[pit1]

So I'm driving to work this morning with my wife in the 1er. Usually take her Jetta but it was on empty. We're sitting in the HOV lane in stop and go traffic. As usual, I left about two car lengths between me and the car in front, in efforts to save my brakes, clutch and left foot...and for safety's sake. I notice an old Golf in my rear view driving erratically, and weaving into the left shoulder to see around me. Traffic starts to move again, I leave a few seconds and begin to fill the gap...just as I pull forward, Mr Golf zips around to the right and cuts me off...I SLAM on the brakes as my sweet wife and I give him a friendly gesture. So he stops his car turns around and stares us down as if it's suppose to scare us. I smile and shake my head. I leave distance for the rest of the trip. As the road opens up I slowly overtake him to the right and move away. Just as I thought it was all behind us, he zips to the far left lane to pull ahead and cuts over two lanes of traffic to pull right in front of me...SLAMS on his brakes and tries to force me into him. I saw it all happening, and as you all know the 1er can stop on a dime. We stuck back and watched him weave his way through traffic. F*CKING IDIOT!!!! Honestly, what was going through his head? My wife called the police and reported his actions from start to finish along with description and plate. They "sent a trooper out," sure they say that just to make me happy.

I'm sure Karma is coming to him. Life has it's way of evening things out.

How do you guys suppress frustration and handle road rage people like this?

[ptack]

Take a movie of him using your phone. The cops would definitely follow that up. I don't know what the traffic laws are in Va., but you can get big-time points in NJ for stuff like that which will cost you dearly in terms of fines and insurance premiums.

[pit1]

I thought of that, but it all happened to quick. I knew he was a C@CK but didn't think he would pull a stunt like that 15 minutes later. This kinda crap happens more often than you'd think in NOVA, and more often in the 1er. May consider one of those cameras that records automatically under high Gs.

[jkp1187]

People are just fools sometimes. One time a guy got pissed off because I merged in front of him, at the next red light, he got out of his car and started yelling at me. I simply shrugged and called the police.

I always wondered what he thought I was going to do -- get out and confront him? Why would I? I'm in a 3,400 pound vehicle, and he's just one man on the street!

[JKAWB]

Well if you live in Florida and someones pulls some sh*t like that and they get out of their car and approach you, you can shoot them. Florida has shoot first laws to end that stuff because road rage is horrible here and has caused innocent people to get killed. Road rage doesn't happen so much more around here.

[JME]

When I was in Virginia (circa 2004) a kid in my department was pulled over one day when he was driving like normal. Seemed he had a warrant out for his arrest. At court the cop explained that in the previous month someone had called the police to report reckless driving on his part in Northern Virginia. The guy calmly explained to the Judge that he had never been there; turns out, it was the weekend he let his brother borrow his car. Judge didn't care who was driving, his car was engaging in reckless driving to the point that he deserved jail time.

And he did 10 days in jail for reckless driving his brother did in his car. From the report of a witness over the phone.

So they might not just be making you happy by "sending a trooper out"

[EspressoBoy]

Yup, wonder what's in their coffee?

Avoid them at all costs. I don't give the "friendly" gesture anymore. I blow kisses. Drives the other driver nuts. My wife thinks it very funny, and I don't get upset at all. It becomes a big laugh. Anyway, the secret here, is do not let them have any control over us... do not let them get us upset. After all, with our 1, they have no driving power over us... unless and in this case it's true, with heavy traffic that's not possible. Anyway, at least you are not hurt, nor your car. Glad nobody else crashed into you either, when he slammed on his brakes in front of you.

EspressoBoy

[pit1]

:wub: blow kisses, that's fantastic. I like that attitude EsspressoBoy, we'll all live longer that way. That's the last time the "friendly gesture" will be used, you never know just how crazy some people are. I personally hate that gesture, his actions were so unruly, it was just the first instinct. A real shame it was...:iono:

I am glad that's all to that story, and we're all safe, me and my "ladies."
Here's to keeping your cool out there everyone, nothing is worth putting you, your passenger or car in danger. Have a safe ride home today.

[ARES45]

Originally Posted by JKAWB

Well if you live in Florida and someones pulls some sh*t like that and they get out of their car and approach you, you can shoot them. Florida has shoot first laws to end that stuff because road rage is horrible here and has caused innocent people to get killed. Road rage doesn't happen so much more around here.

Wouldn't mind living in FL at all.

[JKAWB]

Originally Posted by JME

When I was in Virginia (circa 2004) a kid in my department was pulled over one day when he was driving like normal. Seemed he had a warrant out for his arrest. At court the cop explained that in the previous month someone had called the police to report reckless driving on his part in Northern Virginia. The guy calmly explained to the Judge that he had never been there; turns out, it was the weekend he let his brother borrow his car. Judge didn't care who was driving, his car was engaging in reckless driving to the point that he deserved jail time.

And he did 10 days in jail for reckless driving his brother did in his car. From the report of a witness over the phone.

So they might not just be making you happy by "sending a trooper out"

No way in hell would that stand up in court. Moving violations have to be witnessed by the police. Otherwise 1,000,000 people a day would be thrown in jail for simply pissing someone off in traffic. Thats like someone not using a blinker, me getting mad, calling the cops, telling them some guy is speeding and swerving in and out of traffic, lying my ass off. Citizens are not law enforcement and therefore cannot make law enforcement decisions as to what is wreckless driving because they have not gone through law enforcement training. I know this because a lady down the street from where I lived yelled at me everyday to slow down because her kids were playing (in the street). The posted speed limit was 25mph, i always did 20mph because i didn't want to hit her retarded kids and mess up my car. One day I got irrate and laid a patch of rubber in the street in front of her house for about 5 minutes then continued the burnout to my driveway. The cops came. They basically told me they came over to my house to make it look like they cared because they couldn't do a damn thing about it. They also told me to "Please stop egging her on, because they have better things to do."

[Spook]

Calmness. Maturity. Control. You did what you could. When you encounter a rabid animal you do not try to reason with it, you merely do everything you can to avoid it and call animal control. Though venting here certainly has some merit and we all feel your exasperation, the exercise of righteous indignation in the field is simply not worth it.

If someone has me trapped and actually comes up to the car I will assume they mean to be violent and will respond within the legal bounds of my state and my conscience. Those boundaries will vary from person to person. I will do everything I can to avoid that situation and hopefully that will never happen.

Call it karma, call it Darwin, but he will find the trouble he seeks and it will not go well for him. As civilized folks we can just shake our heads and our stars we are not screwed up in this way.

Spook

[JME]

Originally Posted by JKAWB

No way in hell would that stand up in court. Moving violations have to be witnessed by the police. Otherwise 1,000,000 people a day would be thrown in jail for simply pissing someone off in traffic. Thats like someone not using a blinker, me getting mad, calling the cops, telling them some guy is speeding and swerving in and out of traffic, lying my ass off. Citizens are not law enforcement and therefore cannot make law enforcement decisions as to what is wreckless driving because they have not gone through law enforcement training.

You think we didn't ask the same questions? I didn't believe it myself until I processed the leave chit for his time in jail. I'm not privy to the whole details as I wasn't actually in court with him; maybe they had him on one of the traffic cameras they have in NOVA, maybe they're just assholes. All I know is the dude had a warrant out on him and he went to jail for something he didn't do. What sucked even more was he was a great guy and when he came back he just wasn't the same.

[pit1]

Originally Posted by Spook

Calmness. Maturity. Control. You did what you could. When you encounter a rabid animal you do not try to reason with it, you merely do everything you can to avoid it and call animal control.

Spook

Well said Spook. Interesting how negative experiences like this evolve into a more mature, rational and calm state of mind.

Originally Posted by JKAWB

I know this because a lady down the street from where I lived yelled at me everyday to slow down because her kids were playing (in the street). The posted speed limit was 25mph, i always did 20mph because i didn't want to hit her retarded kids and mess up my car. One day I got irrate and laid a patch of rubber in the street in front of her house for about 5 minutes then continued the burnout to my driveway. The cops came. They basically told me they came over to my house to make it look like they cared because they couldn't do a damn thing about it. They also told me to "Please stop egging her on, because they have better things to do."

I had a similar experience, sans the police. I use to drive an old E30 with 200K+ miles on it, we all know how our cars' exhaust note become deeper and louder with age. My morning drive was down a winding secondary state road, speed limit 40MPH. Near the end of the road was a 90 degree bend, just before the bend an old dilapidated house. I would gear down, 4th, 3rd, 2nd just before the bend...NEVER exceeding the speed limit at that point. So one day a POS pickup pulls out in front of me on a narrow one-way street, the driver, rather rough around the edges, rushes over to my window and threatens to "Burn ma Car, cus I might hit him keed or dawg." I was completely trapped, no way to pass no way to back up. Fortunately, I wasn't alone and my passenger got the plate and actually knew of the guy, lived in a small town. My Pop later called the police about the threat, they paid him a little visit, didn't press charges, turns out his record was quite long. He waved to me from then on.

Don't think I was some stupid kid endangering young children. I'm the first to slow to a crawl at the slightest risk of children or pets nearby. I'm that guy who actually follows the 10MPH neighborhood speed limit.

[EspressoBoy]

I must warn you about blowing kisses... It actually can drive people more crazy. I just do it so I don't blow a gasket myself.

I think the best is probably do zero reaction. I use this technique when dealing with steet people or some goons coming to me for $$$...

I just ignore as though I don't speak the language. Living in Toronto there are lots of people who don't speak English so it's easy to do. For over 20 years nobody has yet to go nuts on me for that.

Anyway, just thought I would mention that in case you come back a few months later with a KISS story...lol

EspressoBoy

[Sherifftruman]

So, one morning I was driving along this collector road in teh right lane at between 35 and 40 (speed limit is 35 teh speedo reads high, so I was darn close if not under the limit) with several neigborhoods off it and a school. A woman who who was leaving the school (I guess she had dropped someone off as it was still 45 minutes before school zone hours started and an hour and a half before school actually started).

So, she is moving from the parking lot into the lane that dumps into the road I am on. There is a stop sign in her lane and she just blew right right into my lane when I was 50 feet or less from her car. Luckily, there are few cars on the road and I try to keep up with what is around me, so I was able to whip it over, around her and back into the lane. I did not even think about it, but was able to react. Luckily, I was in the MINI so this was no problem at all and I was able to avoid T-boning her at 35 MPH directly in the door of her POS car, which would have provided virtually no protection.

So, now, I am in front of her and I just stuck my hands out in a big shrug type gesture. One was out the window and the other inside. I did not slam on brakes or do anything other that basically say WTF lady to myself while doing this. She never gives me a wave or anything like a gesture to say I am sorry, but instead pulls right up on me. We get to the stop sign at the end of the street and I was waiting for the next car to go and I see her with her Cell phone out, taking pictures of the back of my car, I guess for my license plate, though a Yellow MINI with checkered roof and a plate of ACTL SIZ should not be too hard to remember or find. LOL.

I thought about getting out and asking what the heck she was doing and explain how I pretty much saved her from a long recovery, but figured she might mace me or something, so instead I just drove on.

What a freak.

Here is the road I am talking about. I was on Town Hall Dr heading NW and she was pulling out of hte school with the big green roof.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...04624&t=h&z=18

[MI128]

The dispatchers are instructed to write down the plate of the road rage vehicle or Drunk Driver but don't actually send a unit out unless they get multiple complaints. It is always worth a call bc a lot of other people might call as well.

I hate road rage ass holes like that!!!!

[pit1]

It seriously hurts to try and compute the thought process of some people.

I can't help but see a common denominator here, that these aggressors are all driving POS cars. Maybe slightly biased from a group of car enthusiasts (borderline car snobs?) along with inaccurate memory insertion, but a saving grace knowing that this irrational, aggressive, unreasonable behavior won't exactly afford you the luxury we have of sitting behind the wheel of 1nderful car.

Without a doubt, there are exceptions here, D!CKS in luxury cars, and gentle, kind and intelligent people sporting the POS...(and maybe more intelligent than us, with their $0 car payments)

[Sephiroth]

Road rage is all impulse, people don't think before acting, they just act. It takes a lot not to get infected by another persons road rage so hats off to those who can shrug it off consistently.

[DCD]

Originally Posted by pit1

I use to drive an old E30 with 200K+ miles on it, we all know how our cars' exhaust note become deeper and louder with age.

Ahhhh I hate this! I used to modify the exhausts on my cars but don't really bother cause it's not worth the hassle in NZ now. People hear a louder exhaust and they automatically assume you are speeding/driving like a knob.

Once I was going down a busy street in my old Nissan S15 silvia minding the speed limit. There was a pedestrian crossing and some idiot with his wife and 2 young children (5-7ish) in dashing across the road 15 meters down from the crossing young family in tow. I see him start to go so I down shift to 2nd and slow down to about 30km/h. He looks up startled and stops in the median of the road. I have the window down and as I pass him he yells in the window "Slow the F%^& down asshole!!!"

SO frustrating! Cross at the damn crossing especially with kids! I couldn't have been going much slower!

[3toM]

I had a similar thing happen to me months ago. The guy who was raging kept starting and suddenly stopping his car in front of me on the freeway, trying to get me to rear end him. I picked up my cell, called 911, and maid it very obvious to him in his rearview mirror I was calling the cops. He then took off in a hurry. Too late (I hope). I had his plate already in memory. Don't know what happened after the call, but they said they would take care of it.

[Cris]

This thread pisses me off because of the people who tell you to slow down... next time ask them if they have calibrated eyes. Of course they'll say no, so tell them to STFU, mind their own g-damn business, and move on. Next thing you'll know, some motherf-er is going to start yelling at your car to slow down because it's just parked there.

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by Spook

Calmness. Maturity. Control. You did what you could. When you encounter a rabid animal you do not try to reason with it, you merely do everything you can to avoid it and call animal control. Though venting here certainly has some merit and we all feel your exasperation, the exercise of righteous indignation in the field is simply not worth it.

If someone has me trapped and actually comes up to the car I will assume they mean to be violent and will respond within the legal bounds of my state and my conscience. Those boundaries will vary from person to person. I will do everything I can to avoid that situation and hopefully that will never happen.

Call it karma, call it Darwin, but he will find the trouble he seeks and it will not go well for him. As civilized folks we can just shake our heads and our stars we are not screwed up in this way.

Spook

Road rage is just not worth it. Let it go. If someone's behind you and itching to pass, slow down and let them. If nothing else, it will be easier to deal safely with a fool who's determined to "play" with you at a slower speeds than faster. If they keep at it, call 911 and drive to the nearest police station. If they attack you, then you certainly must take actions needed to preserve your life....but I'd bet that the vast majority of road rage situations can be defused by slowing down and letting it go.