Roadrage moron

Merlin5 · 22 Jul 2018 at 19:52

I was driving out of my local supermarket today and noticed a newish merc saloon very close behind. I stared at him in my mirror and he started making gestures. Then he very quickly drives alongside me angrily shouting at me, "why you looking at me!". I didn't say anything and drove on. Eventually he gets in front of me and stops his car preventing me moving further with the intent of getting out but he doesn't. I can hear him shouting things out of his open window. I figured best not to do or say anything. I manage to go round him looking at him to my left and he's shouting stuff. I think I then made a hand gesture to him. We're at traffic lights and his car is about 2 behind. He gets out of his car waving his hands about, shouting, standing in the middle lane with cars all around. I locked my doors and prayed for the lights to turn green which they eventually did

I thought he was going to come over and smash my window or something. But he didn't come over.

Situations like this are quite stressful and I didn't help myself by looking at him or provoking him with a gesture. But I think this guy had a screw loose. Who in their right mind with any sort of sense of reasoning would bother to get so angry and get out of his car over such a petty thing. Don't shoot me down in flames for making such a conclusion, but my feeling is this guy was a criminal, driving a car with ill gotten gains like selling drugs, has a short fuse and is probably quite used to conflict and has probably been in and out of prison. So as annoyed as I was and as tempted as I was to say something to him, I'm glad I didn't as it wouldn't have ended well for me.

Uther · 22 Jul 2018 at 19:56

Should have just ignored him tbh. People die in road rage incidents, so it's just not worth it.

Merlin5 · 22 Jul 2018 at 19:59

Uther said:
Should have just ignored him tbh. People die in road rage incidents, so it's just not worth it.

True. For all I know, this idiot might have been carrying a gun or a knife.

Adam · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:04

When the red mist descends it's difficult to just ignore it but that's always the best way, these kind of events are good learning opportunities.

I suspect he is having a bad day and took it out on you, scary that these people are out there though.

Captain · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:04

Good job you didn't get out as it sounds from your actions you'd have been flattened anyway

new boy · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:05

Don't worry about it.

I imagine his life is pretty sad if he looses his **** over someone looking at him.

smilertoo · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:06

He drives a merc saloon, how dare you be on his road.

muon · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:07

Thank goodness for privacy rear glass. It's like wearing sunglasses.

Rroff · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:14

Meh hate people like that - most of them aren't even all that if you turn the tables on them but you never know when one is concealing a sneaky knife, etc.

One of the funny things about hanging out with my old mate - someone did that he'd go full animal on them no ***** given and they'd suddenly realise they were in over their heads - unsurprisingly he is now locked up "forever".

Hyburnate · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:37

Funny this thread should come up.

A few days ago, someone didn’t want to let me merge, I didn’t give a **** and merged anyway. He followed me right up my rear for around half a mile until I stopped at a red light, nobody else around. He then proceeded to go onto the other side of the road and cut in front of me, I reversed avoiding confrontation and he then got out with a crowbar and started walking toward some me.

Thankfully nobody was behind me so I reversed the **** out of there and floored it.

robj20 · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:39

I can't help but laugh at these people I know it just wings them up more but if I didn't laugh I would probably get angry.

233 · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:43

probably not a criminal or undesirable.

even the most mild mannered of normal people can be utter loons behind the wheel of a car. situations like this my advice is to raise a hand in apology for whatever imagined slight the other party thinks has been committed and don't react make eye contact or in anyway interact. people do crazy things over road rage incidents. for all you know they might just get out and jam a screwdriver in your face. best bet is just don't get involved in the first place and let them be someone elses problem

Meridian · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:43

Hyburnate said:
Funny this thread should come up.

A few days ago, someone didn’t want to let me merge, I didn’t give a **** and merged anyway.

So essentially you forced your way into a queue of traffic when it wasn't safe to do so (this is somewhere between Due Care and Attention and Dangerous Driving) and then think that the other person is being unreasomable?

And by the sound of the OP pulled out in front of the Merc when it wasn't safe, but there's less admission going on there.

dacads · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:50

One guy in an abarth came flying into a small roundabout from the left when I had already joined , I didn't go ape **** but it was nice that he lifted his arm up in apology. He was probably scared from reading road rage stories like this!

233 · 22 Jul 2018 at 20:54

some people are just utterly barmy when the red mist descends,

had one a while back where a chap jumped a red light so got a quick peep of the horn and a raised hands in a WTF gesture. ended up with the chap in question stopping in the middle of the road getting out of his car and making all sorts of lovely threats. ended up driving round him and leaving him standing there, comically he started chasing me down the road on foot. what possesses people to act in such ways. why would you get that angry that you would put yourself in a position where someone could feasibly feel threatened enough to mow you down to escape your angry remonstrations?

[TW]Fox · 22 Jul 2018 at 21:02

Should have had 4 4k Dashcams fitted.

233 · 22 Jul 2018 at 21:05

[TW]Fox said:
Should have had 4 4k Dashcams fitted.

taking your tonque in cheek comment and putting that into context then yes, everyone should invest in a dash cam of some description, even a cheap one gives a indisputable account of events should an accident or incident occur.

jpaul · 22 Jul 2018 at 21:09

Meridian said:
And by the sound of the OP pulled out in front of the Merc when it wasn't safe, but there's less admission going on there

yes - people don't normally become aggressive for no cause.

also - with reduced windows area/light, larger rake, in modern cars, can't usually tell if someone is looking at you in mirror :confused:

- annoyingly so.

Merlin5 · 22 Jul 2018 at 21:15

new boy said:
And by the sound of the OP pulled out in front of the Merc when it wasn't safe, but there's less admission going on there.

Eh? All that happened was that I noticed this guy was pretty much tailgating me which is a pet hate of mine. Often when that happens I'll stare at the driver using my rear view mirror and they generally back off. In this instance, the driver was overly offended because clearly he's thin skinned, aggressive and thinks he's important. I was probably 'disrespectin' him innit'.

Nasher · 22 Jul 2018 at 21:17

Probably on crack or something.

I keep a wrench in the car in-case of people like this. If I'm jammed in traffic with no way out and they try to get at me, I'm hitting them in the face with it.