View Full Version : a little bit of road rage - did i over react ?
Suprasteve
03-07-07, 14:22
This happened a few days ago and i keep thinking about it and just wondered what you lot would have done in my situation ?
I was on the way to work in rush hour in the morning, i got to a mini roundabout and wanted to turn right. I approached cautiously, as i always do as i don’t trust other cars to give way. I couldn't have been doing more then 5 - 10 mph when i started to turn right when a van pulled onto the mini roundabout, we both locked up and stopped inches from each other. The guy in the van, aprox late 40s, starts to shout and point at me calling me you c*nt, w*nker, prick...the usual. I thought i'm not having this i'm the innocent one here so i reached for my seatbelt and jumped out of my supra, ran round to the front of his van demanding he got out (baring in mind we're still in the middle of the mini roundabout holding up the traffic with plenty of spectators). The guy now bricking it starts to tell me to calm down and wouldn't get out of his van. I start to walk round to his door so he gets out voluntarily, i then grabbed him and dragged him over to the front of my car and point to my indicator and asked if he can see it. The guy now shitting his pants starts apologising profusely so i let him go and he swiftly makes his way back to his van and shuts the door. I accept his apology and drive off calmly.
This is the first time I’ve really had road rage and feel a bit of an arse for what i did. I got to work a little shaky so I explained to my mates who told me i did the right thing and the guy will think twice about calling someone names next time, however my mrs done her nut and said i was well out of order.
opinions please...
See other road rage thread mate.
Sadly, it looks like you're the person mentioned in that thread as the 'crazy loon' who should be more diplomatic.
Hopefully the words 'grabbed and dragged' were all in jest as I certainly don't think you should of done that bud. Still, clearly no harm done and at least he learnt his lesson, but a little more tact and forward thinking might be a good idea if it happens again. ;)
Greg
im with you on this one fella, he's lucky you didnt smack him. i probabley would have. doh.
hopefully he'll think again before opening his mouth like that.
Lukeyboy2k
03-07-07, 14:30
In that situation I would be tempted to do the same, but deep down I know it is a bit over-the-top.
I know it would p!ss off other people causing an obstruction, but I often feel the need to make a point (and make the "offender" see the error of their ways). I think it would be fine to point at the indicator, but actually grabbing someone in a situation like that is a bit of a no-go IMO. As Sheefa says, take a look at the other recent thread.................I think the general concensus is to try and rise above it.
I'm growing tired of others reacting like this when it's them at fault, more people like you would help reduce the problem.
It's a risky business though.
Let's paint a different scenario, you walk over to his door he voluntarily gets out and stabs you with his knife you had not seen.
It's just not worth it...
Suprasteve
03-07-07, 14:37
Let's paint a different scenario, you walk over to his door he voluntarily gets out and stabs you with his knife you had not seen.
It's just not worth it...
you sound like my wife, she said the same thing. Thats the bit that keeps going through my head.
I think you acted like a first class w*nker. I do not know you personally but reading that does not make you sound very nice,
What if that guy had a knife? all the people you were holding up probably thought he was in the wrong till you acted in this way. I am sure if the cops seen you they woudl not have cared who was at fault but booked you.
I think you acted like a first class w*nker. I do not know you personally but reading that does not make you sound very nice.
Take the protective metal boxes on wheels out of the way for a moment though - you walk past a shop, someone comes out of the door, knocks into you and then starts shouting profanity in your face.... what do you do?
Take the protective metal boxes on wheels out of the way for a moment though - you walk past a shop, someone comes out of the door, knocks into you and then starts shouting profanity in your face.... what do you do?
The bigger man walks away. If he continues and I will get defensive, however I do not like even myself when I fight so I walk away.
however I do not like even myself
:taped:
Suprasteve
03-07-07, 14:51
I think you acted like a first class w*nker. I do not know you personally but reading that does not make you sound very nice,
fair play, your comments noted
Please be aware I wasn't posting this thread for reassurance and a pat on the back, as i say i keep thinking about it and deep down believe what i did was wrong and totally out of charactor for me.
I've made driving mistakes as i'm sure everyone has but a simple hand wave in the air and a mouthed "sorry" to apologies works for me and most people accept that but even if i believe i am in the right i never start shouting and swearing at people. This time I reacted purely because of his reaction to me.
first time and hopefully the last time.
fair play, your comments noted
Please be aware I wasn't posting this thread for reassurance and a pat on the back, as i say i keep thinking about it and deep down believe what i did was wrong and totally out of charactor for me.
I've made driving mistakes as i'm sure everyone has but a simple hand wave in the air and a mouthed "sorry" to apologies works for me and most people accept that but even if i believe i am in the right i never start shouting and swearing at people. This time I reacted purely because of his reaction to me.
first time and hopefully the last time.
Thats cool mate, never thought you were showing off on here. :)
first time and hopefully the last time.
Unlikely, the world is full of them.
http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=70224&
http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=86234&
Suprasteve
03-07-07, 15:02
Unlikely, the world is full of them.
http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=70224&
http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=86234&
blimey, maybe i'll start taking the bus to work then.:rolleyes:
As I said in a similar (but other side of the coin) thread yesterday, if he wants to stay out of harms way and not be dragged out of his car by a potentially lethal physco (not you btw :p) then he shouldn't swear at total strangers.
Can't say I agree with your actions, but he has no cause to complain. He brought it on himself.
I think i would have done the same Steve. Some drivers like to give it the big one when they are blatently in the wrong.
The other week i was driving along down a country lane, some daft bint pulled out in front of me thankfully she decided that she was going to stop mid pull out (oh err missus) or undoubtably i would have hit her. i swerved and locked up, whilst in mid skid/swerve, as i past, i looked at her to see her flipping me the birdie! :blink: Totally unprovoked. After my Tourville and Dean impression i got out to ask why she felt the need to do that, i wouldnt move the van out of her way until she appologised.
Its amasing how protected people feel whilst in a metal box with wheels.
I had a situation where some woman decided to swear at me even though she cut me up, i followed her and when she stopped i pulled my car across so she couldnt go anywhere and told her her fortune if she did it again, and gave her a lesson in road markings :d
Rollin_Thunder
03-07-07, 16:19
jealously & stupidity on his part so the only thing you did wrong & to feel bad about is letting him go with a slap for being such a muppet
i find that ppl like to crawl all your ass & start sniffing to see if you wiped you ass clean when im out driving on the roads & it really piss's me off as theres no need for it!!
To be honest mate i think you lost your cool. I know sometimes you really could throttle some people :d.
Somebody pointed out to me in my thread that there are 2 sides to every story and the other guy probably thought you were in the wrong although it sounds like he was.
Remember they are only words and gestures, the guy doesn't know you personally ;)
The best reaction is to laugh and smile at them, it seems to wind them up even more.
Try some classical music on your stereo :d
The major problem is there are a lot of bad drivers on the road. It's annoying when the car you love and your safety are put in jeopardy but I guess you can't stop it from happening.
I've suffered from road rage a bit recently and it's more to do with being angry/worried about how badly people act on the road and how potentially lethal it is.
What you did is just one of those things mate, don't feel bad about it. It may have been stupid, it may have been dangerous but it happened and there's nothing you can do about it. Thankfully you got away with it and hopefully the other guy will be a more considerate road user.
dangerous brain
03-07-07, 17:11
All depends on if he pulled out from the left/in front of you or the right really. If the left then yeah fair do's having a pop is the reaction some would take, similar to someone pushing in front of you in a queue AFAI am concerned. If it was from the right then nope I would have to say he had a good case for name calling lol.
Suprasteve
03-07-07, 17:17
All depends on if he pulled out from the left/in front of you or the right really. If the left then yeah fair do's having a pop is the reaction some would take, similar to someone pushing in front of you in a queue AFAI am concerned. If it was from the right then nope I would have to say he had a good case for name calling lol.
let me explain...
The mini roundabout had 3 entrys. i could go straight on or right. the other guy coming in the opposite direction, he could go straight on or left.
I was already on the mini roundabout and already truning right. He wanted to go straight across (i.e. where i come from).
Its been a while since i done my driving test but i'm pretty sure a driver always gives way to the person on the right - which was me.
You were in the right with regard the highway code and in the wrong with your overeaction! Diplomacy always works!
Gaz Walker
03-07-07, 17:27
The best reaction is to laugh and smile at them, it seems to wind them up even more.
My mate does that, waves too. It gets right up people ;)
I think you might have went a little OTT Steve, although its not like you were going to kill kim, and hopefully he wasn't going to kill you - so a lesson hopefully learnt :)
Gaz.
You were in the right with regard the highway code and in the wrong with your overeaction! Diplomacy always works!
fighting total strangers solves everything :p
The question isn't about the series of events leading up to the incident,or who was in the right or wrong when you entered the roundabout but rather your subsequent actions once it had taken place.
You've already answered the question for yourself, or rather your conscience has. What happened at the time was a momentary loss of self control under provocation from the other party.
Looking at it objectively, you over reacted, lost your cool/temper and it could have ended up so badly for you it doesn't bare thinking about.
Next time if it happens, count to ten, take a deep breath, do whatever, but don't do what you did and think about the consequences and the possible effect on others.
You wouldn't want to be another Stephen Cameron, would you?
supra steveo
03-07-07, 18:11
hehe someone get there agry voice out of the box,try not to touch them next time thats classed as assault these days
lambertpig
03-07-07, 18:14
regardless of who was in the right or wrong nobody should be subjected to verbal abuse. i would have stopped and in a very diplomatic verbal manner made him feel very stupid for being so rude. remember if you lay your hands on somebody first without them going for you then its common assult regardless of whatever they have said to you, the road is always full of witnesses who may not have heard anything but just seen you throwing the guy about in a pychotic manner. so be carefull
easy for me to preach as it has never happened to me
I heard of a local guy who did exactly what you did, only difference is that he ended up in hospital, the other guy got out the car as requested and then beat him half to death.
To many unknowns in this day and age, think yourself lucky and learn from your mistake.
My feelings on this (no surprise in what follows) are the same as Doug's.
What we've all got to remember is that as car nuts that take pride in out motors & drive them properly (well I hope you do), the 'others' out there on the road have only learned to drive and passed a very basic qualification because they have to. To them its a necessity, not a pleasure..... Some even hate driving!!
So, when faced with a total knob you've just got to remember these four words "THEY KNOW NO BETTER". That's the simple truth, and once you identify this then you can shake your head, wave them on and pity them for their poor driving skills.
Keep a calm head on your shoulders, and then drive on by as you pass them further down the road buried into some road furnature!
It's not easy to stay calm when you're in the right and they start cursing and swearing at you when it's so obviously their fault. :d
I was going straight on at a three lane roundabout at the end of the motorway, I was in the middle lane which incidently could also be used for turning right together with the right hand lane.
I was in my long wheelbase van which is much larger than the Supra.
This stupid cow was in the left lane when on the roundabout and decided to turn right , no indicators either. I beeped the horn and braked hard , they had the nerve to turn around and gave me all sorts of abusive.
I decided to follow them as I was fuming,followed them about three miles to the Asda carpark. I had calmed down by then, but I just wanted to know why they thought I was in the wrong.
They stopped their car and, this big bloke who was about 6' 7" and 20 stone got out, he was itching for a fight and was trying to provoke me
Needless to say I was lucky to get away, not that I'm a coward but I knew it just wasn't worth it as you never know what could happen in such a situation.
I ended up apologising to him , I couldn't even speak to him rationally about what had happened, the nutter wouldn't even listen.
The morale of the story is - best to not get involved, you never know what could happen!
Steve I'm surprised at your reaction but I know how you feel, I see this every day on the roads especially in my job, but I understand where you are coming from and agree with your actions(wish sometimes I do the same) As said by others ignore them and carry on your way as at the end of the day you do not know the other person or know what they are carrying but I do see your point( I can imagine his face when you got out to face him lol)
some fucker in a truck cut in front of me today on way to work - really shook me up... so when it was clear, i drove close to his window - beeped, and gave him the finger...
dangerous brain
04-07-07, 01:26
I empathise then. You didn't make it clear from your first post which direction the said guy was coming from and as these sodding small roundabouts can prove confusing to some I had to ask.
Its all well and good to sit behind a keyboard and say "hey keep your cool" and yes those people would be in the right saying as much. But then so would the people that say "don't speed". You are way more likely to kill someone or be killed in a ton plus accident than an incident of road rage. I've had a couple of little incidents myself and its usually gestures from another driver thats done something ridiculous and then given it some thats sparked me off. As far as someone cutting me up goes I find holding the horn on and following them for as long as it takes to get an apology works nicely :D
[QUOTE= probably thought he was in the wrong till you acted in this way. I am sure if the cops seen you they woudl not have cared who was at fault but booked you.[/QUOTE]
i know of a guy who lost his lience for a year because of this
at a set of lights bloke cut him up, as they were braking for them...
cops three cars down behind them booked them charged banned etc.. think on..!!!:blink:
Life's too short to waste time trying to argue and educate some people.
Just shoot the next one in the face :d
Let's paint a different scenario, you walk over to his door he voluntarily gets out and stabs you with his knife you had not seen.
It's just not worth it...
or he thinks sod this, there's a loon coming at me, I'll run the bastard over and escape a beating/stabbing/arse whipping...
just call him a c*nt, give him the finger and drive on, have a little burn and back end wobble and yoiu'll soon forget about it:d
I'm like a magnet for them :)
Another one this morning, BMW driver (new 3 series) so it can be written off fairly easily but he demonstrated the usual mentality where he did something wrong but chose to vent his frustrations at me.
5 lane motorway, the 2 inside ones are for the M1, the 3 outside for the M621 - he's in the very outside lane of the M621, I'm in the outside of the M1 overtaking a lorry.
All of a sudden he puts his indicator on and moves from lane 3 to lane 1 then starts moving towards the side of me, indicator still on from lane 3....
Car behind me, lorry to my left, I lift and make a gap for him, he pulls in and starts giving me the finger! WTF!
I passed him and he pointed at his eyes as if to say I need to be more observant and then he pointed at the hard shoulder. LOL!!!
I carry on and pull off at the next junction, as he passes he leans over and gives me the old "V" through his passenger window.
And all because I saw him coming and let him in - bless him :)
I would have quite happily of had a chat with him on the hard sholder. May be he wanted to thank you for letting him in if not he could very easily slip and fall into the motor way :D
I would have quite happily of had a chat with him on the hard sholder.
Sadly it's illegal to just pull up on the hard shoulder for a chat, I would have been happy for him to come off at the next junction with me though :)
Ahh always the model citizan eh Michael ;)
Im with ya mate i wish i had done it many times!
I think you did the right thing.
Iv your going to sit and think WHAT IF he had a knife then you can apply that to anything, what if you go through a bad neighbourhood and they have knives?
I would of done exactly the same thing. You cant live life by what if's. Ok it was riskey but im sure he wont do it again. What if he didnt stop in time? Could of cause you or someone else some serious damage, now youv made him stop and think.
Twin Turbo Jim
14-07-07, 20:52
You were in the right with regard the highway code and in the wrong with your overeaction! Diplomacy always works!
Diplomacy doesnt always work mate. People in their cars can be very agressive even if they are totaly in the wrong. I drive a bloody big bus all day and obey the highway code like rules from god but i still get verbul abbuse on an almost daily basis because the standard of driving by some is so bad. You cant reason with them even if you calmley explain what they have done wrong they wont listen to you. I quit often feel like getting out and bashing their heads against a wall, but you do have to show some restraint actually pushing them about takes you down to their level. Just say prick and move on is best.
Sadly people think they're a lot bigger when they're sat in their tin tanks...
Twin Turbo Jim
14-07-07, 21:03
Sadly people think they're a lot bigger when they're sat in their tin tanks...
Not bigger than me in my bus but they still argue.
We need a club outing in your bus :)
Twin Turbo Jim
14-07-07, 21:35
We need a club outing in your bus :)
So we can all shout abuse back together?
redtwinturbo
14-07-07, 23:20
I understand why you got so angry, I have felt the same way on a number of occasions before.
However, recently I was involved in an incident where I was crossing the road at a zebra crossing with my missus and three of my friends when a nutjob in a 4x4 intentionally sped towards us, hitting me and pushing me backwards onto the pavement before driving off - he then stopped about 10 metres further on and reversed back for another go! I had never experienced unprovoked agression at this level before - somone could easily have been killed.
At the time I was far to shocked to do anything but it has made me realise that there are some such total nutters on the road that someone you stop and argue with could so easily shoot/stab etc you that its really not worth it! Take care on the roads guys they really are a crazy place :blink:
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