Have you ever been a victim of road rage while driving?

[CS Garth]

robemcdonald said:

in life there isn’t simply a choice between being cowed and coming out swinging.
Road rage incidents are caused by an idiot. Road rage incidents where things escalate are when the idiot meets a kindred spirit.
Maybe the statistics say that it’s very unlikely that you would get injured in road rage. What if it went the other way and you used your PH director martial arts skills to seriously injure you would be assailant? That’s almost as bad and would basically drastically change your life as you know it. What for? To prove the other guy was wrong? To save face?
I was on the train into London last week. As usual standing room only. A guy got on who was clearly in a bad mood. Another guy got out of his seat to allow a lady to sit down a bumped into the in a mood. Mr Bad mood turned around and launched into a verbal tirade at mr courtesy. A third party then chips in and explains to Mr bad mood what had happened. Rather than apologise Mr Bad Mood then starts on Mr Third Party. Neither of them want to back down an send up having to be separated.
Mr Bad Mood is a . Everyone knew this. Mr Third party was trying to do the right thing but in the end was also a .
At the time standing up for what’s right might seem like a good idea, but chances are you’re being a idiot and don’t realise it.

There are obviously different ways to handle different situations. I think you can make your point and then leave it at that, it isn't about "not backing down".

As for the notion that standing up for yourself makes you an idiot - I disagree. It's how you choose to stand up for yourself that makes you an idiot or not.

[thatjagbloke]

Douglas Quaid said:

How do you ‘loose’ a job?

Sorry Mr Spelling policeman, should be lose.
Thanks for pointing that out

[robemcdonald]

CS Garth said:

robemcdonald said:

in life there isn’t simply a choice between being cowed and coming out swinging.
Road rage incidents are caused by an idiot. Road rage incidents where things escalate are when the idiot meets a kindred spirit.
Maybe the statistics say that it’s very unlikely that you would get injured in road rage. What if it went the other way and you used your PH director martial arts skills to seriously injure you would be assailant? That’s almost as bad and would basically drastically change your life as you know it. What for? To prove the other guy was wrong? To save face?
I was on the train into London last week. As usual standing room only. A guy got on who was clearly in a bad mood. Another guy got out of his seat to allow a lady to sit down a bumped into the in a mood. Mr Bad mood turned around and launched into a verbal tirade at mr courtesy. A third party then chips in and explains to Mr bad mood what had happened. Rather than apologise Mr Bad Mood then starts on Mr Third Party. Neither of them want to back down an send up having to be separated.
Mr Bad Mood is a . Everyone knew this. Mr Third party was trying to do the right thing but in the end was also a .
At the time standing up for what’s right might seem like a good idea, but chances are you’re being a idiot and don’t realise it.

There are obviously different ways to handle different situations. I think you can make your point and then leave it at that, it isn't about "not backing down".


As for the notion that standing up for yourself makes you an idiot - I disagree. It's how you choose to stand up for yourself that makes you an idiot or not.

To clarify. Standing up for yourself doesn’t necessarily make you an idiot. Escalating things unnecessarily does.

[culpz]

I definitely have been. It's not happened for a while now though, thankfully. I think it's all down to how you deal with it. Sometimes it's difficult to not get similarity hot-headed, especially when you're not in the wrong. However, nothing good will come out of the situation if you get wrapped up in it.

Unfortunately, driving does means dealing with incompetence and also avoiding any potential accidents/collisions/incidents as such, regardless of fault. I've definitely reacted to it before, but it's really not worth it. You end up getting yourself worked up and wound up. It's not a good mix while driving!

[CS Garth]

robemcdonald said:

To clarify. Standing up for yourself doesn’t necessarily make you an idiot. Escalating things unnecessarily does.

Totally agree

[Mandalore]

robemcdonald said:

Mandalore said:

Bennet said:

Quite a few stories here where people could easily have defused the situation by just letting the psycho pass, when they clearly wanted to pass.

Sadly.
One reason these people are allowed to thrive is because the public deliberately ignore them. This unconscious collusion almost legalises the practice.

Vigilantism is an answe to far, but thinking its someone else’s problem will only make them bolder over time.

Pfftt.

You should have said “The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing”

They could quote it at your funeral after you’ve been stabbed to death by a nutter for confronting them after a road rage incident.

By the same logic, the families of muggers and rapists will be thanking you and all the other bystanders for your not my problem attitude.

[MB140]

captain_cynic said:

Inbread?

You mean like a sandwich?

Yes

[robinessex]

We have a notorious junction near me, M25 J28. Despite 6 signs telling you which lane to get into, 80% think they can drive where they like. Keep to the rules though, and you’re sure to be ‘road raged' by an idiot who needs to visit Specsavers. The bus driver who recently pushed me into the wrong lane, and then gave me the 2 finger salute wasn’t so clever when I waited at the bus turnaround station, and confronted him. Taking his PSV license number had him stting himself I bet. I’m thinking of buy a £100 shed, fit massive front and rear bumpers, and spend all day driving around this roundabout, not giving way to ‘drive where I want to’ drivers.

[J4CKO]

Douglas Quaid said:

thatjagbloke said:

My one and only ( so far ) incidence of road rage happened several years ago when I was delivering signs to a customer. This was in the summer, in Cornwall so the roads were busy. I pulled off a roundabout into a 30mph speed limit road so drove at that speed only to then have a van suddenly fill up my rear view mirror. Despite oncoming traffic he then attempted an overtake but couldn't get past so had to pull in behind me again. This carried on for the next 5 miles with him continually pulling out then dropping back until I indicated and pulled into the yard of my customer. White van man then pulled in behind me, leaped out of his ( signwritten ) van and threatened to " fking kill me " he was literally frothing at the mouth.
I just calmly stood there while he delivered his tirade, then said I'm sure your employers would like to hear about this shall I phone them ? He then realised he was in danger of loosing his job, so turned around and stomped off back to his van and drove off.
I didn't phone his employer, perhaps I should have done ?

How do you ‘loose’ a job?

By being a pedantic tit ?

[TooMany2cvs]

J4CKO said:

Douglas Quaid said:

How do you ‘loose’ a job?

By being a pedantic tit ?

It's not a spelling mistake. It's simply the wrong word - like bought and brought. It's plain ignorance and carelessness.

[PW555]

thatjagbloke said:

My one and only ( so far ) incidence of road rage happened several years ago when I was delivering signs to a customer. This was in the summer, in Cornwall so the roads were busy. I pulled off a roundabout into a 30mph speed limit road so drove at that speed only to then have a van suddenly fill up my rear view mirror. Despite oncoming traffic he then attempted an overtake but couldn't get past so had to pull in behind me again. This carried on for the next 5 miles with him continually pulling out then dropping back until I indicated and pulled into the yard of my customer. White van man then pulled in behind me, leaped out of his ( signwritten ) van and threatened to " fking kill me " he was literally frothing at the mouth.
I just calmly stood there while he delivered his tirade, then said I'm sure your employers would like to hear about this shall I phone them ? He then realised he was in danger of loosing his job, so turned around and stomped off back to his van and drove off.
I didn't phone his employer, perhaps I should have done ?

Seen this from both sides...Had a liveried small white van on the M1 tearing up behind me in L3, I duly pull in to L2 when safe to do so, clearly not quickly enough for matey boy who then swerves in front of me and promptly brake checks me to the point of going down to around 30mph causing mayhem, rightly or wrongly I decide I'm bugging out of this, get into L3 and give it the beans to get away from the tt! A couple of junctions down and nutter catches up with me and starts swerving at me again! He gets in front and brake checks me yet again! At this point I have had enough and just let him do his stuff, he held me up for a little while and then buggered off up the road, that's not before I have managed to take his Reg and Company telephone number. I pulled over when I got off the motorway and promptly called the business, I got through to the Manager, told him of my experience, we arranged a meeting convenient to us both as it was pretty local to me, I attended the meeting, made a statement, got a very apologetic letter about 2 weeks later that also confirmed laddo had been dismissed and my statement had been part of the disciplinary procedure. Result I suppose...

On the flip side, I'm General Manager of a Scaffolding Business, and of course we have a small fleet of liveried vehicles, I must get maybe 8 or 9 calls a year in regards to our guys road antics, some justifiable and others no so (Like having to park in Loading Areas etc causing havoc, it cant be helped, we have the LA's permission and we have a job of work to do, they are the most common moans) but on the justifiable occasions when I get them in for a bking I always have to remind them they are basically driving a mobile advertising hoarding! Some learn, others don't...The ones that don't, tend not to last very long with us!

[buggalugs]

If I have anyone else in the car I don't engage even 1%, just swallow and let them go. If it's just me I do sometimes wind them up a bit but the rule is don't get out the car, don't get blocked in.

Getting out the car is a looser move. You're giving up control of the situation, have nothing to gain and a lot to loose.

[Coolbanana]

Mandalore said:

By the same logic, the families of muggers and rapists will be thanking you and all the other bystanders for your not my problem attitude.

Indeed, those who would rather stand by than defend another are all too common. I witnessed a young woman being stabbed to death in a busy shopping street in Durban when I was 12 years old. Obviously little I could do alone other than yell for help against an aggressive and armed man but at least 6 adult men in the close vicinity just watched it happen. Cowards.

I do agree it is best to avoid confrontation where at all possible, to defuse it if one can but sometimes an aggressor does need to understand that their violence will be met and challenged if the threat is deemed to be one whereby it is clear the aggressor will not back down regardless of passivity or if another person is seriously endangered.

[Zetec-S]

buggalugs said:

Getting out the car is a looser move. You're giving up control of the situation, have nothing to gain and a lot to loose.

[robemcdonald]

Mandalore said:

By the same logic, the families of muggers and rapists will be thanking you and all the other bystanders for your not my problem attitude.

I’ve read this 5 five times, but can’t make sense of it. Why would a rapist or muggers family want to thank me?

[Bennet]

Coolbanana said:

Mandalore said:

By the same logic, the families of muggers and rapists will be thanking you and all the other bystanders for your not my problem attitude.

Indeed, those who would rather stand by than defend another are all too common. I witnessed a young woman being stabbed to death in a busy shopping street in Durban when I was 12 years old. Obviously little I could do alone other than yell for help against an aggressive and armed man but at least 6 adult men in the close vicinity just watched it happen. Cowards.

I do agree it is best to avoid confrontation where at all possible, to defuse it if one can but sometimes an aggressor does need to understand that their violence will be met and challenged if the threat is deemed to be one whereby it is clear the aggressor will not back down regardless of passivity or if another person is seriously endangered.

It's really weird how letting someone pass you when they are driving aggressively is now being categorised along with taking no action whilst someone is being stabbed.

[tinnitusjosh]

TooMany2cvs said:

J4CKO said:

Douglas Quaid said:

How do you ‘loose’ a job?

By being a pedantic tit ?

It's not a spelling mistake. It's simply the wrong word - like bought and brought. It's plain ignorance and carelessness.

It IS a spelling mistake, albeit one that has inadvertently created a different word.

[robemcdonald]

Bennet said:

It's really weird how letting someone pass you when they are driving aggressively is now being categorised along with taking no action whilst someone is being stabbed.

That’s because they are literally the same thing.

[tinnitusjosh]

Mandalore said:

By the same logic, the families of muggers and rapists will be thanking you and all the other bystanders for your not my problem attitude.

You're not seriously comparing intervening in an attempted rape with arguing with a red-faced shouty man, and trying to draw some sort of moral equivalence, are you?

[culpz]

tinnitusjosh said:

Mandalore said:

By the same logic, the families of muggers and rapists will be thanking you and all the other bystanders for your not my problem attitude.

You're not seriously comparing intervening in an attempted rape with arguing with a red-faced shouty man, and trying to draw some sort of moral equivalence, are you?

This is PH. It goes from one extreme to the other. Some of the comparisons you hear on here specifically are hilariously diabolical, this being a prime example.