Are drivers getting angrier ?

[mike9009]

1bhp said:

i would have lol'd if you did that to me.

I am surprised he didnt lol at me, tbh.

Just my little bit of irrationality creeping in with age.... I really shouldnt be bothered....

Mike

[Bonefish Blues]

1bhp said:

Bonefish Blues said:

I am, sadly

at least your honest

Now the last thing I need is your pity so why don't you just sod right off you patronising git.

See what I mean

[Chrisw666]

ewan221 said:

Two incidents today make me think yes without a doubt. First in a service station car pulls out in front of me in car park and I notice on its roof is a mobile phone and cup of coffee, so give the horn a gentle toot, flash lights and point to his roof. The guy stops storms out of car in a rage and walks up to my car swearing. Asks what my problem is so I just point to his roof again, he then realised says oh ta and had good grace to look a bit sheepish.

That reminds me of an incident when I pulled out of a filling station behind a guy who had left his fuel cap on his roof. After beeping and flashing at him he finally pulled over and got all shouty at me, before I could point the problem out.

[1bhp]

Chrisw666 said:

That reminds me of an incident when I pulled out of a filling station behind a guy who had left his fuel cap on his roof. After beeping and flashing at him he finally pulled over and got all shouty at me, before I could point the problem out.

Stop making stories up

[andy-xr]

I saw a Beetle on fire tonight on the A57 Sheffield Parkway. Can imagine that drivers pretty angry right now.

On another note, a car cut me up quite badly today, somehow the driver found the whole thing objectionable and called me a wker

[SpecB]

At the OP, I think I would have made an excuse such as "sorry, I thought you were someone else" and let him drive off with his gubbins on the roof.

[DrTre]

Part and parcel of the seemingly increasing tendency for the default response from people nowadays to be: deny everything, push blame elsewhere, do anything but admit you're wrong even when you tacitly are.

This seems to apply to most areas of life.

Curious.

And ish.

[kiteless]

Not angrier, just sttier.

I do find that, over the last few years, I'm letting more people out of junctions and waiting a longer time for people to pass me whilst waiting to pull out; mainly because I can then see the accident happen and avoid it rather than be a part of it (and then call the emergency services, if need be).

[Floosy]

Heres my tuppenth...

There has always been road rage but:

A) The roads are far far busier now so it is more likely to happen and
B) We live in an "Instant" world these days. Everyone expects things to happen right now and when they don't people get in a rage about it. People seem to have forgotten the art of the journey and now its all about getting somewhere as fast as possible.

[Nuttah]

I saw a funny incident last week where a audi a3 was tailgating a golf tried to undertake but the golf sped up, they came to a set of lights and the audi driver quickly got out and walked up to the golf! i was expecting a fight but when the golf door opened out stepped this HUGE guy that literally dwarfed this little mouthy audi driver the golf driver stood their with his hands on his hips as if to say what on earth could you possible do you little man! my g'f thought it was very funny.

[spogxy]

I have to agree with the OP.

But sometimes it is possible to diffuse the rage by being silly; I find going cross-eyed and gesturing picking my nose soon disarms the angry "rage-head" (well it goes one of two ways). or or or (make that three)

I think there is a definite need for more lighthearted road based tom-foolery, people are way, way too serious.

The problem is that we have so many ways of insulting each other but no real "Oops Sorry, my bad" hand signal apart from a weak wave of the hand, which really just looks sarcastic.

(I once got shouted at by a lady driver for doing the "you've left your lights on" squeezy hand signal as she thought I meant something else )

[oyster]

DrTre said:

Part and parcel of the seemingly increasing tendency for the default response from people nowadays to be: deny everything, push blame elsewhere, do anything but admit you're wrong even when you tacitly are.

This seems to apply to most areas of life.

Curious.

And ish.

Maybe because admitting blame and apologising isn't enough for people anymore. They want to be compensated or see punishment instead.

Big shame.

[DrTre]

The flip side of the coin, good point.

[NadiR]

Drivers are getting angrier, yes I agree. But, they also are getting a lot, lot more competitive, which can cause a driver to get more angry, if you get where I'm coming from.

[Noesph]

people are generally getting angrier, trouble is you could be having a nice day, them someone pisses you off, so you get angry, then you piss someone else off, then they get angry, and then they piss someone else off, and so on and so forth, till WWIII happens.

[Kentish]

Its nothing new really but more frequent now with more traffic around

A few years ago i saw a car stopped on a blind bend so thinking that the driver had broken down I turned around & parked up before the bend with my hazards on so it didn't get rear ended.

I walked to the drivers window in the dark and poring rain with cars flashing past at 60 & tapped gently on the glass.

The window dropped an inch & there was a woman in the driver seat, just her and she was on her phone.

I asked whether she was OK & her reply was "ps off"

Nice!

Biatch!!!

[twazzock]

Not noticed anyone being any more shouty towards me but I did see a man shouting at another man in Hull yesterday. But that's probably just Hull.

[GestapoWatch]

There's definitely an element of OTT reaction at the most minor of infractions these days but there is also some complete fg idiots driving too.

I'm torn because most of the time the stress isn't worth it but I downright despise people who cannot fully control 1 tonne of moving metal properly. To them it is merely a bubble they put fuel in and drive - sod everyone else around them.

I blame the driving 'test' but of course nothing will change there to cause a significant difference.

[Subbeh]

Ive wondered about this as well. Can't remember the last time I saw someone in the wrong give an apologetic hand signal, the default action for most people seems to be going on the offensive regardless of the fact they're in the wrong.

[Jaged]

DrTre said:

Part and parcel of the seemingly increasing tendency for the default response from people nowadays to be: deny everything, push blame elsewhere, do anything but admit you're wrong even when you tacitly are.

This seems to apply to most areas of life.

Curious.

And ish.

If I may propose a theory?

Two types of driver.
1/ Football supporter
2/ Rugby Supporter

Type 1. Cheats, pushes, shoves, kicks, swears, spits and then screams when gets the same.
NO respect for authority and if they can get away with any of above and the Ref don't see, they get cheered for it!

Tyoe 2. Plays hard and fast but follows the rules to the letter.
Respects authority even if the Ref is half their size, and will severly repremand own team member if they do anything of type 1.

Just my observations of the two sports