Newsgroups for Drivers
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Date: 1998/11/18
Regarding
violent/hostile drivers who are behind you and acting like they want to
get a hold of you....i put my hands at the 10 and 2 positions of the wheel and
display my ample 90 inch 'wingspan' and flap those wings....that is a clear
message to them to get off my butt...if that doesn't work I put my hand up in
the air (without giving them the bird or anything)just to let them see the
hands that desire to be wrapped around their necks....i realize ladies might
not feel comfortable doing that...henry Jackson
Comments
This person
obviously suscribes to the 'fight fire with fire' ideal. Personally I think
either they are rather slow witted or this posting was a joke. Flap those
wings? Common, what's next- yelling 'cockadoodle doo'? His posting was in
response to an effort by a classmate to get people to respond so she could
right her newsgroup article, so it wouldn't be surprising if an anti-advocate
of the road rage phenomenon decided to have a little fun by responding with
this gibberish. However, if the contents of that posting were the author's
genuine thoughts they should take the time to perform some self-witnessing,
because their attitude only adds to the problem of aggressive driving.
Date: 1998/14/18
Hi David,
The idea of just "sit it out" is very pertinent. We can't do much
about it. Our biological history did not have us sitting in cars. Being held up
by others in front of us. There was enough room (enough lanes) for every one to
go the speed that suited her. Now, we are like swimming laps in a pool.
Sometimes, you just have to swim at the same speed unless you have your own
lane. I feel rage on the road. I believe a lot of it is
frustration at myself and life choices: I could have rode my bicycle I tell
myself. After the fact, of course. My views on the subject : Bad attitudes
breed bad attitudes. I used to suffer from Road Rage here in the
UK when the 'epidemic' was very much upon us and brought to the public's
attention about 5 years ago.
I think we
all consider ourselves competant drivers, but being only human we are
bound to make mistakes - that's what I couldn't tolerate in other people. Driving
around as I saw it 'correctly', I used to watch out for people not signalling
at roundabouts (my pet hate), and 'tell them off' by flashing my lights or
making hand gestures. Now, who's in the right then ? Two wrongs don't make a
right as they say. What about the other vehicles on the road ? They'd be
observing me acting like a dick-head flashing my lights without having
witnessed the incident which antagonised me, getting *them* (a third party)
wound up ! And so itÝ escalatesÖ
A
documentary shown on UK TV a few years ago pretty much summed it up ñ in this
day and age people are too concerned with getting from A to B as quickly as
possible without any consideration for others. Living down in the SE near
London the traffic is so bad that I believe now, thankfully most people
have come to accept this and are prepared to just 'sit it out' in the queues
that develop - bad attitudes get people nowhere fast. Nowadays if somebody has
done something to antagonise me, whether deliberate or not, I find the way to
completely diffuse the situation is to take a deep breath, and do nothing.
You'd be surprised how quickly you get over the intial feeling of rage,
rather than the escalated state you get yourself into if you take 'evasive'
action (horn, lamps, gestures) which then gets the other driver wound up and so
on...
Comments
This message was a well thought out reply to a road rage question.
They have taken the time to self-witness and realized their previous responses
to aggressive driving only added to the problem. Some would like to argue that
'shrugging off' feelings of initial anger is a form of repression, but in fact
it's a psychological choice to allow anger to dissipate. Life is full of
choices, and emotions can also be affected by those that we make. Realizing
that when an aggressive act by another driver isn't necessarily a personal
attack on you (since they don't know who you are, just your vehicle), is the
first step in learning that your emotions can be controlled (anger management).
Date: 1998/11/26
One thing that these road rage studies and discussions miss out on is the number of people who are truly enraged on the road but who donít take it out on someone else while they are driving. They are not usually counted, but if they are going to be they should not be lumped together with the aggressive road rager. We need to distinguish between aggressive road rage and that which is the result of being a victum of someone elseís bad driving but which doesnít escalate into maniac driving itself, I suffer from non-aggressive road rage to channel my anger in non-violent ways I created this simple web page with a list of links to others like me who feel the SUVs and pick-up truck drivers out there are the worst of them all as defined by automobile. Let me know of any sites that should be added.
It seems that this person has learned a way
to channel their anger away from the road. Is it positive though? They
distinctly pointed out SUV drivers being the 'worst' drivers. Speak to another
person and they might tell you women are, or immigrants, or minorities, or what
ever stereotypical phrase that fits best. Targeting all drivers on the basis
the of certain vehicle they drive is a form of prejudice. Perhaps where they
live the rate of aggressive SUV drivers is higher than where I live, but such a
generalized statement about all drivers of a certain vehicle make isn't right,
nor a good choice for slandering on the net as a form of venting.
The problem
of labeling certain vehicles (due to past occurrences with similar vehicle
makes) is that your opinion of them is already processed before even knowing anything
about the particular driver of the next vehicle you see on the road. Labeling
them into a certain category of drivers causes ones behavior towards them to
alter (being more cautious, tendency to possibly be uncurtious). This attitude
formation directed towards stereotypical opinions should be cautioned.
Date: 1998/11/23
Speeding
caused 153,000 accidents that ended with injuries in 1997, a 48% jump from
103,000 in 1988. Other of forms of aggressive driving, such as reckless
driving, have dropped over the decade, keeping overall numbers stable. But
congestion threatens the balance, experts say. Over the past decade, the number
of miles driven has risen 35% while the number of miles of new roads built has
increased just 1%, federal figures show. Traffic engineer Showalter says that
unless the twin problems of congestion and speeding are addressed son, ìWe may
be creating a recipe for disaster. Weíve been hearing plenty about aggressive
driving and road rage. But the real problem might not have even hit us yet.î --
endquote
Studies and
the implementing of carpooling are becoming areas of focus that the media are
taking notice to. It shouldn't be a surprise that congestion is getting worse-
our population keeps growing. This author wants people to take into account the
statistics that are out there. He/She offered no advice however on ways to fix
the problem so it leaves the readers disheartened.
Date: 1998/11/23
The most aggressive
drivers I see on the roads are those darned SUV drivers! I don't know if driving
such a tank gives one a sense of superiority over all the little peons in
sedans, or if people with aggressive or superior attitudes to begin with
have more of a tendency toward buying such vehicles.-- ^,,^
Comments
Though this is
another example of a prejudice attitude, the author has brought up some good
points. They recognize that every SUV vehicle isn't the culprit but the drivers
themselves. That statement may sound odd, but in classical conditioning the
test subject learns to associate one stimulus with another (bell= food, the
dogs salivate to the bell as a driver gets upset at the sight of a SUV
vehicle). Realizing that the vehicle itself isn't the problem and thinking of
the drivers would be the first step in lessening the tendency to create
stereotypes.
If one is
wondering about the repeated references to detering stereotypes on vehicles,
take into account that my chosen form of transportation to and from the
University is a moped and I experience the ramifications of negative stereotypes
quite often.
Date: 1998/11/22
Otis is
correct except I have also found that people who drive Volvoís tend to drive
very dangerously. I believe they are not worried about anyone but themselves.
While I
occasionally run across some really small yuppie woman with a cell phone
screwed into her ear while sheís behind the wheel of an SUV that she probably
had to use a step ladder to coimb into, I often have problems from people
driving the fancy yuppie-fied ego machines like Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, or Volvo.
(I know ñ that sentence was waaaay too long, but I was having too much fun.)
Just because theyíre driving the latest ìone-up-thy-neighborî Eruo-trash car,
or the latest rice burner, does not mean they automatically receive some kind
of divine driving knowledge. It donít matter if itís a Suburban, a Lexus, a
BMW, or whatever. Some people are going to be idiots behind the wheel no matter
what.
The last
statement in this posting is what caught my attention. Though this driver was
venting in the first sentence, and labeling in the second, they did recognize
that the car doesn't necessarily make the driver (though it can have an
influence on certain people). The influence can be the sense of security the
larger more powerful vehicle. A feeling of such power (being behind the wheel)
can change a persons normal attitudes and aid in aggressive tendancies. The
thing is when driving, people must not use this opportunity to let an alter-ego
(a more aggressive side of their personality) to surface just because they feel
added security. That is why laws must be stringent and unforgiving. Which leads
us to the next posting..
Date: 1998/11/29
Check this out. As I suspected, the so called epidemic of road rage and aggressive driving is just a crock. Itís fueled by a combination of media hapy, poor statistical analysis, and the propensity of police to seize on any opportunity to get more funding! Of particular interest is the definition that some bozo at the federal level used to talk about aggressive driving.Ý He called it anything that isnít driver inattention or fatigue. So some dork who didnít look in his blind spot when the changed lanes now becomes an aggressive driver?
What a crock!
Comments
Limited knowledge
in certain areas for some people can be the fuse to discontent. Why do some
humans have a tendency to think that just because they read an opinionated
article or heard a little gossip that they're suddenly an expert? This person
backed up their opinion with Zero facts. Perhaps Newsgroups should implement IQ
tests before allowing users to post.
This posting is
obviously angry, but what is the motivation behind it? I wish there was more to
it, at least some examples.
Date: 1998/12/14
Many
on the pro-public transport side get exasperated when, having won with rational
arguments, the drivers still drive everywhere. I think the power of the
irrational and subconscious is underestimated, and it can overrule the rational
in human behavior. We have many deeply ingrained ways of behaving which are
counterproductive in the modern world, but which still happen because they
ëfeel rightí. (Iím not saying this is a good thing, by the way. Quite the
opposite). You are absolutely right. There are some drivers whoís reason for driving
is subconsciously motivated. I personally think the major subconscious
motivation is the sense of control that driving gives. This sense of
control is, of course, illusory. Driving a car gives you no more control
over your life than taking Prozac, genuine control comes from understanding
your subconscious motivations. Although both a car and Prozac can be useful
tools they are not cures for a sense of powerlessness. You can see how deep the
subconscious motivations are when postings about ëRoad Transportí immediately
brings concerned replies from people about their ërightí to use their cars.
I
think that many people when mentally placed in their car can become quite
irrational. I recent posted a comment about 30% of male drivers being aggressive
as compared to 3% of men which immediately brought forth an aggressive
response of ìDrivelî (Iím fairly sure the respondent wasnít aware that his
choice of response was ëDrive Ií). Aggression is only one form of the
irrationality that is exhibited by drivers. Denial is very common (how many
drivers do you know who will admit that an accident was their fault). Reaction
formation (ever noticed how the drivers who cut people up are always those most
annoyed by being cut up). Displacement (ëcongestion is caused by all other
vehicles except mineí). The list is endless.
On
the other hand Iím not as pessimistic about the future as you. The point about
the subconscious, as opposed to the unconscious, is that it can be made
conscious and, therefore, can be altered. But it does mean that a struggle to
produce a rational road transport is more difficult, requires considerable
effort and more freuent repeating than at first seems necessary. Finally in the
above paragraphs I have referred to some car drivers. I do believe it is
possible to have rational discussions and, so far, this thread and all itís
contributors have, in my opinion, discussed a specific aspect of Birmingham
transport in a considered and interesting way.
Comments
The reference to
the 'sub-conscious' may be a little too Freudian for me. I personally subscribe
more to the 'automatic self' theory. The automatic self is the neural
connections we make growing up and first learning to drive that allows
ourselves (as we become adept at driving) to drive without too much attention
needed. E.g. the more one practices something, the easier it becomes; like
riding a bike- after a while thinking of balancing yourself no longer even
becomes an issue. In using this 'automatic self' (just as described as the
subconscious) our pre-acquired habits of driving abilities and attitudes begin
to work as soon as we're behind the wheel. I wont rephrase the definitions of
the terms above (displacement, reaction formation, etc.) but will mention that
behavior modification is the way to train or retrain (already-established
drivers).
Daily gripe: "The Road Rage
Myth"
Date: 1998/11/23
A while back, politicians and paranoids began a campaign of going after aggressive driving and road rage. In previous posts in this newsgroup I challenged the idea that it was worth wasting time and money on going after the very few people who drive aggressively with any more effort than was been done in the past. (Most past attempts at this have been pretty much happenstance.) Well USA Today bolstered my claim that its not worth increased efforts. USA Today reported:
-In the last 10 years the danger from road has not increased
-Highway congestion, the governmentís fault, is the biggest cause of people becoming impatient
-Aggressive driving may increase when congestion gets too heavy.
My conclusion:
(1) ìAggressive Driver Campaignsî are all political hype to win votes.
(2) If itís the governement that ìwages warî on ìaggressive driversî, its because the governement is covering up for its failure to either make roads keep pace with development or curtail growth until services are in place.
(3) When private organizations ìwage warî on ìaggressive driversî, its because they are paranoids, since they obviously have not based their campaigns on factual statistics.
Comments
While this
individual did bring up some interesting points about the need to possibly
reconstruct our highways, there are some aspects he has failed to realize. What
does he expect the government to do? Begin realigning our roads by repossessing
peoples properties to make room? What kind of political rat's nest would that
cause?
It isn't
necessarily the government at fault, but society as a whole. We have
constructed our cities too spread out from the population's residential
districts. The optimum efficiency for traffic would be small city/town centers
with the residential closely surrounding. It would be limiting in that one
would have to work in the town center their house surrounds, but traffic
congestion would be ultimately solved. Targeting the concept of 'Aggressive
Driving' or the government isn't the solution because it is real and they are
working on fixing the problem.
Date: 1998/11/22
Driving down a crowded highway in CT, this ASSHOLE from New Jersey decides he is GOING to cut me off. Wrong move for him. I speed up a bit. So: you willingly entered into a competitive and aggressive display of driving tactics- and sped up? Proud of yourself? You are just as much a jerk as he is, only you are a COWARD who misuses the police. Instead of taking responsibility for your actions yourself, you use the cops to help you get your ërevengeí. Courtesy on the road, or lack of courtesy, cuts BOTH ways. It seems like an asshole from Connecticut and an asshole from NJ just had a little ìrun-inî on the public roads. Donít suppose you two ever considered that the actions you took might have had serous consequences ivolving innocent drivers nearby? Grow up.
Comments
I chose this
article because it's a perfect example of one wrong being countered by another
at the expense of others. The driver who did not allow the other driver to
merge demonstrated a lack of emotional intellegence. Letting negative emotions
guide one's actions is a loosing battle. If one takes the time to modify their
behavior by learning to control it (and not visa versa) then they can win.
Actions fueled from anger in vehicles can lead to very bad results. Examples of
which can be seen in newspapers across the US on a weekly basis.
Re: Hit and Run Incident
Date: 1998/12/13
On sat, 12 Dec 1998 21:40:00 GMT
I really donít think that most people even think about what is going to happen to him/her in the legal system. Youíre right, they donít. And what makes it more frustrating is that even when you get a sympathetic ear with the authorities, youíre told that ignorance of the law is no excuse. Thatís supposed to comfort the cyclist (or pedestrian) in the hospital?
Although there are plenty of he-man morons who have a special dislike for bikes, we could go far by linking our concerns to those of general road safety -Ý I think most of the drivers who give us a hard time are also uncooperative and aggressive with others. Weíve made a lot of progress with drunk driving ñ maybe we can get to the point where we break through that my-car-is-my-castle attitude, and passengers of these idiots tell them to drive responsibly. Iíve told drivers they were making ME nervousÖ as a passenger, that is. I donít think this is improper. My safety takes precedence over any foolish sense of decorum.
Separating the person from the vehicle in a psychological stance was discussed above, but at least this person agrees (my-car-is-my-castle). Also mentioned here is the rights of passengers. The driver may be in control (physically) of a vehicle, however not only out of courtesy, but by reason of law, they must adhere to the personal comfort of the passenger. For example: if a drivers speeding and exhibiting reckless behavior and the passenger has either a heart attack or mental breakdown, who is the court going to find guilty? Everybody knows that accountability in our society is a huge issue these days. Play it smart and be courteous.
Other Students
Reports on Newsgroups
Well, we're in generation 10 already so
newsgroup reports have become pretty commonplace. If there was one in
particular I would choose to link to here, it would be Cynthia's site.
Suggestions for
Future Generations
After searching through the newsgroups I
would suggest that writing a posting (choose what ever aspect you'd like to
discuss- just make it opinionated) would get the desired results. You could
make your entire report on the replies to your posting (if it sparks enough
reactions by other people).
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