Road Rage

[GQROB]

How many experience it or are part of the problem? I can't stand the term "road rage", but it does seem like an ongoing occurance in my daily commute to work. How do you experienced track junkies handle it? Do ya always blow it off when it entails your being cut off?

Rob

[white_2kgt]

I got cut off last night coming home from dinner where a 2 laner goes down to 1 lane. Limit is around 40 and I was going 65 at the time of said cutoff, cutoffer was going around 80. I blow horn and flash lights, nothing else. About 1/2 mile down I catch up (still going around 60) b/c he got stuck in 'slow' traffic, around 55mph, 2 cars in front of him. A _short_ passing zone comes up. He hesitates and then takes the pass, only starting it once the zone is up. I know there is a blind curve 1/8 of a mile ahead, I slow down, way down. Christina is like WTF are you doing!?!?!? About 3 seconds later, tires squelching, lights waving side to side. He meet an oncoming car in the other lane before completing his double pass!

He barely escaped w/ his life. That, my friends, is why I do not engage ass holes on the road. I know I could have out driven his 95 cavaliar in the mazda6 while still carrying on a convo w/ christina and eating a chicken wing dinner. But I don't. Around here, there's way to much f'ing traffic to pull dumb shit moves.

--chad

[.RJ]

but it does seem like an ongoing occurance in my daily commute to work. How do you experienced track junkies handle it?

Remove the commute Problem solved!

[Sijray21]

one experience i had was in tysons corner

I was cruising about 5 mph over the speed limit (about 40 mph) behind the offices that are behind the malls. I was in the left lane of my two lanes of my direction (four-lane road). I was the only other car on the road and a woman decides to pull out slowly looking in the opposite direction for other cars. I'm not sure if she sees me so i give a couple light honks. She's still 'creeping' out into the main road from her parking lot area, so i give longer honks. She STILL doesn't look my way and starts to pull out faster. At this point i can't stop so i swerve to my left, just avoiding her. I then proceed to wave the middle finger out of my sunroof as i proceed down the road. She then decides to pull up next to me on my right (in a right turn only lane). She was originally heading the opposite direction so i know it's because of me. We exchange words, i tell her to watch both directions next time and learn how to drive and she proceeds to tell me that what i did was rude.

When the light turns green i take off to the next intersection to where i was originally heading. She ends up going straight and she's right behind me. She barely misses my rear bumper passing me on the left. She cuts me off and SLAMS on her brakes, i can hear her tires squeal. I brake as hard as i can, coming VERY close to her rear bumper. I then pull to the side during an intersection and say that i got her plates and i'm going to report her to the police, i then turn up my music and ignore her at the intersection. She ended up making a right at that intersection and speeds off.

I'll admit i shouldn't have waved that middle finger, but i can't stand ignorant drivers. What she did could've put us in an accident where i could've been left the cause without any witnesses (both of us did not have any passengers and no other cars were on the road at the time). Ever since then i let things go. I'm not going to mildly approach anyone on the road since there are some wacked out people driving.

[.RJ]

oI then proceed to wave the middle finger out of my sunroof

:thumbup:

[JohnC]

I used to drive like a moron. Stupid, low-percentage stuff in a Ford Tempo with bald tires. Somehow I survived those years.

My last year in gridlock hell was spent on an hour (or two hour, depending) commute from Purcellville to Chantilly. Rather than be one of the idiots weaving in and out of traffic (and subsequently wrecking and then holding up the rest of us), I made it a point to be courteous and accomodating to other drivers. It was pretty foreign to me, but I soon discovered that I made it to work in just about the same amount of time, and without most of the headache. I try to simply ignore being cut-off, cursed at, or flipped off - because responding in kind (by tailgating, speeding, quickly changing lanes, etc) will instantly make the situation *far* more dangerous. And then you've incited someone else, who is probably far less aware of high-speed vehicle control.

Now, this doesn't mean I was driving 10 under the limit in the right lane with my hazards on. I still believe that the best defense is a good offense - I'm talking about being aware and alert, and trying to decide ahead of time what to do if the jackass in front of you slams on his brakes out of spite, or if the semi trailer in the adjacent lane decides to run you off the road. My MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course really drove the point home - never trust any other driver to see or avoid you. Your life (and the lives of anyone riding with you) are in *your* hands - do whatever you can to make the trip safer. And if you aren't the driver - make sure that the driver knows that you'd like him/her to remember to be safe. (Hope your friend isn't bitter, Chan)

And on a final note - I think that anyone charged with a reckless moving violation with a passenger in the car should *also* be charged with reckless endangerment or attempted assault or something of that kind. And if kids are involved - don't even get me started.

[PDenbigh]

I run them off the road, then swerve to hit them, then back up over them, then go forward again. Then, I get out my BFH and repedily smash their windsheild and door window, being careful not to actually hit the driver. Then, now calm and with a smile, I hand them a towel to wipe the seat where they just crapped themselves. On the towel is a note that says "Don't to that again."

Or maybe I just live in Harrisonburg where "traffic" is having 6 cars in front of you before the light.

Eh, either one is effective in resolving and preventing the situation.

[Mike]

How do you experienced track junkies handle it? Do ya always blow it off when it entails your being cut off?

4 simple letters: P U N T

that'll teach 'em!

[GQROB]

PUNT?
Explain please?

How do you experienced track junkies handle it? Do ya always blow it off when it entails your being cut off?

4 simple letters: P U N T

that'll teach 'em!

[JohnC]

PUNT?
Explain please?

What the white car does to the red car in this link:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.beowulf99.com/Misc/Overtaking.jpg">http://www.beowulf99.com/Misc/Overtaking.jpg</a><!-- m -->

[Dragon]

I just burn off any sort of frustration I have from driving in NoVA by karting.

[Sijray21]

PUNT?
Explain please?

What the white car does to the red car in this link:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.beowulf99.com/Misc/Overtaking.jpg">http://www.beowulf99.com/Misc/Overtaking.jpg</a><!-- m -->

haha, that link is great!

or if the semi trailer in the adjacent lane decides to run you off the road

also happened to me driving down to the outer banks one year...forgot about that one...."Two wheels off, drivers left, continued on safely after flipping the bird"

[lillitnn92]

oI then proceed to wave the middle finger out of my sunroof

:thumbup:

i found another tactic that works better, blow kisses! not only does it piss them off, they take off spinning away from you

[Mike]

seriously, i wave and smile

[ScottyB]

i get pissed in town with all the non-smart lights, especially when i really have a place to be. but i don't do anything about it, since getting through the next light just means being held up at the next. but on the highway....

i don't take shit from the people that pass unsafely. for instance, if im in a train of cars in the left lane going to pass a truck, and a car flies down the right lane and tries to "butt in line," by squeezing in between 2 cars in the left lane. it's usually accompanied by drivers in the left hitting their brakes to slow down and let the idiot in, accompanied by a wave effect that means the truck ends up going faster and the pass is screwed. i hate that crap.

the only other thing that gets me is people just sitting their fat ass in the left lane, when the right is clearly open and they're just cruising. it usually ends up causing at least a 20 car train in the left lane as Slowass McTardface sits there on the cell phone drinking starbucks. i will not hesitate to blow by in the right lane in that case.

otherwise, i'm quite tame and accomidating. i'm always looking in my rear view to move over for faster people, and i will rarely tailgate. i think its most important to just look around. people like to zone out in their own little bubble, and that is scary.

[BLINGMW]

most of you guys have the right attitude, not getting involved. I find that if you want to express your frustration, yes, wave, smile, whatever. Jess and I like to give a big obvious smile and thumbs up. It feels just as good, doesn't piss them off further, but they probably still get the point. You can't save or help them, just take the higher ground.

I've seen plenty of it, the best was when I got involved in a chase in my sis' old volvo 240 turblo. Some guy in a mercury decided that I had cut him off and aparently had nothing better to do than try to kill me. I'm not going to say leading him at high speeds (well, for a Volvo) through neighborhoods is something my more adult (and cell-phone equipped) self would do, but I sure wasn't going to go home and have him come after me and know where I live. I lost him by going backwards through a bank drive through and jumping out into a big line of traffic. hock:

I find that in an understated car, with a conservative attitude (like John talks about), I stay under the anger radar. No-one bothers to challenge me. Probably because they don't see me. :?

[JackoliciousLegs]

I like the smile and wave idea. I'll try that one!

[Rex4life]

i pass them back when i have the opportunity and then give them the old downshift flame/smokeshield

[.RJ]

No-one bothers to challenge me. Probably because they don't see me. :?

Probably because they see what you're driving and you're not afraid to put them off into a ditch :lol:

[JackoliciousLegs]

i pass them back when i have the opportunity and then give them the old downshift flame/smokeshield

I was only shooting flames long enough to do that once. It was a blue WRX with 4 people in it tailgating me on S. Main St.... I shot monster flames when they were right on my ass... When I pulled off into P-Run, they passed me with their eyes glued to the windows like this: hock: hock: hock: