<Instructions for this Report>
Table of Contents:
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Newsgroups |
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Newsgroup #1: Re: Help stop the road ragers |
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Newsgroup #2: Taxi - So You Wanna Be A CabDriver??? |
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Newsgroup #3: Re: another peeve |
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Newsgroup #4: Lack of Turn signal use |
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Newsgroup #5: Re: Thanks Dummies... I Gotta Vent |
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Newsgroup #6: Re: What is the best way to outrun a cop when he eyeballs you? |
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Newsgroup #7: subtle habits that lead to road rage in others |
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Newsgroup #8: Re: How to handle tailgaters |
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Newsgroup #9: Re: Faster can mean Safer (Re: Aggressive Drivers) |
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Newsgroup #10: Re: managing Ignorant drivers |
Suggestions for Later Generations
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Newsgroup #1: Re: Help stop the road ragers. |
Date: February 06, 2000
I agree with Steve. You might want to look at a very good website that
covers many aspects of everyday driving, including attitude, which is one thing you can control. Your attitude can bring you peace, or stress.
see [ www.galaxymall.com/product/driving ]
get out of the f*ckin way u c*nt im late 4 work
Of course staying in the left lane if you're driving slower than most cars
is dangerous. Well, we apparently agree with one another after all!
Guillaume
First, let me preface this with a little discussion of how I define road rage. It has become fashionable here in the states for people in general and the media especially to sensationalize just about any behavior they find personally objectionable as 'rage'.
I prefer to confine use of the term to acts which involve drivers becoming so enraged at one another that they will commit wildly irrational acts including vehicular assault and worse. In other words, I use the term to describe only fairly serious offenses, not simple cases of exceeding speed limits or improper lane usage. There are already more than adequate laws on the books to deal with those things.
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My Comments: |
This post contains many previous posts by Steve and Guillaume. They started with a simple discussion about the left lane and exceeding the speed limit. This discussion went on for many posts, just between these two newsgroupers. Then another newsgrouper posted a very unpleasant message which told one of the posters to "get the f*ck out of my way c*nt." I am curious to see what other responses will be forthcoming to this latest response.
Sometimes people get overexcited on newsgroups. This is very evident in this discussion which became very heated. The use of swear words, sorry to say, is quite common on newsgroups. These types of posts by the way are known as flames. What I believe a flame is when a post is written in anger or meant to insult or hurt someone. Flames often consist of many swear words, lots of capitalization, and many exclamation points.
From my experience I have noticed that posts often start as calm discussions, then easily escalate into flame wars. This is very common when the discussions deal with very emotional topics such as the one we are focusing on: aggressive driving. I have participated in my fair share of flame wars and I have sometimes regretted what I've said. Many people will take your words the wrong way and this will only aid the flame wars in beginning.
I believe that the only way to write a proper post is to write it down and then re-read it multiple times. First off, this will help to correct any silly grammar errors or spelling errors, which are very embarrassing. Also it will give you time to gather your thoughts properly. Many people who respond to a post that affects them emotionally don't think about what they are writing. They usually just write down whatever is on their mind. If everyone would take the time to re-read their own posts before sending it there would be a lot less flames going around which can only enhance the newsgroup environment.
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Newsgroup #2: Taxi - So You Wanna Be A CabDriver??? |
Date: February 21, 2000
Well, cab drivers are scum bags. Now I know you're a scum bag. Worse.
You're a whore. A pimp and a whore under one roof. And you're a fu*king
little sociopath. These credentials are impressive, but won't necessarily
make you a good cabby. You do look the part, if you weren't so goddamn
cute. A few more years of drink and drugs will take care of that. Anyway.
Cab drivers are scum bags. They lust only for whores and gambling. They
like to fight.
They like to kick jerks out of their cab. They
are jerks.
They're not nice
to women and children, even if they are women
and
children. Arty
types don't make the grade. They're sheep in cab
driver
clothing. A real
cab driver is a full time son of a b*tch. He
may or may
not know how to
speak English, but you can bet he's a talking
asshole in
any language. The
son of a b*tches will never grow up. They
don't want
real jobs.
They're eternal boys, which is to say your average
American
fellah,
except they do it for a living.
Have a beer.
Cabbies take the worse sh*t a man can take and get paid for it. Mercenary killers are higher on the ladder. So are whores when it comes to selling your *ss. A cabby is a legal criminal. Something like a lawyer, same branch of pedestrianism. Know what they call a cabby without a hangover? A nonsequitur. No such animal. You'd fit in there pretty well.
Drugs too. You gotta take lots of drugs to be a cabby. But know how to handle them. Combine them like an alchemist. The best cabbies can shoot a goofball in their neck going sixty in heavy traffic and the passengers won't even notice. You'd do alright there too.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. The most important part - and I don't know if you fill the bill here. We'll see - a cabby's gotta know how to push a hack. If you can't pass a hack through the eye of a needle, you ain't no cabby. The cab's gotta be an integral part of you. It has to fit like a glove, hang like a genital, bounce like a tit, sh*t like an eagle, fly like a demon, burrow through the city like a rat in a garbage heap and come out shining.
You gotta be able to sneak up on a fare like a pickpocket. You gotta
squeeze through
double parked cars like toothpaste. There can't
be more
than the distance
between the hem of a whore's skirt and her
snatch
between you
and sleepwalking pedestrians. You gotta have nerves of steel
and the
patience of a
toad. Otherwise you'll crack up. You'll get fired
or end up
in a fireball on
the freeway. Cab driving is magic and you gotta
master the
automatic pilot.
If you're the type of pedestrian who bumps into
other
people on the
street, probably you won't make a cabby.
Got it?
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My Comments: |
I am sorry to anyone who was offended by this article from a newsgroup. I tried to make the obscene words not look that bad by adding those '*' things. I really wanted to put this one on my newsgroup page because it is very, very obscene and shows the extent of some people's bad taste.
Most of the people who post on a newsgroup are honestly trying to strike up discussions which interest them. However, there are a few who only attempt to stir people up. This fellow here seems to be one of them. This post was only one of his three posts. I felt that it would be a waste of time to even consider showing anyone the rest of his posts, so I only included the first one. To me, it is really sad when I see a newsgroup which is honestly trying to discuss a topic, and someone tries to spoil the newsgroup by adding these types of posts.
I believe that these type of people do this just to get attention, just like anywhere else. His posts could not serve any other purpose. Maybe they should try and enforce stricter rules on these postings, such as no swearing, no obscenities, etc. I truly believe that if they did this it would only help the newsgroup community. There is one big problem that I can't help but notice, though. Who would actually enforce these rules? Who would take the time out to read every single post, every single day? Besides myself, I don't know many people who would actually do that. The only reason I read a lot of posts is that I have a cable modem and get paid to surf the net :) Maybe they should pay me to enforce the rules on a newsgroup. Oh well, I guess us honest newsgroupers have to just bear with it for now.
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Newsgroup 3: Re: another peeve |
Date: February 25, 2000
I've had the <bitter sarcasm> "opportunity" </bitter sarcasm> to drive a
couple of different Y2K rental cars over the past couple of weeks. The
headlights on both cars (a Corolla and a Geo Metro) came on if the engine was running and the parking brake was released. But applying the parking brake extinguished the lights. I thought, "What a great feature!"
Bloddy stupid feature if you ask me. Where I come from you're taught to use the hand brake whenever you come to a stop, you'll fail your test if you don't*. In one of those stupid Metro I keep flashing my lights at every stop sign. Solution to that was to actually turn the lights on (in Summer in Texas) but its a pain.
Well, if you ask me, it's stupid to apply the hand brake every time you come to a complete stop. It seems as arbitrary as lowering the volume on the radio every time you turn left. I'm pretty sure the foot brake will hold the car just fine.
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My Comments: |
When I first read this posting I thought "Sheesh, some people can say be so rude on newsgroups." The reason I feel this way is that the above conversation started out as being very innocent. Then, somebody responds, nicely, that they dislike the handbrake feature of those particular cars. Finally, a new person responds in a rude manner that the other person is stupid for using the handbrake when they stop.
I honestly found it out of line for the last responder to say that it is stupid to use a handbrake when they come to a stop. If that is how the person was taught to drive then let them be. But, I then read the posting over and over. If you read the way the supposedly "rude" person responds, it is difficult to tell whether he was referring to the person as being stupid or the usage of handbrake as being stupid.
At first I had assumed that he was emphasizing stupid and insulting someone. Then I though about it and I am not quite sure as to what he meant. I think that this posting can help to show that sometimes it is very difficult to determine how someone is in a sense "speaking." I can only interpret their words literally. Even with capitalization, punctuation, bold type, etc, it is difficult to determine the actual tone of his words. This is a problem that often occurs in a virtual world.
People should remember that anything they read on the net or a newsgroup should be taken with "a grain of salt" and most of the times is not worth getting riled up.
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Newsgroup #4: Lack of Turn signal use |
Date: February 26, 2000
Do you think ppl who don't use turn signals know they are suppose to? Is it a matter of proximity to others? I was on 880 (SF BAY) in the middle lane. I had a big space in front of me. A Mustang drifted into my lane without signals. But when he/she wanted to cut in front of a car in the fast lane, the mustang signalled. I think its just poor manners.
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My Comments: |
I believe that many people don't perform proper driving techniques because they are just plain lazy. I am at fault for this just like most other people. Sometimes, I just don't want to bother to turn on my signal, look over my shoulder, among other things. But, I try my best to be a safe driver. I think that most people who don't use turn signals know that they are supposed to use them. Maybe they feel that it won't affect anyone if they don't use turn signals.
This is a traffic violation that many people commit. When noone is on the road, how many people actually signal that they are going to switch lanes? Or late at night how many people actually come to a complete stop for that stop sign, especially when no other car is in sight.
The driver in the above post is correct in saying that not using signal is just poor manners. It is a traffic violation and it is rude to your fellow drivers. I think that even though, the use of turn signals is an inconvenience to the driver, it may save your life. What if two cars were both trying to merge into the same lane from opposite sides. If both of these drivers used their turn signals, one of them would have likely seen the other car.
Many times have I seen cars almost merge into each other just because they were both too lazy to use turn signals. Also how many times have I been stuck behind a car just because they failed to put on their turn signal. I could have either been in the other lane or gone around them. Unfortunately, since the cars don't give any prior warning that they are turning, via turn signals, they only add to the confusion in traffic.
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Newsgroup #5: Re: Thanks Dummies...I gotta Vent |
Date: February 20, 2000
Thanks alot to the 4 dummies who were driving practically abreast/ side-by-side for two exits on 880N last night near Union City. All 4 of you were doing about 60-65mph. It seemed like you guys tried to drive that way. I mean, one car sped up to block any passing on the left, and then slowed down to be abreast with the others. There were about 20 cars stacked up behind you trying to pass. I think some ppl passed on the far right until you guys got the idea that you were blocking traffic flow.
Here's the thing- having been here in CA for a year, I don't think this was a deliberate action. I've never witnessed such herd mentality as I have here in the Bay Area. I've seen people go (I figure) 75-80 in a clear lane, 'till they catch up with oher people in other lanes, theirs still being clear,
then sit there. It's mind-boggling.
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My Comments: |
Mr. Cox began this thread by talking about his frustrating driving experience one night. Surprisingly, most of the responses were on the pleasant side. From what I've seen of these newsgroups many people attempt to insult other newsgroupers for no apparent reason.
I have always wondered about this, do people actually try and block all the lanes in traffic? Or is it only an unfortunate coincidence? I don't think that I will ever know the answer to this one. But, if anyone ever does figure it out would you please let me know!
There is no law or regulation that states that it is illegal to drive side by side. Regardless, it is very frustrating for other drivers. If the right hand lanes are for slow cars and the left hand lane is the fast lane, then this situation should never occur. Yet, I have seen it many times.
One time while I was driving home from work, I was following a very slow moving vehicle. I was going to switch lanes but another car was approaching on my left. I did not want to cut this other driver off so I patiently waited for her to pass. As soon as she is in line with the slow moving vehicle in front of me, she slows down. I couldn't believe it, I was furious.
This sort of driving seems very ridiculous. The only reasoning behind these people's actions is that they are not focusing on driving. I notice that when people are just "phasing" out while driving they often drive the same speed as the cars next to them. They don't speed because they aren't paying much attention to the road and they may not even realize how they are affecting the rest of the cars. Drivers should not only be emotionally intelligent but include courtesy in their everyday driving. I know that I have been much more courteous since taking this course.
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Newsgroup #6: Re: What is the best way to outrun a cop when he eyeballs you? |
Date: February 22, 2000
Wait until the cop
disappears from your rearview mirror. Take an alternate route back to your
house, stay about at the legal limit, so the cop doesn't think you're being
edgy. If the cop doesn't have his lights or siren on, you aren't obligated to
pull over.
True story
-------------
I was with a friend, in a Dodge Daytona. He has the top level package, with
the turbo, 4-discs, etc. We were horrendously late for the movie we were
about to see. As we exited town, he punched the accelerator and we passed
about 5 cars on a double solid. As we rounded a corner, a State Trooper was
coming around the same bend. We were doing about 50 in a 35.
The corner itself was rated for 20 mph. The cop's expression was priceless. I
then turned around and watched as he attempted to whip the big Caprice around
in the middle of this two-laner. As he was doing this, all five rather
pissed-off passees rounded, slamming on their brakes, sliding sideways, and
going in every direction to avoid Mr. Trooper.
My friend didn't want another ticket, and since we were going to miss Dogma, I
needed a good show. He took the small melee as a good fortune, and put the
pedal to the floor, sending the 2.2 Chrysler screaming up a steep hill.
We approached the intersection, and pulled a look-and-go at the light. We went
straight across, killed the headlights, and pulled into a cul-de-sac out to
the right. The car is white in color, and it blened nicely with the fresh
snow. Seconds later, the now furious policeman blazed right by, siren
screaming and lights going.
Needless to say, we caught the late show, and I never rode with this crazy
s.o.b. again! [ Mal ]
What is the best way to outrun a cop when he eyeballs you and your speeding in
the opposite direction from him?
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My Comments: |
The threat which the above post comes from was started by a driver asking the question: What is the best way to outrun a cop when he eyeballs you and your speeding in the opposite direction from him? Many people in this thread gave suggestions about speeding down a side road, hiding in alleyways, or even leaving your car somewhere and just returning the next day.
Mallard in the above post seems to be more on the sensible side, since he/she(?) didn't suggest that the driver immediately hit the gas like other drivers did. Instead Mallard suggests to not speed and just try and avoid the cop. Mallard's story about his friend hiding in the snow is a interesting anecdote that drivers obviously should not attempt to repeat.
People commit traffic violations every day, such as speeding through a yellow light, not coming to a complete stop at a stop light, etc. I have committed these violations many times in my driving career. But, the one thing that I will never do is try and outrun a cop. I believe that it is best just to "face the music" instead of trying to run from a police officer.
My opinion on people that would try and outrun a cop is that they certainly are aggressive drivers. They probably experience road rage quite often. For us that live in Hawaii, we are lucky that speeding tickets no longer affect the cost of insurance. I would hate to have to fork over a hundred dollars just because I was impatient one day, but I would really hate to have my insurance increased for three years. It is best never to try and outrun a police officer. They usually have faster cars than you will and will have access to a radio, for roadblocks, or backup.
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Newsgroup #7: subtle habits that lead to road rage in others |
Date: February 29, 2000
Boy I love it.
The first technique I enjoy is when I am running in the middle of 3 or more
cars in the fast lane on like a 3 lane highway. Especially if the car(s)
behind me are "pushing". I wait for an opening in the next lane and get over,
but line the middle of my car up with the car I had been behind. Drives those
fools in the back crazy! They are then locked out, hung out to dry!
Another thing I like is when you are have a two lane road with the right lane
coming up to "right turn only". Looking back in the mirror you can see people
trying to play like Mark Martin (a nascar driver, for those of you not in the
know) and trying to sneak up and overtake. I just go ahead and "lap" my car
over the lanes. Ain't nobody gonna overtake my ass!
I had someone approach me one time after technique 2 above. "Think you are
smart, don't you?" they hollered as they got out of the car and started
approaching. "Well, where did you think you were going in such a hurry" I
said in some high pitched whine, trying to sound scared. "That don't matter,
I'm coming after your ass now!" the jerk said. I pulled out my gun and said
"You ain't in such a hurry now are you? The only thing you are in a hurry
about right now is dying. Now get your ass back in your car and get on out of
here!"
works every time
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My Comments: |
This post just seems to be a one thread post by some character who obviously doesn't play well with others. He sounds like he is bragging about his driving exploits, which are quite dangerous.
This guy needs to get some serious medical help! I am surprised at the type of people that post of newsgroups. Many newsgroups that I have been on have been serious discussions without so much of this negativity. These driving newsgroups are insane.
Some of the people who post messages on newsgroup just want to get attention. They don't care whether it is negative or positive attention, as long as they get it. The above post is a perfect example of this. This person seems to have serious psychological problems. He seems to enjoy evoking road rage in others. It doesn't sound like he is a road rager he just sounds like a whacko. I'm not a saint when it comes to driving but I would never commit the sort of acts that he obviously would. I guess this just goes to show that there are disturbed people everywhere, even on a newsgroup. This makes me feel that newsgroups truly are a virtual community. They contain all sorts of people, pleasant people, rude people, cocky people, and yes even these psycho people.
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Newsgroup #8: Re: How to handle tailgaters |
Date: February 20, 2000
And what is your law in BC?
I really don't know. [This is called truth on usenet.]
Since this thread has long ago drifted away from the issue of manners, it
might interest some to read that, overall, one of the biggest causes of
traffic accidents seems to be people who aren't going at the "normal" speed.
It isn't the speeders only or the slowpokes only but everyone who's not close
to average.
There's a traffic safety group in Vancouver that has some of this on their web
site, I believe. One of their people used to post
to the bc.general newsgroup for those interested
in searching deja, but gave up because of the hysteria which greeted his
rather calm discussions, backed up for a change with facts and figures instead
of suppositions. Seems like traffic problems are a sore point with an awful
lot of people!
Coming back to tailgating, actually there's a reasonable chance that both the
tailgator and the tailgatee (to coin a word) are at fault, the one for going
too slow, the other too fast.
Seems to me that self-preservation is the issue, so the trick is to drive as
do those around you. In a city with fairly active
"aggressive" drivers, perhaps you should even adopt such
manners. Certainly, it would cause nothing but confusion on a crowded Seattle
freeway for me to practice the 28 mph oh-so-cooperative road habits found here
in Victoria.
Indeed, quite the converse is also true. An acquaintance visiting from Seattle
tried her "granma" driving here on the Malahat drive, a rather nasty stretch
of mountain road between Victoria and up-island
destinations. I finally had to say, look, this road is fast, busy, and
dangerous; don't dawdle along gawking at the sights; you'll cause an accident.
And took the wheel. I shudder to think about this gal doing her commute up
I-5.
[And the point of this was?....]
--
Rodger Whitlock
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My Comments: |
This thread began with someone explaining their techniques on how to handle tailgaters. This thread has been going on for a very long time and by the time of the above post has supposedly drifted away from the topic. The above writer seems to then give his advice on the subject. He believes that when the situation of tailgating occurs, both the tailgater and the tailgatee are at fault. He claims that drivers should drive at the same speed as the surrounding traffic. This means that people have to learn to adapt to the driving environment that they are in.
I actually agree with Mr. Whitlock from the above post. I agree that if people are in traffic they have to keep up with the surrounding vehicles. My opinion is even backed up Dr. James. He stated once that people have to keep up with the cars in front and around them or they will cause even more traffic. Too bad there isn't a law against not keeping up with traffic. The only problem that I see with the keeping pace with surrounding traffic is that cops could still give you a ticket no matter what.
To me that is balooney, sorry to use such a dumb word don't want to swear. I feel that if conditions allow, what is wrong with going five or even ten miles over the speed limit. I fully understand a 25 mile speed limit while passing through a child filled neighborhood. On the opposite side though, I don't agree with the 25 mph limit when driving up Punahou St.. This street is basically a two laned straight away for a long stretch. Besides that, the lanes are on the wider side. Anyone who goes 25 while driving up Punahou will get yelled at or honked at guaranteed. I feel that something should definitely be done about the speed limits in a lot of areas.
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Newsgroup #9: Re: Faster can mean Safer (Re: Aggressive Drivers) |
Date: February 19, 2000
I've always heard
that speed differential correlates with safety. If you're the only one doing
55 when everyone else is doing 65-70,YOU are the hazard.
[ Jim Yanik ], NRA member
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My Comments: |
This article also deals with a similar topic to the previous newsgroup article. If you are the only person driving at 55 miles per hour and everyone around you is driving at 70 you will cause quite a commotion.
The issue that I would like to address this time around are driving laws. I have read many different posts on what is accepted driving policy. Or what is illegal and what is legal. I already have my own thoughts on what is proper driving etiquette. I think that this is one of the problems with driving. Noone seems to know what is proper driving techniques and etiquette. A lot of people believe that they know what is correct, but who knows? Maybe Dr. Driving could implement his reformed driver's education which would teach the proper way to behave while on the road. Anyone can learn how to drive a car, but it takes a lot of effort to learn how to drive with emotional intelligence.
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Newsgroup #10: Re: managing Ignorant drivers |
Date: February 10, 2000
Recently as I was nearly home, a minivan whooshes by me at about 45 mph with
only inches to spare. This was on a three lane road with moderate traffic. I
look up as he's driving off, and he's pointing towards the sidewalk, as if
that's where I belonged. There was plenty of room on the road, heck he could
have moved to the middle lane fairly easily. He just felt he needed to make
the point that I didn't belong.
So what's a guy to do? Do I have to wait until the idiot misjudges those few
inches (and I'm injured or dead) before anything can be done? I was too
startled at the time to get the license plate, but even if I did, would there
be any use in reporting it?
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My Comments: |
The above author is a cyclist who is disturbed by the way many motorists feel towards bicyclist. He probably feels, and rightly so, that bicyclist belong on the road also. The driver of the minivan in his experience obviously does not agree with us though.
It is very dangerous to attempt to scare someone, whether they are a bicyclist, motorist, or a pedestrian. Drivers who are able to pass their driver's test year after year should not be doing such childish stunts. These types of stunts could lead to injury or worse. I have never been a great fan of bicyclist but I do feel that they have a right to drive on the road.
The only problem that I have with cyclist is the fact that many of them expect a right on the road, while at the same time they commit traffic violations constantly. I have seen cyclists bike through red lights, cut to the front of a row of cars just because they are small, and always see bicyclist go around cars turning left when oncoming traffic is going straight. These types of behaviors are unacceptable on the part of the cyclist. I feel that both motorists and cyclists are at fault for having poor driving habits.
When I was young, my uncle pulled up next to a cyclist on the street and starting yelling at him and sticking his middle finger out the window. The cyclist was very afraid and tried to slow down. Of course, my uncle slowed down also just so he could yell at the cyclist more. This type of behavior is unacceptable, especially in front of future drivers. Thinking back on this experience, I understand what Dr. Driving means by people are born into road rage.
I have learned a lot about newsgroup that I didn't know prior to this report. For instance, I didn't realize that some newsgroups could be so negative. The newsgroup that I had participated in were a lot more on the mellow side. I have learned that there is always more than one side to everything. And that even newsgroups show common aspects of life in general.
I have also learned that I would hate to drive near mostly all of the people in the above newsgroups. Instead, I would feel a lot safer if I was driving among students in Dr. James emotional intelligence for driving class, particularly our class. Because from our QDC (quality driving cycle) I have noticed that everyone is becoming a lot more courteous than the drivers on newsgroups. I wonder if QDC's would become flame wars like newsgroups become if they were open to the public. Food for thought, eh?
I suggest that everyone in any of Dr. James class learn from previous classes examples and stop being slackers. Don't start these reports at the last minute as I have, you will only regret it in the end.
Good Luck!
My Report1: (Learning to Drive All Over)