Do you get angry while you're driving?

I do.

People are either:

not going fast enough
going too fast
not using their turn signals
riding their brakes
taking too long to get moving when the light turns
taking too long to make a right turn
making right turns from the left lane (happens near my house frequently)
or otherwise doing stupid shit to avoid making a u-turn
not pulling over for emergency vehicles
not pulling up a bit to let people into the left turn lane when there's plenty of room
and otherwise being inconsiderate of everyone else by their stunning lack of awareness
not being courteous for lane changes
talking on their phone and puddling around like a dipshit

My dad was an angry driver. I grew up listening to him curse out other people on the road for their obvious lack of skill and courtesy. Now I am just like him. Especially so now that I am driving a stick again. I know that part of it is me and my need to relieve stress by finding things wrong with other drivers. It's safe, confined to my car and doesn't require confrontation or hurting anyone's feelings. I know this. But I also know that some people really do drive like assholes - sometimes with cognizance, sometimes because they're just that bad at driving.

Who else here at the tfp gets angry in their car?

 

Feels good, doesn't it?

 

I did see that drivers ed movie about Mr Walker/Wheeler. Yes, the drivers around me piss me off. Why can't you drive 55 on a 55mph road? Do you have any idea where you are going, or was the four lane change to make that offramp part of your plan.
But then, I really like driving out of state because they don't have morning rush hour, morning school rush hour, lunch school rush hour, evening school rush hour and evening rush hour. I kid you not, our car pool lanes should be 24/7

 

No, it's not like blood-boiling, wishing harm kind of angry. People who feel that kind of anger don't talk about it.

It's a wanting to move in a graceful, fluid way without having to downshift because someone's head is in their ass kind of anger.
Short-lived and functional.
And, yes, it feels good.

I'm a really good driver. I'm attentive and I'm courteous. I really expect others to be the same, that's all.

 

Came here to say exactly this.

I will yell at people to point out their mistakes.

DamnitAll can vouch as she is amused by my frustration.

 

It really comes down to a sort of social contract and whether you agree that we all are using the roads IN ORDER TO GET SOMEWHERE. Not all of us see the road as a sort of mental waystation where we can tune out and forget other people exist. It really is all about courtesy - give and take. And it pisses me off when people don't grasp that. Driving is not a solo sport unless you're the only person on the road.

 

There is something about being safely ensconced in a glass and metal box that seems to give us permission to vent a loud the frustrations we would ordinarily keep in check.

When I was driving this summer, I was amazed at how quickly those emotions and the desire to voice them came to the surface.

 

I don't really pay attention to myself while I'm driving, I'm usually too interested in making sure that someone in the next town over knows what a terrible singer I am.

Aye.

 

I will say that cycling more frequently has made me a better, more conscious driver. It's probably also upped my general levels of road rage considerably, both behind the wheel and in the saddle. I've never been shy about voicing my mostly—but justifiably—negative and critical opinions of other drivers, but as Charlatan alluded to, *not* being encased in the two-ton metal box makes me both more audible and more vulnerable, especially to drivers that don't like what I have to say, or even the fact that I'm taking up space on their roads to begin with. My ex used to tell me I'd get myself hurt by flying projectiles, or worse (bullets, maybe?) if I pissed off the wrong person. That probably won't shut me up, but there's a reason they call it U-lock justice after all.

 

I just remembered another one:

changing lanes to cut someone off for no apparent reason who is going 10-20 mph faster than you - you're not getting off the highway, you're not working your way into the left lane for that turn you almost missed, you just cut me off for no reason so you could tool along in front of me at the pace of a golf cart.

you, are an asshole.

 

In the saddle, I am less inclined to outbursts but when I do vent, I tend to go all in. I suppose the reason for this has more to do with the nature of the reason for venting when I am riding. When I am riding, I only lose it when someone has come close to killing me... adrenaline has more to do with my reactions than the isolation of an enclosed car.

 

I will make one exception to my rule.

In East Jesus Nowhere we have this thing called the "Yooper Loop." It's an atrocity of civil engineering wherein you have traffic coming from two different directions, merging into a single stretch of 3-lanes, and then diverging again into two different directions, one of which loops back towards the town and the other which goes towards "uptown". It's a doozie to navigate if you're from out of town, but once you go over it a few times you learn what to do to go where you want to go.
As a rule, you do not stop on this short stretch of 3-lane highway. You just don't. There's usually relatively little traffic coming through here, but if you stop in the middle of the loop, you will cause an accident, especially with snow on the ground.
This is my one exception, my biggest driving-related assholish trait. I will lay on the horn almost continuously and shout out my window if anyone stops on the Yooper Loop. I've seen multiple near-accidents (and some not-so-near accidents) from people coming to a dead-stop.

 

My god. I hate it when Rodrigo comes out. I try to hide him, stifle him inside and lock him away, but during commutes when I am at my weakest, he emerges forth and spews hatred via a shower of saliva directed at other motorists!

My girlfriend has been complaining lately about his unbecoming foul behavior, but she simply doesn't understand! You see, she is a slow and defensive driver that yields to anyone that ever so slightly indicates they want to get ahead.

Me? Rodrigo, on the other hand, not so much.

She just doesn't understand that Rodrigo is the only competent driver that exists at any time whilst on the road.
She just doesn't understand that Rodrigo is benevolent and will give you way if there is traffic and you are not a douchenozzle jumping ahead of other cars.
She just doesn't understand that Rodrigo tries hard to hold his hate in when he is cut off or behind a slow ass motherfucker that is either on the phone and not paying attention!
She just doesn't understand that Rodrigo can be calm but only during long commutes and he instantly awakened when an arsehole with his fucking brights is tailgating him at night.
She just doesn't understand that Rodrigo is indeed justified by wishing to purge the earth of careless motorists that text/drink & drive and condemn them to fiery hell filled next to the Justin Beiber fans.

She just doesn't UNDERSTAND MAN!

Rodrigo has had 3 accidents total. But till today, he still remains the most competent driver I have yet to meet.

 

I don't drive very much. Exceptions: 1500-mile round-trips to the lake 3X a year.
I do have a lot of health-related appts that have me driving in the local suburban sprawl.
Today I drove about 50 miles round-trip from sprawl-to-sprawl-to-country-to-sprawl. I sort of like the country part of the drive.

I'm not, in general, an angry driver. For example, my spouse gets steamed in stop-and-go-traffic which is usually at least one leg of a trip to Chicago. It bothers me not.
Drivers that cut me off for no reason like that guy in the incredibly fuel inefficient pickup truck did today because he had to be first when the country road turn-lane disappeared--all of us goin' 35 miles an hour--except him--those guys irk me momentarily. I don't yell, I mutter under my breath and I sometimes scratch my nose with my middle finger quickly, like I a have a small itch. It's how I vent. (I do not give people the finger or yell-- there are too many crazy ppl that I don't wish to get to know any better).

People that swerve into my lane--anyone that forces me to make a defensive driving maneuver for no discernible reason, tick me off. I really don't like folks that put me or others at risk but I gotta pay attention to the road so I really don't have the luxury of a meltdown.

The other kind of drivers that annoy me are those that speed through our 30 mph suburban neighbourhoods. Kids, dogs, folks out walking, running, biking--they are everywhere. You really need to slow down. Fifty-miles an hour in the 30-mile zone is simply unacceptable.

 

I had called others ass hole
I am sure I had been called an ass hole by others
give some take some - I don't pretend I am the best driver

I can recall two mistakes I did in last four months. One I scared my wife and myself like shit. Two an other driver (lady) stared at me - definitely she was calling me "ass hole". But I didn't mind - I deserved it.


--- merged: Oct 18, 2013 at 2:19 AM ---
BTW, I enjoy each day driving. Gods Grace - my daily route is nothing but scenery scenery scenery .... moutains, clouds, sky, hay bales, pastures, horses, cows, huge sprinklers,.... I love Oregon, I love Fall...

 

All the time. My favorite comment, most commonly directed to rubberneckers, is "Stupid asshole!! Next time let your grandmother drive!".

 

Fangirl, I love driving in the country, too. In fact, I love driving period. I guess that's one of the reasons why I get so frustrated in traffic.