"Road rage -- the release of pent-up,
cumulative anger against the unknown by the unidentified. It is the obscene
phone call made physical."
1. WHAT IS CONSIDERED SAFE?
Subject:
Road Rage?
Date: 1998/01/06
You know, I've done my fair share of driving, mostly up & down the east coast. Personally, I've never been the victim, nor have I victimized anyone in the name of "Road Rage." I don't care what anyone says, but if I've been driving for an extended period of time, I have no patience for the nonsense & bullshit that some of my fellow contemporaries pull on the road.
I'll be straightforward. I am an aggressive driver. I say this because I'm a speeder, & for some reason, we're considered aggressive drivers. I'll tell you, speed limits are a crock. Why the hell should I do 65 on an endless stretch of straightaway on a perfect day? I feel that I can judge, on my own, the speed at which I should travel. Instead of worrying & looking out for "Mista Offica" I should be focusing on getting my vehicle from pt A to pt B in a timely & efficient & safe matter. I wish the Cannonball still existed..
Anyway, I love the "self-appointed" traffic officers who think it's their divine right to enforce their version of the speed limits.. True story; On the Cross-Bronx Expressway, there was a guy who was apparently lane blocking. A car came up on him, beeped his horn, flashed his lights. This went on for a couple of miles. The guy wouldn't yield & let the other guy pass, for whatever reason.
Well, the guy in the car behind him pulled out a gun, fired shots into the offending car, hitting & killing the lane blocker's daughter. Now safety nazi's you tell me.. You think it's worth it? You see a guy driving like a lunatic, let him pass. How hard can it be? I can tell you that these guys don't just appear out of thin air. You can see him approaching for quite some distance if you pay attention (Which is another trait lacking in many drivers on the road)
Just so you know, my biggest pet peeves:
1. Lane blocking= l get pretty annoyed when I have to pass people on the left. You aren't supposed to pass people on the left. That's why the left lane is the passing lane. Most highways have at least 3 lanes. The right lane is the passing lane, the middle lane is the travel lane, & the right lane is the merging lane. If you can't handle the passing lane, get out of it
2. Cell phones= I can't begin to tell you how many times I've been cut off by people who deem it more important to carry on a conversation than to actually focus on driving. I can't stess enough that driving takes a lot of concentration, and that if that phone conversation is that fucking important, PULL OVER!!! Somebody's gonna get killed, one of these days
3. SUV's= Yeah, I know they're big, they're safe, & whatever. But a lot of people don't know how to handle them, which makes for a dangerous situation on the road
4. People who insist on driving in your blind spot= These people should be shot on site
I can go on & on, but I've said enough for now.. See you on the road
My Comments:
In this posting, the writer seems to have
mixed feelings and confusion about issues about road rage and safety. He
sounds as if he would like to make the roads an easier place to drive, but at
the same time he has a lot of anger and aggressive feelings which make him as
dangerous as the people he complains about. After taking a second look, he
sounds self-centered, as if he would just like to make driving more convenient
for himself and not necessarily safer. How can he be a "safe" driver if
he disregards laws?
When I first learned how to drive, I was told to keep up traffic because if I drove below or at the limit, I was a hazard. It was not practical advice for someone who had yet to take a drivers test, but it makes sense after driving for a while. In our world it seems as if speed limits are made low with the assumption that people will drive above them and average to a speed that is "acceptable." So in a sense, I understand his point about deciding for himself what speed is safe for him, however, we must remember that driving involves more than just one person and what is safe for him may not be for the passengers or the the cars that may be up ahead. The one thought that really troubles me is wanting to shoot people who drive in his blind spot - how does he know that this is their intention?
I do agree with the author about how annoying some things can be, but he could have been more constructive. Yet he was successful in grabbing my attention and letting out his feelings.
As R. mentions, he drives on the east coast which is
at a much quicker pace than a place like Hawaii. I do know of people in
Hawaii that think in similar ways as he does, probably because many of us are
in a hurry to get where we are going and we attempt to be at too many places
at once. Our society rewards people for being time efficient. Also it is rude
to be
late.
back to top
go to end of report
2.
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF DEFENSIVE
DRIVING
Subject: Re: The Driving Rain
Date: 1998/02/07
Remember, you're not late until you get there, My employer has required me (and the other 4500 drivers) to take defensive driving courses for the last 12 years. The snippet from your post above is one of the catch phrases that the driving instructors use.
I drive about 45,000/year, most of it around the bay area. Daily, without fail, I witness driving habits that are not merely aggressive, but vengeful. I've driven all over the country and I don't think I've ever seen such a severe case of collective road rage as I have in the bay area. Santa Rosa isn't so bad, 880 is by far the worst.
My Comments:
To attract attention, the writer here uses
a catch phrase "remember, you're not late until you get there." This way of
thinking puts people into the present and allows them to focus on driving
safely. Even if they arrive late, they are safe and can then concentrate on
the consequences of being tardy. What strikes me the most is that the
employer recognizes the problem and provides defensive driving classes to
help.
I think that classes like this are a good idea
because it helps people to become more aware of their own bad habits. This
relates to the psychological concept of attitude formation from a Social
Psychology text by David G. Myers, "as we act and reflect, we develop a more
readily accessible attitude to guide our future behavior."
back
to top
go
to end of report
3. DIALING
911 TO REPORT AGGRESSIVE DRIVING
Subject: Re: People Are Mean
Date: 1997/12/24
I have noted a lot of road rage lately. Effective 1/1/98, I will report any and all unsafe driving via 9-1-1 on my cellular phone.
It's childish weems like you that clog-up the 911 Emergency lines with your petty and trivial complaints so that people with *REAL* emergencies are put on hold whilst their lives are in danger.
In Maryland, the police want drivers to call them from cellular phones to report speeders and other "aggressive drivers". It may be a waste of police resources and possibly unsafe for the caller, but since the police requested the calls I wouldn't blame callers for distracting police from important work. One hopes that they at least give the cell phone number lower priority than emergency calls.
[ http://www.inform.umd.edu/UMS+State/MD_Resources/MDSP/initiatv.html ]
Elsewhere the police seem to take a more realistic approach and don't solicit calls about non-criminal driving offenses.
My Comments:
The writer believes that it is not
realistically helpful to call 911 to report "aggressive drivers" because it is
unsafe for the caller to use a cellular phone while driving and trying to
identify the "bad" driver and it could tie up emergency lines for more urgent
situations. I agree with this viewpoint because in the courts, it becomes
heresay and cannot be proven.
I am glad that people are making attempts to
make driving safer, but there always seems to be loopholes in the solutions.
The calls to 911 remind me of grade school tattle-telling, where police would
probably get irritated with all the "little" things they have to check out
that they probably won't be able to do anything about. In a sense, telling on
others makes people feel better
about themselves because it puts them on a "higher level" where they can do no
wrong. Maybe this false sense can actually be helpful because in order for
these people to maintain their image (so as not to be hypocrites), they have
to avoid the same negative behaviors of the people they are reporting.
back
to top
go
to end of report
4. EFFECTS
OF MEDIA ON DRIVING ATTITUDES
Subject: Re: Road Rage - AA Survey
Date: 1998/01/19
So road rage is caused by people complaining about it. Without a handy concept like road rage, people would otherwise just be puzzled and annoyed at other motorists peculiar actions: with it they assume the worst and get aggressive.
'Road Rage' is now accepted as a fact by most drivers because of the media coverage.
Last week somebody grimaced at me as he drove past. I have no idea why. Two years ago I whould have thought, "What's up with him?", and done nothing. Now, I think, "Bloody Road Rage merchant!", and I get ready for a confrontation with a raving maniac a few miles down the road. Having read the stories in the media about people being followed for 10 miles or more... the next time I think the car behind me has followed my from the last M-way junction... who will blame me for hitting him if he suddenly pulls in front of me to ask directions?
So do the media
excerbate an already delicate situation.
My Comments:
This person sounds like a pessimist, which
can be useful at times. I do agree with him about the media blowing things up
into obscene proportions which affect society, but I do not think that anyone
can blame that for their actions. Hearing stories about road rage should
cause people to become more cautious and defensive, not more aggressive. My
drivers education instructor advised us to assume that all other drivers,
pedestrians, and bicycle riders are the stupidest people in the world, so that
by expecting dangerous situations, we can be prepared for them.
This kind of thinking can be faulty.
Self-fulfilling prophecies might lead people into having the wrong ideas about
situations, where a meaningless glance can lead to an accident. By believeing
that it will happen, we inadvertently cause it to occur.
back to top
go to end of report
5. ROAD RAGE
HUMOR
Subject: Road Rage
Date: 1998/01/20
JUSTIFICATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE ASSASSINATION
1. "Mean People Suck" stickers. What's wrong with us??
2. "My child was student of the month at...." Instead, how about "My uncle was CIA hit man of the month," or "My father was inmate of the month at San Quentin?"
3. People who look through their steering wheels instead of the windshield when they drive. Don't you just love to see a tuft of white hair and the top of the steering wheel?
4. Convertible Geo Metros. Someone once thought that Pacers and Pintos would be cool too.
5. People who move into the slow lane AFTER you've passed them. Oh God, PLEASE, just one kill!!
6. People with diesel engine cars. GASP! CHOKE! Thanks a lot. COUGH! CHOKE!
7. Having to share the road with cyclists.
8. People with more stickers on their car than paint. And no Anita, I don't believe you.
9. Everyone's favorite group of drivers. No explanation needed here.
10. Purple headed warriors behind the wheel. PLEASE, stick to baking cookies, making shawls and playing with your cats.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
WOMEN NO LONGER GIVE WAY IN BATTLE FOR ROAD
MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) -- Young women are the new hot-heads of the road, according to an Australian study which found they are almost as prone to road rage as young men.
The study commissioned by an insurance firm has found that female drivers aged below 30 are only slightly less likely to tail-gate, hurl abuse, shake their fists, blast their horns and cut in front of other drivers as any young man.
An aggression index, compiled from a survey released at the weekend by the Australian Associated Motor Insurers Ltd (AAMI), shows young women have hit 31.77 points on a road rage "Richter" scale, less than a point shy of men on 32.63.
Young women and men rated the highest on the aggression index, which ranged from 0-100.
"Everyone else's road rage index has actually decreased, but the young women's index has increased," AAMI spokesman Michael Kay told Reuters Monday.
"Women are now taking their place as equals in society and there are some good things that happen as a result and, perhaps, some not-so-good things," he added.
But women mellow faster than men with age, the study found. Women aged over 55 barely register on the road rage index.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
THE TOP 15 SIGNS YOU SUFFER FROM "ROAD RAGE" (Part I)
15. Driver's license exam question: "When passing on right, always _______________." Your answer: "Shoot to Kill."
14. State Farm refuses to insure a personal vehicle with gun turrets.
13. Other commuters force you into a rest area and conduct a rush-hour intervention.
12. You've packed enough guns and ammo to make a Tarantino film, yet you're just going to the market to buy milk.
11. You have an open account at Earl Scheib.
10. Your blood pressure's higher than Ditka's.
9. Someone cuts you off and the next thing you know, two members of your carpool get killed in the crossfire.
8. You've developed carpal tunnel syndrome in your middle finger.
7. You mounted your wipers on the inside to clear the spittle.
6. Lazy chopper pilot for Fox TV's "Real Crashes" simply waits in vacant lot next to your garage.
5. A) Teeth marks on steering wheel all the way down to the 5 and 7 o'clock positions; B) You're NOT Christian Slater, Mike Tyson, or Marv Albert.
4. Left forearm bigger than Popeye's from giving the finger and aiming the Uzi.
3. In traffic, that throbbing vein in your forehead gets big enough to honk the horn on its own.
2. You can't resist firing off a few practice shots whenever you pass a Target store.
1. Two words: Feces slingshot
[Chris White and
Ziff Davis, Inc. 1997 ] [http://www.topfive.com ]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
THE TOP 15 SIGNS YOU SUFFER FROM "ROAD RAGE" (PART II)
15. For lack of a more effective weapon, you find yourself threatening other drivers with the cigarette lighter.
14. You exchange your Uzi with laser sighting for a "more serious weapon."
13. You've stopped wearing pants in the car to make it easier to moon tailgaters.
12. Local Crips now have a hand signal for "Get Off The Road, That Psycho's Coming!"
11. On your license, under "restrictions", it says, "Valium Required."
10. That Yugo hood ornament on your 4X4 is not *actually* an ornament.
9. The only thing that calms you down is your trusty Megadeth CD.
8. The need to wring Dr. Laura Schlessinger's neck is just a bit more urgent than usual.
7. You swear more before you get to work than most gangsta rappers do all day.
6. You threaten to run over the person in front of you, even though you're in line for communion.
5. The car's a year old, but you're already on your fifth horn.
4. Your saw blades don't work, your voice is out of sync with your mouth, and Speed Racer has just beaten you in another race.
3. You've traded your plastic statue of St. Christopher for one of A.C. Cowlings.
2. You'd flash your brights at that slow dumbass Jacob ahead of you if your buggy only had headlights.
1. You've plowed more pedestrians than Wilt Chamberlain.
[Chris White and
Ziff Davis, Inc. 1997 ]
[http://www.topfive.com ]
My Comments:
The writer of this list pokes fun at road
rage. Like cartoons, it makes people laugh and think about the issue in a
different way. I think that although most of the issues are extremely
exaggerated, some points are actually true about many drivers. For example,
high blood pressure, swearing, and negative or violent thoughts. I find this
humor refreshing compared to some of the other postings where people think
that they are always right.
However enjoyable this list may be, it does reflect the violence in society. In rap music, television, and movies, we can find so much of this and it stops bothering us because we become immune to it. At least they have ratings so that parents can supervise what their children are exposed to. However, this does not give them total control. According to Bandura's theory, with the bobo doll experiment, children are affected by violence on television. Children also learn through imitating behaviors and attitudes. I am surprised at how the violence level in what our society publishes is always increasing.
back to top
go to end of report
6. EMPTY JUNCTIONS
Subject: Re: solution to road rage
Date: 1998/02/04
BIG NBAD SNIP
I would get very frustrated at looking at a empty junction caused by a lack of
phasing, there are a few junctions like that near work and it drives me mad,
made even worse by waiting for the pedestrian lights when there are no
pedestrians :-((((( A few intersections are programmed to turn red just to
infuriate you. If it's late at night and there's no one around, I stop and
just continue on. My son accompanied me to a trip to Italy a few years ago,
noted the "rules" there, and in a silly situation where you're waiting for
nothing at a red light, he says "do an Italy, Dad!".
When I was in
Milan the main rule appeared to be "drive in the shade" I was in a rental car,
so I went with the flow, great fun.
My Comments:
the author has a light-hearted attitude
to an issue that drives most I liked this posting because people crazy. I
always wondered about why traffic lights would change to red when there were
no pedestrians and no cars waiting there. I have seen people actually go
through the red light out of frustration, I know I always want to, but resist
the temptation because it would cause "moral anxiety."
In D's and N's text for Abnormal Psychology,
moral anxiety is defined as, "the ego's fear of punishment for failure to
adhere to the superego's standards of proper conduct." The standards in this
situation would be the law and the punishment would be a ticket issued by a
police officer waiting around the corner. There are some people who would just
take the risk, and some who would never break the rules, then there are those
who would do it if they knew they would not get caught.
back to top
go to end of report
7. RADAR
DETECTORS USED TO CURB ROAD RAGE
Subject: Re: Radar Detectors: (Was: Re:
Road rage, drivers tests ect...)
Date: 1998/02/19
Now, some counties/cities have turned to a new tactic out here. Photo-Radar. Yup! Radar checks your speed, and if you're going too fast, snaps a picture of your license plate, and they mail you a ticket. I still wonder how enforceable it is. Can they actually get a picture of the driver.
John the Wysard recalls an article (in the AAA magazine, he thinks) about such a program in Texas. Radar triggered cameras on freeway overpasses, with two lenses - one for the license plate, one for the windshield. The photo had the date, time, and speed right on the negative.
*Very* few
contested cases... seeing your yawning morning face next to the 83 mph must be
pretty intimidating!
Subject:
Re: Radar Detectors: (Was: Re: Road rage, drivers tests ect...)
Date: 1998/02/19
Here in Maricopa County, AZ, the ticket cannot be issued unless the driver's face is clearly photographed. The Republican(newspaper) runs a section every so often with some of the more zany pictures. Drivers out here go so far as to put on halloween masks, duck under the dash, and shine halogen spot lights at the camera. Not real safe... The [www.azcentral.com ]posts the locations of the speed traps every morning. Some towns and cities do not allow the cameras.
Sherriff Joe is now installing LASERS to get around the radar detectors. is there a civilian laser detector on teh market?
My Comments:
I joined these two postings together
because they were related. I think that if these cameras are accurate enough
to be valid in court, then they would probably make sense to use. I would
certainly not want to have my picture taken! The first article says that
there are very few contested cases. The second article says that the
locations are posted on the web so that people can avoid getting caught. Even
if cameras end up not catching people in the act it is still slightly
effective because drivers slow down at those spots. To counter the negative
effects of the information on the web, law enforcers could put up other lists
that
include both true and false locations. Would that violate some kind of law
about telling the truth?
I thought it was funny how an idea to solve problems can in itself create other problems. This just goes to show how far some people will go to avoid getting caught (wearing masks, ducking, etc.) knowing full well that they are breaking the laws and driving in an unsafe manner. The maturity level of these people amazes me.
back to top
go to end of report
8. STAYING CALM UNDER ATTACK
Subject: Road Rage? Uh, well, maybe.
Date: 1998/01/04
OK, real quick. I don't have time to write a big note, but here's what happened to me today -
I was test driving my sister-in-law's Olds Cutlass because my brother and I were working on it and needed to see if we'd worked the bugs out. Not in my trusty 300ZX...
Guy in Toyota pickup runs red light turning right while I'm completing a green lighted arrow left hand turn in front of him. I went around him avoiding hitting him (my only choice other than risking getting rear ended by the cars behind me).
Well, he went crazy and flew into this huge rage, trying to run me off the road, arms flailing about, mouth contorted by screaming.
I figured 'Who cares?' We got onto the freeway, he tried to pass me but I wouldn't let him (the Olds had sufficient power to keep me ahead until the next turnoff since I didn't want him trying to swerve me off the road). When we stopped at the (of course) red light, he got out, ran around the car before I could roll up the window (I wasn't used to the layout of the controls, remember it's not my car) and proceeded to punch me in my arm and shoulder area several times, screaming all the while. He then sped off.
I stayed in the car and just let him hit me in the arm. It didn't really hurt much, it was kind of weird - this guy punching my shoulder like a schoolyard buddy... Oh well.
I called 911, drove to the nearby police station, wrote a report and they called up the guy's registration to find he had a suspended license and that they would probably charge him with misdemeanor battery and driving with a suspended license. I intend to go ahead with whatever help they need from me to nail him on battery.
So I guess "road
rage" exists. I had a first hand experience with it today. I still don't like
the buzzword aspect of the phrase, but my advice to people (like myself) who
don't take shit off of asshole drivers (flipping them off, tapping your
brakes, preventing them from passing you), I have this advice... Keep your
windows rolled up and watch it. I wasn't really hurt, more like amused at his
juvenile antics and baffled at his disregard for the consequences, but a
bigger, more aggressive guy would've probably caused more significant damage.
My Comments:
I often find that articles are much more
interesting when people include personal stories. This posting displays the
author's first-hand experience of road rage. I commend the writer for staying
calm under such a crazy situation. I think it was smart that he did not give
the other driver the satisfaction of a full-blown fight and instead contacted
the police. I don't know how many of us could stand to something so rational?
What I question is that if the attacker was already driving with a suspended license, shouldn't there be harsher penalties to keep people like this off the road? He seemed to be out-of-control. He, like many drivers believes that the road belongs to him and everyone ought to get out of his way. Another ego-centric driver...boy, he is in need of some anger management classes that could teach him some self-control. Jail would be a good place to start!
back to top
go to end of report
9.
TAILGATING PENALTIES NOT ENFORCED
Subject: Re: Road rage, drivers tests ect...
Date: 1998/01/21
Aggressive driving? Certainly -- but POOR aggressive driving on the pickup drivers part. "Road Rage"? I don't know his motivations. Something which requires new laws, penalties, and crackdowns? Certainly not. Had a cop actually seen the incidents, they'd have been covered under existing laws (speeding, tailgating, illegal use of high beams, etc).
*dreamy sigh*
How I'd LOVE to see a cop pull someone over for tailgating. But I never have
yet. Even when there are both cops and tailgaters around.
I was exiting off one highway onto another with a woman riding my bumper. I've never been tailgated that closely before (though some of the folks who needed the extra two seconds came close).
Imagine my total surprise when I checked the rear view mirror, and saw that BOTH of her hands were off the steering wheel as she fussed with her hair. Around a curve. Riding my bumper. At 55-60 MPH.
Still trying to figure out what she was using to steer with.
*George Carlin once noted that "Anyone who drives slower than you is a moron, anyone who drives faster than you is a maniac".
Yeah, that sums it up very nicely ;)
I'm also trying to figure out the motivation of people who whip around you solely for the sake of being able to jam on the breaks at the red light ahead....
My Comments:
I have friends that like to show off by
driving with one knee while using their hands for something else. It is kind
of scary. I agree with the writer here that laws that cover dangerous actions
like tailgating should be better enforced. However, unless an accident
occurs, something like that is hard to make a case with.
Many people, especially young adults have a sense of
being invincible. They don't believe that anything bad will happen to them so
that they engage in risky behavior. It reminds me of that fearless attitude
of young children to do things like climb on jungle gyms and swing really
high, things that as adults seem quite scary. Some people just are not fully
developed morally. They do not realize how much their actions affect so many
others.
back to top
go to end of report
10. POEM ABOUT WOMEN DRIVERS
Subject: Women Drivers aka Road Rage
Date: 1998/01/31
It is my considered opinion that women drivers are the main cause of Road Rage. It is nigh impossible to give someone the finger while driving with warty little knees, changing 3 lanes without signalling, talking on a cellular phone, slurping a latte, and hunting lipstick.
So they scream at you and cuss a blue streak. Men drivers politely yield and
try to get out of the way, slowing down and getting in the path of speeding
dope dealers with UZIs.
My Comments:
This poem caught my attention because of
how it is prejudiced against women. The negative stereotype of women drivers
is so exaggerated it is slightly funny. I noticed that there was no name
attached to the posting so I assume that the writer did not want to be taken
for a male chauvanist pig, but wanted it to be more of a joke. It has to
bother you a bit in order for it to have any effect.
I do not agree with what the author is saying in the literal sense. Since it is hard to tell how much of what he says is really his attitude and how much is the joke, I do not want to judge him. Then again, I usually have the stereotypical view that men are more aggressive so therefore contribute more to road rage. However, I know that I have a faulty viewpoint because it is probably a more even ratio that can be subdivided into specific areas of bad driving habits that would have more contrast in percentages.
back to top
go to end of report
COMPARISON TO OTHER G8 STUDENTS
I read through a few finished reports of other students in my generation. What I noticed was that there were a few newsgroups selections that were the same as my choices or were related. There were also others that I had read but chose not to use. A common theme was the idea that many drivers in the postings claimed not to have road rage when in fact, they were just as dangerous as the people they complained about. What interested me the most were the different reactions made by the students. One student selected a posting that had a really honest writer who could admit that they were often guilty road rage. She took notice of this person's honesty and compared it to all of those who cannot confess to their mistakes. One thing that I haven't seen in the postings but was mentioned by a student as a solution to road rage was making more use of public transportaion. Right now, in order to finish the reports, many students, including myself, did not elaborate on the comments as much as I think we were supposed to. Take a look at the other reports on newsgroups by going into our class home page and browsing through those links.
CONCLUSION
I hope that future generations will be able to use this report to help give them ideas. Again I would like to mention to start early on all projects, you never know when the server will crash and then you end up doing twenty hours of work in two days! What I learned through doing this report was that by reading and writing reactions to the newsgroups about road rage, I become more aware of my own faults and can work on becoming a safer driver. Myself and many others need to let go of that false sense of perfection that blinds us to our own faults and causes us to see so clearly the downfalls of others. Life has so much to offer and should not be risked through unnecessary actions of aggressive and dangerous behavior.