I am in no way defending “neurosurgeon road rage”, but I have a friend whose a thoracic/heart surgeon. The stress they are under, making life and death decisions on a daily basis, some just before the jump into their car, puts then into a similar mental state I witness from the service doctors during Vietnam War.
It’s not practical for everyone to have “down time” before jumping behind the wheel, but for many of those in stressful jobs, there is much to be said for a period of relaxation,before driving. Now if that includes a “brewski”…“mission control we have a new problem”. Public transportation with all it’s faults may have a place for these people.
They can also work it off doing battle with the muggers.
Not sure this qualifies as road rage or SNOW rage. We had a guy stop a snowplow driver, run up to his cab and punch him. (only in his foot…as high as he could reach apparently…) He was upset about his mailbox being knocked over from the snow being plowed off the road hitting it. All it got him was a ride in a police car and assault charges filed against him. I know it’s been a looong winter, but try and stay cool people!
Installing a roadside mailbox to withstand the rigors of the passing snowplow is a learned art. Perhaps the results of his taking his anger out on the plow driver will motivate him to learn proper mailbox installation methods.
I recently took a ride by the house I had built some 25 years ago (I no longer own it). The mailbox post I installed after having had a few knocked over is still standing straight and proud, although the box itself has seen better days.
“Installing a roadside mailbox to withstand the rigors of the passing snowplow is a learned art.”
Maybe it was one of my neighbors. We’re not used to 4 feet of snow in one winter, let alone one week. I heard a truck moving around outside my house at about 4AM this morning. When I went out, to the street, I found that a guy in a gigundous front loader had lifted the snow off the street and deposited it on the side of the road. That would be nice, except that it’s now on top of the sidewalk. My neighbors and I (on our side of the street) will be violating the law if we don’t remove it within a couple of days. And yes, I did think about giving him a hard time. But I decided to take pictures and sue the bejesus out of the county if they cite us for not removing the snow. It might melt in a month or so.
“Installing a roadside mailbox to withstand the rigors of the passing snowplow is a learned art.”
The most successful ones around here, are abs plastic to take a beating and suspended off a tree limb if your lucky or suspended from an off set support, way back from the road. Or a tumbler, one dropped in a cement filled milk can you can just pick up and move back.
As I usually do, I got carried away with mine. I got an 8 foot 6x6 pressure treated beam, cut a piece off at a 45 degree angle just long enough to provide a horizontal piece for the mail box, dug a hole with a post hole digger to bury all but enough height to mount the horizontal on (I think the hole was 4’ deep), and compacted gravel around the horizontal piece. I then attached the horizontal butt-end to the vertical with gusset plates and reinforced it with 2x2 steel angle irons lag bolted deep into the parts.
The 45 degree angle at teh top is to provide water runoff to reduce soaking of the wood.
Then I bolted the box on. This thing could probably survive a nuclear attack. Or at least a hurricane.
In our city and I imagine other places also brick mailboxes are illegal do to potential of being a traffic hazard. Our streets dept repairs mailboxes they damage. I doubt too many mailboxes could survive a direct hit from a plow. I see quite a number of mailboxes with plywood leaned against them. My guess is that is done so they there is less snow in front of the mailbox after the plow goes by, anyone know?
I moved from Road Rage Central (South Florida) to NorCal a few years ago. I was so used to the high aggression of South Florida that I had a hard time adjusting to the laid back style of NorCal. I was always tense, waiting for the inevitable tailgater or lane jumper. Three years later and my blood pressure is lower, I enjoy my daily commute, and I don’t for a minute miss I-95. BTW, marijuana around here is nearly legal and well tolerated. Coincidence?
That’s where you went! N.Calif. I’ve been wondering for a few years now. I miss riding your bumper and swerving around in front of you then jammin’ on the brakes, and maybe running the red light through an intersection you’re entering from the other direction. My car also came with the Boca Raton option, which only allows it to move at 12 mph in town, has no working direction signals, takes 2 minutes to back out of a parking spot at Publix, all while keeping the driver well below steering wheel level to be unseen. I’ll soon be moving out to Humboldt County, so I’ll keep an eye out for you on 101.
I read this road rage joke on another forum and thought I would share it with you.
The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
Unfortunately, tailgating, Barbara was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as Barbara missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.
He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.
After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, ‘‘I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally… I assumed you had stolen the car.’’
I don’t think you 're getting carried away…after all, you are doing battle with a plow truck and an often overworked, underpaid, over tired driver. A heavy does of PPT works well.
One of the things that “infuriates” those in our state, are the oft maligned Canadian drivers.
I was behind one driving to the mall, when this one Canadian driver put on her left blinker, then turned right into the mall. While in the store, we had an occasion to strike up a conversation during which I asked her if she was aware of what she did. “Of course” she answered; “I just want the driver behind to know I always swing out a little opposite the turn to make the corner”. How could I get upset at that logic ?
Rebuttal from Canadian drivers are welcome…
I always thought the guy who had 3 million dollars would probaly be more able to afford to lose 40% of it to the feds,then the guy who had $30,000 -Kevin(bring on the Fair Tax)
I saw a little road rage in front of the shop I used to work at once. A line of cars was stopped for a traffic light and an apparently oblivious driver had to slam on his brakes and ended up rear-ending somebody. The driver who hit the car got out of his vehicle and started approaching the vehicle he hit, fists raised, ready to fight. Why, I have no idea. The driver of the car that got hit simply stepped out of his car, saw the fists raised, and punched the guy right in the face! He then got in his car and drove off. The other guy stumbled to his feet, crawled back into his car, and turned the other way. I guess it was over with that one blow, case settled…
I had an experience with a driver with road rage. One day, my husband and I went to the bank and since the town we live has many one-way streets and odd intersections, I carefully plan out what places I would like to go to. Anyhow, I was sitting at a stop sign waiting for traffic to clear on this busy one-way street and this SUV is rather close behind me. This dirtball guy pulls into the opposite lane not paying attention to go around and sticks his head out and shouts “LEARN TO DRIVE!” and speeds away by cutting off 2 cars in the process. As I make my way to the traffic light, as I pass by, he shouts the same thing again! How ironic that he shouts that at me and he nearly caused an accident. I was in shock and my husband was furious, as soon as the light changed, my husband shouted out, “LEARN HOW TO DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD!” What an idiot driver!
