Have you been involved in a road rage incident?

[leftyladyfrommo]

I'm just curious how common this is.

Just lately I've had a couple of men get so mad at me over nothing. One time I waited for a car to clear the roundabout before I entered it. It took all of 15 seconds. The guy behind me thought I should have merged sooner I guess. He was so mad he was throwing his arms around in the air.

And another time I slowed down to let a car enter onto the highway. But instead of going on ahead of me he slowed too. So we both ended up at the same place at the same time and he was mad and jumping up and down.

I don't get this stuff. But I drive all the time and it scares me that people are out there in that kind of mental state.

[Taitertots]

1. I saw someone get out of their car and start beating another persons car with a hockey stick

[CFLDem]

2. Yep.

I was making a left at a busy intersection on a hill. Thought I could make a left, but suddenly stopped because a truck popped over the hill.

Boy was the lady behind me pissed because when I did turn, she sped ahead of me in her RX330 and cut me off. Almost ran herself into opposite traffic (another semi).

Heck if she did, I don't think I would've necessarily felt bad for her.

[Gravitycollapse]

3. I was once called a kike and run off the road.

[hlthe2b]

4. I had a guy run after me and come up to my window at the next intersection...

He was angry that I hadn't stopped before blocking the intersection when the light turned red. It was in very heavy traffic and I was totally blinded behind a big truck and couldn't even see to tell what was going on with the light, which had been green when I followed the truck into the intersection. I couldn't tell that there was stopped traffic ahead of the truck..

There was nothing I could have done and I apologized to the guy, who was angry, but seemed to calm down when I pointed at the truck, now several cars ahead, but still visible and asked him what he would have done.....

Had he wanted to hurt me, though, there was not a damned thing I could have done, as he caught me trapped at the next stoplight.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. But it was OK for him to stop traffic

by jumping out of his car and running up to your window?

I don't get why some rather ordinary people get so vicious when they get behind the wheel of a car. They need to work on getting a less stressful life.

[Dash87]

6. It's a way of life here.

5:00 every day = beep and scream out the window hour

[leftyladyfrommo]

7. Where are you?

I think it's pretty common just about everywhere. It is just so unsettling to find yourself caught in the middle of one of those episodes.

I saw one guy who tried to force a car off the road then he pulled off the road and starting jumping up and down and screaming. The other car just took off and got away from him.

But now so many people are carrying guns.

[Agschmid]

11. Maybe you are in Mass?

[Fumesucker]

8. I noticed long ago that the more I have to drive in heavy traffic the more aggressive I become

These days I drive seldom and almost never in heavy traffic and I'm the most easygoing driver you'd care to share the road with.

When I had to commute an hour plus each way in heavy traffic things that I just shrug at today would irritate me. Commuting is bit like that old saying about flying, long periods of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror.

Another point; a lot of people listen to talk radio in the car and much of that programming is designed to make you angry because that will keep you coming back for more. There are many people driving around listening to stuff that makes them irritated in the first place, combine that with some of the idiocy you see out on the road and it's a recipe for explosive anger.

[raccoon]

9. Once when I forked right from a main road (and signaled) a guy screamed at me

like maniac. I guess he was p.o. that I had slowed down somewhat.

I googled and found this, to deal with such incidents:

If a guy rolls down his window and starts cursing at you, do not respond.

Keep your window rolled up – and avoid eye contact.

Get moving – and get away – as soon as you can.

Never, ever get out of your car to “discuss” things with another motorist. We live in a crazy age, and you could find yourself looking down the barrel of a gun. Or facing some loon with a baseball bat.

Just drive on. In the event you get followed, don’t drive home – or stop your car.

Find a cop and get his attention – or use your cell phone to dial 911.

If possible, let your harasser see you talking on the phone; that’s often enough to make him break off.

If no cop is around and you are frightened by someone attempting to follow you, stay on well-traveled roads. Avoid pulling off onto a side street.

If you can find a busy shopping center parking lot or similar public place where people are milling about – go there and see if the person follows you. If he does, honk your horn repeatedly to attract the attention of passers-by and – hopefully – security patrols. It’s not likely you pursuer will stick with you.

If you can, jot down the plate number of the car, as well as the make, model and color.

File a police report – if the encounter seemed serious enough to warrant that.

- See more at: http://blog.motorists.org/how-to-deal-with-road-rage/#sthash.KYhlvC0J.dpuf

[PeaceNikki]

10. I had a guy get out of his car and KICK my car

I was in front of him on a road known for speed traps going the speed limit and he was behind me, annoyed. As we approached an intersection, he passed me illegally, stopped at the stop sign, got out, kicked my driver's side door, got back into his car and took off. Naturally, I got his plate and called it in.

He was an older man DRIVING A COMPANY CAR. He chose to pay out of pocket for damages and I didn't press charges.

There have also been a couple road rage incidents here in WI that involved people firing guns at one another. Literally.

Terrifying.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. I drive the speed limit most of the time (or just a tad over)

and people get mad at me. But I drive a lot and I can't afford tickets which run about $100 a pop here in KC. I mostly don't drive in rush hour traffic and that helps a whole bunch. And I try to always stay way over to the right.

You know Dwayne Bowe of the KC Chiefs that just got caught in Riverside, Mo for doing 10 miles over the limit and he had two cannisters of Medical M. in the car. Well, everyone that lives up here knows that you don't drive over 35 in Riverside. Those police officers don't have a lot to do in the small town and they don't have to cover a very large area. Bottom line is that they have a lot of time to sit and wait for people doing over 35.

[Coyotl]

13. Yes, on the freeway in San Fran, heading to the airport in a shuttle, forced to stop in traffic

by a crazy man who felt slighted by a lane change required by our driver to take the airport route. We had to merge into his lane in front of him, even though he was trying to prevent it by not leaving room. The man then assed us on the left in the emergency lane, then pulled in front of us and hit the brakes hard forcing traffic to stop on the freeway. He then come over and bangs on the window and tries to get at our driver. I held up a piece of paper with his license plate number written out and then pointed a phone camera at him. He took off.

I could not believe that one person's anger after his being the asshole who would not politely allow a lane change could rise to the level of stopping the entire freeway! I'm glad the guy wasn't armed, just pissed.

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. I've had that happen.

Drivers that won't let other drivers merge in. They purposely block you so that you can't get into the lane you need to be in.

There's something wrong with those people.

[OnionPatch]

15. I was run off the road a couple of times.

I guess for driving the speed limit, which apparently was unforgivable on that particular road. Once when this happened to me, though, it turned out to be awesome....a guy in a big pickup truck pretty much ran me onto the shoulder of the road to pass me after aggressively tailing and gesturing at me. Right after he passed, as I was bumping along on the gravel, I saw a blur of black and white and flashing lights pass by as well. I smiled and waved to the asshole as he was getting his ticket.

That kind of thing only happens once in a lifetime but it sure made my day.

[MadrasT]

16. Once a long time ago

A guy behind me at a stop light jumped out of his car and started screaming at me and pounding on my windows. I think he thought I cut him off or something, It was scary.

Once I flipped the middle finger at a guy in a pickup truck who cut me off...

...he got all bent out of shape and started screaming and waving his fists at me...

...it turned out to be my husband.

We had a good laugh about it later -- and we both cut way back on our own road rage tendencies.

Driving in Philly, a lot of people are very aggressive and nasty. I refuse to be intimidated and just let 'em blow a gasket and I don't really react to them at all any more.