what goes through their heads?

[mattyjman]

so, in Phoenix, there isn't much of a way to get away from traffic and oblivious drivers until you get out of town. I was cruising to one of my spots yesterday, and have to take a few of the main freeways to get there.

i am going the speed limit, maybe a few mph over, and am in one of the middle lanes. I am beginning to pass this car on my right, and as I am doing so, he starts to merge into my lane?! I look, and he is on his phone, doesn't check his blind spot. I hit the throttle and swerve out of the way, and then promptly turn my head to give him the "wtf" look, and a friendly finger. after doing so, I proceed to an exit to take a breather to get my whits about me again. I am leaving on an exit ramp, and this guy pulls up to the side of me, and then lifts the finger towards me and yells something ( i couldn't hear, but he looked pissed)

so, my question is ... what is going through his head to make him think that it was somehow my fault that he was merging into my lane? don't most people with half a brain think "oh man, I almost hit that guy. glad I didn't" ? but this guy turns around and gets pissed at me?

[Mospeada]

Sometimes, when people are embarrassed for making obvious stupid mistakes, they don't feel remorse, they feel anger that (gasp!) they messed up, and somehow it was *your* fault for making them make a mistake!

It's stupid, yes, I know.


But when I ride, I *know* that there are riders that can't see me. I've even driven my car and was suprised to see guys on bikes split lanes by me. I don't mind, I just didn't even see or hear them coming. Oh well.

Still, I simply assume nobody can see or hear me.

Dipshit on his cell phone, however, is an f'ing moron that's too self-centered to admit to himself that he messed up twice. Once not looking, the other being on the cell phone.

All you can really do is just shake your head and expect that there are going to be morons out there on the freeway.

[zwantedone]

Nothing,and that's the problem. Just another cell phone a-hole you have to watch for...Will

[Gilles]

Of the 9 differnt countries I have lived in, there is no worse place for moron drivers than here in Romania.

Poor standards, poor training, combined with a bit of passionate hot-headedness is a dangerous combination.

When I dodge a life-threatening hazard that some cell phone talking dimwit throws at me, I just maintain my equanimity and learn to improve my wits further. Getting angry, gesturing, horn-blasting, as what everybody does, is just stupid.

Don't be like them.

[Decreasing Dave]

I think a lot of it is Arizona drivers.

On two separate occasions, while driving through parking lots, I've had people cutting through parking spaces at a high rate of speed and cut me off. I had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting them and then what do I get....the finger. I guess that I must have been in the wrong because I was traveling in the proper lane, going the proper direction and a reasonable parking lot speed.

The first time it happened was at a gas station and my kids were in the back seat (strapped in of course, I'm not originally from AZ), and the girl that cut me off and flipped me off couldn't have been older than 16. I was so pissed I wanted to pull her out of the car by her head. Not a big fan of jail-time though.

While I'm at it, I might as well speak about road rage. I watch these people get angry and then intentionally cut you off, give you the high beams, the dirty looks, anything to for retribution. I drive a lifted Superduty with REALLY dark tint on my windows. You can't see in. So why would you attempt to stare me down and flip me off when you have no idea who I am or what I may have pointed at you while you're on your tirade (example only, don't freak out on me).

I've said it for years but Tommy Lee Jones said it best in MiB "A person is smart, people are stupid". I call them "Sheeple".

Sorry for the rant, but you hit a nerve.

Dave

[Bill_Anderson]

It is prime Snow Bird season in Phoenix, so ride accordingly. I learned a long time ago that people through out all the rules of the road when driving through parking lots.

[Lupin3]

What goes through their heads? Eventually, their steering column, or dash, or that big rig they didn't notice had locked up its brakes.

Rather than give people dirty looks or other gestures, I find its usually best to pass them quickly and leave them behind. People don't seem to take as much offense to that.

Or at least I can't see them in rear view long enough to tell.

[Crarrs]

I'll second it being a Phoenix thing. I can't tell you how many times I was cut off and then got the finger for hitting the horn when I lived there. The people there are too self-important to give a shit.

[tonered]

Originally Posted by Decreasing Dave

On two separate occasions, while driving through parking lots, I've had people cutting through parking spaces at a high rate of speed and cut me off. I had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting them and then what do I get....the finger. I guess that I must have been in the wrong because I was traveling in the proper lane, going the proper direction and a reasonable parking lot speed.

One of the few ordinances/permit requirements that I would appreciate is to have concrete parking curbs installed along the entire lenghts of rows in all lots. It's one of my pet peeves. Folks weaving through parking lots, between cars, around people, etc. just to get to the next store faster. WTF? Is it really that hard to go to the end of the row.

Have a good one.

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

For what it's worth, boots are worn for protection. Thus, to protect myself from getting merged into, I have been known to kick the offender. Nothing wakes up a driver more than a loud <thud!>. Haven't had one continue to merge into me nor give me the finger, though I normally just shake my head at them or point my finger to my head ("think"), then ride off into the sunset.