Stupid, Jack___ people with road rage shouldn't drive!

18 years ago

I got home a little bit ago from work, coming home on a divided parkway-2 lanes each way. It's snowing here and there and it's colder than heck (ie: road is ICY!), so I'm only doing about 55 mph. Jack___ comes up behind me in his/her SUV, riding my butt and starts flashing their bright lights at me. OK, the other lane is clear, barely any snow on it at all, so he can't move over and pass me? NOPE, turns his brights on again and leaves them on, for 15 or more miles. I slowed down to 40 mph because I couldn't freaking see and I wanted the jerk to go around me!

He never did until about two miles from my turnoff, after another car passed him and me. Then he got a clue and passed me. Not even smart enough to not blind the guy in front of him now (the one who passed him and me), finally he turns his brights off. And yes, I flipped him off as he went by me. He could've made me wreck because I couldn't see crap and had to hold my hand over the side view mirror the whole time.

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Comments (22)

Linda Wayman
18 years ago
What a jerk. There sure are some maniacs on the road who don't seem to have a clue about how to drive in bad weather. I'm glad you made it home safely Kat.

Linda
magic_arizona
18 years ago
I am glad you got home safely too Kath, but what lane were you in? The left?

If you were indeed in the left hand lane, you should have moved over to the right and let him pass. The left hand lane is for passing. It is technically illegal to pass on the right.

If you were already in the right hand lane, then he really is a Jack___.
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Kathsgrdn
Original Author
18 years ago
No, Magic, I know how to drive, wasn't in the passing lane.
sandy_in_ia
18 years ago
I would have been on the phone to the highway patrol!!!!!! HOW STUPID of that idiot!!!!

Glad you are home safe and sound!
liz
18 years ago
yeppers...I'da been calling 911 that someone was ragin you...wonder how they woulda felt then to be pulled over for being AS*HOLES!! Glad you made it home ok!
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
18 years ago
Glad you made it home safely! Yes, at this time of year one doesn't have to just contend with the dangerous speeders who think they are such terrific drivers, but also the many jerks who think they can safely speed even on bad roads. I refer to them as 'in a hurry to get themselves killed' and just hope they don't take out other innocent folks with them.

Sue
Lindsey_CA
18 years ago
" It is technically illegal to pass on the right."

Not necessarily true. Yes, the lane furthest to the left (lane #1) is the "fast lane," but it is not illegal, at least in California, to be in lane #2 or lane #3 (if there is one) and pass a car that is in lane #1.

It is also no longer illegal in California to pass a car on the right even if there is no lane marker -- if the roadway is wide enough that there could be another lane to the right, you can now legally pass a slow-moving car by going around them on the right.
joyfulguy
18 years ago
I don't like people riding my rear bumper - especially in snowy, slippery weather.

When they do it, if there is opportunity for them to pass, I often slow down somewhat.

I think that, having difficulty seeing, I'd have moved pretty well to the right of the lane, touched my brakes lightly a couple of times, and if he still didn't choose to pass, slowed right down to almost stopping.

If he still hadn't passed, I think that I'd put on right turning signal and pull off to the shoulder, putting on 4-way flashers when I was out of "his" lane.

Then the lane would be clear, and he could move ahead and do whatever continuing foolishness he chose.

Then I'd check lane behind where he had been and if clear, turn off 4-ways, turn on left turn signal and pull back into the lane and go my way ... with no one trying to run up my exhaust pipe.

Maybe.

Some years ago, when I had a rusting trunk lid, I threatened to put a sign on the back, saying,

"If you can read this, and I have to stop quickly (deer crossing?) ...

... you'll be fixing my rusty car".

ole joyful
kathy_
18 years ago
I would not have pulled over either. Maybe driving was not on his mind. He could have wanted cash or you. I had a car follow me almost home once. I tried to outrace him and finally lost him on a hilly road when I turned and he didn't. No cell phone in those days.
Glad you are safe.
oldrustybucket
18 years ago
I think you made the right choice...not to pull over! Glad your safe...it's really scary when some inconsiderate, stupid jack--- acts this way! He was probably laughing all the time and even if it was an emergency situtation for the other driver... he still didn't have any right to endanger others on the road!
Vickey__MN
18 years ago
Next time...turn your side mirror FLAT...it will shine his brights RIGHT BACK AT HIM!!! Believe me, he'll turn them down quickly! SOrry, probably not the best thing to do, but sure would be fun!!

Glad you got home safely

Vickey-MN
sharon_fl
18 years ago
Last Saturday I attended Safe Driving School to eliminate points on my license from my accident on 12/01.
In FL..it is against the law for slower moving traffic, to drive in the left lane unless you are making a left hand turn on a 2 lane and also no passing on the right IF it's on a shoulder/berm.
The instructor also stated that to avoid road rage-never stare the other driver in the eye nor 'flip them off', as both are a sure fire way for him to pass you & cut you off and get out and perhaps harm you!
Methinks you did the right thing by not pulling off the road-especially in icy conditions. It might have been your demise if he was some sicko! So many ignorant drivers on our roadways today. Too bad you didn't come up on him, down the road, either in a ditch or stopped by a cop!
FlamingO in AR
18 years ago
Yep, there's glassbowls everywhere, Kath. Tailgaters generally make me go slower - if they want to go faster on a 4-lane divided highway, they can go around. Sounds like he was just messing with ya, what a jerk. OR- maybe he wasn't from around there and didn't know it was a 4-lane road? Was there traffic coming at you on the other side?

Regardless, he was a bad driver and I wish he could have been busted for it. I'm glad you're OK!
patches_02
18 years ago
glad your ok, never pull over you don't really know what's on there minds. I would called 911, it's against the law to tailgate and there really clamping down on road rage. At the moment there is someone impersonating a police officer and trying to pull people over after dark. I have told DG to call in to the police post if someones trying to pull her over at night (especially if she knows she's done nothing wrong) and ask if there is an office trying to pull her over. If so they would have called it in with her license plate number. Another girl did this and it could very well have saved her life, the post said, they didn't have an officer in her area and to keep on driving. If she knew where the police station was to drive there.
The car finally turned his red light off and drove off another direction. there still hunting for the man doing this.
nodakgal
18 years ago
That was awful! I wouldn't have pulled over and I know been sitting on the edge of my seat tensed up bigtime! I hate people like that. If he'd wanted to pass he could have and was a complete a$$ for not. I'm sorry Kath, that was totally uncalled for.

I got the bird the last time we went to pick up DGD.
We turn off one Interstate to another. The lane is a proper lane, not a turning one where you have to merge left. You go a block or two in the same lane and then turn right to get off at our turn. I was going the speed limit too, no clue what I did to "irritate" the guy behind me IF he ever was behind me I'm not sure as there were 3 other lanes. But anyway, we are turning off and the guy a lane or two over goes past giving me the bird. DS said huh musta pi$$ed that guy off somehow. He gave it back and told me I don't know what you did wrong! There are aholes everywhere. DS's friend lives in that particular town and said he was never flipped off so many times in all his life since moving there! LOL
summer_tx
18 years ago
No way would I have pulled over for him, under any circumstances. You were in the right Kath, being in the right hand lane. I don't understand him not passing when he had numerous opportunities to, unless he was jackin' with ya. I think I'd have gotten on my cell and called 911 and turned the buttwipe in. Grrr! I'm sorry you had to deal with him and very glad you got home without incident.
mollylexipatches
18 years ago
A few nights ago some idiot decided to tailgate me. What a coincidence! I had a dirty windshield that needed to be cleaned! Amazingly he backed off...wondering where the 'rain' came from...

~Cindy Jo
greenthumbfish
18 years ago
A few nights ago some idiot decided to tailgate me. What a coincidence! I had a dirty windshield that needed to be cleaned! Amazingly he backed off...wondering where the 'rain' came from...

That's a pretty funny passive/aggressive tactic, but I'm so glad he didn't have a gun! YIKES!

Another perspective... I've noticed around these parts are lots of Jack___s who think that regardless of what lane you're in, if you're the one going too slow then you ought to move. I, sadly, have a friend who drives like this.

Another scenario I would have bet $$ on: the driver was on a cell phone and was too involved in the convo to realize he could have passed you. Seen that too many times to count!

If it had been me, I would have moved to the fast lane, let him pass and move back to the slow lane.
Kathsgrdn
Original Author
18 years ago
What happened to my last post and that one from Chad whatever his name was from this morning?

Yes, Flamingo, there was traffic coming on the other side of the road from the opposite direction. I know I shouldn't have flipped him off but I couldn't help myself...takes a lot to tick me off while driving.
aprilflower
18 years ago
That must've frustrated you horribly! I hate that as well, and there are a LOT of that guy's relatives living around here. It rains a lot, and they all think that not only do they have to go over the speed limit, they think I need to as well as evidenced by them getting close enough to my bumper to push me :-P . I swear I'm going to have a bumper sticker made that says "Riding my a$$ will NOT make the car in front of me go ANY faster".

I'll never forget my first brush with road rage - this was back in the early 90s - I was on the interstate (3 lanes each way) and driving in the middle lane, minding my own business when out of the blue off of the on-ramp this guy flew out of nowhere and into my lane in front of me. There were no other cars around, he could/should have picked either the far right lane (that technically he would have been in anyway from the ramp) or even the far left. Out of reflex I threw up my hands like "what are you thinking?" - didn't flip him off or anything, was more of a puzzled gesture to myself if anything. He apparently did not like it and not only followed me but tried 2 or 3 times to run me off of the road. He was an older gentleman, with a lady (his wife probably? poor woman!) in the car sitting next to him swatting him over the head. I see the humor in it now, lol, but at the time I was not amused. This was before cell phones were common, and I was very young. I kept driving, trying to be as evasive as I could and still stay safe, and he eventually gave up. I think I shook for an hour afterwards.

Some people have no sense, and just don't realize that when they get behind the wheel they are utilizing a weapon.

Everyone stay safe out on those scary roads :-)

april
caroline94535
18 years ago
I've had the same thing happen to me. I keep slowing down...40, 30, 20, 10, 5...until they give up and go around. I guess they don't understand that blinding me, and riding my tail will not make me speed up. Arrrrrgh. I feel your pain.

I've sometimes resorted to putting the emergency flashers on, or pulling off to the shoulder. This happened a lot more in California than it has here.

Sometimes I feel very fortunate to be here in the middle of nowhere. Even when I venture off to Fargo and come home very late at night, there's never much traffic. I do go slower at night and the very few cars I've encounted pass by on the other lane (all divided roads from here to there) will no problems.

One guy was flashing and honking two winters ago. The roads were a sheet of ice and were being closed right behind us. I, and most of the other cars, was creeping along about 10 mph. Mr. Anger kept honking and waving his fists. He finally realized it's a four-lane road and pulls around me, speeds up, zooms off, skids, pulls a couple of donuts (I was going slow enough to avoid him) and slides off the road. He landed next to a patrol car that was posted to get people out of the ditches. He was not hurt and the cop was coming over to "talk" to him.

As I drove past I gave him a little honk and a friendly wave. I sooooo wanted to flip him off, but I restrained myself and decided to kill him with kindness. He did not look happy.
chad_said
18 years ago
Posted by kathsgrdn (My Page) on Wed, Jan 2, 08 at 21:21

"What happened to my last post and that one from Chad whatever his name was from this morning?"

Apparently someone didn't like my having an opinion that differed from the popular concensus, and felt the need to whine to the administrators and have the posts deleted. I recieved the following email today:

"This reminder is being sent in regards to the message entitled "RE:
Stupid, Jack___ people with road rage shouldn't drive!" posted by you to
the Kitchen Table forum at ths.gardenweb.com.

Please treat others with respect. Rudeness has no place on our forums.

Please read over the description and instructions found on each forum
as well as the user agreement.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/trans/agree.html

If you are unsure which of your postings this is in reference to,
please reread this email. If it was sent in error, you may ignore it.

There is no need to reply to this email.

Thank you for participating in the forums and we hope you will take
this reminder in the spirit in which it is given!

Thanks!

GardenWeb Staff"

Seems a cowardly solution to me, rather than confronting somebody directly. Apparently this forum is alot like the roads of which we speak: passive aggressive people attacking others, but hiding behind the anonymity of a computer rather than a car! LOL!

Stupid, Jack___ people with road rage shouldn't drive!

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Stupid, Jack___ people with road rage shouldn't drive!

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