie, just get in your truck and go home."

And I went back in the ATM door and let it close behind me. He did indeed get back in his truck and tore off, at an undeniably unlawful rate. I looked over at my buddy sitting in the Jeep, who was laughing his ass off uncontrollably. The guy had some problems, no doubt.

Good lord this was a long post.

 

[8Mud]

Best advice, winning the argument isn't worth a liver transplant, most people can be goaded into doing something stupid.
Second piece of advice, everybody screws up. Hopefully the other parties involved are paying enough attention to avoid a collision.
What eats me is when the other party is obviously wrong and then they go on a rant and get really obnoxious. Like they expect me and my Jeep to climb a lamp post to clear the road or something. I do stupid rather well and depending on my mood, am likely to be accommodating if somebody needs a serious attitude adjustment.
Gung Ho LEO's generally don't last long. I followed the carriers of five who where generally on a rampage, three of the five never made it to their 40th Birthdays. All from different causes, but generally for the same reason, an excess of testosterone.
Guy parked, back into a Fire department access road near the side of an apartment complex. I double park blocking his way to drop off some paperwork, 2 minutes tops, it's like 4 A.M. Guy goes into a rant, there are three of them. One starts forward to get in my face (obviously drunk) when his buddy notices I have a four inch blade tucked behind my leg (been there done that, more than two and the knife comes out post haste). His buddy and him end up having a scuffle while I make my escape. Ignorance knows no bounds, they were stealing a bicycle from the bike rack. After the scuffle half the lights were on in the complex. I flattened two of their tires on the way out.
I've sure enough been watching my six for the last week. I doubt this is over with. I've passed the word around and have their addresses and mug shots handy in case they get lucky.

 

[hubs97xj]

It's not like the OP started the incident at the gas station... if that were the case I'd agree with you.

Doh, missed a crucial detail. Not enough coffee apparently.

I'm not a confrontational guy at all, but I've known/worked with a few guys who would pull a pistol at the slightest provocation- for that reason, I don't screw with anyone, and don't provoke someone even if I'm in the right. I'll call the cops and let them deal with it. My buddy's kid is recuperating from a stab wound and subsequent surgery after a fight a few weeks back. I had a relative stabbed to death years ago too. Those kinds of things remind me to show a lot of restraint.

 

[5spd_xj]

definitely. That's one reason I always at the very least *start* by using polite and courteous language if I'm confronted. Also, during the little incident with Mr. Tundra, I stood in the doorway of the ATM the whole time, making sure I was in view of the Security camera just in case the situation did escalate.

 

[DrMoab]

I drive a semi for a living. I deal with road rage every day.

We as drivers joke about the fact that if we do not get flipped off at least once a day then we are doing something wrong.

 

[CherBear]

I live on a fairly major road, it runs through town and across the county, its only two lanes, 40mph speed limit. The area where my driveway exits onto the road is somewhat at the top of a small hill and around a 30 degree bend.You cant see my driveway until you are about 200ft from it. People LOVE to treat this road like a friggen drag strip.
Anyways, i check both ways and proceed to pull onto the road. I look in my rear veiw and see this white Lexus SUV haulin @$$ up behind me. At this point i was going about 40mph. He must not have been paying attention at all because at just thee last second he whips over in the other lane to pass me (double yellow) and almost loses it in the grass on the side of the road. He then promptly flips me the bird and speeds off.
I pull up next to him maybe a mile down the road, (im 19, hes atleast 45, obviously it was my fault right?) he rolls down his window and says "Jesus F***ing Christ !!! whatch out who you pull out in front of, expletive this , expletive this..."
I just rolled the window back up after realizing there is no reasoning with someone with this warped version of reality...

 

[TekkaMaki]

IMO some of the biggest d-bags on the road drive Lexus's. They even market their cars to assholes. Like that ad where some guy's stuck in rush hour traffic but because he's in a brand new Lexus SUV all the other cars on the road get lifted up in the air out of his way so that he can have the road all to himself. That's just how they drive too, like they're the most important one out there.

 

[bigalpha]

The biggest problem where I live are handicapped people and old people who aren't paying any attention. Seems like all of the (almost) serious accidents I've been in have involved those two demographics.

 

[DrMoab]

IMO some of the biggest d-bags on the road drive Lexus's. They even market their cars to assholes. Like that ad where some guy's stuck in rush hour traffic but because he's in a brand new Lexus SUV all the other cars on the road get lifted up in the air out of his way so that he can have the road all to himself. That's just how they drive too, like they're the most important one out there.

They are almost as bad...almost... as the duchebags that drive lifted Ford trucks.....almost.

 

[tbburg]

The biggest problem where I live are handicapped people and old people who aren't paying any attention. Seems like all of the (almost) serious accidents I've been in have involved those two demographics.

Are you referring to people who have handicapped license plates, or the rather obvious mental deficient who seem to have the physical capacity to make a car move around, but don't seem to have the mental capacity to understand exactly what they're supposed to be doing?

 

[CherBear]

Are you referring to people who have handicapped license plates, or the rather obvious mental deficient who seem to have the physical capacity to make a car move around, but don't seem to have the mental capacity to understand exactly what they're supposed to be doing?

My guess is he is referring to people with handicap plates, most of them are elderly, and that really can affect driving skills.:lecture:

 

[DrMoab]

I had kind of a funny road rage incident the other day. Guy got raged at me and shot him self in the foot...so to speak.

I was in my Semi, it was Friday before the 4th and traffic was a total bitch. Wall to wall lines of cars as far as you could see.

I had just got into Wyoming on I-80 and stopped at the port of entry. As I was coming back out on to the freeway I had a loaded semi in front of me going super slow(I was empty) I had my turn signal on for ever to get around him and pass but no one would let me over.

Finally I saw a small break in traffic and I started to move over, The dink in the big jacked up Ford truck that was coming up the road thought he was going to be smart and pass me on the inside shoulder. About half way through my lane change I actually saw a huge puff of black smoke as he accelerated instead of backing off and letting me in. Well I wasn't going to give up my lane so he just kept coming. As he hit the shoulder he caught the edge of the pavement and it shot him into the median at a high rate of speed. Since he was on the gas his truck got totally unstable and I thought he was going to lose it and roll but he somehow kept it upright and somewhat straight and got back on the freeway.

I passed the truck and got back in the slow lane and as he came up next to me he slowed down enough to give me the finger but his wife was tearing him a new one. I could almost see the blue air in the cab of that truck from the words she was using on him. It was great!

 

[FlexdXJ]

I had kind of a funny road rage incident the other day. Guy got raged at me and shot him self in the foot...so to speak.

I was in my Semi, it was Friday before the 4th and traffic was a total bitch. Wall to wall lines of cars as far as you could see.

I had just got into Wyoming on I-80 and stopped at the port of entry. As I was coming back out on to the freeway I had a loaded semi in front of me going super slow(I was empty) I had my turn signal on for ever to get around him and pass but no one would let me over.

Finally I saw a small break in traffic and I started to move over, The dink in the big jacked up Ford truck that was coming up the road thought he was going to be smart and pass me on the inside shoulder. About half way through my lane change I actually saw a huge puff of black smoke as he accelerated instead of backing off and letting me in. Well I wasn't going to give up my lane so he just kept coming. As he hit the shoulder he caught the edge of the pavement and it shot him into the median at a high rate of speed. Since he was on the gas his truck got totally unstable and I thought he was going to lose it and roll but he somehow kept it upright and somewhat straight and got back on the freeway.

I passed the truck and got back in the slow lane and as he came up next to me he slowed down enough to give me the finger but his wife was tearing him a new one. I could almost see the blue air in the cab of that truck from the words she was using on him. It was great!

It cracks me up when people try to give you drivers a hard time over their own stupid mistakes. I guess they think that their little hyundai or in your case ford truck is bigger than a 40 ton paperweight. I was coming home from my buddy's place in Indy one night and had my CB on and all the sudden this guy comes on and starts saying i'm in this 4-wheeler and you blah blah blah 18 wheeler something or other. So, i kindly got on and said hey idiot I'm in a 4 wheeler too but this is their interstate so just shut up you fool or something along that line. I have also on the other hand seen some pretty stupid drivers in big rigs too but nobody is perfect and mistakes happen.

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

"Their interstate"? Nobody, including 18 wheelers, should treat the road like it's "theirs". That being said I can only imagine what long haul, or hell even short haul trucking is like. I get frustrated on my 30 minute commute, so I always give semi's the benefit of the doubt and I always try to help them out to make their lives a little easier, those drivers are at WORK. And I'm sure everyone here hates getting crap when they're just tryin to do their job. But I also hate it when semi's ride my ass and it happens too often. If I had to make an emergency stop I'd definately get nailed and I wonder who'd come out on top in that situation...

 

[FlexdXJ]

"Their interstate"? Nobody, including 18 wheelers, should treat the road like it's "theirs". That being said I can only imagine what long haul, or hell even short haul trucking is like. I get frustrated on my 30 minute commute, so I always give semi's the benefit of the doubt and I always try to help them out to make their lives a little easier, those drivers are at WORK. And I'm sure everyone here hates getting crap when they're just tryin to do their job. But I also hate it when semi's ride my ass and it happens too often. If I had to make an emergency stop I'd definately get nailed and I wonder who'd come out on top in that situation...

Actually they should because it is their livelyhood and with out them WE wouldn't have anything. They drive thousands of miles a week on the interstate what about you? I see what you are saying though. I wouldn't want a semi all over my ass either but it doesn't happen to me very often, normally its only when i can't get around some idiot in a Hyundai driving 15 under the speed limit.

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

Oh trust me, I understand the latter scenario. But you say that driving is their livelihood which makes sense, just like the rest of us doing our jobs is our livelihood. However, my life is more important to me than my livelihood If your a farmer then you wouldn't farm at the risk of anyone else's life and I'd say that's a pretty important job as well. My point being, nobody on the road should drive like it's "their road" and should put safety as their number one priority. Including the rest of us 2, 3, and 4 wheelers.

Here's a solution to the whole argument... Trains>trucks