I was the victim of road rage

[Phil Thien]

I was taking the family down to a custard stand on the lake. Was driving in the right-hand lane of our local Lake Drive. There are two lanes each direction, no bike lanes or anything like that. After going around a corner I was surprised to see a bicyclist coming right at me (massively illegal on his part).

Well aware of my proximity to other cars, I swerved into the left land. The closest car was at least two car lengths behind me, and going slower than I was, so everything should have been fine.

But the driver of that car started honking at me, pulled right up on my rear bumper, then pulled along the passenger side of my car and apparently the driver and passengers gave my wife and daughters "dirty looks."

I ignored them, and continued on my way to the ice cream place. After a red light turned green, the driver (now behind me again) started beeping. They timed it so they'd beep just as the light turned green, I wasn't daydreaming or anything.

So I turn and they follow me. I pulled over into the right lane and slowed down enough that they were forced to pass me. They passed me and started going pretty slowly.

They turned into the same parking lot (for the custard stand) as I was turning into, where there is a very heavy police presence. When they saw I followed them in, they kinda went around in circles a couple of times, and they hightailed it out of there.

None of that is too big a deal, I'll admit.

But the driver of the other car, and the passengers, were all young ladies, maybe early 20's. Newer car.

I was kinda floored how aggressively the driver was behaving (for a girl!).

She was lucky she was screwing with a nearly 50-YO guy and not some crazy young punk. I wish I would have had a chance to speak to her, because she clearly didn't understand how dangerous her actions were.

She is going to pull a stunt on the wrong guy some day, and is going to end-up with some auto damage, or worse.

Girls! Who would have thunk?

[Stephen Cherry]

That's crazy. And a great way to become a statistic. Every once in a while, I will have someone get bent out of shape because I am driving right around the speed limit, and it's eyes strait ahead for me. Why waste your time and energy dealing with it.

[glenn bradley]

Like the internet, automobiles bring out the aggressiveness in some vacuum-heads.

[Rick Potter]

Hey Phil,

A 50 year old guy being chased by a carload of 20 year old girls. Come on, you will be talking about this for years:cool:.

Rick Potter

[David C. Roseman]

[snip]

She is going to pull a stunt on the wrong guy some day...

[snip]



Or maybe the wrong girl...

[Jason Roehl]

Your swerve probably startled her from her texting.

[Chuck Wintle]

I was taking the family down to a custard stand on the lake. Was driving in the right-hand lane of our local Lake Drive. There are two lanes each direction, no bike lanes or anything like that. After going around a corner I was surprised to see a bicyclist coming right at me (massively illegal on his part).

Well aware of my proximity to other cars, I swerved into the left land. The closest car was at least two car lengths behind me, and going slower than I was, so everything should have been fine.

But the driver of that car started honking at me, pulled right up on my rear bumper, then pulled along the passenger side of my car and apparently the driver and passengers gave my wife and daughters "dirty looks."

I ignored them, and continued on my way to the ice cream place. After a red light turned green, the driver (now behind me again) started beeping. They timed it so they'd beep just as the light turned green, I wasn't daydreaming or anything.

So I turn and they follow me. I pulled over into the right lane and slowed down enough that they were forced to pass me. They passed me and started going pretty slowly.

They turned into the same parking lot (for the custard stand) as I was turning into, where there is a very heavy police presence. When they saw I followed them in, they kinda went around in circles a couple of times, and they hightailed it out of there.

None of that is too big a deal, I'll admit.

But the driver of the other car, and the passengers, were all young ladies, maybe early 20's. Newer car.

I was kinda floored how aggressively the driver was behaving (for a girl!).

She was lucky she was screwing with a nearly 50-YO guy and not some crazy young punk. I wish I would have had a chance to speak to her, because she clearly didn't understand how dangerous her actions were.

She is going to pull a stunt on the wrong guy some day, and is going to end-up with some auto damage, or worse.

Girls! Who would have thunk?
It seems to be happening a lot these days, younger/youngish girls getting aggressive behind the wheel of the car....a similar situation happened to me, young girl upset over something who then proceeded to cut me off. But your driver was with others in the car and probably she was showing off for her friends. Kinda sad because, as you said, she will mess with the wrong driver one day and...possibly get hurt or worse.

[george wilson]

Young women can be real jerks behind the wheel. Showing off for each other. I have had that happen a few times.

[Stephen Cherry]

Have you stopped to consider that she may have been on the phone, and you may have interrupted her call?

[Robert McGowen]

A different viewpoint perhaps? From your story, it would appear that you passed the other car on the right side and suddenly swerved in front of them. (As you said, they were going slower than you and you were only a couple of car lengths ahead of them, so you would have had to pass them.) It is entirely possible that they never saw the bicycle due to the curve in the road and the angle that the cars were in relation to each other. From their viewpoint, it is possible that they were minding their own business when a car passed them on the right and swerved over in front of them for no apparent reason other than to be driving aggressively. Right now, they are possibly talking about the old guy and his wife that had no idea how to drive. And road rage? I was expecting a story about someone breaking out all of your car windows at a stop light or running you off the road or something similar, not a girl giving your wife a "dirty look" and honking her horn.

[Michael Weber]

There simply isn't any excuse for that kind of behavior. Everyone makes mistakes. I recently was almost sideswiped by a car on the interstate that pulled over when I was in their blind spot. Had to swerve onto the shoulder and hit the brakes. Big deal, they made a mistake. I didnt have time to honk and didn't afterwards or try to chase them down. I simply do not understand how people can be so aggressive and obnoxious and take things like that as though it were a personal affront. Maybe it's me:confused:

[Chuck Wintle]

There simply isn't any excuse for that kind of behavior. Everyone makes mistakes. I recently was almost sideswiped by a car on the interstate that pulled over when I was in their blind spot. Had to swerve onto the shoulder and hit the brakes. Big deal, they made a mistake. I didnt have time to honk and didn't afterwards or try to chase them down. I simply do not understand how people can be so aggressive and obnoxious and take things like that as though it were a personal affront. Maybe it's me:confused:

once a big truck did the same thing to me...decided he was going right regardless. I had no choice but to quickly move over, no one was there fortunately or he would he run me over with the trailer.

[Phil Thien]

A different viewpoint perhaps? From your story, it would appear that you passed the other car on the right side and suddenly swerved in front of them. (As you said, they were going slower than you and you were only a couple of car lengths ahead of them, so you would have had to pass them.) It is entirely possible that they never saw the bicycle due to the curve in the road and the angle that the cars were in relation to each other. From their viewpoint, it is possible that they were minding their own business when a car passed them on the right and swerved over in front of them for no apparent reason other than to be driving aggressively. Right now, they are possibly talking about the old guy and his wife that had no idea how to drive. And road rage? I was expecting a story about someone breaking out all of your car windows at a stop light or running you off the road or something similar, not a girl giving your wife a "dirty look" and honking her horn.

The problem w/ your theory is that, the biker would have had to vanish after I passed them. But he continued to ride in that right-hand lane. My wife watched him and he continued in the street around the curve, until she couldn't see him any more.

So either they saw him and couldn't put two and two together, or they didn't see him because they were too busy screwing-around.

[Phil Thien]

There simply isn't any excuse for that kind of behavior. Everyone makes mistakes. I recently was almost sideswiped by a car on the interstate that pulled over when I was in their blind spot. Had to swerve onto the shoulder and hit the brakes. Big deal, they made a mistake. I didnt have time to honk and didn't afterwards or try to chase them down. I simply do not understand how people can be so aggressive and obnoxious and take things like that as though it were a personal affront. Maybe it's me:confused:

Yeah, I'm not saying my move was 100% the right move. The other possible move would have been to slam on my brakes. Slamming on my brakes may have been a better move, as what COULD have happened by moving into their lane is that they could have sweved into my old lane, and hit the guy. Of course, they were at least a couple lengths behind me, probably more I'm being conservative, absolutely not less. And I was travelling a little faster than they were.

The fact that they didn't sweve into the other lane probably indicates that there was enough room in front of them for me to move over as I did.

Of course, slamming on the brakes may have resulted in accidents behind me. If there was someone tailgating me, it may have prevented them from hitting the guy on the bike (of course, I'd have been rear-ended and have to deal with that).

No 100% correct manuever in that case, I'm afraid. But the 100% incorrect move was coming after me. I know they saw the biker, they should have gone after him, LOL.

[Pat Barry]

I agree with what Robert said. You swerved in front of them and startled them. Then when you didn't acknowledge the fact that you virtually cut them off and instead chose to ignore them, they got mad. I can see their viewpoint. You should have waved sorry and offered to buy them a cone.

[Jim Matthews]

...Or they couldn't put two and two together...

I do believe there's an app for that.
Summer, mixed use roads and hormones are a volatile mix. They showed aggression in passing to block your route.

I would have plowed into them, my brakes aren't that good.

I'm no longer interested in raising other people's children after they get behind the wheel.

They're old enough to drive? Old enough to bear consequences.

[Fred Maiman]

Yeah, I'm not saying my move was 100% the right move. The other possible move would have been to slam on my brakes. Slamming on my brakes may have been a better move, as what COULD have happened by moving into their lane is that they could have sweved into my old lane, and hit the guy. Of course, they were at least a couple lengths behind me, probably more I'm being conservative, absolutely not less. And I was travelling a little faster than they were.

The fact that they didn't sweve into the other lane probably indicates that there was enough room in front of them for me to move over as I did.

Of course, slamming on the brakes may have resulted in accidents behind me. If there was someone tailgating me, it may have prevented them from hitting the guy on the bike (of course, I'd have been rear-ended and have to deal with that).

No 100% correct manuever in that case, I'm afraid. But the 100% incorrect move was coming after me. I know they saw the biker, they should have gone after him, LOL.

It is called an "emergency lane change," you learned about it in driving class (probably), and you did nothing wrong. In fact, slamming on your brakes would have been the exact wrong move having just come around a corner like that, you would be turning your vehicle into the obstacle, and possibly caused a chained reaction.

ELC's are a fact of life. They are performed in EMERGENCIES, to prevent DISASTERS. Performed properly, they allow traffic to proceed without emergency stops, which can be far more dangerous.

The conduct of that young lady was inexcusable. She needs retraining.

[Michael Weber]

Yeah, I'm not saying my move was 100% the right move. The other possible move would have been to slam on my brakes. Slamming on my brakes may have been a better move, as what COULD have happened by moving into their lane is that they could have sweved into my old lane, and hit the guy. Of course, they were at least a couple lengths behind me, probably more I'm being conservative, absolutely not less. And I was travelling a little faster than they were.

The fact that they didn't sweve into the other lane probably indicates that there was enough room in front of them for me to move over as I did.

Of course, slamming on the brakes may have resulted in accidents behind me. If there was someone tailgating me, it may have prevented them from hitting the guy on the bike (of course, I'd have been rear-ended and have to deal with that).

No 100% correct manuever in that case, I'm afraid. But the 100% incorrect move was coming after me. I know they saw the biker, they should have gone after him, LOL.

Sorry Phil it was the other drivers reaction that I was talking about. You did nothing wrong. Hers was inexcusable.

[Chuck Wintle]

Sorry Phil it was the other drivers reaction that I was talking about. You did nothing wrong. Hers was inexcusable.

i wonder if she was a new driver who did not know how to react well to an emergency situation or one that requires some quick thinking. I once tried to go right and as i moved slowly to the right a lady in my blind spot freaked out, started to blow the horn and gave a dirty look as she went by me. There are all kinds of drivers out there...but one good movie comes to mind called "Duel" with Dennis Weaver...its the ultimate road rage movie.

[Phil Thien]

i wonder if she was a new driver who did not know how to react well to an emergency situation or one that requires some quick thinking. I once tried to go right and as i moved slowly to the right a lady in my blind spot freaked out, started to blow the horn and gave a dirty look as she went by me. There are all kinds of drivers out there...but one good movie comes to mind called "Duel" with Dennis Weaver...its the ultimate road rage movie.

That is very possible. She was pretty young, I didn't really get a great look at her but my daughters said she was in her early 20's maybe. So it is possible that she was a relatively new driver.

Had she pulled up next to me at a stop and rolled down her window and asked "what the heck was that?" I would have kindly bought her (and everyone else in her car) a terrific ice cream cone and explained why I did what I did.

I guess my original point was, I could have understood if it was a car of young men more than young women. I never expected that from young women.

[Prashun Patel]

Driving impersonal metal boxes around at high speeds in front of each other similarly insulated is a recipe for danger and misunderstanding.
I've felt irrational road rage as strongly as I've had it directed from others at me. I try to give a 'sorry, my bad wave' whether or not I think I'm at fault. It sometimes defuses the situation.

[Michael Weber]

i wonder if she was a new driver who did not know how to react well to an emergency situation or one that requires some quick thinking. I once tried to go right and as i moved slowly to the right a lady in my blind spot freaked out, started to blow the horn and gave a dirty look as she went by me. There are all kinds of drivers out there...but one good movie comes to mind called "Duel" with Dennis Weaver...its the ultimate road rage movie.
Have enjoyed that movie a couple of times over the years. Not a word of dialog in the movie as I recall.

[Dennis Peacock]

OK, let's keep this civil and let's not speculate on what went on. Phil did what he felt he had to do in order to keep himself and others safe. Let's move on from here.

[David Dockstader]

I believe your description is highly inaccurate. You described the "driver of the other car, and the passengers" as "all young ladies." "Lady," at least in my vocabulary, has a connotation that is not in the least applicable to this kind of behavior. We need to refer to things as they truly are. In this case, that would require using the terms "punks," "brats," or "idiots."

[Jim Rimmer]

Hey Phil,

A 50 year old guy being chased by a carload of 20 year old girls. Come on, you will be talking about this for years:cool:.

Rick Potter

+1 - I thought it was a stealth gloat. :D

[Bob Rufener]

Which custard stand did you go to and how was it? Might have to stop there some day but not after driving on Lake Shore Dr.

[Phil Thien]

Which custard stand did you go to and how was it? Might have to stop there some day but not after driving on Lake Shore Dr.

Northpoint:

http://www.northpointcustard.com/

Not bad, I've had better, I've had worse. They have pretty decent burgers and stuff. You know the type of place, a step-up from fast food, not as good as home-made, but...

It is nice sitting there and watching the water and eating frozen custard. You can't beat the view.

OTOH, sometimes it stinks due to the rotting fish or algae or whatever.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

[Mike Cruz]

Phil, she was tailgating you, you say? Him, she's lucky it wasn't me that she did it to... We used to have bumper stickers on our trucks in high school (in the 80's) that would have been appropriate for this circumstance, and I assure you, it would have happened:

Smile as you go under!

In Maryland, the law states that the vehicle that hits from the rear is ALWAYS at fault. Or should I say, the car that goes under...;)

[Phil Thien]

Phil, she was tailgating you, you say? Him, she's lucky it wasn't me that she did it to... We used to have bumper stickers on our trucks in high school (in the 80's) that would have been appropriate for this circumstance, and I assure you, it would have happened:

Smile as you go under!

In Maryland, the law states that the vehicle that hits from the rear is ALWAYS at fault. Or should I say, the car that goes under...;)

Now that right there is funny.

Knowing my luck their airbags would inflate, imbedding their cell phones in their faces, and I'd feel eternally guilty.

[Mike Cruz]

Phil, you could only wish to be so lucky! Hey, if they were giving you enough room between your car and theirs, they wouldn't have cell phones permanently imbedded in their brains... So, their fault. Hey, what if a deer jumped out in front of you while they were tailgating you? Or worse yet, what if a large object, like a stalled tractor trailer, was around a bend? You can stop in time because you are driving at a safe speed and not tailgating anyone. But that nimrod tailgating you will/might push you right into that TT and possibly kill YOU! Teach 'em young, Phil. It is our duty...

I was once being tailgated by a young impatient kid on a road where the speed limit was 55. Admittedly, I had my cruise control set on 62 and I was in the left lane. He was so close behind me...impatient...that I couldn't see the hood of his car! He was throwing his hands up, peeking around me, yelling at me... I figured, "Well, he doesn't like it when I'm going 7 over the limit, maybe I'll just take 'er down to 55, and see how much he likes that." Just as I tapped my brakes to take my car (I was driving a Dodge Intrepid at the time) out of cruise control, I noticed that he was looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was in the right lane. He glanced back at my taillights just in time to see the red. He swerved to the right...too quickly, I might add. He tried to correct it, which got him swerving back and forth trying to hold on. That put him into a 360 spin over and over (not flipping...spinning) off the road onto the shoulder. I bet he had to change his shorts. I can only hope he stays a little further back and is a little less impatient now. One can only hope.

[Ole Anderson]

You get cut off, you might get mad. But don't try to get even. Take the high road and ignore it. That is what she should have done. Some people are predisposed to pick a fight. Be careful out there, some hotheads are packing if you know what I mean.

[Pat Barry]

Ole - you are right. These days the drivers are short tempered, ill mannered, and downright dangerous so its best to avoid a confrontation.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have been in a situation where it was good the family was in the car with me. Otherwise, I would reacted with something like one of my size 11's getting inserted into an individuals' posterior. You have to take a deep breath and move on. Too many jerks like this in this world we live in. Another good reason to have a conceal/carry permit.

[Dennis Peacock]

I think everyone who gets to drive.....should be required to ride a motorcycle for the first 3 years of their driving lives. Riding motorcycle is one way to learn road manners and how to ignore the "other" drivers. I've been riding motorcycle since I was 6 years old.....47 years now. The most danger to a biker (even on bicycle) are those who are yapping on the cell phone, texting while driving, and other device related activities while attempting to drive in traffic.

Road rage doesn't have to happen....if we all stay cool, drive responsibly, be road courteous to each other. Simple as that IMHO. :)

[Mike Cruz]

While I agree with you, Dennis, and I respect and appreciate good motorcyclists. But I see more bad motorcyclists than good ones. They take advantage of the speed their bikes can achieve, the quickness of their acceleration, the nimbleness and agility that a motorcycle affords them, and throw all the rules of the road out the window. Singles and groups of bikes tearing down the road at 120+, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, passing on the right (doing said 120+), passing on the shoulder, going up the dotted line between all the cars when everyone else waits, riding wheelies down 35 mph roads doing 50+, blowing through stop signs simply because they are in a group, not stopping at stop signs because they don't want to have to put their foot down, gunning the engine just to make a lot of noise because THEY like how their bike sounds...regardless of how it effects others, etc, etc. Of course, this is not to say that vehicle drivers are necessarily any better. Don't get me wrong. But whenever I see the "watch out for bikes" signs and bumper stickers, I gruff at them. From my experience, they are more often the problem than the victim. Again, from what I've seen. And this is not to say that bikes aren't harder to be seen. Or that people don't give bikes the respect and deserve (because, everyone deserves it...until they do something that warrants a lack of respect). I do feel sorry for the good ones, believe me. But for the most part, I do not enjoy bikers on the road...

[Phil Thien]

I think everyone who gets to drive.....should be required to ride a motorcycle for the first 3 years of their driving lives.

I used to ride bikes but that was 25-30 years ago, before texting.

You had to be a defensive driver back then, I can't imagine what it is like now with every new teenage driver having a cell phone and driving down the street while texting or checking their E-Mail.

I was storing a friend's Ducati a couple of years ago, and he told me to take it out in the spring and drive it around. I did so early on Sunday mornings a couple of times. There weren't many people on the roads.