Road Rage, revisited.

[5030]

You must live near me, I'm in SE Michigan as well. I go up and down 23 all the time and the median speed is 80 except around Dundee where the speed cop sits constantly and everyone knows it except out of town folks that usually get nabbed.

I set my cruise at 67 and run with the big trucks. At 67, I get 40 mpg and I'm all good with that. I just leave a bit earlier to get to where I'm going on time.

I bet when gas hots 10 bucks a gallon (and it will), people will maybe slow down, maybe.

Filled the wife's Burb the other day. Took almost 200 clams to fill it up.

 

[MossRoad]

I keep wondering when the price of fuel will cause people to slow down from a gas guzzling 80 to something reasonable?

Was thinking the same thing as I was driving the Suburban at 80 just to keep up with traffic on Oklahoma highways.

Apparently, that time has not yet come.

 

[blee03]

I set my cruise at 67 and run with the big trucks. At 67, I get 40 mpg and I'm all good with that. I just leave a bit earlier to get to where I'm going on time.

40 mpg?
You driving a honda civic?

 

[ultrarunner]

40 mpg?
You driving a honda civic?

Older Corolla?

 

[jaxs]

No, I really don't think it will. I have been thinking about this myself as I cruise around in my 14mpg 2500HD lately. If I slowed down a bit, I could probably save.... a couple dollars a month? No thanks, I guess I'd rather still save 10 minutes per day of driving and just pay the surcharge.

Besides, on our busy Michigan highways, when you're bumper to bumper at 80 mph, there's not nearly as much aerodynamic penalty, because everyone is essentially drafting the car in front of them.

Ah-haa so THAT was you back there riding my bumper,and what is it you call what you were doing,,,,drafting? Well in case you are interested I called you several names,none of them was drafter.

 

[JasperFrank]

I believe that driver's Ed and the tests required to get a driver's license are just too lame in the USA.

To get a drivers' license in Germany and other places in Europe; it is a difficult test, equal to a Commercial Class License in the US.

A friend's mother, that was German, had to take the test three times to pass, to drive in Germany. Each time it was expensive. When she moved to the US, and had to take the driving tests again, she thought it was a joke, that it was so easy, inexpensive and processed to fast.

I remember her saying something along the lines of ... "You just give these licenses out like candy."

She did end up getting in several accidents, because she expected other drivers to know what they were doing.

 

[kenmbz]

I was driving to work early one morning and saw a car drifting left coming at me.
I hit the horn and could actually see the guy straighten up and panic steer back into his lane.
Fast asleep at the wheel. He would have missed me, and launched off a bridge.

So the horn, when used as designed can be helpful.

I did once though have someone back into me in a parking lot, I was full on the horn.
Person said they thought they heard something before they hit me.
Not the brightest, luckily low speed bumper to bumper.

 

[jaxs]

I believe that driver's Ed and the tests required to get a driver's license are just too lame in the USA.

To get a drivers' license in Germany and other places in Europe, it is a difficult test, equal to a C class license in the US.

A friend's mother, that was German, had to take the test three times to pass to drive in Germany. Each time it was expensive. When she moved to the US, and had to take the driving tests again, she thought it was a joke, that it was so easy, inexpensive and fast.

I remember her saying something along the lines of ... "you just give these licenses out like candy."

Since you brought up foreign countries,guests,refugies,new voters or whatever you prefer calling them can pick up Green Cards,driver licenses,proof of insurance and a laundry list of other documents they might find handy at several outlets conveniently located throughout Texas on their way North from the border. Kind of one stop shopping.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

No, I really don't think it will. I have been thinking about this myself as I cruise around in my 14mpg 2500HD lately. If I slowed down a bit, I could probably save.... a couple dollars a month? No thanks, I guess I'd rather still save 10 minutes per day of driving and just pay the surcharge.

Besides, on our busy Michigan highways, when you're bumper to bumper at 80 mph, there's not nearly as much aerodynamic penalty, because everyone is essentially drafting the car in front of them.

If you are saving 10 minutes a day, you need to think about moving closer to work. If you drive an hour at 70, you go 70 miles. If you drive an hour at 80, you drive 80 miles. Going 80 miles at 70 takes you an extra 8 minutes and 34 seconds. To save 10 minutes, you have to drive 93 miles at 80 instead of 70.

 

[JasperFrank]

Last real road rage was about 2 years ago. I had to brake hard for some cars ahead of me that had for some reason come to a full stop on a 55 MPH Road. The guy in back of me, which I'm assuming was tailgating, didn't see what I saw and why I braked, and for some reason, after the compression of cars, started again, he drove along side of me, gave the finger, and then attempted to ram the side of my car, which I barely avoided. I think he really was attempting to hit my car as in a collision to send me off the road.
I have no idea why this person did this. I have no political stickers on my car. I still can't understand it.

 

[Jstpssng]

If you are saving 10 minutes a day, you need to think about moving closer to work. If you drive an hour at 70, you go 70 miles. If you drive an hour at 80, you drive 80 miles. Going 80 miles at 70 takes you an extra 8 minutes and 34 seconds. To save 10 minutes, you have to drive 93 miles at 80 instead of 70.

It's 200 miles to my mother's house. That extra 10 mph saves me over 30 minutes each way. (3 1/2 vs 4 hours.)I sat down and calculated how much more gas I was using and it figured to around a gallon.

Even at 5$/gallon, that's a pretty poor wage.

 

[cqaigy2]

Last real road rage was about 2 years ago. I had to brake hard for some cars ahead of me that had for some reason come to a full stop on a 55 MPH Road. The guy in back of me, which I'm assuming was tailgating, didn't see what I saw and why I braked, and for some reason, after the compression of cars, started again, he drove along side of me, gave the finger, and then attempted to ram the side of my car, which I barely avoided. I think he really was attempting to hit my car as in a collision to send me off the road.
I have no idea why this person did this. I have no political stickers on my car. I still can't understand it.

He was frightened and might have thought you brake checked him.

One time i was sitting at a stop sign, waiting for the car to go thru the intersection. I could tell he wasn't paying attention and when he got into the intersection, and saw me, it startled him and he gave me the universal, "your number one" signal. I couldn't help but chuckle.

 

[jaxs]

He was frightened and might have thought you brake checked him.

One time i was sitting at a stop sign, waiting for the car to go thru the intersection. I could tell he wasn't paying attention and when he got into the intersection, and saw me, it startled him and he gave me the universal, "your number one" signal. I couldn't help but chuckle.

Sound's like the same guy that farts then asks "Who the he** farted?

 

[Sigarms]

While on my way home from my mother's house today I observed a vehicle pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, with a white (Ford?) pickup in front of it which was partially off the road with the driver’s side door open, so that the lane was almost completely blocked. The driver was apparently back talking to the occupants of the first vehicle.

This was on a hill on the main artery approaching town, in a spot where visibility is limited. I slowed down to around 30-35 mph and straddled the center line; then sounded my horn to remind the driver that he was blocking the road. He immediately jumped up and ran toward me, screaming. At that point my dog went on alert and started barking in a manner which says don’t mess with me. I thought briefly that I had made contact with the other motorist but when I looked in my mirror he was giving me a one finger wave. When I looked back the next time he was standing by his truck, with the door still open.

It wasn’t until I got home that I realized he had hit the side of my truck with both hands or fists, putting two small dents in it.

I contacted the PD in that town, just to make sure that a complaint hadn't been filed against me. So far they haven't heard anything, but took my information.
It still could come back to bite me. I probably shouldn't even post this, but haven't done anything wrong except blow my horn at the wrong person. I think that I'm going to disconnect it tomorrow.

Perhaps I'm the odd man out, but from what you wrote and what you did, other than laying on the horn perhaps 3' away from the guy while you were passing(and I don't know if you did that or not), YOU did NOTHING wrong IMO.

I might of missed it, but I didn't know in Maine you could be hauled in for honking your horn because you were dealing with a idiot.

You honked your horn at a guy that could cause a major accident on the way he was parked.

 

[Jstpssng]

Perhaps I'm the odd man out, but from what you wrote and what you did, other than laying on the horn perhaps 3' away from the guy while you were passing(and I don't know if you did that or not), YOU did NOTHING wrong IMO.

I might of missed it, but I didn't know in Maine you could be hauled in for honking your horn because you were dealing with a idiot.

You honked your horn at a guy that could cause a major accident on the way he was parked.

He was more than 3 feet away; rather, leaning against a car which was safely pulled over, while I was to the rearward and straddling the center line. In hindsight I should have driven past his truck, maybe taken a picture of how his truck was parked and called it in. At the time I wasn't really sure he had punched my truck, as my dog was going ape**** in the rear seat the way that I had forgotten he could get. Besides, who could be stupid enough to attack a moving vehicle?
I suspect that I wasn't the first to blow their horn. I also believe that things would have escalated immensely if I had stopped; in which case it was my word against his and that of his friends.

I still have to look at those dents every time that I check my passenger side mirror.

 

[Sigarms]

I still have to look at those dents every time that I check my passenger side mirror.

I'd be after his insurance company for him being the arsehole causing damage to your vehicle.

You saw something wrong, you tried to warn him using YOUR common sense (apparently what they lacked) and he is the one who went ape *****.

I get the fact that horns can cause problems if used incorrectly being a butthole honking on them, but from EVERYTHING that you described, you were only trying to help by using your horn.

I mean, what are you supposed to do, pull over on the side of the road and explain to the idiot that his car door should not be open blocking a line on a tight pass??

Serious question... You guys have idiots living up there that use meth? I've been down south so long, I just figured it's only known down here LOL

 

[Jstpssng]

You guys have idiots living up there that use meth?

I think that crap must be everywhere. We've even taken training on what to do if we find an active or abandoned lab in the woods.
Basically, get out of there and call in the pros.

 

[Sigarms]

I think that crap must be everywhere. We've even taken training on what to do if we find an active or abandoned lab in the woods.
Basically, get out of there and call in the pros.

Again, in all sincerity, per your original post per this thread, I don't see you doing anything more than being a concerned bystander trying to point out the stupidity of the situation with the way the guy was parked with his door open.

 

[Jstpssng]

Again, in all sincerity, per your original post per this thread, I don't see you doing anything more than being a concerned bystander trying to point out the stupidity of the situation with the way the guy was parked with his door open.

Thanks. I wish that I had stopped now, as he would be paying the repair bill. I suspect it would have escalated, he seemed pretty unglued.

 

[Sigarms]

Thanks. I wish that I had stopped now, as he would be paying the repair bill. I suspect it would have escalated, he seemed pretty unglued.

Thank you. My whole thought process is you shouldn't have worried he would report you, he should have been worried you would have reported him.

You tried to do good, and got dealt a crazy.

From your original description of events, I would have probably done the same thing as you.

I'm sorry, I'm just not at the point that I'm so scared of stupid people that I wouldn't use my car horn to alert people to a possible dangerous situation. If someone is that stupid and comes unglued by someone else beeping their car horn, let God deal with him and the situation and at least know you tried.

You can't save people from themselves.