Do You Understand Road Rage?

I think it’s usually a release for other anger and stress that’s been subdued in some way in other aspects of a person’s life. or not subdued

@AlfredaPrufrock: Better to abuse the car then a person then? I can see that, but don’t these folks realize their car windows are transparent?

with your new avatar, I’m wanting to call you AlfredaSnowflake

I agree with Alfreda, it’s a manifestation of whatever else that person has brewing inside. Maybe the truck made her late for work, or to pick up her children. It’s certainly safer to abuse the car than her co-workers or children! I lose my understanding of the rage when it causes people to drive like assholes and endanger others in the process. You are entitled to your anger & rage, but you are not entitled to take it out on or endanger others in the process.

Those ragers need a healthy dose of reality, in the big scheme of things, raging on the road gets you nothing but high blood pressure.

I accept the existence of road rage.. though being of a mild mannered nature myself.. I’ll never truly understand it. Now if the person is James Bond and the truck prevented him from disarming a bomb that will now destroy the planet… yeah.. I could see a little road rage being appropriate.. but .. like @AlfredaPrufrock said.. it’s nothing more than a manifestation of anger that had been building elsewhere.. like a teapot when the tea is ready.. just a-whistlin away

People forget they’re visible in their car. Otherwise, why would people pick their noses while sitting at stoplights, or sing their heart out to the radio?

I’ll answer to Snowflake :-)

I understand Road Rage – just as I understand Bi-Polar Disorder. They are there… not anything I can do about em so I avoid like the plague. Think about how a duck deals with life… water rolls offa his back and life moves on.

@NaturalMineralWater: If it were indeed James Bond in the car; he wouldn’t rage. James would engage one of the many gadgets that Q had supplied him with and then get on to the business of saving the world. There’s always a martini and hot girl waiting for him somewhere, he has no time for rage!

@NaturalMineralWater & @bythebay: Do you think these folks are more or less enraged in their face-to-face transaction?

@bythebay Right you are.

@cprevite I think very rarely will you run across someone that has ONLY road rage. Usually their temperament is a bit heated before they step foot in a vehicle. But then again.. this is coming from someone who could have his arm lopped off and say “awww shucks”.

@cprevite: I would imagine they would be less so. Once again, Alfreda is right on when she says people forget you can see through (most) windows, I would hope their in car behavior would embarrass them in the broad daylight. Then again, there are some people that are naturally ‘intense’ all the time. If someone were predisposed to narcissistic behavior and believed the world revolved for and around them; they would probably be just as maniacal in person.

I agree with AlfredaPrufrock…I think it’s buried anger of some other kind!

I think it’s a self-indulgent expression of annoyance. One that when I witness it in those I know, can’t help but change my opinion of them. It points to larger issues.

When I’m in a car and someone almost hits me, I am not above calling them cocksucker with a smile and a jaunty wave.

I think it’s a bit different then having someone pass you and you slam into them out of spite.

@AlfredaPrufrock: And I for one do not forget the windows are transparent. I like to put on a show of classic rock hits from the 60s-70s in my car for my intimate audience of the surrounding vehicles. You are more than welcome to enjoy my ‘gifts’.

Perhaps road rage drivers feel like they’re somehow a victim, and they feel like they’re in control. I’ve ridden in the car with my husband where his driving made me throw up when I got out of the car, only to have him tell me that there was nothing wrong with his driving, that it’s all in my head.

teeheehee, asmonet, I’d like to see that!

If you’re ever driving through northern virginia and see a pale girl with cherry red hair singing Blue Oyster Cult, CCR, Elvis, Buddy Holly, or Opera like a badass. Roll down the window and yell lurve. I shall reciprocate with an encore.

@asmonet… that… is quite possibly… no.. definitely.. the best answer I’ve seen today. =) LURVE!

I WILL get enraged but only in two instances: 1. When the other guy does something that, had I not been alert, would have probably killed the both of us. And if I see that person on a cell phone, it DOES double my rage; 2. When someone honks me for no reason. And when those people coward out afterwards, it gets me even madder.

The angriest I ever got in my car was in a parking lot. The guy was backing out of his space. There was another car behind me. I backed up to give the guy backing out more space. I kept going back until the woman behind me honked, meaning “that’s all you can go without hitting me”.

The guy coming out of the space gets out of his car and yells at me “You COULD back up, you know”. I pulled down my window and “responded”. He responded. I even went into the store looking for him but didn’t find him. I get mad thinking about it even now.

Oooh. Cell phone-talking drivers. Don’t even get me started!

There is a book called Traffic that goes into a good deal of detail about this subject and is really interesting reading. I haven’t finished it yet but it’s been very interesting so far. Here’s a good review of it.

@NaturalMineralWater: You’re welcome. ;)

She may have had to pee.

@Judi: One would think all that carrying on would make it difficult to hold her pee.

I’ve been known to carry on when I gotta go!

@Judi: Then it was you that day!

I never flipped anyone off but I have been known to pound on a sterring wheel or 2.