Road Rage Shaming
Discussion
My granddad (RIP) used to be a bloody awful driver - the typical "I've never had an accident in xx years of driving" (but probably caused hundreds). He wasn't overly aggressive/fast, just a bit dozy and not fully aware, however his advice for driving has always stuck with me "as long as you don't hit anything, you're golden."
It always makes me cringe when I see a post on social media trying to highlight some pathetic road rage incident "to the owner of the Audi RS4 reg AB12ABC [who is more likely to win tonight's Lotto than see this post], I have you recorded on dashcam and I had my kid Johnny in the car who has ADHD and I will be reporting you to the police [who will do nothing]". The responses usually go the way of "you were hogging the outside lane", or "why are you filming while driving" etc., and backfires horribly on the original poster.
With that said, tonight near Oxford I had the most bizarre interaction with a Peugeot 3008 which has stuck with me. I found myself coming off a roundabout (with two lanes going straight on but merging into one a few hundred yards up the road), alongside a Peugeot 3008. I was in the right lane (having been overtaking pre-roundabout), and he went to undertake me on the roundabout/coming out the other side. I planted my foot (not wanting to feel the shame of being undertaken), and to my surprise my family car surged ahead, only for him to violently swerve into my lane and push me into the grassy central reservation (two wheels fully on the grass). I flashed my lights to signal my displeasure only for something (McDonald's drink maybe?) to be launched out the window in the direction of my car. What followed was a Christmas tree of lights, evidently inviting me to pull over for some kind of physical confrontation, but being only a medium-built Director I politely declined and backed right off.
Having filled my underpants, suffered the wrath of my wife and calmed the kids, I immediately backed off giving him a very wide berth as he continued to drive very erratically, overtaking and swerving around a line of cars. About five miles up the road, we came to a dual carriageway and he came to an abrupt stop in lane 1. It was fairly busy, and caused traffic to slow down to get around him. I looked over as I went past and he was clawing at his face, beating the steering wheel and looked to be in extreme distress.
Evidently I antagonised the wrong person this evening, but has left me feeling a bit weird (guilty?) thinking maybe I should have stopped especially in this day and age of be kind/mental health awareness etc., but at the same time his recklessness could have put me and my family on our roof. Don't think I've ever encountered that kind of crazy on the road in 20-odd years of driving, should I do something, or just chalk it up to experience?
I acknowledge I probably shouldn't have planted my foot in an effort to demonstrate when selecting our vehicles I chose a car with a slightly better power-to-weight ratio, but equally I pride myself on being a conscientious driver who doesn't hog middle/outside lanes, so the thought of being undertaken is an extreme affront to my manhood....
It always makes me cringe when I see a post on social media trying to highlight some pathetic road rage incident "to the owner of the Audi RS4 reg AB12ABC [who is more likely to win tonight's Lotto than see this post], I have you recorded on dashcam and I had my kid Johnny in the car who has ADHD and I will be reporting you to the police [who will do nothing]". The responses usually go the way of "you were hogging the outside lane", or "why are you filming while driving" etc., and backfires horribly on the original poster.
With that said, tonight near Oxford I had the most bizarre interaction with a Peugeot 3008 which has stuck with me. I found myself coming off a roundabout (with two lanes going straight on but merging into one a few hundred yards up the road), alongside a Peugeot 3008. I was in the right lane (having been overtaking pre-roundabout), and he went to undertake me on the roundabout/coming out the other side. I planted my foot (not wanting to feel the shame of being undertaken), and to my surprise my family car surged ahead, only for him to violently swerve into my lane and push me into the grassy central reservation (two wheels fully on the grass). I flashed my lights to signal my displeasure only for something (McDonald's drink maybe?) to be launched out the window in the direction of my car. What followed was a Christmas tree of lights, evidently inviting me to pull over for some kind of physical confrontation, but being only a medium-built Director I politely declined and backed right off.
Having filled my underpants, suffered the wrath of my wife and calmed the kids, I immediately backed off giving him a very wide berth as he continued to drive very erratically, overtaking and swerving around a line of cars. About five miles up the road, we came to a dual carriageway and he came to an abrupt stop in lane 1. It was fairly busy, and caused traffic to slow down to get around him. I looked over as I went past and he was clawing at his face, beating the steering wheel and looked to be in extreme distress.
Evidently I antagonised the wrong person this evening, but has left me feeling a bit weird (guilty?) thinking maybe I should have stopped especially in this day and age of be kind/mental health awareness etc., but at the same time his recklessness could have put me and my family on our roof. Don't think I've ever encountered that kind of crazy on the road in 20-odd years of driving, should I do something, or just chalk it up to experience?
I acknowledge I probably shouldn't have planted my foot in an effort to demonstrate when selecting our vehicles I chose a car with a slightly better power-to-weight ratio, but equally I pride myself on being a conscientious driver who doesn't hog middle/outside lanes, so the thought of being undertaken is an extreme affront to my manhood....
Fiisch said:
My granddad (RIP) used to be a bloody awful driver - the typical "I've never had an accident in xx years of driving" (but probably caused hundreds). He wasn't overly aggressive/fast, just a bit dozy and not fully aware, however his advice for driving has always stuck with me "as long as you don't hit anything, you're golden."
It always makes me cringe when I see a post on social media trying to highlight some pathetic road rage incident "to the owner of the Audi RS4 reg AB12ABC [who is more likely to win tonight's Lotto than see this post], I have you recorded on dashcam and I had my kid Johnny in the car who has ADHD and I will be reporting you to the police [who will do nothing]". The responses usually go the way of "you were hogging the outside lane", or "why are you filming while driving" etc., and backfires horribly on the original poster.
With that said, tonight near Oxford I had the most bizarre interaction with a Peugeot 3008 which has stuck with me. I found myself coming off a roundabout (with two lanes going straight on but merging into one a few hundred yards up the road), alongside a Peugeot 3008. I was in the right lane (having been overtaking pre-roundabout), and he went to undertake me on the roundabout/coming out the other side. I planted my foot (not wanting to feel the shame of being undertaken), and to my surprise my family car surged ahead, only for him to violently swerve into my lane and push me into the grassy central reservation (two wheels fully on the grass). I flashed my lights to signal my displeasure only for something (McDonald's drink maybe?) to be launched out the window in the direction of my car. What followed was a Christmas tree of lights, evidently inviting me to pull over for some kind of physical confrontation, but being only a medium-built Director I politely declined and backed right off.
Having filled my underpants, suffered the wrath of my wife and calmed the kids, I immediately backed off giving him a very wide berth as he continued to drive very erratically, overtaking and swerving around a line of cars. About five miles up the road, we came to a dual carriageway and he came to an abrupt stop in lane 1. It was fairly busy, and caused traffic to slow down to get around him. I looked over as I went past and he was clawing at his face, beating the steering wheel and looked to be in extreme distress.
Evidently I antagonised the wrong person this evening, but has left me feeling a bit weird (guilty?) thinking maybe I should have stopped especially in this day and age of be kind/mental health awareness etc., but at the same time his recklessness could have put me and my family on our roof. Don't think I've ever encountered that kind of crazy on the road in 20-odd years of driving, should I do something, or just chalk it up to experience?
I acknowledge I probably shouldn't have planted my foot in an effort to demonstrate when selecting our vehicles I chose a car with a slightly better power-to-weight ratio, but equally I pride myself on being a conscientious driver who doesn't hog middle/outside lanes, so the thought of being undertaken is an extreme affront to my manhood....
You either need to get over it or buy a much quicker car!It always makes me cringe when I see a post on social media trying to highlight some pathetic road rage incident "to the owner of the Audi RS4 reg AB12ABC [who is more likely to win tonight's Lotto than see this post], I have you recorded on dashcam and I had my kid Johnny in the car who has ADHD and I will be reporting you to the police [who will do nothing]". The responses usually go the way of "you were hogging the outside lane", or "why are you filming while driving" etc., and backfires horribly on the original poster.
With that said, tonight near Oxford I had the most bizarre interaction with a Peugeot 3008 which has stuck with me. I found myself coming off a roundabout (with two lanes going straight on but merging into one a few hundred yards up the road), alongside a Peugeot 3008. I was in the right lane (having been overtaking pre-roundabout), and he went to undertake me on the roundabout/coming out the other side. I planted my foot (not wanting to feel the shame of being undertaken), and to my surprise my family car surged ahead, only for him to violently swerve into my lane and push me into the grassy central reservation (two wheels fully on the grass). I flashed my lights to signal my displeasure only for something (McDonald's drink maybe?) to be launched out the window in the direction of my car. What followed was a Christmas tree of lights, evidently inviting me to pull over for some kind of physical confrontation, but being only a medium-built Director I politely declined and backed right off.
Having filled my underpants, suffered the wrath of my wife and calmed the kids, I immediately backed off giving him a very wide berth as he continued to drive very erratically, overtaking and swerving around a line of cars. About five miles up the road, we came to a dual carriageway and he came to an abrupt stop in lane 1. It was fairly busy, and caused traffic to slow down to get around him. I looked over as I went past and he was clawing at his face, beating the steering wheel and looked to be in extreme distress.
Evidently I antagonised the wrong person this evening, but has left me feeling a bit weird (guilty?) thinking maybe I should have stopped especially in this day and age of be kind/mental health awareness etc., but at the same time his recklessness could have put me and my family on our roof. Don't think I've ever encountered that kind of crazy on the road in 20-odd years of driving, should I do something, or just chalk it up to experience?
I acknowledge I probably shouldn't have planted my foot in an effort to demonstrate when selecting our vehicles I chose a car with a slightly better power-to-weight ratio, but equally I pride myself on being a conscientious driver who doesn't hog middle/outside lanes, so the thought of being undertaken is an extreme affront to my manhood....
You could have avoided it by not razzing off (with your family in the car) to prevent him getting the jump on you.
It's totally up to you what you do, but playing road games with bellends can only go one way really, so its daft getting all fuming about it when you played your part in the event.
It's totally up to you what you do, but playing road games with bellends can only go one way really, so its daft getting all fuming about it when you played your part in the event.
My dad’s advice to me when I was a learner: “Drive on the assumption that everyone else in the road is barking mad, and you won’t go too far wrong.”
I still use this assumption, combined with the knowledge that I can’t control the behaviour of other motorists, but I can minimise my risks based on their behaviour. So:
Being tailgated, move over & let them go asap.
Being tailgated in heavy traffic where you can’t easily move over for a while, open up a bigger than normal gap to the car in front.
Someone’s desperate to get ahead at / near a merge point, let them.
Yes, there will be times when you encounter drivers who need a lesson in manners, but it’s not worth the risks involved in trying to be the person who gives them that lesson.
In short, abandon your ego when you get in the car, assume that there’s a psychopath driving at least 1 car in 3, chill out, and actively minimise you risks through the things you can control.
I still use this assumption, combined with the knowledge that I can’t control the behaviour of other motorists, but I can minimise my risks based on their behaviour. So:
Being tailgated, move over & let them go asap.
Being tailgated in heavy traffic where you can’t easily move over for a while, open up a bigger than normal gap to the car in front.
Someone’s desperate to get ahead at / near a merge point, let them.
Yes, there will be times when you encounter drivers who need a lesson in manners, but it’s not worth the risks involved in trying to be the person who gives them that lesson.
In short, abandon your ego when you get in the car, assume that there’s a psychopath driving at least 1 car in 3, chill out, and actively minimise you risks through the things you can control.
Edited by Magnum 475 on Sunday 31st December 06:07
These days it just isnt worth the potential trouble just to “win” at driving.
Lets say the op had stopped and got out to point out this persons faults, whose to say they didnt have a knife and could have killed him right there and then.
Better to let them go, have all the stress etc and keep yourself and your family safe.
Too many loonies on the road actively looking for confrontation for the slightest little thing, i’d rather let them go and be ahead of me and i carry on calm and relaxed.
Just my thoughts
Lets say the op had stopped and got out to point out this persons faults, whose to say they didnt have a knife and could have killed him right there and then.
Better to let them go, have all the stress etc and keep yourself and your family safe.
Too many loonies on the road actively looking for confrontation for the slightest little thing, i’d rather let them go and be ahead of me and i carry on calm and relaxed.
Just my thoughts
TroubledSoul said:
Genuinely shocked at the number of people blaming the OP. Hopefully I never overtake any of you. Sheesh.
I was thinking the same. The OP put his foot down to get ahead before a merge point. It wasn’t necessary but was in no way commensurate with the reaction of the other driver. Reactions like those described seem to be happening more frequently on our roads and I’m sure the police would have taken an interest if the OP had dash cam footage of it.
The other driver is a total prick.
People like the OP just need to go and purchase a track day etc… listening to the toe-curling description of ego above, I think you’d benefit from it.
You’re approaching a two lanes into one section in the right lane. But you don’t want the “shame” of being undertaken, so you “plant your foot”.
Why bother about “shame”? It’s a road. The idea is to make progress smoothly, swiftly, but why “plant your foot”, rev the nuts off a car and frighten your family….just to make it slightly ahead of someone alongside you?
I often encounter these situations where I live , and if someone slightly has “the drop” on me I just treat it as a merge in turn and slide across behind them after they’ve revved the hell out of their car and got a few metres in front. I just don’t care enough.
Granted, I can see why people feel the OP is being gaslit a bit or unfairly criticised in this post when you consider the bizarre aggression of the other driver - that’s not his fault. But it’s a situation which directly unfolds from the first. Why race people with your kids in the back?
I just find the whole story a bit weird. So many folk seem so angry and in a rush. I don’t really feel the need to prove my manhood by “putting my foot down” everywhere.
By the way, if you’re “surprised” by your cars performance when you put your foot down, you might want to do it more often when alone and somewhere safe, so you know the ability and limits of your car
You’re approaching a two lanes into one section in the right lane. But you don’t want the “shame” of being undertaken, so you “plant your foot”.
Why bother about “shame”? It’s a road. The idea is to make progress smoothly, swiftly, but why “plant your foot”, rev the nuts off a car and frighten your family….just to make it slightly ahead of someone alongside you?
I often encounter these situations where I live , and if someone slightly has “the drop” on me I just treat it as a merge in turn and slide across behind them after they’ve revved the hell out of their car and got a few metres in front. I just don’t care enough.
Granted, I can see why people feel the OP is being gaslit a bit or unfairly criticised in this post when you consider the bizarre aggression of the other driver - that’s not his fault. But it’s a situation which directly unfolds from the first. Why race people with your kids in the back?
I just find the whole story a bit weird. So many folk seem so angry and in a rush. I don’t really feel the need to prove my manhood by “putting my foot down” everywhere.
By the way, if you’re “surprised” by your cars performance when you put your foot down, you might want to do it more often when alone and somewhere safe, so you know the ability and limits of your car
Can’t disagree with any of the comments, and noted re.: buying a faster car - I’ll get on the classifieds today!
Appreciate irony doesn’t come across well online, but the ego/shame and “medium-build director” were tongue in cheek (see “powerfully-built director PH thread) I’m generally a pretty lackadaisical driver, but being in the outside lane and with a faster car, I wouldn’t be a true petrolhead if I hadn’t planted it, surely?!
Woke up early this morning with the kids and it was still bothering me - the total lack of self-preservation (he overtook a bus on a blind bend) and the harrowing look on his face when he pulled over, so I put in a report online. I felt like a complete Karen doing it, but it made me feel exonerated in terms of proceeding and not checking on him.
Fair play to the plod - within 2 hours they’d called me, and will do a check on the driver. Obviously didn’t give any details, but they references they had records on the owner which meant it prudent they should go and check he’s alright. I haven’t taken the incident any further (no harm, no foul and all that), and definitely I’ve learned a lesson in treating every other user as a complete nutter until they’ve shown otherwise…! ??
Appreciate irony doesn’t come across well online, but the ego/shame and “medium-build director” were tongue in cheek (see “powerfully-built director PH thread) I’m generally a pretty lackadaisical driver, but being in the outside lane and with a faster car, I wouldn’t be a true petrolhead if I hadn’t planted it, surely?!
Woke up early this morning with the kids and it was still bothering me - the total lack of self-preservation (he overtook a bus on a blind bend) and the harrowing look on his face when he pulled over, so I put in a report online. I felt like a complete Karen doing it, but it made me feel exonerated in terms of proceeding and not checking on him.
Fair play to the plod - within 2 hours they’d called me, and will do a check on the driver. Obviously didn’t give any details, but they references they had records on the owner which meant it prudent they should go and check he’s alright. I haven’t taken the incident any further (no harm, no foul and all that), and definitely I’ve learned a lesson in treating every other user as a complete nutter until they’ve shown otherwise…! ??
Fiisch said:
I looked over as I went past and he was clawing at his face, beating the steering wheel and looked to be in extreme distress.
Yeah I'm sure stopping for that would have worked out just great 
Honestly every time I read a road rage thread on here especially the ones where people seem to consider stopping and getting out of their cars for even a split second I don't understand it.
Just slow down turn off and take a different route if you have to and calm the f
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