kingfisher241049

A couple of days ago, we were driving down US 19 and a nutcase drove past us, shouting "Learn to drive for f..k sake". I have no idea what caused that, we must have slowed him down for 5 seconds while changing lanes or something. Anyhow I told him to shut the hell up, and he then made a gun sign at me with his fingers. We got out of there pretty fast. Road rage is becoming all too common nowadays, with a shooting yesterday I think it was, of a guy coming back from the Daytona 500 race. Some black youths just blew him away for accidentally cutting them off in his car to avoid something on the road.

The crazies are out there guys, sheesh!!

Dan725

Its just that normal Florida drivin'. My second favourite subject after vacation time.

I was in the UK last week for the first time in 2 years - was amazed at how disciplined everyone seemed on the roads, gaps being left were bigger, etc. How refreshing not to have a twat in a massive pickup hovering 3 inches from your bumper before violently swerving from lane to lane to get half a car length in front. I truly believe the US has the worst drivers in the world.

Funny thing was, when I lived in Germany, I always thought how terrible the driving in the UK was. Amazing how your perspective changes dependent on where you live.

TruBrit

give them no eye contact nor toot your horn that's the road rules here.... the drivers are mental and wont hesitate in using their guns and not a gun sign with fingers either...it's on the news daily about the road shootings so much so i dont take any notice anymore.

TruBrit

yep that's true, we live off the M25 in the UK and for a road I once thought was filled with crazy drivers I now see them as the most polite in the world

Dan725

Just make V signs at them - they don't know what you mean

TruBrit

i do

Texas Mom

I got back from the UK last week and like you say everyone was very disciplined, it was actually a pleasure to drive all over Scotland for three weeks visiting relatives. I felt like an over cautious new driver with eyes in the back of my head looking out for crazy drivers in trucks! Not that all crazy people drive trucks!

Yesterday on the way to a doctors appointment I was almost cut up about half a dozen times by people pulling into the gap I had left between me and the car in front only for me to pull up next to the majority of them at the next light

As for the over and under taking anything goes don't even get me started!
Madness - oh well I need to take my life in my hands this morning to go get some groceries. Be safe out there y'all!

Bob

which way?

snowbunny

Must have been a Brit cos Yanks don't say "ffs" in any context (well, except for those of us who think it's catchy ). Most Yanks would just wind the window down and give you the finger.

Ray

I say FFS ..and I travel down US19 ..in a big truck ...
but I don't use my fingers as a gun ...

Silly Sod

Amazing you should mention this now. I was going to post about it last night after my first real incident with road raging tosspots redneck types. I think the problem was that being a new driver here (got my license a few days ago) I was adhering too carefully to the laws and rules of the road i.e. sticking to the speed limit and driving resspectfully and responsibly. This did not go down well apparently.

I was coming back from the shoe store with my 8 yr old step daughter in the front set of our little pontiac. It was dark by then and as I pulled into the turning lane for our apartments, another vehicle was facing me from the other direction waiting to turn him/herself. I could not see what was coming behind this other driver and had no intention of pulling across until the other had made their turn, whereby allowing me a clear view of oncoming traffic.

Next thing a huge ford truck is behind me, apparently not even wanting to turn (because they didn't) and they are leaning out the windows literally screaming threats and obscenities at me. My step daughter was a little shaken as you can imagine. They got closer and closer as though to bump us. It actually left me a little shaken too. I wished I had a crowbar or something under my seat because I could have cheerfully jumped out and let them have it. That would have been very bad and dangerous of course.

Anyway, it kind of ruined the evening of family DVD watching with a couple of glasses of wine because all through the film I was going on about it to the wife. I was fuming. So, that's that really. Bunch of tossers. Thankfully that is the only time I have had this kind of thing and I am hoping it is not a common occurence. People round here tend to be pretty polite so far and often will stop to let you cut in with a wave.

neil

I was doing 30 in a 25 once and someone came up behind me, flashing lights, beeping horn etc. so I slowed down to 25 (it was the speed limit and I "assumed" he was drawing attention to the fact that I was speeding ). It was a very long stretch of road with no opportunities to pass so I think he was suitable wound up. He was right on my tail and slightly over to the centre of the road. As we got nearer the 35 limit (where it also went from one lane to two) I decided I needed petrol so put my indicator on, and finally slowed down and pulled into the petrol station. He was so close and out to the middle of the road so didn't see my indicator and nearly hit my car as he swerved around me, leaning on his horn and giving me the finger. I waved back.

gsnichol

I understand this completely. My street is just south of and parallel to a major east-west road through the centre of town. So when I want to turn left into my street I am only 30 yards tops from the left-turn light of a big crossroads and thus am blocking the lane while waiting for oncoming traffic to pass. Usually there's a lot of traffic, either people coming straight across the crossroads or those turning right on the red light.

This is clearly not my fault (save for my desire to turn into the street where I live and I always indicate well before slowing; I didn't design the roads...) yet people frequently charge right up behind me, honking the horn when I don't move because they're about to miss the left-turn green arrow. Obviously the two minutes they'd gain by zipping through the light is life-or-death.

Bob

quickly followed by the finger?

People are polite, but become complete dick heads behind the wheel...scary thing is, they can have guns too

Tarkak9

Next time smack them on the forehead while shouting "Demons be gone" and slam the door.

(According to another thread in TIO, the road ragers are likely non-smokers.)