My Experience with Newsgroups:
Anger abounded
All
postings were found through www.deja.com and are presented in their
original form
Subject: Minging Bitches Who Can't Drive!
Date: 01/17/00
Offensive
narld faced minging bitches who drive in the fast lane of the f***ing M1
(between junction 7-9 north bound) at 50mph in a shagged out Granada should be
pulled over onto the hard shoulder and shot in the face with an elephant gun!
My Analysis
Hopefully this man
is not capable of the violence that he describes. He is obviously very angry
and unable to control the negative emotions that he feels. This type of person
is a threat to others on the road because it would appear almost certain that
he engages in activities commonly refered to as "road rage". His
spewing of anger is not harmless complaints, this man is actively participating
in a facet of road rage.
This man is stewing
in his own anger and posts his thoughts to be shared by the whole world. This
can only lead to problems, as his anger spreads into the lives of others who do
not even know him. His words inspire agreement in some and disagreement in
others, but in common they both leave with a negative and unhealthy feeling
inside. His submission does not seem to calm him and only fuels his anger as
some support his right to be angry and others attack him and create new anger.
Instead of posting such inflammatory remarks, he should learn how to
constructively release his negative emotions, so they do not turn out inspiring
more.
Subject: Idiot drivers. Totally Off Topic
Date: 01/09/00
Today
I had to go get some straw we have in a neighbors building a mile and a half
away. You have to make a right turn out of our driveway, make another right
turn after a 1/4 of a mile, go one mile, take a left, go another 1/4 mile and
take a left into his drive. Well, I took the payloader with the bale spears on it
(i only needed two 4x4x8 bales) and went and got them. After I got the bales,(
going backwards with a SMV, and signal lights on the bales--neat little hangy
thing) out of his drive and onto that 1/4 mile stretch and started turning onto
the mile long stretch I see this red honda, lowered and all, stopped right
infront of my tire, I stopped.
I
had signled and everything and he still was going to pass me. I got stopped
about 4 inches from running over the front of that car. This payloader is a
Case 621 B (go look it up so you can get a picture of how big it is. Tires are
about 5 foot tall by 2 foot wide.) I jumped out and screamed at him "WTF
are you trying to do", he said, "I thought I could pass you before
you turned". I started cussing and calling him every name I could think
of. He started calling me names and how stupid I was to be driving that down a
road with bales on it, and then had the gall to try to step up to me.
I
told him If he didn't get in that f***ing car, realize what he did, and run
away, I was going to jump back in the payloader and run his ass over. He said,
don't sing it, bring it. I jumped back in the loader, started it up, and was
about to back up three inches (I wasn't actually planning on running him over)
when I heard that little engine screaming and as he tried to jump the clutch it
went ca chunk and died right there. He back it up, gave me the finger(I gave
him two rigid digits in return) and we went on our way.Sorry I just had to get
that out.
My Analysis
I think it is
pretty obvious where this person made their first mistake. Instead of screaming
at the other driver, he might of instead noted to himself how it was a close
call and then drove on his way. Instead of reacting in a calm way, he
instigated a confrontation that left both himself and the other driver in a
negative mood. He was so angered, that possibly hours later he was still so
consumed with the situation that he had to share it with the rest of the world.
While he might have thought that telling his story on the web would sooth him,
it actually spurred the exchange of an incredible amount of anger. So holding
on to his negative emotions actually created significantly worse negative
emotions for himself and others.
Subject: RE: Idiot drivers. Totally Off Topic
Date: 01/09/00
I
have a similar one. About 5 or 6 years ago, I was helping a friend move with my
battered old '80 GMC. The truck was loaded to the gills (read: WAY overloaded.
I really gotta break that habit) and we were not far from the place when one of
those famous South Texas gulleywashers opened up on us. It was the middle of
the day and I could barely see 10 feet in front of the truck from the torrent.
We were on a little 2-lane country road with BIG runoff ditches on either side.
There was nothing I could do but white-knuckle it all the way to the next turn.
Naturally, I was going pretty slow.
If
there would have been a place for me to pull over and stop, I would have. I
could see in my side mirrors that there was a line behind me, but there was
nothing I could do, and I'm sure most of them knew that. Just as I got to the
turn, I signaled (for all the signal did in the visibility of the storm), and
started to turn. Apparently, someone in a pink (yes, pink) caddy didn't like being
at the end of the slow-moving line. They passed me as I was MAKING THE TURN.
Had I turned about a half second sooner, that car would have caught my bumper
and caused some major chaos. I guess owning a caddy is like owning a ferrari:
It exempts you from common sense. Yet another rip in my poor Guardian Angel's
wings...
My Analysis
Although this
person is agreeing with UUC's standpoint, it does nothing but harm UUC. This
reply just encourages the harboring of negative feelings, like saying that UUC
has the right to be angry, that his actions were well founded. This person
really is unable to let things go, they are talking about an experience that
happened 5 or 6 years ago, and we know it still inspires passionate feelings or
else they would not still be talking about it. It is time for CAD Consultant to
move on and release the cadillac driver as an object of hatred. As we shall
see, their hatred only serves to inspire more hatred.
Subject: RE: Idiot drivers. Totally off Topic
Date: 01/09/00
You're
blocking traffic, in an admittedly seriously overloaded s**twagon, in a howling
rainstorm, and it's the other guy who lacks common sense...
I
believe I'm spotting a pattern.
Oh
dear... I don't have s**t on my shoes... I must be an inferior citizen. Let me
ask you a question, Slappy: Since when is it an element of rural life to
perform a job in a half-assed fashion ? (I believe you volk even have a rather
unflattering expression for such slipshod performance...)
Do
you really want us to associate "rural" with "ignorant
halfwit" ? I don't really think that's fair to all the rural folks who
know to come in from the rain, who wouldn't tie three bedsteads to the roof of
their Nova with pastry string, and who don't clean their loaded semi-auto
pistols from the muzzle with the magazine in place. "Hey ya'll, watch this
!" or even possibly the facts of life outside the sex ed. class.
Are
you allowed to have any sort of ed. out there in the land of
"enlightenment"? Wouldn't that require "teaching" (and
"learning") ? Wherever would you find the Jews ? Don't bother trying
to out man of the earth me Slappy. I may work with my brain and fingers but
I've dug dirt before. I'll not only out drive you, I'll out dig you, and I'll out
shoot your working class hero-posturing ass.The only thing I won't do is out
peasant you. I doubt that many *could* be more ignorant, crude, stunted,
reactionary and uncultured than you and your pal Jethro, the CAD Cockup; and I
know of none who would wish to be. Unfortunately, not every ditch digger is a
figure of nobility; some have just reached their limit. Enjoy you success.
"Larry
Flynt is right: You guys suck." - Homer J. Simpson
My Analysis
After just a few
postings, UUC's message has managed to attract a very bitter and angry
contributer. Instead of just being about frustration while driving, the topic
grows to an angry debate between rural and city. This is an example of how
anger from the driving realm can spill over and contaminate other parts of
life. MJF 2000 seems to be looking for an arguement and derives pleasure from
the situation. His comments can be shocking at times and this is only one
example of his many postings that continue on the arguement. This man is
poisoning himself and those he comes into contact with.
Subject: RE: My first road rage experience
Date: 02/19/00
In
the UK you get a provisional license at 17 and can hold a full license at 18.
It doesn't surprise me that you can drive at 16 in the States, after all you
love utting people in charge of lethal weapons as soon as possible....
My Analysis
This is just
another example of how negative emotions over driving can lead to negative
emotions and attacks on other parts of life. This person from the UK took a
discussion of driving and used it as a lead in to make an attack on the US.
This wasn't necessary but negative emotions allowed to flourish, bridge topical
boundaries.
Subject: Daily gripe: "Rage"
Date: 02/17/00
Note
that I did not call this posting "Road Rage". The
reason I did not do this is because with all the disgruntled ex-employees
killing ex-fellow employees, all the people killing ex-significant others, and
other random murders, it seems that the issue really is not "road rage"
per se, but just "rage" alone. Vehicles only become vehicles
of rage for killing purposes similar to the way guns or any other weapon
is used to kill or hurt others. In other words, the problem is not, strictly
speaking, a road problem, but a people problem (though congestion as a
contributing factor at times can be partly blamed on politicians).
NO REALISTIC CURE
Cure the whole world of anger and killing of all kinds will stop, whether by
gun or by vehicle. Since thousands of years of recorded history show that is
not likely, we are kind of stuck with it. Thus, any efforts to stop "road
rage" are going to be about as futile as the efforts to stop the
random murders.
My Analysis
I think that Walt
has a very good point about controling rage in all aspects of life. Rage does
not find its only form on the road. It is about controlling negative emotions
no matter where they stem from. The only problem with driving, is that so many
people do it. All of these people are driving around in very large weapons and
who knows what kind of mental state they are in? I don't think that there is
nothing that we can do about the situation, but I do think it will take a
concious effort on the part of all people to keep our lives and roads free of
negativity and danger.
Subject: Very OT: Driver Courtesy
Date: 02/10/00
I
know this is very OT and I try not to post much which is, but dammit! I'm
just getting extremely tired of this. Is it just me (of course it's not)
or has simple driver courtesy (not to mention the "rules of the road")
simply gone out the window?
1. I know the speed limit. I can actually *read* those signs they
post next to the road; they have big black numbers on them which *mean*
something. And I DRIVE the speed limit. I have *never* had a
speeding ticket. So if you don't like the fact that I drive the posted
speed limit, and if the yellow or white lines painted on the road are
broken yellow or white lines, indicating you can pass me, by all means, do
so. Please do *not* ride on my tail. I'm not going to kill myself
or risk getting into an accident because you are hell bent on getting God knows
where faster than you already are. Nor am I going to kill myself or risk
getting into an accident attempting to get out of your way. You don't
*own* the road (and no, neither do I).
2. I know my car (it's a Tercel). I am quite familiar with its'
handling capability under every driving condition. If it's been raining
and the streets are oil-slick, it will hydroplane in an instant. So don't
expect me to take curves or turn onto a street at the speed of light. It
ain't gonna happen. I'm not going to risk a slide off the road, or
into another lane, or otherwise kill myself because *you* are in a hurry.
A Tercel is tinfoil on wheels (so sue me; it's what I wanted). If it's
extremely windy, I'm focusing on keeping the car straight in my lane, not about
whether or not you are late for work, some appointment, your anniversary dinner
or a shack-up with that hot new lay you just met. Those things are not my
problem. Getting to my destination safely IS my problem.
3. If I stop at a red-light or a stop sign, if I can't see your
headlights in my rearview mirror, you are TOO CLOSE. (Even worse if I
look out the sideview mirror and can't even see your vehicle.) If someone
slams into the rear of your vehicle and you haven't allowed enough room between
yours and mine, guess who else gets hit? Might happen anyway, depending
on the impact. But then again, it might not. They teach this in
defensive driving classes.
4. Ever heard of a turn signal? a.k.a. "blinker".
It lets the other drivers' know what you plan to do. It's not an *extra*
on your vehicle; comes as standard equipment. Try it sometime.
5. If you are in a truck, the rule "my truck's bigger than your
___" does *not* apply. I don't care how big your truck is, it
doesn't entitle you to drive like an imbecile. If you think it does,
chances are you *are* an imbecile.
6. People driving non-commercial mini-vans seem to be some of the worst
offenders of discourteous and downright dangerous driving habits I've
encountered lately. And since they *are* driving mini-vans, it behooves
me to point out, they probably have children. Lots of room for
transporting kids. So why would you drive like a complete idiot when you
have children in your vehicle?! Late for a dental appointment? The
dentist isn't going anywhere. 30 minutes late? Leave the friggin'
house 45 minutes sooner.
7. Lastly, just because your vehicle cost more than mine doesn't make you
more important or entitle you to extra privileges on the roads. There is
no "special speed limit" for expensive vehicles. I paid cash
for my brand new car. Did you?
Sorry, I just had to rant. Had one of these experiences on the way home
today with a smart-ass who nearly hit me (after riding my ass for 5 miles) as I
turned, with turn signal 200 feet in advance of the only turn-off, because I
slowed down to make the turn. The people who do the things in these
examples are either totally inconsiderate of anyone else on the road,
think they are better than everyone else, or are completely unknowledgable
about how to drive. Makes me wonder if they bought their drivers'
licenses over the Internet :-)Ê [ Jill ]
My Analysis
While Jill brings
up some good suggestions about how to make driving a better experience, she
does it in the wrong manner. She appoints blame and labels others. If she
truely wanted to just make suggestions about how to drive better she should
have done it in a non-confrontal type of way. Instead she points fingers which
could inturn cause those who read this to get angry instead of just reminded of
how they should be a courteous and responsible driver. Her ranting could also
encourage the continuance of her anger but she seems to end off her posting
somewhat happily.
Subject: RE: Very OT: Driver Courtesy
Date: 02/15/00
Jill,
it doesn't matter what type or size vehicle you drive .... what matters is,
you've just posted a message that strikes at the heart of "road rage."
If more drivers on our roads - no matter what size vehicle they drive -
followed your downright sensible suggestions, there would be less road rage
and fewer accidents. In short, our roads would be safer and the drive
much more pleasurable for all. [J.]
My Analysis
This posting gives
hope that there are people out there who know that there is a problem and
believe that there can be something done about it. He points out that it is the
responsibility of all drivers to make the road a better place. This response is
positive and encourages good driving in a way that people will not take offense
to.