Why do people have to be such dicks on the road?
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2016 2:49 pmI was taking the kids to day care, driving down a 35mph road in the left lane, because I had a left turn up ahead. I was pushing 40 but no more; it's a downhill and there is often a cop car at the bottom. As happens every now and then, a car zoomed past me on the right and got into the left lane in front of me. Not dangerously, but the driver was obviously impatient, and probably going over 45. The light up ahead was red. The car stopped in the left but going straight lane, and I stopped next to it in the left turn lane. I looked over. A silver haired man looked at me, smiled, and waved. Now, unless he thought he knew me, he wasn't just saying a friendly hi....more of a patronizing ha ha.
A little later I was on my bike, stopped at a 2-way. There was a car across from me waiting, because a car to the left of me was turning right. The car across from me did not have a turn signal on, so after I stopped I went ahead. The car proceeded to start to turn left in front of me, stopped, and glared. I told him "you don't have a turn signal on" but he was obviously pissed. He didn't roll down a window so we didn't exchange words, and I rode on.
I may be making this next part up, but I swear he turned around and followed me. At the next stop I turned right. I glanced back and saw a car the same shade as his. It turned too. Then as I was riding quite a way to the next stop, this car never passed me. I kept hearing "vroom-vroom, squeak," not aggressive but as if the car was trying to maintain a low speed. I couldn't have been going more than 15, so it's strange to have a car never pass. Now I'm getting anxious--what does this guy think he's going to do? Fortunately at the next red, he turned and I went straight. There was another car already stopped so his car did not get next to me. I never looked back so I have no idea if it was really him.
I feel sorry for people who act this way. I'm not a perfect driver. Sometimes I cut people off by accident--and I feel bad. If they honk I don't get mad. I deserved it!
This takes me back to two other times. One when Buster was a baby. I was driving in a Target parking lot, straight in a main aisle. A vehicle coming out of a parking lot turned left in front me me, at a distance I felt was too close because I had to brake, and so I honked. We both stopped, not even coming close to hitting. But this guy got out of his vehicle and came to mine, started to yell. I told him that left turns always have to yield but he says there are no rules in a parking lot.
He was holding up cars behind him and me. Again, I don't know what he wanted to accomplish!
The other incident was actually pretty scary. This time, I was careless. On a highway, coming up to a traffic jam. I quickly got over to get in a lane that had a little more room up ahead, but didn't see a car in my blind spot. It had to slam on the breaks, but we had no accident. I got up to the traffic jam and stopped. He pulled on the other side of me and stopped, and got out of his car to come yell at me. We were on a highway for cripes sake! Stopped, but still! I said I'm sorry--I didn't try and push it back on him. But of course that didn't make him feel better. He just kept yelling. Funny thing-there was a cop in front of me. Off duty, or non/low marked--I don't know but it wasn't obvious until he got out. He came back to us to calm the guy down and get him back in the car. Situation over--almost. We're all back in the cars and the traffic starts to move. The cop moves, I move, he stops, and I slightly tap his bumper.
He just ignored it, though. I think he was a sensible cop. I was young, probably 25. He could tell I was very upset, and the tap was so light that nothing was to show of it.
In both those incidents, I wish I would have just kept my window shut and ignored them. That probably would make things worse, though! These guys want a reaction, but I don't know to what end they want this kind of situation. Especially when it's a man yelling at a woman. I'm not going to get out and fight. He's not going to punch me! Anyway, I feel sorry for these people because I imagine their lives must be pretty bad at home that they have to use a situation like this to get out their anger.
A little later I was on my bike, stopped at a 2-way. There was a car across from me waiting, because a car to the left of me was turning right. The car across from me did not have a turn signal on, so after I stopped I went ahead. The car proceeded to start to turn left in front of me, stopped, and glared. I told him "you don't have a turn signal on" but he was obviously pissed. He didn't roll down a window so we didn't exchange words, and I rode on.
I may be making this next part up, but I swear he turned around and followed me. At the next stop I turned right. I glanced back and saw a car the same shade as his. It turned too. Then as I was riding quite a way to the next stop, this car never passed me. I kept hearing "vroom-vroom, squeak," not aggressive but as if the car was trying to maintain a low speed. I couldn't have been going more than 15, so it's strange to have a car never pass. Now I'm getting anxious--what does this guy think he's going to do? Fortunately at the next red, he turned and I went straight. There was another car already stopped so his car did not get next to me. I never looked back so I have no idea if it was really him.
I feel sorry for people who act this way. I'm not a perfect driver. Sometimes I cut people off by accident--and I feel bad. If they honk I don't get mad. I deserved it!
This takes me back to two other times. One when Buster was a baby. I was driving in a Target parking lot, straight in a main aisle. A vehicle coming out of a parking lot turned left in front me me, at a distance I felt was too close because I had to brake, and so I honked. We both stopped, not even coming close to hitting. But this guy got out of his vehicle and came to mine, started to yell. I told him that left turns always have to yield but he says there are no rules in a parking lot.
He was holding up cars behind him and me. Again, I don't know what he wanted to accomplish! The other incident was actually pretty scary. This time, I was careless. On a highway, coming up to a traffic jam. I quickly got over to get in a lane that had a little more room up ahead, but didn't see a car in my blind spot. It had to slam on the breaks, but we had no accident. I got up to the traffic jam and stopped. He pulled on the other side of me and stopped, and got out of his car to come yell at me. We were on a highway for cripes sake! Stopped, but still! I said I'm sorry--I didn't try and push it back on him. But of course that didn't make him feel better. He just kept yelling. Funny thing-there was a cop in front of me. Off duty, or non/low marked--I don't know but it wasn't obvious until he got out. He came back to us to calm the guy down and get him back in the car. Situation over--almost. We're all back in the cars and the traffic starts to move. The cop moves, I move, he stops, and I slightly tap his bumper.
He just ignored it, though. I think he was a sensible cop. I was young, probably 25. He could tell I was very upset, and the tap was so light that nothing was to show of it.In both those incidents, I wish I would have just kept my window shut and ignored them. That probably would make things worse, though! These guys want a reaction, but I don't know to what end they want this kind of situation. Especially when it's a man yelling at a woman. I'm not going to get out and fight. He's not going to punch me! Anyway, I feel sorry for these people because I imagine their lives must be pretty bad at home that they have to use a situation like this to get out their anger.
- I know it wasn't your intention to be funny with this. That does not change the fact that you are hilarious.
