lianem 01

This is Part2

Guerra 01/27/00 4:37 PM
OC#2

I just wanted to reply to your opinion comment, because what you said made me think of something. I hate it when people are backseat drivers, no offense of course. People who keep saying there's a stop sign, whoa, turn here, put on your seat belt, slow down, speed up, watch out for that car, etc. really make me frustrated. I notice when a dangerous situation is happening and someone yells in my ear I tend to get nervous. Someone yelling at you when you obviously have the situation in hand could enable the situation to become out of hand. For this reason I don't often say things to other drivers.

For example, I notice that when my mom used to make loud noises or yell "watch out!". I would slam on my brakes out of instinct. Then as I realized what the situation was and assessed that I was in no danger, I become upset. I slammed my brakes and probably scared the crud out of people behind me for no reason. Just because my mom is a bit panicky. I get mad at her when shes a backseat driver now.

Guerra 01/27/00 4:39 PM
No Subject

???? Just wrote this reply because I wasn't sure if we were supposed to post our messages in the folder for G13: QDC? or were supposed to post our messages anywhere on this board?

kuni99 01/24/00 9:41 AM
G13: SWR1

I notice that when I drive, I am a pretty cool headed person. But if someone knows that I am trying to get into the right lane to get off the freeway to to make a right turn, I get annoyed but not to the point of letting that driver know how I feel. with all the road rage that we have here in Hawaii, I wouldn't want to get someone pissed off at me and end up in a situation that could be physically dangerous to myself or my passengers. I noticed that I normally let a car into the lane I am in when I am not in a rush to get somewhere, but when I am, I usually don't. Another thing that really annoys me is when drivers are on cell phones and driving in an unsafe manner. If a driver can be on the phone and still have the ability to drive safely, then ok fine but if not, that driver should at least have the sense to pull off the road before making that call. I think that many people have road rage because of the misreading of other drivers' intentions. Many times, people think that another driver cut him or her off on purpose, when in reality, that other driver simply didn't see the car coming.

kuni99 01/24/00 9:45 AM
G13:OC1

In reading some of the other comments, I've noticed that people's opinions vary greatly. I also see similar ones to my own thoughts and feelings.

kuni99 01/24/00 9:52 AM
G13:RC1 Slower drivers keep right

I think the idea of having the slower drivers keep to the right lane is a good thing because for example, when there are slow drivers in the middle lane and someone from the car pool lane needs to cut all the way over to the right lane to get off the freeway, that one slow car in the middle lane will cause everyone to slow down and that's what causes traffic jams. If there's laws for the car pool lane, there should be laws for slow drivers too.

LDwiggins 01/27/00 9:50 PM
OC #2 re: slower drivers

Reading this reminded me of my visit to Washington D.C. I was on the escalator that takes you from the street down to the Metroline. I was standing in the middle of the escalator when I was strongly informed by a D.C. local that, "the left side of the escaltor was for walkers and the right side for standers". I was not aware how this was similar to what I apply while driving (where the left lane is for fast/passing and right is the slower lane). After that encounter on the escalator I did commit that lesson to memory.

I like your idea and although a law sounds promising, it is my opinion that it will not be effective. I have witnessed single individuals driving in the car pool lane even when it is designated for multiple people.

I find when I am faced with slower drivers in front that I wait until I can safely pass them or I sit back and enjoy the drive. Maybe some kind of message can be spread via the media similar to Dr. Driving's "Drive with Aloha" could be put out. It could say something like, if you enjoy the sight stay on the right. :)

ry409 01/28/00 4:02 PM
RE: G13:RC1 Slower drivers keep right

I realize that not everyone drives at the same speed. Some people obey the speed limit while others drive at speeds well over it. I was wondering what you considered to be a slow driver. In other words at what speed does a driver have to be driving in order to be condidered a slow driver. If someone is indeed driving the speed limit I don't think that there is a need to have separate laws when the exisiting laws are being obeyed. Actually the reason why many drivers think that others are driving too slow is because they are driving over above the speed limit. In those instances those drivers are actually breaking the law. I do undertand that in some instances it is safe to drive faster than the speed limit and that the general rule in these occasions is to have the "slower" drivers in the right lane or lanes. I would be first to admit that when driving long distances on the freeway it's impossible for me to obey the speed limit. It would just take way too long to get to places. It is when you suggested to enact new laws for slower drivers that I had to rethink what exactly was being said. I think it is already known that the right lane is for slower drivers. In fact there are signs posted in certain areas that state "slower driver keep right". Therefore I don't think it is necessary to have new laws made.

ry409 01/28/00 4:02 PM
RE:Slower drivers keep right-OC#2

amin 01/24/00 3:53 PM
first tee-swr

I didn't realize how many people want to teach other people lessons.
When i am driving i mind my own business. If other people want to teach me a lesson, go ahead. But that just tells me that they are scary because they're endangering a whole strew of people, other than myself to be taught a lesson. Car accidents in busy streets isn't a one-on-one, but everyone around might get hurt too.
I guess I say this because I don't think that it is anyone's business to teach such a dangerous lesson, they will just get themselves in their own danger. I think if people are really angry or concerned they can get that person's license plate number, get on a cell phone, and report that there is a reckless driver on say exiting the Punahou exit for example. Or they can wait until their destination, after stopping their car, then report it.
Otherwise, gettting out of dangerous situations always works best for me.
People who do not want to let other people in are not idiots, in my opinion. They are just inconsiderate. Maybe they are in a rush just as much as we are. If I see that person is deliberately doing that, I get mad and wonder why people have to be like that. Is it so much better for them if they feel they are ahead of an already crowded road? Suit themselves. I rather be safe and forget about him/her, or the situation altogether.

Guerra 01/25/00 1:06 AM
RE: first tee-swr

I am writing this post in reaction to this self witnessing report. I am glad that there are some safe drivers out there. Many people that I know are very nice people in person, but are really scary drivers. I don't believe that I am a scary driver, but I often cut people off or don't let them enter my lane. This is not due to the fact, that I would like them to miss their turn or am an idiot. I don't let people into my lane, because of previous experiences. While driving to say, work in heavy traffic, I am hurrying along, and another car wants to enter my lane. I used to allow them to enter my lane. The problem with that was that they often slowed me down and weren't keeping up with the cars in front of them. This has led to my missing of many lights and being stuck at a red light. That sort of thing really upsets me and has changed my fifteen minute drive to work into an twenty five minute drive.

amin 01/24/00 4:53 PM
tee two: swr

Okay, so I cut poeple off every once in awhile before I have to either rush to class or work..but aren't those important to us right now?
I know the common knowledge stuff like give yourself enough time stuff by now. But actually doing it when you don't even feel like going to such an early class can be excruciatingly painful.
Actually I don't even like to cut people off, especially when it is so crowded and the look on their faces tells me that they are being as careful as they can. I end up feeling bad. I feel like a decent person, but then, I still do it every once in a while.
I guess I like feeling like I am ahead of the game. Afterall, I do look out for people in the back of me. I hardly ever stop suddenly so that the people in back of me have time to spare on their brakes.
In the end though, I find myself in those rare instances itching to beat those Toyota Corollas or Saturns that never seem to want to push on that gas pedal. Is it because of their lack of power? Not all of them do that, but most cars that have caught my attention that seem to roll idly down the road are those two main cars.

Lane changing and weaving through traffic is okay with me when other people do it with quick agility, ease and a blinker. But I cannot pursue that track because I simply do not want to take that risk.

I often turn without signalling because I think to myself, 'isn't it obvious that I'm in the right turn only lane and will need to turn right? And if I am waiting to make a left hand turn, I slowly ease into the intersection and do not want to turn on my blinker because not only am I chang, but I feel it makes the other people feel rushed when they see all these cars waiting for them to 'get out of the way.'
It is also why I don't turn it on, even though it's the law.

What in the heck is a passing lane, and no wonder sometimes cars rush past me...

I take my time in turning. I am getting the impression that people seem to get angry at my slow moving tendencies. But if I do not feel confident enough to turn because someone is already attempting to cross the street, I will not stop in front of them like other people do. I like to give them a lot of room.

I once mouthed the f-word to this man in a pick-up truck. He was nasty because he backed out suddenly and close to me, his stick shift truck obviously could not make swift comfortable turns and maybe his face is a perpetual scowl, but I swore because I was tired, hungary, and fed up that people park so close to me in the parking lot, crooked too. I wanted to get out of there, and go home already. I witnessed myself being a sucker for inconsiderate drivers.

I seem to rush a lot these days as school started. I am usually get impatient when the car ahead of me has a lot of room to finally turn but seems to be phasing out and then has the nerve to look at me in the rear mirror. I just don't get it. I want to get out of their way and never see them again. Weirdos. But if I am patient and the other person appreciates it by not taking their time, then I get more patient and want to let the whole world cut in front of me.

I think tailgating is worse than anything. The closeness in proximity is too close for the person(s) to be tempted to get out of their car and begin a fight they should probably regret. I think that if they tailgate, then heck call the police on your cell phone if you can.
And because I don't tailgate myself, I just know how it feels like.
(The only reason I don't like to do that is because someone else's exhaust will creep into my engine. Why would I want their exhaust up my engine?)
Your space feels intruded on, you feel like this stranger is going to slam or bump up behind your car, you feel rushed and your emotions are bubbling. I always get out of the way, but some loser people start following me into the next lane. I just turn and wait for them to leave. I don't want to get into it -really. I already know that when people do that, it's not my problem anymore. That is, that person has serious problems of their own.

I don't think people really pass on the right shoulder in Hawaii as often than in other places when a car is turning left. I think that if they do, they have big loud trucks that look like it's going to ram everyone in sight because they really don't value their own life, which is why they act like that. I never do that.

I always run yellows and wait to hear a siren, I never do. I never run reds though.

I guess I make it sound like I am or try to sound like I am really a good driver. I think I got better, but definitely need to clean up bad habits in high school like thinking "me first," & no one can make me feel like a fool, trying to act cool phenomena. But I'm still trying!

allianic 01/24/00 10:28 PM
G13 - SWR1

After reading the Tee card, I found myself watching out for people who cut others off. I have never really bothered to pay attention before, but reading the card made me more aware of it. While I was driving this past weekend, someone actually did cut me off and I had to slow down quite a bit. My initial reaction was anger and thinking that the driver who cut me off was incredibly stupid. But then I remembered that maybe they had a good reason for cutting me off. They could have been just a totally inconsiderate person, but there was no way for me to tell. So I just gave them the benefit of the doubt and I didn’t really think about it anymore. I figured that the more I dwell on it, the more it would bother me. And there really isn’t anything I could do about it. So after being frustrated and irritated for about a minute, I just blew it off and concentrated on driving again.

kelamuch 01/30/00 8:34 PM
RE: G13 - SWR1, RC #1

I have to say that I totally agree. After reading the TEE cards, I too, began to notice many more inconsiderate drivers. I am more prone to notice when people cut me off or don't let me into their lane. It frustrates me, but at the same time the cards did make me realize that there are other reasons for a driver's actions. I hope that I will remember them in the future and not get as aggravated.

allianic 01/24/00 10:51 PM
Opinion Comment #1

After reading a bunch of SWR's, I found out that most people feel that same way about driving. A lot of people become very angry when other drivers "act stupid". Most people don't bother to try and think that maybe that other driver is not doing anything on purpose. Hopefully some day all drivers will have the emotional intelligence to drive safely, and get into a lot less accidents. Maybe all drivers should have to pass an emotional intelligence test before they can get their license!

Guerra 01/25/00 12:58 AM
SWR #1

I read the TEE card and I realized that I do many negative reactions that were listed. So I proceeded to do a self witnessing report. While I was driving to work one day I was speeding as I usually do. Just as a side note, I usually speed when going to work and drive very aggressive. At other times I drive more conservatively. So, while I was driving to work, another car turned into the lane next to me. I immediately watched his car's movements and realized that he would probably attempt to enter my lane. This of course infuriated me and I immediately closed the gap. The car slowed down and entered the lane behind my car. I felt very satisfied. Then, I thought about what the TEE cards said. This caused me to feel slightly sorry. I closed the gap only because I don't like other cars to get ahead of me while I go to work. If I did let him in it wouldn't have slowed me down at all.

I have realized from observing my own actions, that I am a pretty tempermental driver. The next time I went to work, I forced myself to not be so aggressive. The only problem that I found with not being aggressive, was that the time it took me to get to work was increased by almost ten minutes. This is due to missing more lights and being stuck in traffic. When I was more aggressive, I usually made all of the lights and avoided the traffic jams.

jamesy69 01/25/00 9:33 AM
Opinion Comment

When we step into our vehicles, we not only take responsibility for ourselves and our passengers but of all motorists. We cannot allow ourselves to jeopardize the safety of others by letting our emotions take control of the wheel. Driving while stressed, tired or angry could easily lead to severe consequences. All of us need to relax and realize that highways and streets are not a place for competition. When competition elevates it leads to aggression which leads to road rage and punishment. How can we justify putting another individuals life in danger simply because he/she cut us off? Does this really make sense? We just need to calm down and understand that all motorists do not behave in the same fashion. We have to work with what we have and take in the good drivers with the bad.

jamesy69 01/25/00 9:45 AM
Reaction Comment

After reading some of the SWR's I began to realize that other people feel the same fustrations that I feel while driving. When someone cuts me off I often think to myself, "Who does he think he is!" There is a sense of violation for me in that other drivers do not have respect for me and for my safety. The other drivers simply do not care what happens to me as long as he/she gets where they are going. I think the main problem is that drivers do not realize that their actions has a profound impact on other drivers. It basically starts a chain reaction. If one driver drives aggressively towards another, that driver will in turn become fustrated and punish some other driver. It becomes a cycle that never dies. Drivers have to become more conscious of what they are doing so that they allow safe passage for others.

jamesy69 01/25/00 10:11 AM
SWR A Conscious Effort

After consciously watching my behavior and actions while driving, I began to realize how much emotions plays in driving. This became evident to me when I was driving on Ala Moana Boulevard. As I was stuck in traffic, I found myself becoming more and more irritated and fustrated the longer I had to wait. Even though I knew that the conditions were uncontrollable I needed a way to channel my emotions. That's when another car cut in front of me without signaling or giving any hand gestures. All my fustrations and anger poured onto that one driver. It just gave me a excuse to be angry. After letting some steam off, I realized that it was not the other driver I was angry at but just waiting in traffic. I think a lot of drivers misdirect their anger onto other drivers. If someone had a bad day at work or school, little incidents such as not having enough room to turn into a lane could make that individual angry. I think drivers have to become more conscious of what they are doing and realize that the actions they do has a effect on other drivers.

shizue 01/26/00 10:50 PM
Opinion Comment #2

I have to totally agree with you on this one! The anger that drivers express to one another is definitely misdirected. As I mentioned before, when you are having a day whether it be at work or just that you are catching all of the red lights, you have so much built up emotional anger. Unfortunately, there are very few ways to vent and let off steam in a car so most people just let other drivers have it! When i first started driving I was completely guilty of misdirecting all of my anger. However, over time and after taking this class before, I realized that my road rage was not making the streets any safer and that it really wasn't helping my situation either (I would still be stuck in traffic or having a bad day . . . in fact, it would usually get worse). So, I started to force myself to focus on the positive things that had happened either that day or the day before to make my whole emotional state more positive and thus, I was less likely to misdirect my anger at another innocent person. Anger on the road is really scary because it is like a chain reaction. I know that when someone gets angry at me and I'm not at fault, it ruins my day and then I'm likely to angry at someone else and so on and so forth. When you think about how many people's days you could ruin by getting angry at another driver, it makes you hold back the anger!

shanen 01/31/00 12:33 AM
RC to RE: SWR A Conscious Effort

I also tend to direct my anger towards others. I just can't help it. Since this class I have been trying to realize that we are all in the same boat when we're on the road. We may be late or early but we're all trying to get somewhere safely. i've been trying to not get angry at others and look at myself first before honking or giving dirty looks to someone. I happened to be in the same situation as you were (but not on Ala Moana)and when the guy cut me off and tried to get ahead, but got stuck with the rest of us, i just thought to myself, "That guy must be later than me." I kind of laughed to myself and that was that. That was one of the first times I brushed off that type of incident on the roads.

tanthony 02/04/00 1:32 PM
RC-3

I'm glad there are other people like myself out on the road. While I would not say that I am a driving angel, I do try to drive sanely and responsibly. I don't think that people had any idea what kind of capacity our roads would have to handle, when they initially planned them. Sadly there are just more and more drivers setting out on to our already congested roads. There doesn't seem to be much hope for helping our streets to keep up with the traffic. They are not really expandle because buildings and homes along the sides of streets are already established. When they do try to work on streets, it makes bad traffic worse. I think the answer will have to be mass transit. A scary experience is driving down a place like Nimitz Hwy, where car dealership line the road and seeing those thousands of cars that are just waiting to clog up the streets even more.

ry409 01/25/00 4:17 PM
SRW2

Wow, I didn't realize that there were so many things that a driver could do to be offensive. Looking over the list I have to say that I don't think that I commit any of the offenses. I try to be as courteous a driver as I would want someone else to be. The only thing that I can think of is maybe by accident I'll turn without signaling because there is no car behind me and the turn isn't really turning into a traffic area where people need to be warned that you are trying to turn. As far as the other 9 offenses I can't say that I've ever actively done them to other drivers. I feel that in this day and age driving in Hawaii has become more and more dangerous. This island's roads have not been significantly expanded to meet the needs of Hawaii's increasing number of automobile. It's kind of ridiculous when you think about the number of cars on the road at one time and the amount of roads that we have. The numbers just don't add up. Road rage has arrived in Hawaii and I think it's dangerous to do any of these offenses. One can never be sure that any of these offenses to whatever degree would not trigger some violent reaction in anybody. So I try to drive safely to be safe on the roads. I think that's the best way to play it.

allianic 01/26/00 4:56 PM
RE: SRW2

I also never realized that there were so many offensive things a driver could do. I also TRY to be courteous to other drivers, but sometimes other drivers make me really upset, so I end up driving the same way they do. I agree that driving has become more and more dangerous in Hawaii. I often see people get into accidents when I am out driving. It scares me a lot because you never know if you'll be the next person to get into an accident. It may not even be your fault. You could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Marissa_ 01/31/00 10:26 PM
RE: SRW2 -- Keep track of your driving (OC)

It is scary to know that many accidents are happening simply because people fail to realize that their driving may be dangerous. If having a list of offenses, such as this one will help people become better drivers, then I will print one out for my friends to read or tell them by word of mouth. I could tell them the importance of keeping a driving log, and check up on them from time to time.

allianic 01/26/00 4:48 PM
G13 - SWR#2

As I read the Nation's Top Ten Driving Offenses, I realized that I do a good amount of them. I am impatient a lot of the time, and I always seem to be rushing. I am notorious for speeding through yellow lights. I turn (and change lanes) without signaling all the time, and I yell at other drivers if they upset me. I never realized that I actually do all of these things until I read this list. I think if anyone ever watched me drive, they would think I was a very scary driver! Hopefully one day I will be able to control my emotions and actions better while driving and I can cut down on a bunch of offenses from the list.

shizue 01/26/00 10:53 PM
Reaction Comment #2

I have to say you are not alone here. I think that most of us probably read the list and found at least a few things that we were guilty of. The neat thing is what we can do from here. By making us watch ourselves and our reactions on the road, this class really makes us aware of what kinds of consequences our actions can have. If we can all work to improve the weaknesses that we each have, we will be making the roads that much safer for everyone!

faylogna 01/28/00 1:26 PM
RE: G13 - SWR#2

Scary to be on the road with you especially next to you (just kidding.) I don't think that there's anyone drivers out there that may not have committed any of the ten offenses. There's some who does it every single time they are behing the wheel and never learn to improve their driving, while there's some of us who probably does it a couple of times but have learn from it. That's the importance of education, like our class right now, and what we learn from other and within ourselves. The important thing is we make the effort to learn from our negative actions and change for positive ones.

kseo 01/30/00 5:23 PM
RE: G13 - SWR#2

I Totally agree with what you wrote. There are many people out there that just don't care about anything but getting to where they have to get to. They don't seem to care about other people and the law. I thing it's very important that we learn from our mistakes. Everyone once in a while makes a mistake, but if we learn from them, and don't do it again then it makes us a better person.

kelamuch 01/31/00 12:29 PM
RE: G13 - SWR#2, RC2

I think that for myself, my emotions do play a large role in my driving ability and whether or not I will freak out if a driver cuts me off, race through a yellow light, or weave through traffic. I know its hard, especially when rushing off to a class or an appointment. I try not to do any of those offenses and for the most part, I thought I was innocent. But after reading the TEE cards, I too, am more aware that my driving is impaired when I'm emotionally stressed. I guess I just need to learn to get my emotions under control or start catching the bus when I'm angry!!

shizue 01/26/00 10:42 PM
SWR-2

There were only two things that I am completely guilty of on the top ten 10 driving offenses they are speeding up to the yellow and sometimes I am in a rush therefore, making me a little impatient as well. However, I can honestly say that I don't do any of the other things on the list, BUT I know way too many people that do these acts! The most common that I usually see is speeding up to the yellow and not using the turn signal. Most of the people that I know who have driven for quite a long time just seem to see the turn signal as a nuisance, an extra activity that is just a hassle to deal with. I, personally, always use the turn signal even if no one is behind me or if I'm in a parking lot!!! I know that might be a little extreme! As far as the rushing the yellow light thing, the only lights that I ever speed up to the yellow on are the ones that I know take a long time to change back to green again (there is one particular one in Manoa where I have to take a left turn every morning and if I miss the green, I literally have to wait 5 minutes for it to change back again because the sensor is broken or something!). I am not in any way justifying my action because it is still a driving offense, but there are just some days where I don't feel like wasting time and gas just sitting at a red light forever! Just to add as a side note, I would never ever run the red though just to avoid sitting at the stop!

jamesy69 01/31/00 1:34 AM
RC #2 RE: SWR-2

The whole issue about using your signal is to allow other drivers know of your intentions before you make them. But If you are out of harms way and have plenty of room to make the lane change, I do not see the harm in not signaling. Is this really aggressive driving? Now if you were going to change lanes into a busy lane, that's a different story. If your changing lanes is going to effect the driving of others then it is clear that signaling is important. If you are alone then I think signaling is a wasted effort. I think this is just a judgement call and should be done only if your actions is going to interfere with the driving of others.

lianem 01/27/00 2:59 AM
G13 SWR

I could relate to some of the feelings expresses in Tee card 42C2. I have felt paranoid when drinking. Once when I was driving and approached a yellow light, I of course stopped. I could have gone through it, but it probably would have turned red while I was in the intersection. The man in the car behind me started swearing at the top of his lungs at me. He was honking at me like something was wrong with his horn. I felt afraid, and angry. I remember thinking 'if you're late for work or something then you should have left earlier instead of getting mad at me'. I have noticed that ever since that incident whenever someone honks their horn, I immediately feel that they are honking at me. I start to get upset and feel the same way that I did when that man was yelling at me. It really ruins my day. When I was reading the tee card, it made sense to me that many times the person may not have been honking at me, so now I try to disregard it when I hear a horn honk. I have noticed that when I don't take it so personally, then I am in a better mood.

I have also experienced calling someone an idiot, and feeling like people are purposely trying to make me late, or cut me off. I hate when I turn on my blinker and the car next to me doesn't let me go. Because of this I now notice that many times when I want to switch lanes, I don't turn on my blinker. I have found it easier to switch lanes when the car next to me doesn't know that I want to. Many of my friends will even comment that if they had to sit in traffic then why should they just let the car next to them cut. one of my friends will practically touch the car in front of her to close the gap.

I think that drivers need to be more alert. Not talk on their cell phones while driving. And learn to be more courtious. If everyone let one car in, then I think there would be less traffic, and people's driving experience would be more plesant.

olimcc 01/27/00 3:51 PM
swr 1c1 passenger/pedestrian

I am not a driver here with the big traffic lights and the three to four lanes. All these big freeways/ highways are new to me.
I am from American Samoa which is a small island. We only have two-lane highways. I limit myself to walking or hitching a ride to get places. I am afraid of the drivers here.
Just the other day I was on the freeway with my sister and noticed that a driver was zooming in and out of lanes. I thought to myself, what a jerk. As he raced past us I noticed a baby in the front seat. The baby wasn't in a carseat. Sheeesh! Can you believe that? He didn't give a ---- about that baby so why should he care about the other drivers on the road? I wanted to catch up with him and give him the finger because the poor baby's life was in the hands of the driver. It is those types of drivers that really get to me. If he couldn't drive moderately for his own safety, he could at least do it for the baby.
When I walk I notice that the drivers are constantly changing lanes,getting on and of the freeways. Sometimes I have to cross the exit or enterance lanes. I hesitate to cross because a lot of the drivers don't care that you are there, even if the signs say yield to pedestrians. Sometimes they don't stop. If they see an opening in the traffic they are going to try to get it. They even try to get out of your way before you get a chance to cross. The drivers that do stop give me the dirtiest looks, so I take my time crossing the street and make them wait even longer. I'm mean,I know, but having been the pedestrian I have the right of way, right?

LDwiggins 01/27/00 9:29 PM
RC #2 re: passenger/pedestrian

Hey Olimcc :) I too am from a small island - Guam. I know what you mean about the fear of driving on Oahu. I have been here 10 years but I drove the first weekend I was on island. Wow! Talk about "crash" course. It was intimidating but I drive around now with no problems, except if it is to areas I am not familar with. Like you I took the bus around. I actually learned about driving downtown, Kailua, and Kaneohe by being a passenger on the bus.

One of the things that shocked me (after I saw the freeways) was the first time I witnessed a driver pass from the far left most lane to the off ramp (passing over 3 lanes in one swoop) Whoa! After awhile I noticed it was no an unusal event. In these driver's defense after after driving here and in the Mainland I can see how this manner of driving can happen. It seems Hawaii is limited in the number of opportunities in which to get off and onto another freeway/exit. However, I still am amazed when I see it happen. I plan ahead and make sure I am in the right lane so I can exit when I am supposed to and when it is safe to do so.

On your other concern of the driver with the unsecured baby. I share your feelings of astonishment. I believe there is a number you can call to report people who do this. You have to call with the driver's license plate number. I believe they will send a warning and if he/she is reported again they are cited and/or required to attend a class of some sort.

Finally, I am glad you stand your ground when crossing the street as a pedestrian. You are right! You are entitled to walk at your pace inspite of the dirty looks you get. It is obvious that these drivers have forgotten or never been pedestrians. I usually wave at drivers who let me walk by even if I initally got stick face from them. :) It makes me feel good to know that I did not let them get to me and hopefully they will realize how rude they were being.

ry409 01/27/00 4:08 PM
SWR-2: TEE 1C1

I looked through the 10 aggressive behaviors on the list and I really don't have an opportunity to exhibit any of these behaviors because I'm not on the road long enough during the weekdays. I live in in close proximity to school and home and school are the only two places that I drive to on the weekdays. On the weekends, however, I tried to be aware of my driving behavior, and I realized that I generally try to be as accomidating to other drivers as possible. The only offense that I found myself commiting was rushing. I had an appointment to get to on Saturday morning and I left 20 minutes before. For some reason I always figure I can get to anywhere in town in 20 minutes. It's usually the case but when there is any kind of traffic situation it disrrupts my plans. As far as the other listed offenses go I make an effort not to do them. I think it's because I think that driving can become dangerous when we put negative things out there. It always comes back to you and sometimes when you least expect. I know that it sounds corny but as a rule I think it's best to treat fellow drivers as you would want to be treated. Some times things slip your mind of accidents do happen but it's a small island and if we all just look out for each other a little we'd get to where we have to go safely.

lianem 01/27/00 6:26 PM
G13 Reaction Comment #1

As I read other people's SWR, I realized that I am not alone. Everyone experiences a bad day that may or may not come out when they drive. The best that a person can do is take notice of the fact that they are having a bad day, and act and react accordingly.

When I read LDwiggins' SWR, I thought to myself bus drivers can sometimes be the worst. In fact, I have noticed that many people who drive for a living are very aggressive, and dangerous. A few weeks ago my friend was hospitalized for a car accident. He is a police officer and was rushing to a suicide call. A few minutes after 911 got the call about the suicide attempt they received another call, someone called and reported suspicious circumstances because they heard arguing and what sounded like a gun shot. My friend was rushing to the case, which can be viewed as partially his fault for speeding, but then a taxi driver cut right in front of him to pick up passengers. My friend swerved to the side to avoid the taxi, he hit the curb and his cushman went flying. I personally do not like taxi drivers. They are very, very dangerous. This is an extreme example of why I feel that way.

I agree with ABumanglag, I too found myself more self conscious of my emotions as a driver and also as a passenger. I have always experienced cars speeding up and not letting me in, this usually upsets me, but I tried to be more understanding about it. I kept telling myself it's nothing personal. I can't change the way others drive. Yelling at them or getting myself all upset doesn't help the situation. I decided that since I can't control others, I will have to control myself. What I mean by control myself is I will control my emotions. People can do or say things upsetting, but it's up to me if I let it upset me. They don't have control over my emotions, only I do. I think that it is important for people to take responsibility for their feelings. Instead of blaming others for their bad mood, they should let things go. When I didn't let others influence my mood, I found it to be a very uplifting experience.

LDwiggins 01/27/00 8:42 PM
Tee #1 No. 1C1

I am guilty of a conducting a few of the Top Ten Driving Offenses when I am in a rush. The main one being that I get impatient when pressed for time in getting to my destination. The the other one is that, at times, I do speed to the yellow light.

I am going to share my recent offense of getting impatient and rushing. I was on my way to work last Sunday. Because I hate being late, I left early to allow myself more than enough time to get from my home to the office (even though it was a Sunday and traffic SHOULD not be too congested). Well, as fate would have it I encountered drivers who tested my patience. I felt myself begin to get upset and actually felt my eyebrows wrinkle. Wow, I was upset. I took that moment to rectify my feeling, and for a moment remembered the message of this course (Emotional Intelligence). Ironically, not even five minutes later when another driver forced me to brake (he cut in without signaling) I felt my eyebrows begin to form a frown and again I caught myself. This made me realize that I have to be aware of my reaction. That no matter how well I plan ahead, things happen. Most important is how I react when these things happen. That is the true test of my emotional intellegence.

LDwiggins 01/27/00 9:06 PM
Tee 2 No. 2C1

I notice that I only counted how many cars passed me when I drove in California (last Spring break). I am not used to or comfortable driving above 75 mph. I always asked, "I wonder where the fire is" when cars raced by me. I guess coming from an island smaller than Oahu (that had only one main road) I never felt the need to speed. (To me speeding is 15+ more than the posted speed limit). I noticed that driving this way resulted in drivers acting pushy towards me. I responded by staying out of their way always allowing them to pass.

I recall in my early driving days that I was one of those people that prevented others from pulling into my lane especially if they did not signal. I also recall how I used to get my kicks by taking someone at the light when I had my Firebird. Thankfully, I have since come to see that I get no long term satisfaction in being rude or proving how fast my car was. I now drive trying to apply the golden rule of do unto others. Even better I find that if I get out to the way of those who speed, allow enough space for those who are late brakers and don't sweat the small stuff I get more out of driving than I used to.

LDwiggins 01/27/00 10:13 PM
SWR #2: Wild in Waikiki

Yesterday, my husband and I were on our way back from Waikiki and he was driving so aggressively that after a few minutes I was really upset. A tourist unknowingly or knowingly came into our lane and instead of letting it go, my husband had to be an A-- and ride over into his lane. Tenacity is one of my husband's strongest traits and unfortunately second only to his temper. HE really needs to take this course!

I later realized that I said something that irritated him prior to getting into the car. This in addition to a taxi cutting him off and a tourist crossing over the line into our lane was all it took. He started to stay really close (without crossing over) to the lane the tourist was in. I asked him to stop. He knows how much I hate it when he gets confrontational. I asked him the whole time he was being an A-- to the tourist to stop, but he would not listen. I realize that he was driving with his emotions and I felt a little responsible. This event made me realize that not only are our action/reaction (ie: road rage) contagious to other drivers. My action/reaction to the driver or passenger is contagious too.

I know that I have to rectify my emotions instead of having it compound. I see the mistake I made and now have to find an effective way for my husband to see the error of his.

kuni99 01/31/00 10:04 PM
RE: SWR #2: Wild in Waikiki

I can totally see where you are coming from because my boyfriend will react to what's going on inside him emotionally but take it out on his driving performance or other drivers.

robsolmssen 02/10/00 12:01 PM
RE: SWR #2: Wild in Waikiki

I can relate to you, but I can also relate to your husband. Driving in Waikiki envolves a different mind set. Almost every time I go to Waikiki I either see an traffic "incident" or experience one first hand. The main reason for this is the large population of tourists, who aren't aware of the local traffic conditions. Many of these people are intoxicated too. Thus, making the experience that much more thrilling. BE CAREFUL!

melo1 01/28/00 9:46 AM
G13: SWR #2 TEE CARD NO 1C1

After examining my driving for a few days, I notice that I am a participant of the Nation's Top Ten Driving Offenses. Sometimes it can't be avoided. That is not an excuse of course. The only times I do it is when I'm short of time. I have the tendency of not giving myself enough time to get to my destination. I figure that anywhere in Hawaii is twenty minutes away. However, on many occasions unavoidable situations may occur. And this is the time when I resort to the top ten driving offenses. I mainly weave through lanes of SLOW DRIVERS. See, it's not really my fault (do i see anyone disagreeing with me). If turtle drivers just stay on the slow lane, then a build up of a cueue of cars would not have occurred. Maybe the solution would be to give myself ample time to commute. The problem with this is that I just can't. Another offense I am guilty of participating in is the yelling, gesturing part. I can be a little hot headed on the road sometimes when i encounter inconsiderate drivers. For instance, I was stuck on my lane during the rush hour traffic. I decided to change to my right lane, which at that time had no passing cars. While I was on the process of getting myself out of the knot, approximately 10 cars away, I see another driver pulling out of the lane onto the right lane. However, as soon as he saw me changing lane he sped up within seconds. Do you realize how far the distance of 10 cars would be in traffic. Everyone else was going 5-10 mph, but not him. It got to a point where he honked his horn at me. What I saw was a teenager who looked like he just got his driver's license not too long ago. My emotions took over my logic and of course you know what happened after. There are times when these things are unavoidable but we are all human beings and expressing our emotions is like second nature to most of us.

kseo 01/29/00 2:48 PM
RE: G13: SWR #2 TEE CARD NO 1C1

I know exactly how you feel. This has happened to me also. Some people can be so impatient and act like jerks. Maybe that teenager had a good reason to do that, but some people are just like that, unfortunately. I know I'm not a perfect driver, but you have to drive with your head not your emotions. It's not only safer for you, but also for others. When this happens to me at first I get mad, but I just end up letting it go. It's just like playing sports. When someone does something bad and gets away with it, you just have to let it go and move on. You can't do anything about it so why let it linger. Just try to forget about it and keep going. It might be hard at first, but I find that it keeps me sane and able to keep driving.

ABumanglag 01/31/00 11:45 PM
RE: G13: SWR #2 TEE CARD NO 1C1

Hey melo1, I understand exactly where you're coming from. I agree that sometimes situations do occur when some aggressive driving is required to get you to some places on time. And that slow driver thing -- I understand it completely. I know there are times when I get irritated because some driver in front of me is driving really slow. Traffic is bad enough as it is, but sometimes it seems that these slow drivers make it worse. If only everyone stayed at a constant speed and practiced a little give and take on the freeway, don't you agree that the whole traffic situation would be much better?

Sandee 02/01/00 10:33 AM
RE: G13: SWR #2 TEE CARD NO 1C1

I totally agree with melo1 on many things that she said in her SWR #2.
I too act in the same way when I am pressed for time. If I were to leave earlier or on time, then all the bad driving habits could be avoided, but somehow things just don't work that way. I notice that when I am late for an appointment, I start to feel frustrated, which leads to aggressive driving. My suggestion is always leave at least 5-10 minutes earlier. It's always better to be early than late. And plus, we could reduce the chance of getting into an accident.

linny 02/02/00 9:31 PM
RE: G13: SWR #2 TEE CARD NO 1C1

I know how you feel. I see this type of behavior all the time in others and in myself. I can tell you even when I am not only driving but also as a pedestrian and a passenger. I know what it is like to be short of time and then the whole world moves too slow for people like us. So I can sympathize with you but I know that this type of attitude is not a good one, I guess all of us who do these top 10 Driving Offenses will have to try and change.

faylogna 01/28/00 1:10 PM
SWR-2

Guilty as charge. I definitely have committed some of the offenses particularly turning without signaling, passing on the right shoulder when a car is turning left, and speeding on yellow lights. I've noticed that it is when I am running late or when I have some much things on my mind that I commit these offenses more often than ever. I just can't wait for the driver in front of me making his turn. I personally feel these offenses are not as severe as the other offenses but I think that it is something that needs to be avoided as possible. As I have become more familiar with the road, laws, and my own driving, I think that I am a much better driver now than before. I try my best to drive as careful and cautious as I can and hoping that the other drivers will too because I personally feel my life is very precious to me.

faylogna 01/28/00 1:53 PM
Opinion Comment-2

From reading the other's responses, I've noticed that many of the offenses is caused by poor management of time. Many of us are always rushing to get to our destination. The only problem is that we don't plan ahead to give ourselves enough time to get there or be more flexible with things, such as accidents. Recently, the highways have been very congested since it has been raining. Many drivers are driving slower which is good because the road do get slippy. However, accidents do happen at anytime. The significant of all this is that we remain to be COOL with every obstacles (good or bad) that we may encounter when we are on the road.

kelamuch 01/29/00 9:58 PM
G13 SWR #1

While driving the other day, I signaled to make a left turn and stopped, waiting for a gap in the traffic. There is an intersection with a light about 5 or 6 car-lengths prior to the street I was trying to turn onto. When the light at that intersection turned red, I assumed I would have an opportunity to turn. The oncoming cars were slowly lining up at the stoplight. Instead of allowing me to turn, the oncoming cars blocked the entire intersection. This highly annoyed me. I can understand that many people have other thoughts occupying their minds while driving and perhaps these drivers weren't paying attention to the situation, but I was still angry. I would have appreciated it, if the drivers had waved or nodded to acknowledge the mistake instead of staring straight ahead like there was no problem. I know this doesn't seem like a major problem or anything to get upset about, but I was forced to wait so these drivers could advance 15 feet. And on top of that I was blocking cars behind me from continuing on their journey. I'm really not the type of person to take actions on any of these feelings. I simply waited for a short time and soon enough there was a gap in traffic that allowed me turn. I grumbled to myself about how stupid the other drivers were for a few minutes and then I was fine. I continued on my journey without another incident of stupidity.

kelamuch 01/29/00 9:59 PM
G13 SWR #2

I was driving to my boyfriend's home on Wednesday night. I was on the H-1 Freeway driving in the right lane when out of no where this car comes zooming up behind me and starts tailing my car. I am the kind of person who gets a little self-conscious about my driving ability and assumed that I was going too slowly (I think that this relates to the TEE card dealing with paranoid thinking in exercise 1). I increased my speed above the posted limit, but the car continued to maintain a minimal distance between us. I began to get frustrated with the car behind me. It seemed that no matter how fast I drove, he still followed me too closely. I also began to wonder if I had accidentally cut this person off, or done something else to offend them. I couldn't remember doing anything and my frustration was growing. At first I entertained thoughts of slowing to a speed extremely lower than the limit or of braking quickly, but realized that those thoughts were very stupid and could cause serious damage. Luckily, my off ramp was the next one. I quickly moved to the next lane. Almost immediately, the car behind me, a black Lexus, zoomed ahead of me and began to tail the person in front of him. Upon seeing this I shook my head and laughed. I couldn't believe that I had become so self-conscious about my driving and worried that I had pissed this person off. After witnessing that, I simply assumed that the driver of the Lexus, is an inexperienced driver and that it had nothing to do with me. Or at least that's what I'd like to believe…

tanthony 01/30/00 10:28 PM
RC-2

I too have been driving on the freeway when someone starts to drive very close behind me. You know, I wasn't in the fast lane, so it was not like I was supposed to be going very quickly. Normally I stay just above the speed limit so I wasn't going particularly slowly. I knew that I was doing all the right things but for some reason I felt that the person behind me must have felt I was doing something wrong. I guess the first thing I can think of to describe it is peer pressure. I felt like I had to speed up and this is what I end up doing in these situations. I never speed in excess (not since I got my speeding ticket 5 years ago and had to do 30 hours of community service) but I will pick up the pace just to alleviate the pressure that I perceive coming from behind me. I think some people just drive this way, constantly lurking behind people on the road. I really think we need to give each other space on the road. Looking in the rearview mirror and seeing someone very close behind me, makes me nervous. I think I am justified in feeling this way because they will not have enough time to slow down and not hit me even in a less than emergency braking situation. I think these drivers are too aggressive and I have got to quit being so passive. I think the best thing to do is to get out from in front of them.

kelamuch 01/31/00 12:16 PM
RE: RC-2

Thanks for your comment! You seem to understand exactly how I feel regarding this matter. It gets so frustrating, but at least I know I'm not the only one who feels this way!!!

shanen 01/31/00 12:21 AM
swr #2 (ex# 1)

I was particularly interested by the last item in this card in which 84% of the respondents said that "the other driver should get more edcation". I think that in these types of cases where we blame others we must first look at ourselves as he cause of the problem and then to others. I think that if I needed to take an upcoming offramp, then it is my responsibility to be in the appropriate lane to do so. I wouldn't expect others to clear a perfect path for me to make my exit. I think that much of this anger towards others stems from each of us being the first to blame others for our misfortunes. If we were to look at ourselves first there may be a chance that we may find that we could have done things to make the situation more favorable for ourselves.

Marissa_ 01/31/00 10:12 PM
-- Quick To Blame (RC)

Shanen, I agree with you when you say, “we must first look at ourselves first” as a possible cause to some problem. People are quick to blame, and would like to point the finger at someone other than ourselves. I used to think that people who drove slightly below the posted speed limit were ignorant, but I reasoned to myself that I must be humble. I got to thinking that maybe it was me who was in a rush to get somewhere, or maybe the person in front of me is bringing me home safely. Now, I just don’t sweat about it because I know that things like this happen. Thinking about having a stress ball to squeeze on helps too. Hmm, I wonder where I may get one?

shanen 02/12/00 10:52 PM
RE: -- Quick To Blame (RC)

Marissa, I remember Perry and Price advertising those stress balls somewhere. If not I found that very, very "calming" or "happy" music helps in the car. If I'm going to be stuck in traffic or run off the road, at least I'm singing my head off!!

jamesy69 01/31/00 1:13 AM
SWR #2 Me Aggressive?

Before I started this exercise, I did not know that acts like turning without signaling or speeding up to a yellow light were considered aggressive driving behaviors. These aspects for me have become more of a convenience or a bad habit. While driving the other day to Ward Center, I noticed that I do not signal when I know I have ample room to cut into a lane. I guess ,to me, I do not consider it necessary to let the other drivers know of my intentions if it is not going to interfere with their driving. This action of not signaling did not bother me in any way. Only if I knew I had to cut into a busy lane would I signal. I think I do this not only because it is considerate and respectful but also because it allows for safe passage for me and my passengers.
Another action that I know is aggressive driving is tailgating. I notice that I tailgate not just out of retaliation to other drivers but also to my emotional state. If I am angry or in a hurry, I become impatient and expect other people to understand my feelings. When other drivers slow down or do not let me pass, I consider it a direct insult to me because I expect the other drivers to understand my circumstances. Only after I calm down or relax do I realize that my actions were dangerous and aggressive.
Monitoring my emotional state before driving has helped me become more conscious of my driving and more responsible.

ABumanglag 01/31/00 11:35 PM
RC 2: RE: SWR #2 Me Aggressive?

After reading your SWR, and thinking about the topics that we are talking about this week, I began to realize how foolish my aggressive driving really is.

You brought up a good point regarding tailgating. I admit that I hate it when people do that to me, but nevertheless, I find myself tailgating people at times. Don't get me wrong now - I said AT TIMES, and not all the time. I realize that like you, I tend to tailgate people because I lose control of my emotions. Most of the time, it's because someone cuts me off and almost causes an accident. I guess you can call it my way of getting back at that driver. However, now I realize that by tailing that driver, I am also putting myself at risk for an accident. Not only is it foolish (after all, it's not solving anything), it is also dangerous. It's like using gasoline to put out a fire - I'm only compounding the problem. Isn't it amazing how it is so difficult to realize this when the moment actually arises?

Well, obviously I have a long road ahead of me. I admit that I still have to learn to control my emotions while I drive.

jamesy69 01/31/00 1:59 AM
Opinion Comment #2

After observing my driving behavior these last few weeks, I have realized that we all seem to model each others driving habits. If one driver becomes angry at another driver and elicits aggression the other driver does the same. If one car speeds through a yellow light there seems to be a trail of other cars following. If other cars seem to pick up the pace on the highway, we all seem to follow. I think we have all picked up some bad habits in our driving behavior just by observing others. And if these bad habits seem to be the norm for everyone on the road, it is going to be very difficult to break the cycle of aggressive driving. We need become responsible drivers and display non-aggressive behaviors so that others will follow. Everyone should feel safe when driving and not have to worry about someones carelessness.

blinking 01/31/00 4:15 PM
swr #3

I drive every day of my life...in fact, i'm pretty happy when i don't have to drive. I have also been concious of some of the "bad habits" that i have, and i have been trying to improve on them, constantly. Since the farthest i drive is to KCC, i chose this as a chance to do my swr. I did not keep track of how many cars i passed, or of how many were passing me...it's not a big issue with me. I did notice which lane was moving faster, but i remained in my lane. I also did not notice if anyone made me brake or of how many lights I made. I did speed...such is my fallacy. I di not come across anyone trying to merge in front of me, so I guess i did not prevent anyone from entering my lane, however, i do belive that we should all at least let one person in...especially at on-ramps, but it is also not neccesary, because they do not have the right of way anyway.

ABumanglag 01/31/00 6:44 PM
SWR #2: It's only because I have to...

I looked over the list of the nation’s top ten driving offenses and realized that I am guilty of eight out of the ten offenses. Perhaps the only two that I can honestly say I have never done are: cruising in the passing lane and taking too long to make a turn. As for the other eight offenses, I realize that I have done them at one time or another. However, I do not commit them all the time. I realize that I am more prone to aggressive driving during the morning drive to school or during my drive to work. Most of the time, I find myself driving aggressively to avoid being late. I also admit that at certain times, I am also guilty of tailing cars. Most of the time it’s because a driver cuts me off and forces me to brake really hard. I know this is wrong, but I’d be lying if I said that I never did it.
For the purpose of this SWR, I decided to try and analyze my feelings/emotions as I was driving to school today. I left my house at the same time today and tried, as best as I could, to avoid any form of aggressive driving. I was doing pretty good (I think it was only 10 min.) until I hit the traffic. Then, after waiting for a few minutes in a lane that was not moving, I found myself looking at the clock and saying to myself that I’d better hurry up or I’d miss my class. However, what really got to me was seeing cars driving really slowly. I know that you aren’t supposed to drive fast in traffic, but these people were driving as though they had nowhere to go --- you could probably fit a cement truck and a car between them and the next car! There was just so much room in front of them that I felt I had to change lane. Anyway, as I realized that I was running out of time, I began to drive more aggressively. I found myself weaving in and out of lanes and taking any side roads that I knew so that I would not miss my class. Anyway, to make a long story short, I made it to school on time, and also in one piece! I think that if I didn’t drive a little aggressively, I would have probably been late for school.
I’ve been driving this way every school day for many years now (I think I started in high school), and it is only now that I am actually beginning to realize that it might be wrong. Of course, I do exercise extreme caution when I drive this way – I don’t do anything foolish. I always try to be aware of what the other driver is thinking and never assume that I have the complete right of way. Nevertheless, aggressive driving in traffic has become almost second nature to me – I do it more out of necessity to avoid being late.

Marissa_ 01/31/00 9:54 PM
RE: SWR #2: It's only because I have to... (RC)

Wow, ABumanglag! It’s good that you are able to recognize what makes you drive aggressively. Do you think your aggressive driving makes you a safe driver? Do you not care that your aggressive driving may put other drivers in harm’s way, or even yourself? It would be good if you could see that your driving is a bit unsafe. A good next step would be to try to leave your house earlier. Perhaps just a little adjustment in your schedule will make a difference. “Better late than sorry.”

ABumanglag 01/31/00 11:17 PM
RE: SWR #2: It's only because I have to... (RC)

Yes, I realize that my driving may be a bit unsafe. I mentioned earlier that I am guilty of some aggressive driving, but nevertheless, I am not guilty of reckless driving. I like to consider my kind of driving as "driving smart." I do exercise restraint at times - I am well aware of what I can and cannot do in my car. However, your point is well taken, and it is something I will consider next time I drive to school.

kelamuch 02/06/00 8:41 PM
OC #4

This sounds like my boyfriend's driving technique. It scares me a little to drive with him, but he's never been in an accident so I assume he's got something going for him. He constantly mumbles to himself that people in Hawaii don't know how to drive - not merging properly, driving too slowly, etc. And while it scares me I know that I will never be late for school or an appointment if he drives me there. I guess I actually appreciate that one of us can drive "offensively" (as he calls it) and get us where we need to be.

kuni99 01/31/00 9:59 PM
SWR:#2

I think overall, I consider my driving attitude and ability to be pretty coolheaded except when I see reckless drivers. I think what makes me keep my col and driving safely as possible is largely due to my precious cargo-my kids. The one thing I must admit when I am lazy and no cars are behind me is turning without signaling.

kuni99 01/31/00 10:10 PM
G13:OC#2

After observing myself as well as other drivers this past week, I've noticed that everyone will have their stressful moments while driving due to internal or external factors. The one thing that we need to be conscious of is our reactions to other drivers who are not so careful or courteous on the road. In fact, I just saw on tonights news that the police will start giving out citations for drivers who block major intersections resulting in blocking other drivers when it's their turn.

ShaunnaM 02/01/00 10:17 AM
RE: G13:OC#2

I saw the cops at every intersection all the way down Pi'ikoi yesterday, they had one cop on every corner, I thought it was a little excessive, and besides, when people see the police, what do they automatically do? I know I did, I made sure not to block the intersection. They need to get real, there's no way that that many police can be there everyday to regulate blocking intersections, maybe people will be more wary within the next few weeks, but I highly doubt it will stick.

linny 02/02/00 9:39 PM
G13:OC#2

I think that people are too aggressive on the road today (road rage). I find this thought very scary, it is one of the reasons why I hate to drive. I don't think that I am a very good driver and if I accidentally "rub" someone the wrong way I wouldn't want that other driver to be aggressive towards me such as tailing me or pull up next to me to yell and so forth. If more people were aware of road rage maybe more people would try to avoid it.

ShaunnaM 02/01/00 10:12 AM
SWR #1

After reading the card and then observing myself, I realize that I do get frustrated with drivers that speed up and make me miss a turn, but most of the time I know that they are not even paying attention. I also put most of the blame on myself, if I knew that I had to turn, I should have gotten over earlier, to make sure I would not miss the turn. It's funny that people continue to get angry or mad at other drivers when they should know what to expect.

kelamuch 02/06/00 8:21 PM
OC #1

You make a good point about being more aware of your driving path. I used to take a moment to mentally map where I was going, which cut off I had to take, and which turns I would have to make. I no longer do that as I am more familiar with the roads, but maybe if I took the time to do that I would have less frustration. I could avoid potentially aggravating situations.

robsolmussen 02/01/00 10:42 AM
Driving with a trailer

Yesterday I had to pick up a canoe from Young Brothers at Pier 39. Although I have experience driving with a trailer, most of my time has been on the Big Island. Navigating a forty foot canoe through Honolulu can become hectic at times. One piece of advice that I would recommend is planing out your route before you start your trip. It can get complicated if you are constantly having to turn around, switch lanes, or just find a place to pull over. Another thing to remember is to make sure the cars behind you can see either your vehicle's tail lights or the trailer's lights. This is a major safety hazard not only at night but durung daylight hours as well.
After you unload the cargo returning with an empty trailer can also be a little tricky on the freeway. Often times I found that cars on the inside lanes, that wanted to get over quickly, would slow down and try to get in behind me. This can be dangerous because they are unable to see the trailer. I found that slowing down to their same speed, or even slower, allows them to get in in front of you.

Sandee 02/01/00 10:43 AM
SWR #2 Tee Card 1C1

While keeping track of my driving and looking back in the past on how I drive, I find myself doing some of the top ten driving offenses. Speeding up to a yellow is one of the most offense that I notice doing. I know that it's not like going thru a yellow light is going to make me any less late then I already am but I just can't help myself. And always after running thru the yellow right, I look back in my rear view mirror to see if the driver in back of me ran the yellow light also. I guess that makes me feel a little less guilty because I know that I was not the only one. I am also rushing and being impatient all the time when I am pressed for time. I know all this could be avoided but I just don't think that way when I am in a hurry. If I could think more rationally while driving, many of my bad habbits could be avoided so much.

linny 02/02/00 9:48 PM
SWR 1C1

As I stated in one of my first messages I have just begun to start driving so I haven't really developed much of these bad habits although I have noticed much of it among other drivers and sometimes when I am the passenger, I seem to get angry when people cut off the car I am in or when I feel that the car in front is driving too slow. I hope that doing this exercise will make me aware of alot of the "bad" driving behaviors so that when I do drive more I will not pick up a lot of these habits.

Sandee 02/01/00 10:51 AM
G:13 OC#2

Observing my driving and other drivers, I noticed that people do many of the The Nation's Top Ten Driving Offenses. How can we all drive safely and avoid doing all these bad habits? I always realize that I drive aggressively after the fact. I don't recognize it while I am driving because I'm too involved on my thoughts on why other people are driving so slow. I guess I have to concentrate more on myself than the other drivers.

robsolmussen 02/01/00 11:18 AM
SWR #1

I found myself in traffic on Kapio'lani Blvd. yesterday. One thing I noticed people constantly doing was going through the intersection even though it was "gridlocked"- there wasn't any space for their car on the other side of the intersection. When it came time for me to go I just pulled along side of the last car in line on the other side of the intersection. This way I wasn't blocking the cross-traffic. I couldn't believe how many people just sat in the middle of the intersection. They had no clue that they were bloking two flows of traffic. I guess my only advise is the obvious, similar to when an ambulence, fire truck, or policeman is approaching, get out of the way so that the other traffic has a chance to flow.

olimcc 02/01/00 12:33 PM
cont...previous swr

As a pedestrian I noticed that there are jerks when you walk around also. I get frustrated when people walk around in groups and walk slower that I do. When I want to get somewhere, I don't like anything or anyone to slow me down. I was changing classes the other day and had ten minutes to get to my next class, a group of girls were in front of me and walking s-l-o-w. I couldn't get around them. On my left was a railing and on the other side was a mud puddle. Where was I gonna go? These girls were taking their sweet time, laughing and talking. I was getting upset. Come on, I kept thinking to myself. Finally I got upset and said really loud EXCUSE ME!!! I was pretty upset. These girls had made a comment as I walked by. I was ready to turn around and start some static with them, but kept walking. I knew that if I did things would of gotten pretty ugly so I kept waking. Sure I was still upset but I knew by leaving them alone I made things easier on myself.
I think people should be aware of others around weather driving or walking. This would make it more pleasant to travel.

lianem 02/01/00 6:32 PM
G13 (OC) #1

I agreed with most of the comments made by others in this class. Ones that I particularly agree with are:

Allianic-"No one is a perfect driver, not even our parents".
It's funny how when I was younger, and didn't drive yet, I felt so safe in the car with my parents. I just assumed that they knew best, and that everything would be okay. Even when they got into accidents, I never thought that it was their fault. Now that I am older, and drive myself, I realize how naive that kind of thinking is. No one is a perfect anything. I can now see errors in judgement that my parents make when driving. I thought that it was also important to mention the time factor. When we are impatient we are more likely to do and act in ways that we normally would not. I know that when I am impatient, I am in a bad mood. Emotions do run high when driving, and that can be dangerous. Althought I think this is human nature, we can try to condition ourselves in more postive ways.

Ry409-mentioned that turning on a car's blinkers can sometimes make it harder to merge or change lanes. I have experienced this many times. People have to learn to take turns, an be more observant of others who may want to cut in. I know that for some of my friends they feel that if they had to sit in traffic then so should the other car. The problem is that sometimes the other car may not purposely be trying to cut. Sometimes for myself at least, its just that I didn't realize that I had to turn until the last minute. Especially when I don't know where I am going. It was also mentioned that there are more cars on the road and more traffic, thus causing more road rage. I agree with this deduction. In my parents day, they were luckly if they had a car. Let alone many cars in one family. People have become so reliant on their cars that it seems like a necessity instead of a luxery. I for myself can not see myself catching the bus, or walking. I love my car, and I think that many others feel the same way. I also think that the age at which a person can obtain a driver's license is pretty young. When you really think about it, does a child at age 15 really need a license. This is someone who has a curfew, can't even by cigarettes, can't vote, can't see a rated R movie, but can drive a vehicle that could possibly kill someone.

ry409 02/02/00 3:23 PM
SWR#3-TEE2C2

Ok so I commit at least four of the competetive actions an a regular basis. If that means that I have a competitive mentality that surprises me. Everyone who has ever driven with me knows me to be a generous driver. I mean that I always try to keep an eye out for drivers that are tying to enter a lane or change lanes or let them cut in or enter my lane in traffic. In fact I often get crtisized from my pasengers who get annoyed with me for letting too many people go. My fault, as it is explained to me is that by letting too many people cut in I am causing more traffic for myself as well as for all of the other drivers behind me. My thinking is that I'm actually helping traffic to keep moving along because in traffic it's very difficult to merge anywhere. Most people don't do it and I think that's why there is more traffic than there needs to be. Let the people in and keep things moning. The Competitive actions that apply to me are #3. I've said this before but my number one problem is being late. So I often look for the fatest lane. This causese me to be constantly on the look out and does put in in the competitive mind frame of trying to get a space in the "fast lane" before anyone else. I also am aware of the number of lights I can get through before I hit a red. I don't know the exact number or anything I just know when I get the greens. I am also aware when I am speeding and when somebody has prevented me from doing something. I think that most people are aware of these last two mentalities. You can't go anywhere in Hawaii and not know when you're speeding because most of us are driving however many miles over the speed limit if its safe enough.

ry409 02/02/00 3:31 PM
(SWR#3)-TEE2C2-competitive mentalities

faylogna 02/03/00 10:53 AM
RE: (SWR#3)-TEE2C2-competitiv e mentalities

I like for the fact that you always watching out for other drivers. I feel we should all be aware of ourselves as well as others when we are out there driving. We can never be too selfish when it come to driving in the highway. However when it comes in letting others enter your lane, I think that it is okay to let 1-3 vehicles cut in front of your and not half a double or more. It seems that from what you said you are letting many drivers enter you lane and that's very generous of you. Did anyone ever got upset because of your actions? I think that I would be mad at you if I was driving in the back of you. One reason is I am trying to get through traffic as soon as I can, but because of you I will be more stuck in traffic and be held back in the lane while the other lanes are just flowing.

ry409 02/03/00 3:29 PM
RE: (OC#3)-TEE2C2-competiti ve mentalities

I don't think you understood what I was trying to say. Maybe I wasnt' entirely clear of my point. I was trying to say that I let one person in front of me at a time when merging. I think that it is almost a general rule of thumb that when two lanes are merging that it's every other driver that gets into the lane. That mean that you have to let one person in front of you. I can remember one time in particular when someone did not want to do that. We were merging on Kapiolani Blvd. when it was coned off. I was in the left most lane and trying to merge one lane to the right. The people in front of me were all given that chance to merge so naturally I followed because that's how I was told merging was done. I see it all the time when I'm the one letting people merge into my lane. It turned out that there was this person that wasn't letting me in. I mean he kept trying to hug the bumper of the person in front of me so that he wouldn't have to let me in. I just kept moving up. And I think that this was probably the closest that I have gotten to road rage. I wanted to merge because it was my turn to cut in and I felt that I should be allowed to go after waiting in line. This guy was very aggressive, but he was driving a BMW and didn't want to take the chance of getting it scratched so he backed down. Of course I was like telling myself not to look in the rear view mirror but I did and he was swearing and giving me the finger and dirty looks. I thought that I would be scared or at least somewhat aggitated but I wasn't. I think that when we are in our cars we feel this sense of invulnerability. It's this armour around us that makes us do things that we wouldn't normally do I think anyway.

faylogna 02/03/00 10:32 AM
SWR#3

Looking through the list, I definitely do recognize some of these things that I carry along when I am driving. I would constantly check the speedonometer to make sure that I am not going over 10 mph more than the regulated speed every time that I am behind the wheel. I sometimes feel that I am driving too slow or too fast and so that is why I have to check my speed. Other drivers could be passing me which I don't mind because I feel I am following the law and one day the law will caught up will those people that do not. The only problem that I have with the law is that going 40-45 mph in the freeway is too slow for me and so I hate to be in the back of a vehicle that is going this speed. I just can't tolerate other drivers that I feel is going slow. However, I don't curse, beep my horn, stick my middle finger, or yell at the other driver that I see other drivers do. I just simply over take the other driver.
When I am in the highway I always try to be a good driver towards my fellow drivers. I try to carry the aloha spirit that we have here which to me is letting other drivers come in your lane. I like the fact that they wave their hand in the air or make a shaka sign as a sign of thank you and this is what makes Hawaii unique from other places. I know for sure that Guam does not have this. I've noticed from my trip that the drivers in Guam are so aggressive in the road. I personally feel, they don't have a good mentality view of being nice to their fellow drivers. I don't really mind if a driver did not show any sign of appreciation, the important thing is that I did my job for that day as a part of the golden rule. At last, hopefully, as we age we will not use our aloha spirit in the highway.

ry409 02/03/00 3:52 PM
RE: SWR#3-(OC#3)

I hear you when it comes to drivers following the speed limit. You can't blame them for anything because they are following the law. I got upset when I read someones SWR where they were saying that it was necessary to make separte laws for slow drivers. My arguement was that the definition they were using to classify these so-called "slow drivers" were that there were driving slower than these people wanted to drive. The problem then arose because what was making these slow drivers was the fact that they were driving the speed limit and that the people that wanted to make this separate law requiring them to drive only on the right side of the road was because they wanted to break the law by driving faster than the speed limit. I think what you do it the best thing. As long as we aren't talking about dramatically speeding up to over take somebody and then quickly sutting them off as you move your vehicle in front of them then I think it's ok. I like your reminder to drive with aloha. We are in paradise people. Maybe it doesn't seem like it always but believe me it's so much different than the mainland is. Many people don't realized it because they've never been off the island. There is a whole world out there and sometimes it takes some exploration of that world to make you truely appreciate hawaii as a unique and beautiful island paradise.

allianic 02/03/00 7:54 PM
RE: SWR#3

I also recognize that I do some of these things when I am driving. When I was sixteen years old I got into a pretty major car accident. When I got into that accident we were going about 85mph, so now days whenever I am in a car, I get nervous if I see the speedometer go past 50. Whenever I drive and even when I am a passenger, I am constantly checking how fast the car is going. I guess that it has become a habit. But even though I get nervous when I am going too fast, I still get irritated when I feel other drivers go too slow. Especially when they are in front of me. I also do not yell, or curse, or anything like that. But I do get frustrated a lot. It also makes me feel good when other drivers show their appreciation to me for letting them cut in front of me or when I let them turn before I do. When other drivers show the "aloha spirit" it makes me feel better about driving and about other people who drive. I also do not like aggressive drivers. A lot of my friends are aggressive drivers, and I try not to ride with them as much as possible. It scares me when drivers are too aggressive because you never know what they are going to do next. And aggressive drivers put everyone's life in danger.

shizue 02/06/00 9:42 PM
RC #3

I have to say that like you I also really like it when people acknowledge me for letting them in. I never cut people off, but I do find that I get a little frustrated when they don't at least try to wave. It makes me feel like I was "supposed" to do that. I guess I like getting that "pat on the back" feeling for being courteous. Sometimes I feel that people in this world would be a lot nicer to each other if they just got acknowledged more for their kindness. Like you, I also get really scared with some of my friends that drive like maniacs. In fact, sometimes I just get so tense that I can't just enjoy the ride because I'm constantly on my toes trying to make sure we won't get into any accidents! I hate that feeling!

LDwiggins 02/03/00 9:29 PM
OC to Faylogna SWR #3

Faylogna:

Coming from the island of Guam I can confirm that most drivers are aggressive. I know, because I used to be one of them. I agree that Hawaii is unique in its showing of "Aloha" while driving. However, Guam has a similar form of acknowledgement. It is the raising of the chin in a quick movement (usually not with a smile).

I have driven in several Mainland states and have experienced the lack of positive communication while driving on their freeways. Although when ever I am in another state, I acknowledge the courtesy other drivers extend to me. It is my opinion that the "Aloha" can be spread throughout the mainland. If enough people started doing it, it could quickly become another craze. Unfortunately, as optimistic as I am, I do not foresee that a lot of people feel the "aloha" enough to spread it.

faylogna 02/03/00 11:16 AM
SWR#3- Opinion Comment (busted)

Relating back to SWR#2 (Offenses) and SWR#3 (Cometitive mentality), I definitely have committed the worst of all. I drove a standard vehicle (I particularly do not know how because that was officially my first time) without my driver's license in the freeway. Thinking back, I feel totally out of my mind that I did that becasue normally I would not do sure a wrongfully behavior. We could have gotten to an accident or I would be suspended from driving if a police officer have stopped us. How could I have done it? One answer is that I needed to get home so that my parents wouldn't get mad and there was no way that I was sleeping over at my boyfriend's house. Sad to say, I partly blame my boyfriend for forcing me to drive his car and everything else is on me. I could have let my boyfriend sleep for a while then drop me home or have called a taxi.

allianic 02/03/00 8:12 PM
G13 - SWR#3

After reading the tee card, I realized that I do more competitive things while driving than I thought. I never knew that I kept track of how many cars pass me by while I am driving. But after really thinking about it, I found out that I always keep track of how many cars pass me. If I feel that too many cars are passing me, I think that maybe I am going too slow or something. And if hardly any cars pass me, then I feel that I am going at an okay speed. But when I thought about it more, I figures that it shouldn't matter how fast I am going as long as I am not causing trouble for any other drivers. Another thing that I do is that I always pay attention to who forces me brake. I get really irritated when I have to brake hard. First of all I get scared, because I had to react quickly, then I get angry because that driver wasn't being too courteous, and lastly I get frustrated because I could have possibly gotten into an accident. So I find myself always keeping track of people who force me to brake and I make it a point to keep away form those drivers. I also make it a point to keep track of how many lights I am able to pass without having to stop. I don't really like to have to stop for lights, especially when I am in a hurry to get somewhere. I also always get insulted when I feel that drivers have done something to me, and I wonder if I am a wimp for not retaliating. I never do anything to drivers who cut me off or stuff like that. I just figure that it will just make the situation worse, but then I also wonder if I am being too nice about it. And lastly I always keep track of if someone prevents me from entering a lane or if I prevent someone from entering a lane. I always try to let someone get into my lane if they need to, and I get really upset if someone refuses to let me into a lane. I feel that it is just common courtesy. But anyway, hopefully now that I know about all of the competitive behaviors I have, I will do something to reduce them.

LDwiggins 02/03/00 9:09 PM
RC to Allianic's SWR#3

Allianic,now that you are aware of your competitive tendancy and of your keeping track of the number of cars passing and other things (from the gunny sack of agressive behaviors.)It is great to hear that you are willing to do something about it.

I believe your positive attitude and willingness to make a change will bring you quick results. I can remember past times when I went through the same wave of emotions that you wrote about. I was really aggressive if not down right confrontational, but I have learned after years of conscious effort not to let things get to me.

I know that having bad days are a way of life, however after the death of my brother I have come see the value of life. Life is uncertain (if not short) so I take the approach that I will live it to the fullest with the least amount of negative aspects that are in my control. Good luck on your endeavors! :)

makana 02/06/00 9:31 AM
RE: G13 - SWR#3

I guess I'm not the only one who notices many of these things while on the road. I have probably done every action at least once during my experiences as a driver. After reading some of these SWR's I realize that it is a pretty widespread problem. Not only all the people in our classes, but I'm sure most of the people on the road have done some of these competitive actions at some time. In allianic's SWR I can really relate to her getting mad when someone prevents her from doing something like getting into the turning lane, because it seems like we both allow people to enter our lanes when they need to. The good thing about this class is that everyone seems to be realizing their faults as a driver and are showing that they intend to stop our significantly reduce them, so while the other drivers on the road may continue to be competitive, hopefully Dr. James' three classes will become the examples to follow on the road.

allianic 02/03/00 8:21 PM
Opinion Comment #3

In my opinion, it is natural for people to be competitive when they are driving. Like we were talking about in class, I also feel that people use their cars as shields and that they do things they wouldn't normally do when they are in their cars. Like swearing or cursing, and also being competitive. You don't see people getting mad or swearing because someone walks faster then them on the sidewalk. People don't compete while walking to class on campus about who can get there faster, because it doesn't matter when you're just walking. But when you are in a car it is a completely different story. People become entirely different when they drive!

LDwiggins 02/03/00 8:46 PM
TEE Card No. 4C1 Road Rage Tendency

I scored 4 - on some trips; and the remaining 6 on never. I believe my scoring on this TEE card was low because I do not drive during "rush hour" traffic. In addition, I am aware of myself when traffic gets hectic. If other drivers drive competitively and I start to feel my pulse begin to race or if I start to grumble, I tell myself, "it is not worth getting worked up about." I take a deep breath and continue on my way.

I used to get worked up and curse/flick people off, but I have not done this in over 5 years. I apply the philosphy that people will get to me only if I give the power to do so. I know I am in control of my own emotions and actions and try never to let anyone get the best of me. It has taken years of concious effort for me to make this adjustment and reduce my road rage tendency.

kelamuch 02/06/00 8:15 PM
RC #4

WOW! I wish I had scored the way you did. My biggest problem seems to complaining to myself about other drivers & traffic (#1) and getting annoyed with other drivers (#2). I basically bitch to myself. I never act on any complaint, like I would never give anyone the finger, but I do get worked up. I wish that I had your ability to control yourself and remain level-headed. Do you have any suggestions to help me? You seem to have turned yourself around - HELP!!!

ry409 02/10/00 1:18 PM
RE: RC #4 (MY OC #4)

I know exactly what you are talking about. I do the same things that you do. I do feel irritated by other drivers and I do complain but it's usually to myself and not out loud. So when my passenger rated me she didn't give me a check mark for the On Every Trip category in the "I get annoyed or irritated by some driver" column. I just figured that everything I did was external and could be examined or recorded as such, but it wasn't. I have internal emotions and thoughts going on as well. Well duh I guess I should have recognized that. That's where I think that exercises like these help to evaluate yourself. They kind of force you to take a closer look at your self and the actions you take. Most of us probably don't even give a second thought to the way we react to things when we are driving. This evaluaion not only helps me but will also benefit my passengers for whom I am the driver.

holma 02/23/00 7:51 PM
RC: TEE Card No. 4C1 Road Rage Tendency

I think that you're doing a great job in reducing your road-rage tendencies! Keep it up! I wish everyone would start thinking like you, because it is so true that people will only get to you if you let them. But how do you know if other people are trying to get the best of you? They might be doing something totally unaware that it might get you upset. I don't think that a lot of people are trying to annoy other people intentionally. Being in control of your own emotions and actions is actually the almost the only thing you really can have full control over when you're driving, (except that you should also have full control over your vehicle). You can not control other conditions like the weather, other drivers, the traffic flow or pedestrians for example. Taking a deep breath and telling yourself that "it isn't worth getting worked up about" is a great strategy when something happens that you did not have any control over anyway. Bad things will always happen, just try to do the best out of the situation.

LDwiggins 02/25/00 3:31 PM
RE: RC: TEE Card No. 4C1 Road Rage Tendency

Thanks for the positive feedback. What you added was well said! You obviously have the right attitude in dealing with road rage. Maybe our attitudes/actions can be evidence on how to drive and not be driven! :)

LDwiggins 02/03/00 9:49 PM
SWR#3 - Planning ahead

I have night class on Tuesday nights. I leave school after this class (409) to rest(I live a mile from school)before I head back to school. My class is at 7:00 p.m., but I was ready to leave by 6:25p.m. My husband asked me why I was leaving so early. I told him that I like to leave early so that I don't have to rush. I always try to allow myself extra time to get to my place of destination in the event something (like an accident on the road) should cause a delay in driving time.

As I was headed up the University Avenue passing the Business Admin. buildings a car aburptly stopped right in front of me. It was a couple of seconds before his reverse lights came on. He was trying to get into a vacant metered parking slot. I backed up to allow him enough room to get into the slot. The van behind me had given me enough space that he did not have to back up as I moved back. It is my opinion that it should not take the operator of a small car more than 3 minutes to get into a slot. However, this driver was either unfamilar with his car's width or in handling his car on an incline. I stared to fell my temper rising and although I was tempted to, I did not honk at him or flash him. I waited until he had backed most of his car into the slot and then headed on my way. I know that I have held people up longer than they felt was necessary so I try to remember that when I feel that people do this to me. It is not personal so I really try not to take it that way. In this situation I was able to do that. :)

tanthony 02/04/00 1:58 PM
OC-3

I agree with you that planning ahead and leaving yourself a bit extra time is certainly a way to feel less stress while driving. You don't have to worry that you are going to be late, so you don't need to get mad at that person in front of you who stopped at the yellow light, which you know you could have gotten through too (just an example, I like to stop at yellow lights). Although I know that this is the best plan, sometimes I have a hard time applying it in the morning. I like sleep, so I try to sleep as late as possible. This means leaving only enough time to barely make it to school on time. Of course this means that I rarely make it to my first class on time. I think I just have a hard time accepting the fact that it takes me an hour to get to a class in the morning when it would only take me about 25 minutes to go later in the day. I need to start giving myself a realistic amount of time to get to school in the morning and sacrificing that extra sleep (No!!!!!!!!).

ry409 02/04/00 4:11 PM
RE: SWR#3 - Planning ahead (RC#3)

I think that the idea you have of leaving early to your destinations so that you do not have to rush and all the while giving yourself that extra cushion of time just in case something happens. I really admire somebody who can incoporate that into their daily lives. That is something that I am striving to accomplish.
Now the other subject you were talking about I would have done exactly the samething. For some reason when we get into our cars our personality changes. For some it changes a lot for others it changes ever so slightly. After reading miny of these reactions and comments I'm noticing a pattern of self-centered thinking. People are very concentrated on thinking about themselves when driving on the roads. They are not noticing that there are half a million other drivers on the road with them also sitting in traffic of speeding on the freeway. It's hard but I always try to put myself in the place of the otehr driver. In other words I try to give the other driver the benefit of the doubt. When you saw the person trying to parallel park and it was taking forever, you gave the person the benefit of the doubt that maybe he knows how to parallel park under normal instances but was having trouble becasue of the incline or whatever. I think that's was a really smart idea. When you try to put ourselves in the place of the other driver that is kind of making you crazy and wondering how they ever got their licenses it helps to control our actions. It's not a good idea to ever just act out of emotion. We should always consider our actions before we put them out there. We can have many thoughts at once racing around in our brains but once we take actions on any of those thoughts it's impossible to take them back. I think being able to do this is what separates us from the rest of the organism on the planet. If we chose not to think about our actions we are losing what makes us human. The main thing to think before acting and we'll all be a lot safer on the roads.

makana 02/06/00 3:28 PM
RE: SWR#3 - OC:Planning ahead

I totally agree that leaving earlier and not having to rush to your destination does reduce stress and keep you calmer on the road. However, I wish that I could actually do this more often. I have an 8:30 class which is just a little early for me because of my night job
and leaving early is not a priority when you need that extra 10 minutes to snooze after the alarm goes off. When I do leave early for a destination though, I find my self just cruizin checking out this and that and not worring about the time at all. I like that state of mind much better. Hopefully I can get into the habit of just getting up when the alarm rings instead of hitting the snooze 5 times, I'm pretty sure that would have a huge positivew effect on my driving.
after your alarm goes off.

robsolmssen 02/04/00 10:28 AM
RC: LDwiggins SWR#3

Being behind a "parallel parker" seems to happen to me all the time, so I can relate to your latest problem. Depending on how close the car behind you is, I usually find myself tring to go around the parking car. However, this may be difficult if there is only one lane. I admire your patience... I don't think that I could wait as long as you did.

robsolmssen 02/04/00 10:59 AM
Tee Card: 1C1

After reading the top ten list on bad driving I notice myself doing all of these things. Although, my justification for all these offenses is situational. Not that this is okay! Whenever I "take a risk" or commit one of these offenses I make sure that I am maintaining a relatively safe envirnment, not only for myself and the other passangers in my car, but also for other drivers and pedestriens as well.

robsolmssen 02/04/00 11:15 AM
SWR#2 does music effect driving

I don't know if everyone listens to music while they drive, but I'm assuming that everyone at least listens to the radio. I was driving on the freeway last weekend heading towards Wai'anae. I noticed a dirrect correlation between the music that I was listening to and how fast I was going. When I started my trip I was listening to mellow music- and driving the speed limit. Then I changed the music to something more up-beat, and I noticed a significant increase in speeding. I was wondering if anyone else has this problem, or am I just losing it?

blinking 02/04/00 7:22 PM
rc #2

I agree that music does affect the way you drive, to a certain extent. When I'm feeling tired, I put a little something in that will lift my mood...something upbeat. I also try and listen to something stirring before I go to The Gym just to get me pumped up. When i need to relax, soothing music is the prescription for me. The type of music I listen to does not necessarily affect my speed, but I do think that when you listen to that type of music, you get pumped up and may want to speed.

kelamuch 02/06/00 8:25 PM
OC #2

I find that when I'm in a bad mood I blast my stereo with some obnoxious music. My driving is most certainly impaired, but I think that it has more to do with my mental state than the music. I think that on my next driving trip I will evaluate the correlation between my music and my speed. Hmm... I wonder if it's true...

jamesy69 02/08/00 11:03 AM
Keep on listening

I think music does play a in role in the way we drive. Whenever I listen to music, I become more alert and awake. I think that music keeps me company when I'm driving by myself. It's more like a comforting devise when I go driving. If I do not have the music on, I become bored and feel more alone. I never really listen to my music loudly so I do not feel that music hinders my driving ability. I think that listening to music not only makes my driving experience more enjoyable but it also allows me to be more alert and aware of the situations developing around me when I drive.

isabel 03/21/00 6:41 PM
(RC #5) RE: SWR#2 does music effect driving

I think music does has an impact on us no matter what we do and this includes driving. Music can sometimes affect how one drives, even unconsciously. It also depends on the driver. Some drivers are always very calm and controlled behind the wheel whereas others can be too absorbed in the music and let it affect one's driving.
I also think that listening to good music is a good way to direct one's road rage tendency. Music usually helps a person feels good and is a good way to release stresses and other emotions.

Since I don't drive, I can't really say from my own experience whether music is related to the way one drives but I think it does. Music often makes me feel relaxed and calms my mind. This shows the effect music has on me and I believe it has an effect on the way one drives too.

iyang 02/27/00 1:39 AM
RC: SWR#2 does music effect driving

If you read the past generational reports on music & driving, you see many students saying that they drive differently depends on what kind of music they are listening to at the moment. For me, I don’t think my driving behaviors change because of the music but my moods certainly change which can affect how I drive. When I hear my favorite songs on the radio, I feel happier and therefore I drive with more aloha. So, I think music does affect the way we drive but it does so by influencing our moods.

blinking 02/04/00 7:16 PM
swr #2

i chose to evaluate my driving tendencies while i travelled to KCC. I chose this because it is the farthest distance that I usually travel in one day.
I did cut into a few lanes and had to slow down, and I only cut into the far left lane until I had to get to the exit for 9th street, when I cut into the far right lane. As for the rest of the actions, I do not engage in them....I make it a habit to signal when turning,I usuakky have enough time to get where I need to go...on that day I did not insult anyone (the only comment I made was that some guy was weaving and he would probably get into an accident if he kept it up. Other than that, I really did not engage in any of those other attitudes.

blinking 02/04/00 8:31 PM
swr #4

Dang it! I did not think I was that much of a road rage participent. I did answer every time to speeding and the majority of my answers were in the "some trips" section. I never g othrough red lights, intentionally, and I don't honk at driver's needlessly (define needlessly...); I also never tilgate slower drivers and give other drivers the finger...
When i went to check the related TEE cards, though, I noticed that I don not indulge in the majority of the actions described....does that make me a borderline road-rager?

shizue 02/06/00 10:04 PM
OC #4

I believe that you would be in the moderate road rage category, which is better than dangerous!! By making yourself more aware of what you do on the road, I'm sure in no time you will gain better control and easily work your way into the completely in control category. I would be really interested in your definition of necessary honking though. Do you mean that you only honk in a situation like . . the light turned green and the person in front doesn't budge because they seem to be too engrossed in some other activity to notice? Or do you mean when somebody does some action that really ticks you off and so then you use the horn? Also, when do you go through red lights? You sound like you've done it a few times before:)

tanthony 02/14/00 11:00 PM
RC-4 I don't think I'm a road rager

I can see that this test stired up some emotions in you too. I can't say that I am angry at being labeled a moderate road rager but I am not exactly satisfied. None of us probably think that we are bad drivers and for the most part we probably aren't really. I guess we just have to be careful not to let our borderline bad driving qualities worsen and actually become dangerous. Taking tests like these can make us more aware of our driving problems and strengths and set us on the road to becoming driving angels, if there is such a thing. I think something interesting would be to see Dr. Driving himself navigating the road behind the wheel. What do you say Dr. James? Want to video tape yourself or something and show it in class?

olimcc 02/05/00 11:16 AM
swr 2c1 Got caught

When I was a driver back in American Samoa, I found myself counting how many cars passed me up. I would get upset because I concidered myself a pretty fast driver. I would go a least 5 mile over the speed limit. So when someone would pass me I would get upest. To remind you, there are only two lanes. If more than three cars passed me I asked myself, Am I going slow or what? I would speed up even more just to keep up with those who passed me. When I caught up I would feel like I accomplished something and feel good. Or I would think, Ha! I caught up to you guys. By catching up to the other drivers I had to go almost 10 miles per hour past the speed limit. There was this straight away that had no curves, bumps or stop signs, I raced down the road to be part of the fast cars. As I sped up and thought I was cool just like the others, I saw flashing lights in my rearview mirror. I got a ticket for speeding and reckless driving because the straight away was in a school zone. I got caught!! Ever since that day I never attempted to speed. I learned my lesson, it is a good thing no one got hurt with my competetive driving.

kelamuch 02/06/00 8:05 PM
RC #3

That sounds like my driving when I was in high school. I would weave in and out of lanes and travel well above the speed limit. I was first pulled over doing 80 MPH on the H-1 Freeway, only 3 months after receiving my license. That scared me, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to change my driving. About a year later I was pulled over on Kalanianaole HWY traveling 45 MPH. Since that incident I am a changed driver!!!! I no longer speed excessively - I will drive approximately 5 miles over the limit and on occasion will push my luck with 10, but that is rare. And I am proud to say that I haven't been pulled over for speeding since! HOORAY!!!

blinking 02/05/00 5:00 PM
oc #4

i do not understand why a lot of people feel the need to stop and look at an accident on the side of a road....are they looking to see if they know the person(s) involved.....Is it just that people want to see blood and guts or is it the intrinsic nature to be curious? Don't they know that by gawking, they can cause another accident (i've seen it happen...three accidents in a row) as well as hold up traffic...not only for a few yards, but for a few miles...
What I'm trying to state is that one person's accident is that peron's problem not ours. The only reason I would understand and even welcome the stopping and looking is to see if they need help, and that would be the only circumstance. Accidents are not a spectator sport....

makana 02/06/00 9:11 AM
SWR #3 Competitiveness

I guess I am considered a competitive driver according to tee card 2C1, I do look for the faster lane and merge into it so that I can reach my destination faster. I also see if I can speed across a stretch of road, especially if I'm in a fast carI do also participate in some of the other things, but not as much as the two I listed. I never really considered myself competitive on the road because to me I'm driving like almost all of the other drivers out there. I feel that I have become less competitive because I will not deny another driver the lane if they need to get into it, especially if they need to turn. Before I would speed up and not let them in, but I have become much more patient and I guess less competitive in these past months. I don't know if I will be able to completely stop all of my bad habits because I really like to drive fast and am alway's late, but I guess I am taking the first step at becoming better because I'm admitting that I do some things that are wrong.

shizue 02/06/00 9:37 PM
OC #3

I just wanted to support you and say that you are definitely taking the right step to becoming and better and safer drvier just by admitting on this post what you just did. . . that you are sometimes a competitive driver and you need to work on that. It's always difficult to make such a drastic change after doing something in a certain way for such a long period of time. I know that I have a lot of bad driving habits that I also have to work on and it's going to take me a lot of time, concentration, and patience, but I'm glad that I can at least acknowledge that I need to work on it as opposed to others out there who still believe that they drive just fine and everyone else just has a problem!

jamesy69 02/07/00 8:18 PM
RE: SWR #3 Competitiveness

After moving to Hawaii from California, I noticed quit a difference in driving behaviors in people. In California, people are more in a rush and not afraid to verbalize their feelings and emotions. Everyone is constantly cutting in, speeding up or honking their horns. It's just one big race trying to go to work, school or just go shopping.
After moving though I noticed that people in Hawaii are not as competitive as people in California. Whenever I had to merge in a lane, someone always let me in or whenever I let someone else in they were gracious enough to wave or give me some type of hand gesture to show their appreciation. I think that our driving behavior is learned behavior and that accounts for the different driving conditions in Hawaii compared to California. I have noticed that my driving behavior has also become less competitive do to the fact that I feel less stress and less threatened by other drivers. I do not speed as often as I used to and have become more patient with other drivers. I just hope that I will be able to maintain the habbits I have learned in Hawaii when I go back to Californai.

robsolmssen 02/10/00 11:51 AM
RE: SWR #3 Competitiveness

I agree with you. My driving, I feel is partially a product of the other drivers around me. I don't necessarily think that it's a bad thing. At times it may be too aggressive, but I think that it is safe to drive like those around you- stick to the norms of the local drivers because the habits may vary geographically.

kuni99 02/12/00 11:07 PM
RC: #3

I agree that the awareness of bad habits have only surfaced within the past couple of months probably because of the various bad habits that we've been observing in ourselves and others. I plan on sticking to improving my bad driving habits but after the semester is over, I can't say that I will follow through with it.

kelamuch 02/06/00 7:37 PM
SWR #3

Of all the items listed on the competitive mental driving economy, I'd have to say the one that I am most aware of is whether someone prevented me from doing something. I am normally a pretty generous driver, typically not in any hurry, and more than willing to let people into my lane. This is not to say that I don't get frustrated when people change lanes in front of me and maintain a speed of 40 miles an hour on the freeway, because I do. But, I am not one of those people who weaves in and out of lanes to avoid waiting while a car makes a left turn, who actively seeks the faster lane, nor am I a driver who has to break the speed limit. With all that said, I guess I do get pretty annoyed when a driver won't let me change lanes or make a turn. I guess what I am really trying to say is that I would be a much happier driver if people were more considerate of other drivers.
I feel like I'm always allowing people to change lanes or stopping to allow them to make a turn, why can't they be the same?
Also, I don't know if this is just my own crazy perception or if others have noticed it as well, but I seem to notice that people are more likely to close the gap and not let me into their lane when I'm driving my own car, a Honda Civic. When I borrow my boyfriend's car, a Dodge Ram, there always seems to be someone willing to let me into the next lane. I also notice that people are more likely to cut me off or to merge into my lane when I drive my own car. I often feel that I am being taken advantage of, for instance three people will try to merge and no one offers any gesture of gratitude. I NEVER have this problem in the truck. Why is that?

ABumanglag 02/08/00 12:29 AM
RC #3:RE: SWR #3

You know, that's a good point that you bring up. I understand where you're coming from because I also get annoyed when people don't let me in. However, in my case, I also get annoyed when people don't let other drivers in. There are just some people out there who are so inconsiderate that they will not let you in no matter what. Now these are the kind of drivers that I can't stand. Not only are they being greedy with the road space, they might also cause accidents. Don't you agree that maybe our cars should be equipped with some tool to get back at these drivers? (That was a joke people...) Anyway, I don't think it really matters what kind of car you have. I used to work for a delivery company, and I had instances where I'd be driving a box truck and people still would not let me in. What could be wrong with these people? Don't they know what kind of damage a box truck can do to their puny cars? Nevertheless, maybe these people are doing this subconsciously without even realizing it.

kelamuch 02/06/00 7:39 PM
SWR #4

I answered the road rage tendency questionnaire and then had my sister evaluate my driving. According to my evaluation, I scored only 1 point in the every trip category, which was complaining to myself about other drivers or traffic (item number 1). I also checked 5 points that I do on some trips (items numbered 2,3,4,8,10) and 4 were checked in the never category (items numbered 5, 6, 7, 9). I asked my sister to evaluate me based on her experiences with me. She and I only differed on 2 points. She ranked item number 2 as something I do on every trip, while I marked it as something I do occasionally. She also ranked number 4 as something I never do, while I marked it as an occasional occurrence. Number 4 didn't bother me, but item 2, getting annoyed or irritated by some drivers, was a bit of a shock to me. I mean, I know I do it, but I didn't realize I do it all the time. When I voiced my opinion she replied by saying that my favorite phrase while driving is, "Oh my god, this f***ing idiot!" What can I say? I guess I'm not the mild mannered, easygoing person, I thought I was. And now that I am aware of this problem, hopefully I will be able to monitor it and attempt to control it.

shizue 02/06/00 9:59 PM
RC #4

I totally understand how you feel about not realizing that you do certain things while you're driving. Before I took this course I never realized how many bad driving habits I had also. I really thought I was a great driver and that there were just a lot of really bad other drivers out there. The good thing is that we are all becoming more aware of our habits and are therefore able to now take steps to change the bad habits to good ones. Thereby making the roads that much safer.

kelamuch 02/06/00 7:55 PM
OC #3

I find that posting these little anecdotes, frustrations, etc. has really been a good way for me to vent. Regardless of whether or not I am able to change my driving habbits, being able to share my experiences has certainly made those annoying inconsiderate drivers a little easier to deal with.

shizue 02/06/00 9:47 PM
SWR #3

I have to say that I'm not a completely competitive driver, however, I am guilty of counting a few of the incidents that were on the list. I don't necessarily need to have so many of these incidents happen to me and then I blow up, it really depends on my mood for that day. If I'm in a really great, happy mood, none of the incidents even have a real impact on me and I feel no need to let out my rage on anyone. However, if I'm having a bad day already and then some of these happen , I do feel a really negative feeling inside, like an emotion that needs to be let out. However, I'm not really one to displace my anger on some innocent or even guilty party so I don't really relay my feelings to the other drivers out there on the road. Also, as I said before, being in this class makes me aware of the impact that my reactions can have on other drivers and the subsequent consequences that can happen from there so I am even more cautious not to let my feelings become known to the public. Hopefully, with time, I can learn to completely control my emotions on the road so that I don't even get that negative vibe anymore. I can just always enjoy myself in the car!

iyang 02/27/00 1:36 AM
RC: SWR #3

I know it’s bad but I got to admit that there were several times when I let my frustration out on some innocent people while I was driving. One day, I had an bad argument with my friend while we were on the road. I got so upset at her so that I just stopped talking to her. I didn’t talk to her because I didn’t want myself to get upset anymore, but it didn’t work. I guess my frustration was still bubbling up in my head even though I tried not to. After a minute, I realized that I was driving differently than usual. I cut off dangerously, sped more than usual, and acted impatient. I returned to normal after I witnessed myself
driving outrageously, but I felt so terrible and embarrassed about my action. I really hope that I’ll be able to control my emotions so that nothing will affect my driving behaviors negatively, especially when there are passengers in the car.

shizue 02/06/00 9:56 PM
SWR #4

Well, according to this chart I don't have even "SOME"s to have moderate road rage, but I am one shy of "NEVER" to be in completely control of my rage. I guess that is still pretty good. I find that I do complain about drivers and the traffic on certain trips. Usually, it is on days that I'm in a bad mood before I even set foot in the car because I'm running late or something else isn't working out quite right. On days when I am in a rush because I got up late or didn't plan out my schedule wisely, I find that congested traffic will lead to some anger and frustration, however, I also do realize that it is completely my fault. There is bound to be traffic, especially during peak hours, and I should take these into consideration in planning my day and get ready earlier. I never honk, in fact, I've never used my horn in my whole entire life! I personally can't stand the sound of it; even if the light turns green and the car in front of me doesn't move, I don't honk, I just wait patiently and hope that they will realize the light has turned. Besides, there are usually enough cars behind me blowing their horns so I don't have to!! I also never tailgate for fear that I actually might hit that car and cause an unneccesary accident. I never yell or give the finger simply because I'm a tiny girl and know that the consequence of possibly getting into a fight with another driver is not a smart one for a person like me:) I never run reds or drive impaired (I don't even drive if I feel tired for fear that my reaction timing might be really slow). Hopefully, all the rest of you did well on this test too.

hatsumi 02/07/00 2:43 PM
RE: SWR #4 (My RC #4)

Based on your analytical view of your own driving, even though you're only one shy away from being in complete control, it sounds like you're in complete control when you drive. I think it's true that we all know why we drive the way that we drive if we stop to think about it, but I guess a lot of people are unwilling to take the time to do that. It's unfortunate, because I've really noticed how my driving has changed and how my general attitude toward life has changed just from doing these exercises. :-)

jojo79 02/11/00 2:22 AM
Janice's SWRs

SWRs for psy 409b

jojo79 02/07/00 1:57 PM
SWR-2 tee card 1C1

I've never intentionally cut anyone off, sometimes i've cut off people because i didn't see them until after it was to late, but that's not that often. I remember once when i was driving, i was changing lanes, i had my blinker on and was about to move over into my left lane. I heard a little honk and to my surprise there was a motorcycle rider right there. I could have hit them. My heart dropped thinking about how an awful accident could have happened. I guess it impacts me a little more because i use to ride a motorcycle and those types of things would always happen to me.

Another gripe...I hate people who don't signal before changing lanes, especially when in heavy traffic. This guy cut right in front of me (perhaps he didn't see me) to close for my comfort, then after he had almost completed his merge into my lane, he turns on his blinker......WHAT'S THE POINT!!!! I just don't understand people who signal after the deed is done.

isabel 03/21/00 6:38 PM
(RC #4) RE: SWR-2 tee card 1C1

Hi, I think it is very important for all drivers to use signals whenever it is necessary and they should make it a habit to do so. Using signals whenever it is necessary is among the important rules to follow on the road. Let's take jojo's experience for example, it is good that she remembers to turn on her blinker when she is going to switch lanes. She did not know that there was a motorist on that lane until the motorist warned her with a honk after seeing her signal. If she did not turn on the signal, the motorist might not even know she was going to switch lane. Taken that she did not know that there was a motorist on that lane, she might just have ended up in a car accident. You can see how important it is to use signals when you have to.

I also think that you can use your signals to warn other people of their dangerous driving behaviors such as the guy who cuts in front of her without signaling. This may alert them to what they are doing and they may not do it again next time. I think one has the right to protect one's safety on the road too.

jojo79 02/07/00 2:32 PM
SWR-3 tee card 2C1

hummm, let's see. Well, I don't pass that many cars, because I have a very old car, which doesn't nearly have the "power" newer 4 cylinder cars have. She's old, but she gets me places and that's the main thing. Although there is the rare occasion that i do pass someone, it's not that often but it does happen. =) When that happens, i pat my car and say; "you still got a little left in you" hahaha. No one has really ever forced me to brake. The only times i have braked is when i was gaining to much speed on the highway and therefore needed to brake to slow myself down. I had felt insulted at times while driving, but i've never felt the need to retaliate because i'd feel like a whimp. In fact, i think it takes a bigger person not to retaliate and realize that they aren't a whimp for not doing so. I know i have prevented someone from entering my lane, but i was kinda in a bad mood. I know, i shouldn't do stuff like that, but i guess my emotions got the best of me... ;-)

jamesy69 02/07/00 8:51 PM
Opinion Comment #3

After reading various messages these past couple of weeks, I began to realize how childish our actions really are. When we drive it's our way or no way. There is little room for compromising our behavior. We have become shielded from societies rules and norms when we enter are cars and we act the way we feel. There is no suppressing our feelings or acting our age. All our emotions fly when we drive. That is why we are having such a big problem with road rage. Drivers are not capable of channeling their emotions in a rational way. Drivers want immediate satisfaction and they only get this through punishing other drivers. With this type of solution, no wonder why so many people are injured in car accidents. Drivers need to become conscious of their emotions and try to think more rationally before they act. Not only does create a safer driver, but also a more responsible driver. Maybe in the future, drivers will have to take a emotional intelligence tests to see whether they would be capable of driving that particular day.

jamesy69 02/07/00 9:20 PM
SWR#3

After reading the TEE card about competitive mentality, I began to notice that I am somewhat of a competitive driver. I remember when I was going to pick up my girlfriend, to go to the carnival, I tried to find the fastest route to her house. I was not pressed for time or anything, I just hated to waste time when I did not need to. I remember looking at my clock and trying to get to her house in 6 minutes. I made all but two lights and found myself anxious for the light to turn green. I was not mad that I had to wait but was a little disappointed. I had made this journey into a game for myself. I guess it was a game against me and the clock. At the time, I did not see my behavior as harmful or wrong but now I see it as dangerous. Even though I was not competing against another driver, I put myself in a situation where I was not totally thinking rationally. I guess the type of mind set you are in plays a tremendous role in your driving ability. Even though I thought I was driving decent, I was not totally focused in the environment I was in. I was more concerned getting to my girlfriends house as fast as I could than paying attention to what was around me. I realized that I have to become more conscious of my actions and understand that my actions have a effect on other people. Being competitive is not worth the risk, especially when you are dealing with other people's lives.

melo1 02/15/00 10:54 PM
RC #3

I agree with what some say that driving has become a challenge to the driver. There are times when I speed, not because I am in a rush, but because I want to see how fast I can get from point A to point B. It is dangerous behavior, I admit, and will see to it that I prevent myself from doing it again.

ABumanglag 02/08/00 12:08 AM
SWR #3: Competitiveness?

This week, I tried to observe what things I subconsciously keep track of while I'm driving. I noticed that I subconsciously keep track of the following items from the "Gunny Sacking List": 1.How many cars I'm passing; 2.How many cars pass me by; 3.Which lane is faster or slower as I progress; and 7.How many minutes I was able to shave off on today's trip.

I realize that I am more likely to keep track of these things when I am fighting traffic and commuting to school in the mornings. I also noticed that all the things I keep track of relate to each other. In other words, I keep track of how many cars I pass (or pass me) to help me find the fastest lane that will get me to my destination.

I was surprised because I don't really see how keeping track of which lane moves the fastest could lead to aggressive driving. Nevertheless, I find myself keeping track of these things without even realizing it. I think maybe the reason why I keep track of these things is because I can't stand traffic - or slow drivers for that matter. Don't get me wrong now, I'm not saying that everyone should be driving fast, but there are some drivers who are on the freeway and are driving slower than the speed limit. This really bothers me - if they want to take their time, why not take an alternate route, like Nimitz, for example, where it's fine to drive slowly.

shanen 02/12/00 11:58 PM
RC- RE: SWR #3: Competitiveness?

I also tend to become more aware of competitive things when there is heavy traffic. Once there was one driver ahead of me who was weaving in and out of traffic too much. I stayed in my lane the whole time and finally did pass him and never looked back. I was just laughing my head off (privately of course)and felt a great accomplishment. If that guy was keeping track of the cars that were passing him, he must have been very frustrated. All he did was waste energy moving from lane to lane. AS for myself i realized that when I'm late I seemingly catch ALL of the traffic lights. I keep on telling myself that I'm going to be later and later with every traffic light I stop at.

lianem 02/08/00 3:50 AM
SWR #2

When I did Tee Card #4C1 I realized that although I consider myself to be a sensible driver, I am not. I had 3 every, and 3 sometimes, and 4 nevers. When I looked at the evaluation, I was suprised to learn that my answers reflect a road rage tendency that is at a dangerous level.

I don't do the things that I consider to be dangerous. For example, my yelling at someone, or giving them the finger, could upset someone withm. a gun in their car. I am even sometimes afraid to honk because you never know who might take it the wrong way. It's funny because the main function of the horn is to let people in other vehicles aware of a dangerous situation, but most people take a horn honking at them the wrong way. I have seen on the road, people who get upset because someone honked at them.

I rationalized to myself that the answers that I answered every to, were not that serious. I answered every to 'I complain to myself about other drivers or the traffic', 'I get annoyed or irritated by some drivers', and 'I feel frustration and anger in congested traffic'. I think that these traits are traits of my personality, and not really about my driving. Then when comparing driving with my dad to Mililani, versus driving with my mom, I noticed a difference in my mood. My father is a very aggressive person. This is reflected in his driving. While I was driving with him, I felt tense, uptight, and highly irritable. My mother on the other hand is a very passive person, when I drive with her in the car, I am not so tense, and not as irritable. I get grumble about other drivers to my mom, because it bothers her. She doesn't like grumbling. My father on the other hand is a yeller. He is constantly grumbling about other drivers, particularly women drivers. He is also more critical of my driving, and is always grumbling to me about the way I change lanes, and other aspects of driving. Because of this observation, I have come to the conclusion that my mood, and my tendency to road rage is greatly affected by my mood, which is greatly affected by the people in the car.

isabel 02/08/00 5:05 PM
SWR #4:Pedestrians-Test Your Emotional Intelligence Towards Drivers

No.73C3: Pedestrians-Test Your Emotional Intelligence Towards Drivers

As I look at the list of appropriate behaviors and aggressive ones, I find my emotional intelligence towards drivers to be quite high. I seldom commit those aggressive behaviors except jaywalking. Most of the time, I adhere to the list of appropriate behaviors when I am a pedestrian. I find it hard to believe that there are many people who commit those aggressive behaviors. But, I do encounter incidences like that. I often hear some drivers yell at other drivers. There was one time, I heard a driver yelling at something and s/he even got out of the car to confront the other driver. I did not know what really was going on as I only heard the commotion but I did not see it with my own eyes. There was another time when I have witnessed a major accident from my home on a fine sunny day. There was a loud noise all of a sudden and when I looked out of the window, I saw a car turned upside down on the road. The scene was kind of amazing. I just could not imagine how that car turned upside down like that. I could not figure out what actually happened but I believed that one of the cars must be driving at high speed. It was just unthinkable for me and I could not understand why there are so many reckless drivers on the road. Aren't they concern about their own safety at all?? I mean every sensible person should be concerned about that and especially if you are driving on the road. I would think people are sensible enough to know all these but I suppose sometimes things just get to them. They may be having a real bad day and other things that add to make the person really stressful and so they probably lost their mind for just once and that's it. I kind of feel sorry for those people who were involved in car accidents as I think they certainly did not expect that to happen to them and were not prepared for it. But, it was too late already. I think being a pedestrian is safer than being a driver. But, I think one should also exercise caution as a pedestrian and not put one's life or others life at stake by committing those aggressive behaviors. I think hostile behaviors such as kicking cars or throwing things at vehicles don't make any sense at all and is not constructive! Hence, if you are the kind of person who do those things often, please think about it.

ry409 02/09/00 12:32 PM
RE: SWR #4:Pedestrians-Test Your Emotional Intelligence Towards Drivers-(RC#4)

It is a real challenge to control your emotions under any circumstances. When one is behind the whell I think that the control becomes even harder. I've said this before but there is something about being behind the wheel of a vehicle that changes how people respond to situations. People who would normally be so reserved and easy going can quickly turn into someone who is impatient and who wouldn't think twice about cutting someone off. Somehow a vehicle affords people protections against the consequences of thier actions. Or at least they believe it does. I too have seen accidents on the side of the roads. I have never seen one happen in front of me or at least almost in front of me. I often wonder what was it that triggered that person to commit such violent actions against a person who they don't even know. Such a degree of violence is so self destructive, and as we've probably seen on the sides of the roads, it's difficult to imagine that assumed sensible people would be capable of such things. I can't really relate to the experiences of pedestrians, because it's rare when I'm actually walking around in traffic. As a driver I am aware of the impatience that many drivers feel towards pedestrians. I think sometimes pedestrians are thought of as obstacles that must be manuevered around. I also see drivers edging forward on pedestrians and being indiscriminant about it. I mean an elderly woman could be crossing the street in a marked crosswalk and still they will have to hurry almost to the point of falling down because they are so afraid of being hit or making the driver angry. I always feel that the the driver should be as patient as possible. After all the person walking to where they have to get to is probably more in a hurry to get there and much more exhausted to boot. Drivers in the car with the radio on and in air conditioned comfort should be happy to sit there expending just enough energy to press their foot down on the brake and wait 30 seconds. I don't think it's in any way too much to ask for. Maybe it's about time that drivers were made more aware of what pedestrians are confronted with everyday. I think that when the experiences of others are shared and understood it goes a long way in assissting others to be more understanding and compassionate of those in situations that maybe unfamiliar to them.

allianic 02/09/00 4:20 PM
RE: SWR #4:Pedestrians-Test Your Emotional Intelligence Towards Drivers

I agree that even if people are in bad moods, they should still be cautious when driving. Being upset or frustrated is no reason for peopel driving aggressively. They may just be letting off steam, but I guess that sometimes they just don't realize that by doing that, they are causing themselves more harm instead of good. There are a lot of reckless drivers on the road, and maybe they don't realize they are being reckless, but they are putting themselves, as well as other drivers, in danger. People should be sensible, but to be honest, there are a lot of people out there that are not sensible at all. I know someone that, if he gets cut off, will chase after the are that cut him off. He gets extremely upset, starts swearing, and steps on the gas pedal really hard. He doesn't care about anyone else in the car. He'd not thinking about safety, he's thinking about revenge. Just because someone cut him off. That's not too sensible. I also agree that being a pedestrian is safer than being a driver, but I don't think that people could walk everywhere they need to go! So hopefully, both pedestrians as well as drivers will learn how to control their emotions and to get into fewer accidents.

robsolmssen 03/16/00 12:28 PM
RE: SWR #4:Pedestrians-Test Your Emotional Intelligence Towards Drivers

I agree that ped. who kick cars or through things at the cars have problems. I definately think that it depends on the geographical location when it comes ti ped. safety. For example, urban areas are much more dangerous for ped. than ural areas. Anytime you are near a road you must use a little caution.

isabel 03/21/00 6:38 PM
(Extra OC #1) The virtual QDC is an interesting idea

I like to comment on the Online Quality Driving Circle. I think it is a great place for drivers to share their experiences on the road, ideas and opinions with one another. In this way, drivers can learn from the experiences of other drivers or simply just learn from one another (the good things of course). They can compare their experiences with one another and see where they stand. The main goal of the Quality Driving Circle is to improve the driving experiences of everyone. The TEE cards make people aware of their driving habits and let us know what are considered good driving behaviors and what are not. They also contain a lot of useful information on what is happening on the roads today backed up with facts and statistics. It is the hope that all these knowledge will make us become better drivers.

allianic 02/09/00 4:11 PM
G13 - SWR #4

After reading the Tee card, I found out an interesting fact. I have moderate road rage. If someone irritates me while I am driving, I complain to myself about them. I someimes get annoyed and irritated by other drivers (who doesn't?). If I am in a bad mood, then I definitely feel frustrated and angry in congested traffic. There are times when I break the speed limit, even if I am not in a rush to get anywhere. Most of the time, I break the speed limit in the 25 or 35 mph areas. There have been times when I have gone through red lights. But I've never done it on purpose. I was preoccupied with something else. And lastly, I have driven home once or twice while under the influence of alcohol. But I was not totally drunk and the drive home was only two minutes. That doesn't justify my doing it, and it doesn't make it okay. But I would never drive if I were really drunk or if the ride home took more than a few minutes. I think that it is natural for some people to behave this way when they let their emotions take over. It is hard not to get upset when another driver cuts you off and you are already in a bad mood. But I think that I have pretty good control over my emotions while I am driving. Yes, I get irritated, frustrated, and sometimes angry. But it's only for a few seconds and it's only because I was afraid and I could've gotten into an accident. I think that most people feel that way as well. I don't tailgate, I have NEVER honked my horn at anyone, I've never showed anyone the finger, and I don't drive like I am in a hurry. But still, I guess that the fact that I have moderate road rage is a cause for concern. Hopefully, I will earn how to minimize my road rage and have full control over my emotions while drving.

faylogna 02/10/00 10:14 AM
RE: G13 - SWR #4

I know where you are coming from. I myself is under the moderate road rage but not as extreme as you. I know for a fact that things on the road are not always on it's good side. I personally feel, some of the way people drive can be very annoying and irritating as hell. This may be bad of me to think ,but sometimes I wish I have the power to make them disappear and not be in the some highway as me.

However, I really like the fact that you are trying to improve on your driving style. That is a very positive thing to do. More power to you.

allianic 02/09/00 4:31 PM
Opinion Comment #4

I just wanted to talk about venting since it was one of our topics of discussion in class yesterday. I think that it is hard to give venting a set definition. I feel that it means different things to different people. I always thought that venting was any time that you let out some kind of negative feelings about something that bothers you. It could last a few seconds or a few weeks. I guess that's why I thought that I vent while I drive sometimes. But I guess that I really don't. If someone cuts me off or gives me a scare while I am driving, my reaction is to become angry for a few seconds and maybe mutter a few obscene words. But after that, I am fine. I don't let it bother me after that. It is just something that bothers me at the time, but then leaves my mind just as quickly. So I guess according to Dr. James' definition, I do not vent. I guess that I agreee that venting is not very constructive. I never thought about it that way until I heard the presentations this past Tuesday. But I still say, that sometimes venting still makes you feel a little better. But hopefully, I will learn to control myself if ans when I feel the need to vent over something =)

faylogna 02/10/00 9:54 AM
SWR#4

It is very interesting to find out that I have a "moderate road rage" because I thought I was more into the "you're in control of yourself" category if I was to compare myself with my friends. However, looking through the list I can see while I would be categories as a person who have a moderate road rage. I do complain to myself and to any passengers that is riding along with me in the car about other driver or the traffic. I just can't stand to be in the road for too long. Just this morning, I was really tired and not very much in the positive side after being stuck in traffic for an hour. Luckily, I wasn't driving. I just can't see how my little brother can tolerate to make a trip that takes an hour when it should only take 20 minutes every morning. He was pretty cool throughout the whole trip. He didn't try to overtake anyone, follow the car in front very close, be selfish about letting anyone it, or try to zip through the lanes, which some of the things I would have done. I definitely think he would be classified as a person who is in control of his self.
To share with you all. The other things that I see myself do on the road sometimes are I definitely get annoyed or irritated by some drivers, I feel frustrated and anger in congested traffic, I drive like I'm in a hurry leaving slower drivers behind, and I break speed limits. These may seem alot but remember I only do them SOMETIMES especially when life gets the better of me. They are just a way to let out a few steam, not to keep it in and vent on.

robsolmssen 02/10/00 12:14 PM
SWR#4 driving with a friend

After hearing the presentation on buddy drivers in class, I was curious to test it out. One of my roomates is the worst driver I have ever seen. I never ride with her because it's a suicide mission every time out. One of the first areas I focussed on was her inability to change lanes in a safe manner. Instead of using her mirrors and glancing to the sides she turns her shoulders with her head. She is basically turning around in her chair every time she changes lanes. One reason NOT to drive this way is the amount of time it takes to turn around in your chair is too long when you are travelling at high speeds. A car in the front of her could be stopped and she would just slam into them. I brought it up when we were driving and gave her some pointers on a better method. It took her a while... but she has the hang of it, however, I don't think that she will continue unless she is constantly reminded...she's definately a little spaztic

LDwiggins 02/10/00 5:33 PM
RC -SWR#4

Rob:

Great to hear about your efforts to help your roommate become a safer driver! Guidance and patience may be all she needs to see how to change her way of driving. Does she feel her driving is unsafe? Does she know how you feel about being in the car when she is driving (suicide mission)? I am sure if she did and is a caring and responsible person she could be taught to drive more safely. Don't give up on her. :)

ShaunnaM 02/15/00 4:34 PM
RC #3 to swr#4

It's good that you let your friend know thaere is a better way to change lanes, it may take her a while to change her behavior, but eventually she will see that it is actually easier to do it without turning around the way she does. I would suggest not to scold her or yell when she does it but instead, expain it is better the other way, most people never listen when they are yelled at. If she really is such a bad driver as you say, maybe you should just ask her if you could drive insted.

ry409 02/10/00 12:56 PM
SWR#4-Road Rage

The results of my test scores as evaluated by me are as follows: 1-On Every Trip, 4-On Some Trips, and 5-Never. According to the key that I compared my scores to I'm not in any immediate danger of road rage now, but I am close to every level. I think that the only onw that I am concerned about it the check mark I got in the "On Every Trip" column for the question "I complain to myself about other drivers or the traffic". I didn't think that there was anything wrong with that but according to the key I'm one more check mark away from having road rage tnedencies taht are at a dangerous level. Actually I'm really not on the road all that much. During the weekdays I go to school and come home. Since I live about 10 minutes away from school that doesn't equal very much driving time. I would never think that I was any where near developing road rage. It think that may be the problem. People might have a hard time evaluating themselves because what you might consider to be an innocent comment or thought or feeling maybe in reality quite scary. That's why I thought that is was a good idea to have somebody else rate my driving as well. According to the passenger that I had with me who rated my driving tendencies I got 0-On every trip, 4-On Some Trips, and 6-Never. My passenger who happened to be my sister, didn't give me any marks for On Every Trip. I was surprised. I thought that if anything I under-represented myself in that category but according to her I didn't. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that I complain to myself and not out loud. The other two ratings were one away from reaching the road rage categories, and since those were just moderate road rage categories I don't think that I am in any immediate danger. Over all this exercise has just made me more aware of the behaviors that I exhibit externally and of my emotions the I'm feeling internally.

shizue 02/11/00 7:01 PM
Extra OC

I agree with you that it is completely necessary for us to have feedback from other people. Sometimes we don't always have a clear picture of what our behaviors are really like. In my other psychology class we are trying to teach time management skills. One of the things that we found was that most people believe that they manage their time a lot better than they actually do. After keeping records of a few days many found that they waste a lot of their time and spend a lot more time watching tv than they had thought. This kind of self feedback as well as feedback from others will ensure that we get a "true" picture of our driving habits.

jamesy69 02/13/00 5:27 PM
RE: SWR#4-Road Rage

I agree that having a passenger comment on our driving is a good way to learn about our driving behavior but isn't it better if that someone does not really know how we drive? Since some driving behaviors are learned from others wouldn't it be harder to distinguish good driving if that person commenting is our best friend or family member. I believe that we pick up certain driving behaviors or techniques from our friends even if they are not good ones. Because of this, we may not catch bad driving behaviors because we might have also incorporated this behavior in our driving habits. What might be really bad driving habits may be considered good ones. I think if we do have a observer, it should be someone who is a friend but not familiar with our driving behaviors. This way we will not get a biased report and get a more accurate view of our driving.

LDwiggins 02/10/00 4:59 PM
SWR #4 - Managing Emotions

I was able to witness myself compared to Tee Card No. 8C2 this past weekend. I was driving home from Aiea on Sunday evening about 9:45 p.m. when a red suv cut right in front of me. I saw him at my left, but he did not indiate (by signaling) that he needed to get over into my lane. Thankfully I was alert and able to avoid an accident. My husband (who was the passenger) was really angry wanted to let the suv driver know how he felt. The red suv had moved over to our right as I drove. I saw my husband's body position change as we neared the car. I asked him not to "bother" with the driver of the suv. I was glad that he listened.

This tee card ties in with Chapter 5 of the Emotional Intelligence book. We have to be aware of errors and remain calm. Most importantly we have to manage our emotions whenever they are tested. I have decided not to scold my husband on future drives if he lets other drivers get to him. I will instead drive and react the way I want he to drive and react. If this does not work, it has been suggested to me that I should reward him (maybe giving him $) when he drives in total control thereby reinforcing positive reactions.

Guerra 02/11/00 2:57 PM
rc #4

I agree with you that maybe you should reinforce your husband by giving him a reward or money for driving more positively. I believe this because one thing psychology has taught me as I'm sure it has taught many of you folks also is this: punishment does not work very well. In my psych classes they have always used a reinforcer not a punishment. I may be mistaken on this so if someone knows the real factual stuff please let me know. But I think there is a positive and a negative reinforcer which are the best things to use. I believe a positive reinforcer is one which gives the person something that they want or like. Whereas a negative reinforcer is one in which something which is undesired is taken away(?) Sorry not too sure about that, it's been too long since I've studied that stuff.

Well, there is one thing I would agree with your husband on, is that people who make mistakes should be told that they have made a mistake. When I tell a person that they cut me off or honk at them. I feel like I am letting them know that they messed up and hopefully they will not make the same mistake again. This is why people have horns, I feel that anyone who does not use their horn is doing the other person an injustice. The bad driver will never realize that they suck at driving and won't correct himself. When you honk at him he'll (hopefully) realize his mistake and attempt to correct it.

Guerra 02/11/00 3:04 PM
oc #4

That thumbs up should be a shocka sign because I always use a shocka(is that how you spell it) or wave my hand when I cut someone off or make a stupid mistake. Yes, I always admit when I make a mistake on the road. Unlike many of the people out there who are just oblivious to their bad driving skills. I think that the most important thing to do is let the other driver know that you weren't trying to be an A**hole. By waving to him you are saying "Sorry, about that, my fault" This is perfectly acceptable I think. If someone really cuts me off and would have caused an accident, but they apologize, I am happy. To me that is one of the most important things to do.

BTW I have a question that maybe anyone can answer. When I was driving home from HICKAM AFB yesterday, some old lady was driving very slow in front of me on the freeway. I was going to signal left, but the car behind me beat me to it and immediately cut over. It was another old lady, but I thought "fine, she's going to pass this slowpoke" Then, guess what she did, she speed up right next to me and then for some odd reason did not accelerate anymore. Is she an idiot or something? If someone has an explanation for this please tell me. Because until then, I feel that the old lady is an idiot. Because of these ladies I was blocked in and could not pass either of them, of course I was only going 40 miles per hour on the freeway because of this.
I would love to hear a good explanation for why people do that.

shizue 02/11/00 6:54 PM
Extra OC

I think it is really great that you've decided not to get mad at him because this would definitely not solve the problem, in fact, it could just make it worse. He might get even more upset and then react even more dangerously after. I think that modeling the proper behavior for him is the best thing to do to help modify the situation. It will also be great for others to witness you and your great driving behavior. Perhaps in time, your driving skills will rub off on him. I think it's really an interesting idea to reward him with money for good driving habits. If you do decide to try it let us know how well that works!!

ABumanglag 02/13/00 11:36 PM
RC#4:RE: SWR #4 - Managing Emotions

I admire all of you who are able to manage your emotions while on the road. After reading your SWR, I thought about what I would do in your situation. To be honest with you, I would have probably honked my horn or something like that. I would have probably agreed with your husband and let that other driver know how I felt. Personally, I get irritated with these careless drivers. They can be really dangerous. This reminds me of a situation that I witnessed this morning. I was at a stoplight and there was this lady behind me driving an old Buick (one of those bigger cars). We were in the middle lane, and there was a newspaper boy on the sidewalk to the far right. She changed lane to try to get to the far right lane so that she could get a newspaper. However, I don't think she looked at her mirror because there was already another car in that lane. Thankfully that other driver was alert and an accident was prevented. While I was witnessing this, I thought to myself: this lady is an idiot! If an accident had occurred, it would have been her fault because she was being careless. And for what - a newspaper? It is this kind of driving that irritates me. I think these kind of drivers shouldn't even be on the road because they are putting a lot of people in danger with their careless behavior. Maybe they are the ones who need the conditioning trials and modeling experiments done on them.

Guerra 02/11/00 2:47 PM
swr #4

I complain to myself about other drivers or the traffic
- on some trips.

I get annoyed or irritated by some drivers.
- on some trips.

I feel frustration and anger in congested traffic.
- on every trip.

I drive like I'm in a hurry, leaving slower drivers behind.
- on some trips.

I honk at drivers who upset me.
- never.

I tailgate slower drivers who refuse to move over.
- on some trips.

I yell at drivers, and if they deserve it, I give them the finger.
- on some trips.

I break speek limits.
- on every trip.

I go through red lights.
- never.

I drive impaired.
- on some trips.

I scored two nevers, six some trips, and two every trip.
I guess I have a moderate to high level of road rage.
I asked my friend to fill out this form in regards to my driving. My friend said that how I scored it was pretty accurate. She did say that on some she wasn't sure if it was some or never.
I'd have to agree on that one because every and never are so strong. Sometimes I've done one of these transgressions maybe just once. But when I look at the questionnaire, it says never, so I mark "some trips." The questionnaire should be less extreme and have a "usually," "once in awhile," "rarely," and choices like that.

Still I believe that this evaluation has shown that I have road rage sometimes. I would place myself in the moderate road rage slot not the dangerous road rage slot.

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