PianoMan
Nitrous
In the past few weeks I've noticed an alarming increase in ROAD RAGE and just felt compelled to spout off about it for a few paragraphs.
The first incident happened while sitting at a stop light. I'm the second car from the light and in the inside lane. In front of me is a young woman, probably in her early 20's, talking on a cell phone. Right before the light turns green, the car to my right honks his little horn at the car in front of him. I say little horn because it sounded exactly like my stock horn on the Rocket. Now, the light turns green, she barrels out of the intersection, giving me the bird, and I stayed right behind her. As we two approached the next red traffic light, I pulled up next to her car and when I noticed her front window was down I said, " Pardon, I wanted you to know I wasn't the one honking the horn back there". Before my last word left my lips, I got a barrage of expletive deleted comments that didn't stop until the light turned green. Some of the words I'd never heard before but I'm guessing they pretty much went along with the words I did recognize. Her rant had to be around 110 db and she was still yelling obsenities as she pulled away. She didn't share the hand gestures until she was down the road a half block or so. SO MUCH FOR ME TRYING TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
Next was in the parking lot at my local grocery store. The two lane drive directly in front of the store has numerous makings, yellow paint and signs that say " NO PARKING - FIRE LANE". As I parked I noticed a young man in the drive and letting a young woman out of his car. He then placed it in park, turned on his stereo and dialed up someone on his cell. I walked past his front window and asked him to roll the window down. After a few seconds of " Who is this old fart and why is he tapping on MY window". I politely mentioned the posted signs and warnings and also told him there were 2 cars behind him that could not get by to exit the lot.
It took him all of a split second to tell me he didn't appreciate my talking down to him like that and I could go &*($ myself. (Hell, if I could do that....I'd never leave home) I stood there smiling and gently mentioned the police being called when I got in the store. As he layed rubber and pulled into the lot, the two elderly ladys behind me started laughing and said, " That a boy ". When I came out, he and his girl had left the scene.
Last, but not least. Today I was enjoying Kansas City's attempt at having a few days of San Diego weather without the ocean and mountains. I'm riding the bike and on the inside lane next to 2 left turn lanes onto I-35 South. I'm crossing over I-35 and because of traffic I'm only doing 30 mph (Posted 35) Several cars are to my left and slightly ahead when their left turn signal changes from yellow to red. The first car had slowed down and was easily able to stop but the guy behind him quickly swerved into my lane and ran around the stopped car. He was probably 3/4 into my lane and no more than 10 feet in front when this occured. There was just enough room for me to lean right, hit the brakes and still stay in my lane. I think I even remember looking quickly in my right mirror in case I had to go there. I caught up to him and yelled, " Next time you change lanes like that...... why don't you at least check and see if anyone else is using it at the time" He turned left on to the on ramp and launched the "Flying Fickle Finger of Fate" at me and it was over.
I guess all of this is more for me venting than any real good reason for writing it on the forum. I remembered back to the weeks and months after 9-11 when I noticed that what I had seen as ROAD RAGE in the past seemed to disappear. For the longest time everyone seemed to be thoughtful of others, careful in their driving and even polite in letting cars pull into their lane or slowing down to allow vehicles on side streets to get into the flow of traffic. Like so many other things....... I guess all of us have a short memory disorder and seem to revert back to the old ways in short order.
Anyone else have a venting moment they'd like to share. Please tell me I'm not the only one this has happened to recently!
The first incident happened while sitting at a stop light. I'm the second car from the light and in the inside lane. In front of me is a young woman, probably in her early 20's, talking on a cell phone. Right before the light turns green, the car to my right honks his little horn at the car in front of him. I say little horn because it sounded exactly like my stock horn on the Rocket. Now, the light turns green, she barrels out of the intersection, giving me the bird, and I stayed right behind her. As we two approached the next red traffic light, I pulled up next to her car and when I noticed her front window was down I said, " Pardon, I wanted you to know I wasn't the one honking the horn back there". Before my last word left my lips, I got a barrage of expletive deleted comments that didn't stop until the light turned green. Some of the words I'd never heard before but I'm guessing they pretty much went along with the words I did recognize. Her rant had to be around 110 db and she was still yelling obsenities as she pulled away. She didn't share the hand gestures until she was down the road a half block or so. SO MUCH FOR ME TRYING TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
Next was in the parking lot at my local grocery store. The two lane drive directly in front of the store has numerous makings, yellow paint and signs that say " NO PARKING - FIRE LANE". As I parked I noticed a young man in the drive and letting a young woman out of his car. He then placed it in park, turned on his stereo and dialed up someone on his cell. I walked past his front window and asked him to roll the window down. After a few seconds of " Who is this old fart and why is he tapping on MY window". I politely mentioned the posted signs and warnings and also told him there were 2 cars behind him that could not get by to exit the lot.
It took him all of a split second to tell me he didn't appreciate my talking down to him like that and I could go &*($ myself. (Hell, if I could do that....I'd never leave home) I stood there smiling and gently mentioned the police being called when I got in the store. As he layed rubber and pulled into the lot, the two elderly ladys behind me started laughing and said, " That a boy ". When I came out, he and his girl had left the scene.
Last, but not least. Today I was enjoying Kansas City's attempt at having a few days of San Diego weather without the ocean and mountains. I'm riding the bike and on the inside lane next to 2 left turn lanes onto I-35 South. I'm crossing over I-35 and because of traffic I'm only doing 30 mph (Posted 35) Several cars are to my left and slightly ahead when their left turn signal changes from yellow to red. The first car had slowed down and was easily able to stop but the guy behind him quickly swerved into my lane and ran around the stopped car. He was probably 3/4 into my lane and no more than 10 feet in front when this occured. There was just enough room for me to lean right, hit the brakes and still stay in my lane. I think I even remember looking quickly in my right mirror in case I had to go there. I caught up to him and yelled, " Next time you change lanes like that...... why don't you at least check and see if anyone else is using it at the time" He turned left on to the on ramp and launched the "Flying Fickle Finger of Fate" at me and it was over.
I guess all of this is more for me venting than any real good reason for writing it on the forum. I remembered back to the weeks and months after 9-11 when I noticed that what I had seen as ROAD RAGE in the past seemed to disappear. For the longest time everyone seemed to be thoughtful of others, careful in their driving and even polite in letting cars pull into their lane or slowing down to allow vehicles on side streets to get into the flow of traffic. Like so many other things....... I guess all of us have a short memory disorder and seem to revert back to the old ways in short order.
Anyone else have a venting moment they'd like to share. Please tell me I'm not the only one this has happened to recently!