Road rage episode

by Introspection 18 Replies latest jw friends

  • Introspection
    Introspection

    Ok.. For those of you who may not know me from previous posts, all I can say is this is unusual for me and please do not judge me as a person for it. For the other friends who know me by such, please take this into consideration when you read this. I would like to get some feedback on this, perhaps from some of the folks from the martial arts threat Joel started recently, especially if you have also read my other posts.. (hopefully a well balanced combo)

    When I was coming home from work today I pulled out of a gas station to a four lane road, I need to make a right to get on the highway. There was a long line of cars, and I heard someone beeping but couldn't pinpoint the source. Well, the guy on the left was a good distance away so I and the person behind me pulled in to make the immediate right onto the highway, where I also checked by looking to the left to make sure there are no oncoming traffic. Well, the woman behind me went south, I went north and this guy with long grey hair pulled up next to me and the movement of his car might have been seen as potentially swerving into mine (it didn't, and wasn't that convincing if it was intended as such) and he excitedly gave me the bird/finger, while I raised my right hand in a "what are you talking about?" gesture and then he pulled in front of me.

    Well, the only thing I can think of is that he was in the other lane on that side of the road and I didn't see him, because I did look around elsewhere and I would have saw if anyone came close to hitting me.

    But, I decided to follow him.

    The trip from work to my house/town is about 12 miles. I didn't do this immediately, kind of sat with it a little bit. At first I was kind of in his blind spot, but then I proceeded to pull up behind him and pulled out my mag-light just in case something happend.. He changed lanes several times (also changed two lanes over immediately after getting on the highway) and I followed him. I had a calm but visibly not-happy face. (I double checked in the mirror) I noticed him looking in the mirror several times. I pretended that I was still following him as he pulled right to get off at my usual exit, but as he pulled out I proceeded on the highway to take the next one instead. I kept a save distance throughout, I did not tailgate him.(incidentally, later I realized the police station is right off that exit, though I didn't think of it at the time)

    OK, I know this probably sounds crazy to most people, but I thought this guy would be forced to think about it a little bit. While spending a little time on the treadmill it occurred to me that I have very little psychological fear, (as opposed to the physiological response of adrenaline etc, which I did feel during and after) the last time I remember feeling psychological fear was while under the influence of a binaural brainwave CD, I felt a demonic entity was hovering above me. (can you guess that I was still under the JW spell?)

    Anyways at one point I did feel just a bit of sadness at having potentially caused such psychological terror in this guy, even though he obviously wanted to display himself as a tough guy. Now please, believe me when I say I am not someone who would go pick fights, this is certainly not a regular occurrance in my life. I suppose maybe in a way this is how I chose to get it out of my system rather than bottle it up and pretend it didn't happen when the fact is it's still with me. So... I don't know guys. In these crazy times I certainly don't want to cause more chaos, I mean it does occur to me that even though I was in control, he might have rear ended the guy in front of him as he was getting off. So what do you think? Please, please take into consideration what you know of me outside of this episode, I'm not a bad guy really!

  • Introspection
    Introspection

    Oh, BTW only the right lane of that road is a turn lane..

  • Tina
    Tina

    ((((((((intro))))))))
    I know you to be a truly sweet individual.I think all you did was react to your anger. And after your reaction and the adrenaline rush was over,your conscience kicked in.(sadness) Hey we all lose it from time to time. we're human! Try to let it go sweetie :>. Don't bring the individual and his behavior home with ya!
    Want to hear something that sounds silly? But works?
    WHen I'm aggravated about something that is done and over with.And I find myself still mulling over it(remember you have no control over anyones behavior,just your own) I'll physically walk out the door,walk in the garden,and tell myself I'm leaving this issue 'outside'. Walk back in the house and close the door behind me.
    Hope this made some sense lol.luv,T

    'Boycott Shampoo! Demand the real Poo!

  • Ranchette
    Ranchette

    Intro,
    I’m not going to judge you. It’s not my place to do that any way.
    I will let you know what I thought after reading your post.
    First I feel you already see how unwise this was and probably won’t do it again, right?
    This situation could have gotten very nasty. It also could have gone one way or the other.
    What I mean is he could have turned out to be a psycho and pulled a gun and shot you or you could have been a psycho for all he knew and could have blown him away.
    I hope you both realize this so nothing bad will happen in the future.
    I don’t feel sorry for the guy if he was scared. That’s what he deserved for not thinking before acting like a maniac!
    Just be thankful it didn’t get worse and please be more sensible in the future.

    Ranchette

  • Introspection
    Introspection

    Actually, I don't particularly regret it.. Like I said fear wasn't involved, the adrenaline rush is frankly just a matter of preparing myself, my mind was actually working. The way I see it, I was communicating something to him.

    I guess the crazy thing is I really have very little fear for my life, though since I would prefer not dying prematurely I "should" probably have some. Although I certainly wouldn't want to cause some crazy guy to start shooting a gun on the highway and I guess people would miss me if I died... And of course, causing the crazy guy distress would not be cool either.. But believe me I will handle it with more tact in the future, thanks.

  • D wiltshire
    D wiltshire

    Itro,

    I feel what you did isn't bad, it just caused you to get a little worked up that's all.
    I have the same urges when someone flips me the bird, usually I try real hard to not concentrate on the gesture,(I did qualify it as usually, but not always successful).

    Look at it as a learning experience, and that's about all I can say without being a hypocrite.

    If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?
  • ashitaka
    ashitaka

    I'm not an attention whore, but Intro wanted me to post this.

    Last night, on the way home from a hockey game, I was chased around the streets of trenton New Jersey by a black Ford f-150. I was dropping my little brother off at my parents house, and when we pulled onto the street, I noticed a black ford with his highs flashing behind me. I tried to pull over but he wouldn't pass. I didn't cut anybody off and did'nt even notice the truck untilI pulled onto my parents street.

    This bozo followed me to my parents driveway, and tried to hit me as I pulled up. I told everyone to stay in the car. The guy in the black car stopped and waited for five minutes then pulled away.

    I told my brother to run in the house, and then pulled up next to my wife's car to let her out. Then I saw the same truck fly from around the corner behind me. I sped off down the street. I winded my way down my parents street at 55 (this is a residential neighborhood). I managed to get to the main road, and was doing 65 in a 35. The whole time he was trying to get on the side of me to run me off the road.

    I managed to make my way to the warehouse district in trenton, where the road are very wide for the trucking. I was pushing 95-100 as this guys is still chasing me. I was turning at 55mph on the roads, which are so big it's more like a merge between businesses.

    He finally stopped chasing us as we were going into the heart of trenton, because i guess he saw my wife calling the cops. I didn't want to stop because who knows what the nut was going to do?

    Later on we found out that the kid is just a drunk who like to menace people from his high school-i don't know how he mistook me for a 17 year old, but who knows. He has done stuff like this before-and thankthe lord......I HAVE A NAME.

    Here ya go intro

    ashitaka

    "I pray that I may never see the desert again-hear me God."-Robert Bolt

  • Xena
    Xena

    lol I started out wondering if this was just a "man" thing, but then I remembered that I had tailed a couple of people who pissed me off before Never followed them for any length of time, but got on their tail after they cut me off...really scared myself later thinking about what might have happened. But you do get an adrenaline rush at the time, don't you?

    In retrospect I don't think it is a good thing to do for obvious safety reasons...now days I tend to laugh off stuff like people cutting me off and shooting me the finger...lol for some reason that tends to upset them more than anything...go figure?

  • SixofNine
    SixofNine

    I was about to ask you "what the hell were you thinking?- - why not just let it go after the initial bluster, after all it was him that was mad initially, not you."

    Then I remembered that several years ago, I continued following behind a guy even after he had waved a gun at me. I guess I intimidated the hell out of him, huh? lol. Geez, I wished I'd had a mag-light, I would have bumped him.

    Guess we just wear a little thin sometimes, Intro. Hopefully less and less as time goes on.

  • joelbear
    joelbear

    Here in Atlanta road rage is quite common. I experience some form of it almost every day. I recently bought a PT Cruiser and for some reason this seems to bring out the absolute worst in people. I can't figure out why. I get more mean stares and erratic driving behavior around me in this car than I did in my old Jeep that had two gay rainbow flags on the back. I have not put a rainbow flag on the PT, first because I didn't want to, now because I'm afraid it will attract even more anger.

    I have found it best to just let these road rage events pass over me. If I tried to follow all of them I would never get where I am going. I suppose its just another sign that the end is near.

    hugs

    Joel

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