The Chainlink

how to handle someone with road rage?

Commuting to work this morning, I turned off of Hubbard and turned onto Green Street and signaled a left turn onto Kinzie and followed all traffic laws in the process. A jerk in his suit and silver Audi came up behind me and got within inches of hitting me while I was waiting on a cement truck to make the left turn. I turned around and told him to "watch it" because his bumper was about an inch from my rear tire. He proceeded to lose his sh*t on me...I mean screaming, cussing, flailing about in the driver seat like he was having a seizure...I thought he was going to floor it and put me under his wheels....I quickly turned left and cut off the cement truck making the turn and a car because I was actually that concerned for my life. What's do you do in these situations?

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Permalink Reply by Melanie K on May 11, 2012 at 3:03pm

Oh yes, I forgot about Prius- I've been pushed into the curb by a Prius a couple of times- same lady driver, screaming at me to get out of the road (I was on the sharrow side of the lane both times, btw).  As a driver of a Volvo, I do have to admit that due to the safety factor of the car, James is pretty correct in his assessment that most Volvo owners don't really care about crashing and drive accordingly- although I make it a point to only crash into inanimate objects- such as other cars, posts, garages, etc. This is why my main transport is a bicycle.  I am super aware of cyclists when I do drive, though, so please don't worry.  :p 

Permalink Reply by Andrew on May 11, 2012 at 3:25pm

I will see your BMWs, Audis, Volvos, and (even) Prius and raise you a Lexus.  I usually try hard not to generalize, but am quite happy to in this instance.

Permalink Reply by Joe Schmoe on May 11, 2012 at 4:14pm

You have to add Jeep soft-tops.  I have never seen anyone driving a soft top the speed limit. 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on May 11, 2012 at 4:17pm

I think the worst Lexus owners are the ones with the SUV lexii.  There is something ultra-perverse about having an off-road vehicle that is also a luxury vehicle.  That goes for the BMW SUV's and the Cadillac ones as well.  Let's not even bring up Hummers.  The tiny J-hook complex that would lead someone to buy one of those to compensate has to be very strong and it translates directly into the way they drive. 

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on May 11, 2012 at 4:51pm

And as a corollary, Volvo drivers will talk your ear off about how safe their cars are. But much of that safety record comes from the fact that Volvo drivers drive like, well, Volvo drivers.

Cameron Puetz said:

The aggressiveness of BMW and Audi drivers probably has a lot to do with the capabilities of the car. People who own a car like that can own pretty much any car they want. Therefore people who drive aggressively will tend to buy a car with aggressive handling while less aggressive drivers will opt for more space or a smother ride over performance.




Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on May 11, 2012 at 8:39pm

I totally agree with this solution. A positive/silly reaction will neutralize negative behaviors in people. I often do this when people are being sh*theads to me while biking in the street. It worked back when I had a survey calling job back in the day (good thing, no-more). I would be extra friendly to the tools. It shows them they are not instilling fear in you.

Besides, if someone is going to blow a gasket because you said "watch-it," then they probably have quite a number of issues. 

Jeremy said:

I've become a big fan of the fake-positivity of a sarcastic thumbs up over everything else.  It's not as common as the middle finger and most people don't seem to know how to react to something that's not aggressive or ramping things up.  I've flashed it to people and instead of continuing to freak out they freeze. 

It won't change anyone's dangerous behavior when it comes to sharing the road, but it might get the point across in a slightly safer manner than cracking a window or taking a risk in traffic to get away from someone.

Permalink Reply by dana on May 12, 2012 at 9:55am

i'm all for the sarcastic thumbs up... if i get better at no hands riding, i'll progress to the double thumbs up or the buddy christ.  i have a friend in NY who's partial to the Team America "Secret Signal." http://youtu.be/2vOBL5qPxHs  (though that reference is getting to be pretty dated.)

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