Road rage

[skribs]

Thoughts I've had this weekend on dealing with road rage:

1. Do not get out of your car to confront the other person.
2. Crack your window to talk to them, do not roll it all the way down.
3. Take pictures or video. Make sure you get the other person, their car, and their license plate if you have to file a police report. If you have a dash cam, make sure you save the footage before it loops.
4. Do nothing to escalate the situation. Be respectful and courteous, even as you stand your ground.
5. As soon as the other person threatens violence, call 911. (Or if the road rage is in response to a collision, call 911).

Comments, critiques, criticisms?

 

[jobo]

Thoughts I've had this weekend on dealing with road rage:

1. Do not get out of your car to confront the other person.
2. Crack your window to talk to them, do not roll it all the way down.
3. Take pictures or video. Make sure you get the other person, their car, and their license plate if you have to file a police report. If you have a dash cam, make sure you save the footage before it loops.
4. Do nothing to escalate the situation. Be respectful and courteous, even as you stand your ground.
5. As soon as the other person threatens violence, call 911. (Or if the road rage is in response to a collision, call 911).

Comments, critiques, criticisms?

I seem get quite a lot of road rage these days, people generally seem more inclined to fly off the handle over nothing much, that and I'm looking old, drive an old man's car and drive slowly all of which seems to make it more likely, I generally just completely ignore them unless they push it. I cant be bother getting into high speed duals with people, just let them get on with their day, they will find someone else to shout and gesture at in a few hundred yards, particularly if they have a car full .


though I've had people follow me of the road to make their point, that ive delayed them so much that their prepared to waste another 10 mins arguing about it. they tend to change their mind when I leap out and they see how big I am and I'm armed with half a pool cue

 

[Deleted member 39746]

I get the feeling some of them might not work so well if they pull a weapon or punch your side window in. You don't really want to be trapped in a car and if you cant drive away you are basically stuck in your car. (presuming no firearm)

and yes you an pull up a few videos of people getting knocked out from someone outside the car, grated a portion of them the person could have driven away or they rolled the window down. Make sure its not finger width as i think its semi easy to break the window if you pull it towards you in a way, and then some have safety mechanisms which roll the window down if they detect a obstruction. If you do roll it down.

thats mainly a compliant for the first one as it could be the tactically superior decision to get out sometimes. (baring the little tangent about the windows)


you should have a dash cam in this day and age really anyway, or a helmet camera (if its a motorbike or ATV). Oh on that definitely dismount if you are getting road raged on a motorbike. If you cant drive off anyway. You definitely do not want your motorbike on-top of you and someone kicking your body, kudos to motorcyclists though, they get to wear armour when they ride.

 

[drop bear]

Keep a saftey distance between you and the the car in front.

Then you can drive off.

 

[Deleted member 34973]

Just obey the rules of the road, drive the speed limit and simply realize that you share space with other people.

And for the love if God, quit trying to get one car length ahead. Every time someone does this, we wind up at the same red light.

Never could understand that.

 

[skribs]

@drop bear @Guthrie

What about in a parking lot?

 

[Deleted member 34973]

@drop bear @Guthrie

What about in a parking lot?

Well, that is the wild west

 

[drop bear]

@drop bear @Guthrie

What about in a parking lot?

Reverse park.

 

[jobo]

I get the feeling some of them might not work so well if they pull a weapon or punch your side window in. You don't really want to be trapped in a car and if you cant drive away you are basically stuck in your car. (presuming no firearm)

and yes you an pull up a few videos of people getting knocked out from someone outside the car, grated a portion of them the person could have driven away or they rolled the window down. Make sure its not finger width as i think its semi easy to break the window if you pull it towards you in a way, and then some have safety mechanisms which roll the window down if they detect a obstruction. If you do roll it down.

thats mainly a compliant for the first one as it could be the tactically superior decision to get out sometimes. (baring the little tangent about the windows)


you should have a dash cam in this day and age really anyway, or a helmet camera (if its a motorbike or ATV). Oh on that definitely dismount if you are getting road raged on a motorbike. If you cant drive off anyway. You definitely do not want your motorbike on-top of you and someone kicking your body, kudos to motorcyclists though, they get to wear armour when they ride.

have you ever tried to punch a car side window in ?? it's a very quick way to a broken hand

 

[Buka]

It seems to me that people get more worked up/emotional when suffering road rage than over anything else in their daily lives. I find myself worked up as well when someone does something dangerous/stupid around my car.

I don't really understand the emotional feeling I get. Nor do I understand it in others.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

have you ever tried to punch a car side window in ?? it's a very quick way to a broken hand

Seen it done, and if you cant reverse or move either direction a blunt object can be applied to break it.

And then motorcyclists wear Armour usually, so if you get into a issue with them, any good one usually has some padded gloves on. And i think a lot of contention is usually had with them. And then adrenaline does some weird things sometimes. Here is one video of it happening:

@drop bear See now both of those are good and i think are taught in defensive driving classes. Reverse parking has the better advantage of being able to drive away quicker as you acing the direction in which you will leave the parking spot and you also have better viability through your front window. At least in plenty of situations its probably better to reverse park. (if you can anyway)

 

[Invisibleflash]

If they stick their head in the window roll it up and start gnawing their nose off. They will think they are stuck in Hannibal Lecters car!

Road rage is very bad nowadays. People are burnt out and will snap over nothing. Some fat lady with a car full of kids in a van was going to get out to fight me...over nothing. That is what is crazy, no tire squealing or crashes. Just get a little too close nowadays and that is enough. Keep your distance and drive extra slow, defensively. You gotta. I've almost been hit a few times the last month and was not even moving.

Make sure you got your pepper, baton and gun if allowed. Brits can only have a sock with a bar of soap in it and sharp pencils.

 

[Invisibleflash]

Reverse park.

Yes, I try to not have to back up. No extra stress. Our world is packed like rats. Things can be clear then in 1 second loaded with people out of nowhere.

 

[jobo]

Seen it done, and if you cant reverse or move either direction a blunt object can be applied to break it.

And then motorcyclists wear Armour usually, so if you get into a issue with them, any good one usually has some padded gloves on. And i think a lot of contention is usually had with them. And then adrenaline does some weird things sometimes. Here is one video of it happening:

@drop bear See now both of those are good and i think are taught in defensive driving classes. Reverse parking has the better advantage of being able to drive away quicker as you acing the direction in which you will leave the parking spot and you also have better viability through your front window. At least in plenty of situations its probably better to reverse park. (if you can anyway)

no you haven't not outside of a movie, it can be a challenge to break them with a brick

 

[pdg]

In supermarket car parks I always drive in to the space forwards - it means I don't have to mess about trying to get a trolley or armfuls of bags down between the cars and struggle opening the boot with another car parked 6" away from my bumper (or a wall/fence).

Never had the slightest issue backing out, just go slow and, most importantly, turn my head to actually look where I'm going...

 

[donald1]

The trick is to convince any would be attackers your crazier than them. Do not be afraid to get weird.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Thoughts I've had this weekend on dealing with road rage:

1. Do not get out of your car to confront the other person.

1. Crack your window to talk to them, do not roll it all the way down.

Nobody who's raging is going to get close enough to my car to talk to me. They walk up to my car, I leave. If I have to drive over them to do that, so be it.

1. Take pictures or video. Make sure you get the other person, their car, and their license plate if you have to file a police report. If you have a dash cam, make sure you save the footage before it loops.
2. Do nothing to escalate the situation. Be respectful and courteous, even as you stand your ground.
3. As soon as the other person threatens violence, call 911. (Or if the road rage is in response to a collision, call 911).

Comments, critiques, criticisms?

1) Do not be an *** when driving.
2) Do not retaliate when you get cut off, etc.
3) If someone wants to rage at you, leave. Don't engage them in conversation, hand gestures, or even eye contact.
4) Don't get out of your car.
5) If they get out of their car and come towards you, leave. By whatever means.

I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Thoughts I've had this weekend on dealing with road rage:

1. Do not get out of your car to confront the other person.
2. Crack your window to talk to them, do not roll it all the way down.
3. Take pictures or video. Make sure you get the other person, their car, and their license plate if you have to file a police report. If you have a dash cam, make sure you save the footage before it loops.
4. Do nothing to escalate the situation. Be respectful and courteous, even as you stand your ground.
5. As soon as the other person threatens violence, call 911. (Or if the road rage is in response to a collision, call 911).

Comments, critiques, criticisms?

Most cases of road rage I've run into, there was room to drive away. I'll go out of my way - miss a turn, etc. - to take their opportunity away. I'll stay on freeways (motorways, I think, in the UK) to avoid being stopped with them at a light. If I must be stopped near them, I go with DB's suggestion and try to leave a drive-out escape route. If they approach the car, I'm on high alert. I don't roll my window down at all (rolled up, it's harder to break) if someone looks angry. If the car is in a position where I'm not going to be able to drive away, I'd probably prefer to be outside the car, but that has never happened to me.

One definite suggestion: don't go home while they are or could be around. You don't want to lead them to (or even near) your house.

And remember this is often not even about you. I had a guy absolutely lose it because I gave a quick honk when he stayed still at a green light for a couple of seconds. Turns out his car had stalled (I had assumed he was just distracted and hadn't noticed the light change). Apparently I was supposed to be able to tell that, and he completely lost his mind about the quick honk. I drove around him and his car when he came charging back at me yelling that it was stalled. He got back in his car (which then started) and chased me on the highway for almost 10 minutes. Obviously, that guy was having a very bad day (maybe bad year), and I was just the one that tipped him over the edge that moment. He might even have been a nice guy, under normal circumstances. So I just let him use up some of that energy at a safe speed (since he's pacing me, I get to choose the speed), and when he gave up I drove on to where I wanted to go.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Nobody who's raging is going to get close enough to my car to talk to me. They walk up to my car, I leave. If I have to drive over them to do that, so be it.

1) Do not be an *** when driving.
2) Do not retaliate when you get cut off, etc.
3) If someone wants to rage at you, leave. Don't engage them in conversation, hand gestures, or even eye contact.
4) Don't get out of your car.
5) If they get out of their car and come towards you, leave. By whatever means.

I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice.

This pretty much sums it up.

 

[dvcochran]

I get the feeling some of them might not work so well if they pull a weapon or punch your side window in. You don't really want to be trapped in a car and if you cant drive away you are basically stuck in your car. (presuming no firearm)

and yes you an pull up a few videos of people getting knocked out from someone outside the car, grated a portion of them the person could have driven away or they rolled the window down. Make sure its not finger width as i think its semi easy to break the window if you pull it towards you in a way, and then some have safety mechanisms which roll the window down if they detect a obstruction. If you do roll it down.

thats mainly a compliant for the first one as it could be the tactically superior decision to get out sometimes. (baring the little tangent about the windows)


you should have a dash cam in this day and age really anyway, or a helmet camera (if its a motorbike or ATV). Oh on that definitely dismount if you are getting road raged on a motorbike. If you cant drive off anyway. You definitely do not want your motorbike on-top of you and someone kicking your body, kudos to motorcyclists though, they get to wear armour when they ride.

I don't know how factual this is; A Car & Driver article said car windows and doors are designed such that the window has much more safety when the window is completely closed. Makes sense to me since the window would be wrapped in the frame.