Zero Tolerance

[Andy in Germany]

I find waving, smiling and/or blowing a kiss has the dual advantage that not only does it keep me calmer, it also annoys the person swearing and gesticulating far more than anything else I could do...

 

[Drago]

Bring it on!

 

[Johnno260]

I’m getting a Hulkamania jersey! lol

 

[tyred]

I find nobody bothers me since I got my new car.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@Johnno260

 

[MikeG]

Ignore them. they're twots. If I got angry every time I saw a twot doing twottish things I'd have exploded long ago. Let them get on with it and quietly enjoy the schaudenfreude when it goes wrong for them.

Someone years ago who pulled out in front of me causing me to make an emergency stop got about 400 yards before his rear wheel fell off. That's once-in-a-lifetime schaudenfreude.

 

[MikeG]

Johnno, whilst your driving may have been exemplary, your behaviour wasn't. I find it better for my blood pressure if I try to set miscreants a good example, rather than explode at their idiocy.

 

[Drago]

Someone years ago who pulled out in front of me causing me to make an emergency stop got about 400 yards before his rear wheel fell off. That's once-in-a-lifetime schaudenfreude.

I had a good one, but not quite as goods as that. At one times my ex had a spanking new Astra coupe turbo. Went like greased weasel sheet. Very showy thing with the Irmscher wheels and gee gaws. Anyway, I'd borrowed it to collect the kids from the outlaws house. On the way back it hammered it down with rain - I'm a sedate driver anyway, and was aware that I had too much power and too little grip so was taking it very steady. I got caught at the traffic lights and some twot in a Clio Williams pulls alongside, starts giving me the eye and revving his motor. I ignore him and pull gently away while he went wheel spinning off up the road.

Half a mile later he came to a roundabout, lost it, slid off the road sideways at great speed, and folded both nearside wheels neatly under the car - quite an impressive sight. I was enjoying his misery so much I must've gone around this roundabout a dozen times crying with laughter before I could bring myself to continue my journey.

 

[Silver Fox]

Thing is, you just don’t know what road rage psycho you could be getting involved with. As hard as it is, best just to keep calm, smile and not rise to their bait, swallow your pride, not your teeth. In addition, take comfort from the fact that they drive like aggressive idiots as compensation for having a tiny willy.

 

[Accy cyclist]

We need more traffic calming measures. I have one,it's called a Suzuki Ignis. It's an insipid yellow (I was told by a 'herbal guru' that this shade of yellow sends out a 'I don't want to fight you, let's smoke some herbs instead' kind of message) in colour with an Accrington Stanley mini scarf,a 'Keep wider of the rider' sticker which tells motorists to be considerate around cyclist,their favourite other road users and a 'I Support EST' sticker with a donkey's head on it which i assume is an animal charity (It was in the car when i bought the car). All these things produce calmness and a sense of inner well-being to that irate motorist behind me,who's trying to overtake me while i'm doing 30 mph in a 40 mph zone. Well at least i think they do.

 

[Johnno260]

Johnno, whilst your driving may have been exemplary, your behaviour wasn't. I find it better for my blood pressure if I try to set miscreants a good example, rather than explode at their idiocy.

oh my behaviour is truly rock bottom I can't even begin to deny this, it's just the complete contempt people treat other road users with that sets me off.

 

[MikeG]

oh my behaviour is truly rock bottom I can't even begin to deny this, it's just the complete contempt people treat other road users with that sets me off.

If everyone drives around with that attitude, though, we're in trouble. It goes like this: "I'm sick and tired of other drivers' poor behaviour, so I act badly in turn".

You've just increased the number of poorly behaving drivers on the road by one, and if everyone reacts the way you are doing, then we soon end up circling the plug hole. It's almost a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Primary school teachers have a strategy. They seek to praise good behaviour rather than rant and rave at bad behaviour. Catch someone being good is the creed. If we all as drivers applied this to our driving behaviour, by noticing and acknowledging good and thoughtful behaviour rather than ranting at the idiots then we could expect to see a general rise in the level of consideration for others on the road. The only thing you can control are your own actions, and if we all started there, drove as courteously as we could, then the ****wits would be fewer, and our collective blood pressure would be lower.

 

[Johnno260]

If everyone drives around with that attitude, though, we're in trouble. It goes like this: "I'm sick and tired of other drivers' poor behaviour, so I act badly in turn".

You've just increased the number of poorly behaving drivers on the road by one, and if everyone reacts the way you are doing, then we soon end up circling the plug hole. It's almost a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Primary school teachers have a strategy. They seek to praise good behaviour rather than rant and rave at bad behaviour. Catch someone being good is the creed. If we all as drivers applied this to our driving behaviour, by noticing and acknowledging good and thoughtful behaviour rather than ranting at the idiots then we could expect to see a general rise in the level of consideration for others on the road. The only thing you can control are your own actions, and if we all started there, drove as courteously as we could, then the ****wits would be fewer, and our collective blood pressure would be lower.

All true and also the reason I'm looking to canning going to my offices and working from home, I don't want to add to an already bad situation.

I'm not looking to excuse my actions as they're totally not acceptable, it's better if I remove myself from the situation.

 

[Gary E]

Unfortunately the problem with turning the other cheek is that it's not always seen by the other party as you being the bigger man. Often it's seen as you backing down, can reinforce their poor behavior and make you, and others, more of a target in future.
I like to stay calm and non-confrontational for the majority of the time but every now and then, when the situation dictates, I prefer to go absolutely nuclear on someone's ass, just to remind them that I can

 

[Drago]

Unfortunately the problem with turning the other cheek is that it's not always seen by the other party as you being the bigger man. Often it's seen as you backing down, can reinforce their poor behavior and make you, and others, more of a target in future.

whereas shouting, screaming, and generally behaving like a teet yourself is guaranteed to make them stop, think about the error of their ways, and then reform immediately.














Not.