Roadrageous!
July 12, 2008 |
Road rage plagues our city highway systems day and night. It causes accidents, provokes stress, and is downright upsetting to all parties involved. No one arrives to work unfrazzled after an uninsured illegal driver tails them for half a mile, then dodges around into the intersection to make a right turn, simply because the innocent driver had the “crazy notion” to stop at a red light (okay, I live in Miami, dubbed THE worst U.S. city for aggressive driving, 2 years in a row–somehow I have a feeling we will win in 2008 as well–go Miami)! Although nobody was hurt, that doesn’t make it acceptable. Someone could have been hurt, and the chances certainly became more probable, due to the increased levels of stress, confusion, and unpredictability of this a-hole’s driving. Point being, this is NOT safe driving! And yes, I blew my horn at him, because I admit, I have a little road rage in me too.
But before I get any more ticked about the countless road rage encounters I have fallen victim to (and attributed to, in my efforts to retaliate), I might offer some suggestions to keeping your cool on the roads! Since teleport commuting is still in beta mode, for now we will have to learn how to handle these driving devils in a safe way that will get us all to work on time - calm, cool, and collected.
Let’s first point out that a study by Dr. Leon James states that when asked about drivers’ habits, respondents suggested that about 85 percent of other drivers drove aggressively, while only 35 percent admitted that they themselves, drove aggressively. So it’s time to please own up to your own personal contributions toward aggression on the road.
To begin, let’s make the simple affirmation to avoid being the cause of these offending acts. Swear to yourself that you will avoid actions such as: tailgating, cutting off other cars, sudden accelerating and breaking, honking unnecessarily, honking more than two seconds to make a point, driving slow in the left lane, not using your signal to turn, yapping on your cell phone, cursing out other drivers, and further annoying nuances that will only piss people off. I know it’s easier said than done, but we have to start somewhere or we will get nowhere. Many of us are guilty of these things, even if we believe we deserve the Driver’s gold medal of the year award. Remember, we are ALL trying to get somewhere on time, so please be patient and considerate, and we can all at least get there alive.
Next, remember what they teach in traffic school about defensive driving. This means being prepared to react to potential situations before they happen. Always keep enough space around you to allow time to react. This is an important rule to live by so to avoid offending actions that might tick off a madman.
Now, I realize that road rage qualifies as irrational behavior, and in some cases, you might be going along with your daily business, yet someone still wants to shoot off a mouthful of obscenities at you. Or perhaps you are crucified for an honest unavoidable mistake. Well, the best thing you can do to protect yourself is DON’T fight back. That’s right. No matter how furious you might feel at your attacker, BACK DOWN! Take a deep breath, attempt to feel an ounce of compassion for the nut job who probably leads a very sad life, and keep your cool. Kill the rager with kindness. Secretly laugh to yourself inside your head that this person is so mental, they’ve completely lost all sense of common decency and human respect.
If you fight back, you run the risk of being physically hurt, or your car damaged. If this happens, or you anticipate this may happen, do not hesitate to put your cell to good use and call for police backup. When you both go your separate ways, neither of you will be in the mindset to drive rationally, and you could further place other’s lives in jeopardy, including your own life (again). The road is NOT THE PLACE to teach people lessons. Your life and other’s are in your hands every time you get behind the wheel. I’m not sure we’ve all taken the time to think about what it would be like to live with the responsibility of having caused another person’s death. We are fragile beings, and we are not invincible. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of this.
On a less serious note, a quality suggestion I came across for the next time someone rages at you on the road, just blow them a kiss! I will have to test this one out and get back to you on the outcome. ‘Til then, stay calm, friendly drivers! xoxo
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