Do you get angry while you're driving?

I moved from a city where the speed limit on main roads is typically 50 or 55, to a smaller city where it's typically 35 or 40. On top of feeling comparatively snail pace slow, I'm surprised at just how often I encounter people who drive 5-10 mph slower than the speed limit.

The not pulling up a bit to let you into the left turn lane when there's plenty of room really gets me too, especially here where the left arrows turn green with the left arrow of the opposite direction instead of with the straight light of the same direction. Making me have to wait for it to go all the way through the intersection's cycle.

People pulling out from a parking spot to leave in the direction that is the far side of the road from the side they parked on, only they didn't back out far enough not to have to drive on the wrong side of the road a short distance, making me have to back up in the parking lot.

When you're in the left most lane, and people coming from the street to the right are making a left, and start the left turn too soon instead of going out further before starting the turn, and almost clip you because their angle is so bad.

People who come out of a driveway into your lane just as your approaching the driveway, and accelerate like their gas pedal is an egg.

I once saw a clip where a cyclist was in their bike lane, texting and riding, almost drifting out of their bike line into vehicle traffic.

I guess it's like I heard some comedian say.. License plate #'s should be the person's cell phone #, that way if someone is driving like an idiot, you can call their ass up and tell them.

 

It's interesting to hear that lots of folks enjoy driving.
It's hard for me to think of anything I'd rather do less than be in the car driving.
If I'm angry in the car it's usually because I'm in the car, feeling like a prisoner.
I bike everywhere possible.
I live out in the country. The drivers are pretty courteous. I just don't get too worked up about it.
On the rare occasion that I am driving in a city or suburb I can feel the tension and anger rising. Definitely not healthy. I'm guessing that living in suburbs and enduring long commute in traffic takes years off people's lives.

 

I used to drive as much as Borla does now. For me that desensitized me from bad driving and/or traffic issues. It became part of the landscape that you had to deal with. But every once in a while, I'll let loose with a blue streak on some dumbass just because I can. No one can hear and it's doubtful they can read my lips. It does feel good to vent like that. What's really interesting is when someone lets loose on me. A month ago at a T intersection as I had entered the cross street some lady in an oncoming van was blowing her horn and flipping me off. I just laughed.

 

Life is really too short to get angry in your car.

 

Some days I get angry, some days I just don't. I find that if I'm listening to an audiobook or NPR, the faults of other drivers on the road tend to roll off my shoulders a little more than if I'm listening to music of any kind. It also helps if I'm not in a particular hurry or not behind particular idiots.

 

Yes, if I'm in a rush I do become a particularly cranky driver. I think part of the problem, as well, is that I live in the middle of a high traffic area. Therefore the moment I pull out of my apartment complex and onto the street I am faced with an onslaught of frustration.

I never thought about the audiobook thing...I might want to check that out. It makes sense. Some types of music can certainly convey a sense of urgency to driving.

 

Yes, very good points.
When I'm highly focused on finding a destination I've never been to or unsure of, looking for street signs, I want NO distractions. Even from my passengers. And silence, even when not stressed from the driving itself, can be very soothing.
I like NPR as a friendly pseudo-passenger when I'm not in the mood for music.

 

Yeah I get worked up while driving but really not so much when I'm up north. Down here it's a full contact sport and seriously some of the crap people do just pushes me to the edge at times. The difference between north of the border and south driving is night and day. I recently spent two weeks in the US, most of it in Florida, with a group of Mexican friends. Everyone I the group, other then I, were well educated professionals. They were all completely stunned at the way people drive. Within 20 mins of getting in our rented Ford Escape almost in unison they asked "so everyone here stops at every stop sign? Why?" Because that's what a freaking stop sign means- stop! People here either don't stop or stop one car length into the middle of the road.

Then there's just logical crap that makes me nutz, for example- One morning as we were headed out to Universal Studios I took a right out of our resorts parking lot solely so I would not have to wait and try to cross 4 lanes of traffic during morning rush hour. Immediately I was informed I was going the wrong way. "No, I'm not. I'm going to go up a block and take two lefts and we'll be headed the right way. This way we won't have to sit for 20-40 mins for rush hour to end." By the looks on their faces I could see "but, but we need to go left, does not compute, does not compute." I can not tell you the number of times I've sat behind some one down here trying to go against several lanes of traffic because turning with traffic and following signals never occurred to them. Or follow someone as they try to get on a freeway only to come to a complete stop at the end of the entrance lane rather then smoothly moving left into traffic. Stop signs, suggestions... at best. On/off ramps, must come to a compete stop at some point. Why? No idea. Endless stuff like that are daily occurrences.

Lastly whoever designs parking lots here needs to be taken out and shot. I've gone through corn mazes that required less work.

 

I stopped listening to NPR a year or two ago. It's changed a lot. I can check audiobooks out of the library, though. That idea appeals to me more. I enjoyed listening to the David Sedaris set I checked out earlier this year.
And I'm going to experiment with some playlists. See if I can come up with a zen driving compilation. This thread is like therapy!

 

I can't drive without music in the back ground. AC/DC to Frank Sinatra, doesn't effect my mood at all. But so many years of listening to a work radio squawk endlessly has made driving in silence miserable.

 

I can drive in silence. Usually at night, though. When I'm leaving work or a late clinical. Typically my head is branging away at that time and I use that drive home time to unwind the events of the day, revisit things, absorb it all, before I get back to the house where there are all these people and animals. It's dark, the traffic is usually not as bad.

Otherwise I prefer listening to music, though.

 

I Always listen to NPR while daily commute since I know the road so well
When I get in to unknown roads of city traffic I turn of radio
I have a very good collection on my iPhone which I listen if NPR is not interesting - which happens very very rare

 

I understand that but I didn't realize how much NPR differs state-to-state (or region to region?). My brother refuses to listen to the Chicago-area NPR but he streams it on the Internet from, I want to say, Boston. I realize overall, it's gone through a big shift and lost listeners.
TBH, I mostly listen to satellite radio in the car. I can always find something I like on there, especially on long drives.

 

I usually don't get angry, but I certainly get frustrated and cranky. Like ZombieSquirrel , I grew up driving country back roads, and I much prefer those. I hate city driving. Haaaaaaate it.

My biggest pet peeve is tailgating. When I was younger, I was a big fan of "brake checking," but that worries me more now that I'm older. Related: you know that "leave a car length between you and the car in front of you for ever 10 mph you're driving"? Yeah, NO ONE ELSE DOES THAT APPARENTLY. Especially frustrating on the highway, when I'm trying to maintain a safe distance, and someone cuts in. Arg.

Music wise, if I'm feeling especially irritated, I've found that listening to the classical station calms me down a lot. Unless it's Wagner or Schoenberg , anyway

 

It's a discussion for another time; but where I live in the mountains, bicyclists and I have a different opinion on what "share the road" means. A few years back, I got a tip from my daughter and cranked up some death metal when approaching herds of bicyclists. It's amazing how far they pull to the right when "<KILL>< KILL>< KILL>" is blasting on the stereo.

 

When someone tailgates me I have a tendency to drive slower. Like a lot slower than the speed limit. Just to piss them off.

 

I previously have a VW Golf hatchback, with a semi broken rear windshield water squirter. Which, instead of spraying the window, would spray a stream of water backwards at about a 40 degree upwards angle. Very useful for spraying water at tailgaters.