Jul 03 2011
GET OFF THE FREAKIN’ ROAD!
Greetings, Cool Peeps:
Road rage isn’t the best thing to have. In fact, it’s something we should all try to avoid. But there are these pesky people on the road called “idiots” who sometimes make it impossible to stay calm.
There is one particular curve on a main road in Swansea that makes me nervous. When I am approaching, I always stay several feet to my right because inevitably, someone coming from the opposite direction will ignore the line and drive anywhere from a few inches to a good foot or so over it.
One day I recognized an offending red Alfa Romeo as belonging to a dude who works in my building. The next day, when I saw him, I asked him why he drives over the line like that.
“Oh, Molly, chill out,” he told me. “What’s the big deal? I was only five inches over. At most.”
“Only five inches?” I replied. “Well, let me ask you this: What would happen if I were ‘only five inches’ over the line, too? ‘At most.’ ”
He stared at me.
“We’d have a freakin’ crash, wouldn’t we?”
“Whatever,” he said like a spoiled child and walked off. He knew I had the point of all points, but no, this idiot preferred to risk an accident than take driving advice from a woman. Scary. (Did I mention the guy was my ex? Just kidding!)
On a less dangerous note, but on a highly irritating one, I’d like to say a few words about the peeps who will hold up an entire line of traffic at a mall or shopping center just to get the closest parking space. Listen, if spaces are elusive, then I’ll sit and wait for one, too. But give me a break, if there is a ton of spaces to be had, why would you hold up everyone else to save yourself from having to walk a couple of extra yards? If you’re able-bodied, there’s really no excuse.
Before I finish with parking spaces, how about those situations when empty spaces are at a premium, and a person with the brand-new expensive car purposely takes up two spaces so as not to have anyone close enough to scratch his car? Yours truly is a law-abiding citizen who does not damage property. But doing something like that is just asking for trouble.
I’m really nice about letting people in traffic. People let me in, and I like to pay it forward. I always hope that there will be a ripple effect with even the smallest of kindnesses. But if I’m on a major road or highway, and there’s a slowdown, and if you freakin’ drive on the shoulder past all of the waiting cars just to try to get in front of me, I will never let you in. Don’t even try it. I don’t care how expensive your car is or how good looking you are.
I appreciate having a nice sound system in my car. Music can be very relaxing when I drive, or it can rev me up when I’ve got a ways to go and need a boost. Or maybe at times, I’m in the mood to listen to a news or talk station. Sometimes I like silence so I can think or talk to the passenger in my car. It doesn’t matter. My car; my choice. Peeps, you know where I’m going with this, don’t you? Who are these freakin’ people who decide that their choice of musical entertainment should obliterate every other sound wave vying for space within a ten-block radius? I do not want to hear the pounding bass from someone else’s car. I have turned my music up quite loud at times, and I promise, I’m not drowning anyone out.
Because this is a blog and not a dissertation, I’m going end it here for this week. But you’re all welcome to dissertate as much as you’d like. What makes you absolutely crazy when you drive? Who do you want to see get off the freakin’ road?
See you next week.
And by the way, please, don’t text and drive.
Yours in pickiness,
Molly
Hi Molly,
You have yet again touched on a point which is very dear to my heart. STUPID F#%KING DRIVERS! And I’m sorry to say this is going to be another long one 😛
I live in Sydney, and I would have to say that out of all the major cities in Australia, Sydney has the worst drivers. They are shocking. My biggest issue is merging lanes. When it comes to merging lanes, most people are pretty good, just a very simple system of left lane then right lane and on it continues, until one muppet needs to make sure he makes up that 1 car space by not following the pattern that everyone in front of them has.
It is these types of muppets who you end up passing up the road later because they have changed lanes into the “Fast” lane only to find it is the slow lane, and while trying to move back into the actual fast lane, finds that everyone behind them who think they were a selfish ass earlier now won’t let them in 😛
My other big issue with driving is people’s in ability to understand how a round about or traffic circle works. Its pretty freaking simple, give way to your right. I have a round about at the end of my street which shits me to no end 😛
As for stereos in cars, as you said, I don’t mind having a great stereo in your car, as long as you don’t blare it like a ass and pollute the air ways with the stupid shit you are listening to 😛 Again, not sure about where you are, but near where I live, every Sundays, all the people with their fast cars come down to the bay and cruise around. I have no problem with this at all, some of the cars are very nice.
However, there are always a group of like 17-18 year olds who have managed to borrow their mothers car for the night to go down on a cruise on the Sunday, with their music blaring so hard out of the car, that the actual car rattles. Don’t they realise they looked stupid before their car started rattling 😛
Ok breathe James.
hahahaha Anyways, I don’t think I have road rage, I do get a little worked up behind the wheel when I am being held up by lousy drivers, but I would never get out of the car and act on those emotions.
My biggest issue of all comes with parking in malls or shopping centers. On a number of occasions I have been at the mall, and cannot find a spot anywhere. So I start doing the stalking drive around looking for someone who may be heading back to their car. I finally find a person, and politely wait for them to pull out of the spot, only to watch some selfish person who could see me waiting, take the spot. This is where I usually loose it. So maybe I have “carpark-rage.”
And I wont tell you what I do when that happens Molly, but lets just say, whatever you were thinking about doing to the nice new car which took up 2 spots, may have happened to that car 😛
Anyways, Sorry it was a long one again, but I think I might be the first response again 😛
James
Hey James:
Too bad you couldn’t relate to this subject. Ha ha! What a great response.
I think you summed up how I feel pretty well. No, I don’t have road rage, but uh yeah, I can totally get a little (beaucoup) worked up. The car park rage you talked about — OMG! There’s nothing that will get me steamed faster than someone taking or trying to take a parking space I have been waited for! I have had many opportunities to steal spaces from others, but sorry, this girl doesn’t do that!
A friend of mine went bal-lis-tic last winter when she spent hours digging out a parking space on the street after a snowstorm and some personwhoshallnotbenamed moved all of her cones & placeholders just to slide right in. As we’ve discussed, is that really a smart idea — to piss people off like and then leave your car? I don’t think so!
John Lennon said it, “Instant Karma’s gonna get you,” and he was right, wasn’t he, James? 🙂
Super post — and you were FIRST this week. Ha ha!
Yours in pickiness,
Molly
Molly, I have never been the one who could drive with my windows down, and play my music loud. I’ve always felt that someone else was getting ready to take it from me. So, I drive like Miss Daisy, windows up, doors locked and the my music is so low, I can’t even hear it. But it’s cool.
I do find myself being extremely nice to people at times, and I get in a lot of trouble for that too. I hate it when they give me that queen wave, as they run my butt right of the road, or even when they don’t even say thank you. That really pisses me off. I try to be a safe driver, but sometimes Molly. It’s better to be safe then sorry, you know. I f you go around telling people to get off the freaking road it might turn into road rage.
Talatha:
You make the point of all points, g/f. Nobody should mix it up on the road, no matter how angry we get. Lives are at stake. Yours, mine, and everyone else’s. There is a reason we learned to curse. So we can blow off steam instead of mixing it up with someone in the wrong way. Like you, I have my little cocoon instead my car when I park. And if I wanna blast something — I’m blasting it for me. I’m not sharing with the world and I don’t want the world sharing with me.
I tell a whole lot of people to get off the freakin’ road — they just can’t hear me doing so!
Great to hear from you! Stay safe!
Yours in pickiness,
Molly
Hi Molly Hacker,
What a unique blog. It has a really cool vibe about it, especially with all the comments.
I’ve experienced some really awful road rage riding my bike. Some near misses for sure. People can be so dangerous. I cannot afford a car so i have to ride my bike. I try to stay close to the kerb – as much as I can. The things I have had to put up with. I have had people flick their butts at me driving passed, swerve deliberately to hit a puddle. If only people could just be a little bit considerate. It would make a big difference I think to the world.
Anyway, thank you for letting me comment.
Keep it up Molly
Jarrad 🙂
Hey Jarrad:
How nice to meet you! Thanks for making your presence known and leaving a comment. Yeah, bikes are another BIG topic for sure. I don’t smoke, but I could not imagine flicking butts at any human being, esp. one who is riding on the road. No pun intended, but that burns me.
We all have to get around, and some people just enjoy cycling, but I’ll admit, sometimes I’ve been on the road with cyclists at some scary times. I am not happy when there is a cyclist to my right and another car to my left. I’m always so afraid of hitting the cyclist yet I don’t want to hit another car, either. I appreciate peeps like you who try to stay as close to the curb as they can.
We all have to survive in this world TOGETHER. That’s the bottom line. I hope you don’t have any more of those incidents, Jarrad. Stay safe! Hope to see you again.
Yours in pickiness,
Molly
Oh, Molly, do I have a tale for you! This happened just over this past Thanksgiving. In a desperate attempt to avoid cooking, I ordered a complete TG meal for my family from one of the local ‘straunts. Went to pick it up at the appointed day and time. Parking lot was full, as you would expect on TG morning. What I saw stunned me and quite honestly, frightened me a little.
A man also came in to pick up his food and since the lot was so full, he pulled in his niiiiiiiiice burgundy Jaguar in behind two other parked cars. (These cars were in the parking spots properly; the Jag was boxing both cars in by parking behind them.)
One of the families of the properly parked cars was ready to go, yet could not because of the Jag. And the male driver (who I’ll call Boxed In,) was getting madder by the minute when he could not get out . . . Watching all of this from the windows of the straunt, myself and others were curious to see how this would resolve itself.
Boxed In gets out of his own properly parked car, gets *into* the Jag which still had the keys in the ignition, and drives the car about 15 feet out of the way, so he could leave. . . .. . Which he promptly did without incident.
Simultaneously, those of us watching from the lobby alternately gasped and commented on what had just happened. Someone began to ask, “Who owns a Burgundy Jag? You need to come move it right now!” but the owner didn’t come forward. I snagged a manager and spun him up on events, but by the time he could take action, Boxed In was long gone.
Lobby commentary continued. It was odd how even amongst total strangers in a straunt lobby, we were all chatting like blackbirds on a wire about who was the offending party. Was it Jag, who simply couldn’t be bothered to find a proper parking place and needed a crash course in manners? Or was it Boxed In, who should have put a lid on his temper and certainly *never* tried to move a vehicle that wasn’t his?
Finally, Jag man slunk out of the straunt, got into his car and left. More strange looks were passed between those of us in the lobby, when we realized that Jag man had been sitting among us the whole time, never saying a word during the whole ordeal.
Well, hey, Leigh Ann:
Happy Fourth, g/f! OMG — what a story.
Whoa! Now that dude with the Burgundy jag is one arrogant SOB. And a gambling man, too. He was VERY lucky that things turned out for him as they did. Parking like that, boxing people in, that says so much to me about his character. I have a g/f who loves men with fancy, expensive cars. I always tell her, “you may not like who comes with it! Be careful what you wish for.” Your story is such a perfect example of why I am right! ha ha ha! Seriously, that dude must be a major headache everywhere he goes. Next time he pulls a stunt like that, he might not be so lucky. James from Sydney might be around! Right, James?
Great post,
YIP,
Molly
Hi Molly,
I have been reading all of the comments and of course yours with a gleeful smile on my face. I have experienced each and every one of the above incidents. LOL I can’t even imagine the stupidity of the person who thinks it okay to box in others.
I know exactly what you mean girlfriend about the people who drive over the line. I had a woman blind in her left eye decide to pull right into my back right bumper. Yes you heard me. On the exit ramp by my house there are two lanes one to turn right and the other to turn left. I was inching along with the flow of traffic in the left lane, when bamm right into my rear bumper.
Then she has the audacity to ask me “oh please let us keep this out of the insurance, my husband and I will pay for your damage.” Being the nice peep that I am I said yes, though had some misgivings as she didn’t want to exchange info.
To make a long story short later that night I got a call from her husband “bully” that he was telling me that we ought to both pay for our own as I was 1/2 at fault. I was passing his wife on the left.
I had to end up hiring a insurance analysis group 1200 freaking dollars to analysis the situation and finally do a report that proved it was not my fault. End of story their insurance finally paid. Not just for the damage to my car but for the analysis too.
G/F I freaking feel the same way about people trying to pass me in traffic from the breakdown lane. NO way are you getting in.
Parking lots I am not even going there, as so many of the people are so awful, reckless and couldn’t be bothered to use any form of common courtesy.
I think that people have gotten a bit to “me first,” in this world.
Sorry for sounding off but courtesy is a big pet peeve of mine. Yours in pickiness and I guess this is one of mine.
Love you G/F
Hey Marta:
Wow, that is some story. I’m a nice person, but wow, nice people have to be really careful when extending courtesies to strangers only to get screwed. What you experienced was terrible. People will change their tune VERY quickly when given time to mull things over. It’s just better to exchange that information when you have the chance.
I had a friend who had a straunt in NYC. One night, a woman with a bad drinking problem fell outside of his door. Being a gentleman, he helped her up. The next day, her daughter called him and thanked him for being so nice to her mother. And the day after THAT, he got sued. Why? Just because he was a celeb and someone saw an opportunity. His insurance ended up paying a woman 50K for being drunk and just happening to fall outside of his place. Wow, to this day when I think of that, it burns me to the core. If he hadn’t helped her up, it probably wouldn’t have happened. Sometimes you just can’t be nice.
Marta, did you say “common courtesy” in parking lots? That’s an elusive concept to some, but I’m a big believer in the golden rule.
Thanks for another great comment.
YIP,
Molly
Hey Molly,
haha I think you and James Morrison covered it all… “carpark rage” is definitely what I have… I find sitting in traffic quite relaxing because there’s nothing you can do but just sit and enjoy the music I’m listening to… but carparks?! Crazy parking structures with tons of horrible drivers on the weekend or holidays really gets to me. Also “W.P.” drivers too… and Californians driving in the rain as if they’ve never ever seen rain before..ever…. yeah that bugs me too. haha
I wish I can make one of those electronic neon signs and put it on my bummer so if I want to yell at someone or to say “thankyou” for letting me over, I can just press a button in my car and it’ll tell them for me… as oppose to people giving me the universal sign language gesture of the middle finger when I accidentally drive stupidly myself, then I can actually say “sorry” with my sign.
Love your blog+pics+nice car!
Til next week <3
Hey Janet:
You bring up another subject that would have made my blog into a diss, but now that you mention it . . OMG — horrible drivers in parking structures. I don’t know why but some peeps think that because a parking structure/lot isn’t the open road, nothing is gonna happen. There are SO many parking lot accidents it’s not funny. A couple of weeks ago, I was in one of those circular jobbies, and these freakin’ peeps were driving like crazy. Do they not think when they go around corners that someone might be coming in the opposite direction? HELLO! Slow down, be careful, and stay in your own freakin’ lane. Girl, you got me all riled up.
Ha ha! I’ve been to Los Angeles a few times, but my friends there tell me it is cuh-raz-ee the way peeps drive in the rain. No, it’s not gonna be sunny EVERY day — literally or metaphorically — so let’s get used to dealing with it.
That would be cool to have a sign on your bumper to talk to other drivers, but imagine what they would set in motion. OMG! Peeps cursing each other out, trying to hook up — wow. The possibilities are endless.
Thanks for another very entertaining post, Janet. You’re the best, g/f.
YIP,
Molly
I thought I would jump in an say I love Janet’s idea of the electronic sign on the back of the car, it has so much potential for good and evil, I love it. I know I would end up just getting very lazy and using it only for evil, or just to act like an idiot with a car full of mates or maybe as you said Molly, hooking up. That would freaking hilarious!!
The possibilities are endless 😀
James
Gosh, James has pipped me too the post again and everyone else for that matter. Maybe I will try for last posy 😀
Oh, Hi Molly,
You are certainly picking up some subject matter to get us all going hey! My god – the stories WOW. The Jag story blows my mind hahahahaha What an idiot.
I actually ran into the back of this guy a few years ago. We were both stationary and turning right ( Which would be like your left) Anyway, he drove off and so did I but then he stopped suddenly and I hit him. We were probably just going walking pace. I felt dreadful. I hadn’t been in an accident before and when the driver got out, he had hit his head on the door frame. Talk about a woos. I was really concerned for him and he was going on about how this bitch had done this to him and that bitch had done that to him and obviously I was just another bitch who did ‘this’ to him. My first accident and I get him. ( Strangely enough, his name was Phil Speed!! but I digress) So we exchanged details, I took responsibility for it. It WAS my fault after all. Accidents do happen. He didn’t have any damage to his 4-wheel-drive, but my little Ford Laser was.
Anyway, about 2 weeks later I get this panel beaters bill for repairs he has had done to his car. Thousands of dollars and damage to things I was no where near. Spare tire, both rear lights, bumper… There was no way I had done that damage. This was a ‘truck’ and mine was a low down little thing. This was a bill, NOT a quote for works yet for months after the incident ( I know where he lives) I could see the white paint of my car on his tow bar still. He had never got anything fixed.
A week or two after that, I got a phone call from the police to say I needed to come in. I had my rights read to me and had to appear in court. I went to court and the Judge threw the book at me and charged me with ‘Reckless Driving.’
What a wonderful experience that was. It was just a little bingle.
Just another bitch I guess.
Gosh, Sorry…hehehe went on a bit then hey…I think I lost time 😀
Thanks Molly
Hey Lisa:
I’m still laughing about the name Phil Speed. That’s freakin’ hilarious.
I hope you didn’t have to pay for his trumped-up damaged. That sux. I can’t believe you got “the book” thrown at you for a minor accident like that. Wow, sounds like the judge got up on the wrong side of the bed. (I want to say a lot more, but gotta keep my blog PG.)
Always love hearing your stories, g/f.
YIP
Molly
Molly,
Well very good question, there are so many things that irk me…The worst being bumper riders, those jerks that ride too close to my backside. Also people talking on cellphones, doing their make up, and eating/drinking while driving. Being from Chicago, I have to admit I must have seen it all!
Peace
Sheri
Hey Sheri:
OMG yes — tailgaters! Don’t we all love them? Those people totally freak me out.
You know what really gets me is this certain road I take when I want to get out of town and go into the countryside. It’s only one lane in each direction and I seem to always get behind someone going way slow. I’m a careful driver, but not being able to pass a turtle really tweaks my last nerve.
And you know I love my makeup, but do I put it on in the car? I think not I saw a woman curling her freakin’ eyelashes why driving a couple of months ago? Hello? Do you want to get your eye poked out? Not to mention, as you stated, peeps like that can cause major accidents. Ugh. I’ve got myself on a roll now!
So glad you stopped by, Sheri. Always love hearing from you.
YIP,
Molly
Me again,
DH Speed claimed accident injury for his little bump and that is why it went to court. Pathetic man.
I did end up having to pay an agreed portion of his bogus costs of damages. I know I could have just NOT paid and I am sure it wouldn’t have progressed to court because it wouldn’t have been financially worth it. But I am not like that.
I do still know where he lives 😀 Karma as you said will have the last say, if it hasn’t already.
Thanks Molly 🙂
Hey there, Lisa,
I can’t help wondering what our man James would have done. That is way lame, g/f.
YIP,
Molly
Turn signals, turn signals, turn signals. Although no one likes to be cut off, I understand that sometimes it is necessary- missed a turn, kinda lost, whatev. But, if someone is going to cut me off, I like to be warned. What are signals are for?? I am actually totally calm if I am cut off but alerted first. If there is no signal, my blood boils a bit.
I can’t stand it when people go to parallel park but do not turn on their signal until they are beside the other car and are in reverse. How was I supposed to know you wanted to park? Yes, I saw your brake lights, but I did not leave you enough room to back up since I am not a mind reader and now I can not back up to give you space because someone is behind me. Sorry, guess you have to find another spot.
Not turning signals off. Are you turning? Are you turning? Now? Maybe now? Ever? For some reason I can’t get over it and it becomes all I focus on. Please turn it off! The blinking is driving me slowly bananas!!
*sigh* That’s my rant. lol.
Hey Star,
Nice to meet you, g/f. Turn signals — yeah, they made them for a reason. I go crazy when people don’t use them, esp. those swift lane changers on big highways. There is just no excuse for reckless driving. Accidents happen but when they happen because someone didn’t do simple things like use a turn signal, it’s just freakin’ horrible.
And yeah, I’m SO with on you the peeps who expect you to be a mind reader and know they were planning to parallel park. It’s takes no effort at all to alert someone to your intentions.
I’m a very defensive driver — even when peeps do use turn signals, I keep on the lookout for those who forgot to turn them off or don’t know that they’re on.
I loved your rant — and you make GREAT points. Thanks so much for stopping by, Star. Sure hope to see you again.
Yours in pickiness,
Molly
Hello Molly,
With the roar of the revving the engine, I eventually arrive with an echoing sound of screeching tyres and a billowing cloud of blue smoke. Boy, the traffic has been chaotic today. 🙂
I could share a thousand stories of my sheer loathing for some of the self-centred fools who drive among us. However, I will refrain listing all and feature just one obnoxious road user.
Imagine this, rush hour on a Monday morning, I am in a stream of traffic stopped at the lights. As I am slowly edging towards the lights we stop again. To my surprise, the driver of a car which was closer to the lights gets out, in no hurry, saunters to the letter box. The lights changed twice times the queue of vehicles, honking frantically, serenaded this creep. A few of us hung our heads out of our cars to voice our disgust. His response to our fury was the middle finger gesture!
Thanks Molly, I feel much better now that I have shared. LOL 🙂
Hey Stuart:
Great to see you! Why am I getting the idea you could write a small book on this subject? 🙂
Your story about the dude mailing a letter reminds me of Leigh Ann’s comment in this blog about the guy blocking in the other cars with his Jag.
A for arrogance — it’s freakin’ amazing what peeps will do. I would be afraid to suffer the consequences even trying to be that inconsiderate and rude. Sheesh! It’s scary out there.
thanks so much for stopping by! Always a pleasure.
YIP,
Molly
Boy can I relate to this post after just driving 8 hours home from south of New York yesterday, across the George Washington Bridge (in fact I blogged about it today!!). Absolutely terrifying! I was pretty sad (and angry) at the rudeness on the road… very scary out there, as you say!
Hey Julia:
I’m with you, g/f. You’re talking about driving my neck of the woods, so I’m right there with you. I’ll have to check out your blog. Blogging does help one vent, doesn’t it! Hope you’re relaxed now!
YIP,
Molly