Bad drivers reactions

Emp_Fab

Why is it that when you remonstrate with someone who is clearly in the wrong and they know it, 90℅ of the time they respond with aggression - usually a hand gesture?

I've just approached a set of lights, green for me, where a car is waiting from the opposite carriageway to turn right (ie cross my path from right to left).  They wait until I'm barely 30M from them before suddenly deciding to go for it, despite there being a clear road in front of me.  I have to slam my brakes on and beep my horn.  I can now see it's a young family with kids in the back and mum gives me the V sign as gratitude for not T-boning her family.

WTF is that about?  What's the psychology behind such a response?

CHRISB50

A combination of embarrassment, a lot of people these days seem to think they are infallible and the fact people feel safe locked in their little tin box.

Mark1960

I know it's difficult, but don't rise to it. Just relax, chill out, take a deep breath and ignore them. Just make sure you drive OK and get home safely.

skunkwerx

Because these people are entitled cunts who firmly believe no one has the right to tell them anything whether they are undeniably in the wrong or not. 

They think its a new age where they can do what they want without anything ever happening to them. 

joeyowen

People are cars are fockin' well 'ard

Grunfeld

Emp_Fab said:

 ...it's a young family with kids in the back and mum gives me the V sign as gratitude for not T-boning her family.

WTF is that about?  What's the psychology behind such a response?

I think she associated your car with a penis.  

Sassafras

They probably only recognised you as you approached, that's when they decided to try and force you off the road.

fob

The psychology is a defence mechanism. A quick 'I'm not to blame' response that will likely embed itself rather than cause reflection. Murderers, rapists, burglars et al will tend to adopt a 'they had it coming' mindset - not so much as a legal defence but as a sub-conscious crutch that helps them get on with life.

There might be a mumsnet thread starting right now about how someone nearly ran in to her and wondering why you behaved so poorly and mentioning 'I have children!!!'. The timings and light colours will change to reflect a different story (although I suppose that might have happened here as well).

Keiko

It's probably because she made a split second silly mistake / decision and you threw your dummy out the pram.

If someone beeped and waved their fist agressively at you everytime you made a mistake on the road, how would you react?

ICBM

I had a good one the other day - near my house there's a road where cars are always parked all along one side, making it effectively one lane. I was already driving down it in the direction where the cars were on my side of the road, when a woman coming the other way from beyond where the parked cars were didn't stop and wait, she kept on coming until she was about level with the second car, despite me having been well on the way down the line before we even saw each other. She refused to reverse, and instead mounted the pavement on her side and tried to force past my car - which she couldn't quite, although she did get far enough that our windows were just about level... she wound hers down so I did likewise, and asked why she hadn't just waited at the obvious clear space beyond the parked cars like everyone else who regularly uses this road does.

The reaction - with a chorus from her friend in the passenger seat - was to scream and shout that she had right of way because the parked cars were on my side and that I should have stopped and gone back. WTF? I was already at least 90% of the way down the line! So on the basis that there's no point in arguing with idiots I told her to just fuck off and wound my window up again. If I hadn't being going somewhere I needed to be on time I would have been quite happy to just wait all day there until she backed up, but because I was I did actually pull just far enough to the left that I could get around the back of her car. But really - what was the point? If she'd even just slowed down a bit when she saw me we would probably have both arrived at the clear space at the same time.

Blaendulais

Probably a regular forum member who you've pissed off Emp! 

kaypeejay

I was pulling into the middle lane from the inside the other day. I looked in my mirror, indicated and pulled out when I noticed that the car in the outside lane was pulling into the middle lane at the same time. I waved and mouthed my apologies (no really, I did) and got a mouthful of abuse from the guy who had also just decided to sit on his horn (ooh Err) to show how superior he was and that it was obviously me at fault! I actually don’t know whose fault it was which is why I tried the conciliatory wave and apology, but sometimes people just have to assert their right to be in the right, if you know what I mean?

randella

I find they all come out at the same time - I had a 15-mile journey home the other night, same as any other, but the what-the-hell count was off the charts. 

To be fair, the woman who kicked it all off about a mile from work did apologise after she'd presumably assumed I was taking the exit from the roundabout before hers.  She did right to; she left it that late to pull out, if my car had skinnier tyres and no antilock she'd have been in hospital.

It's been normal since.  I'm due a spate soon, I can feel it.

Legionreturns

I drive in and around Dewsbury daily. 

The cuntometer in my car is permanently stuck on max. 

randella

Legionreturns said:

I drive in and around Dewsbury daily. 

The cuntometer in my car is permanently stuck on max. 

If Leeds City Council ever decide to dynamite the Loop out of existence you'll find me with a four-pack of tinnies and a big grin, dancing on its grave.

Iamnobody

So the wife and kids were enjoying a pleasant family outing turning right a signalised junction a clear road in front of them - when out of nowhere this lunatic Welshman appears - tanking it cause he’s see the green light and thinks it’s about to change...everyone slams on the anchors and fortunately there’s no collision and no harm done.

Then he leans out the driver window starts a bizarre rant about chavs and kids. In the end the Mrs flicks him the vees and carries on.

  

Snags

Legionreturns said:

I drive in and around Dewsbury daily. 

The cuntometer in my car is permanently stuck on max. 

It looks fine when you're not in it. 

<runs>

Emp_Fab

Keiko said:

It's probably because she made a split second silly mistake / decision and you threw your dummy out the pram.

If someone beeped and waved their fist agressively at you everytime you made a mistake on the road, how would you react?

Sorry?  Where did you get this idea that I “waved my fist agressively (sic)” ?  Oh yeah.... in your imagination!

If you ever get called up for jury service, may I suggest you get out of it somehow.

WiresDreamDisasters

Another classic Kev !!!

siremoon

My car horn would be going constantly if I sounded it at every moronic fuckwit I encountered round here who is aggressive and/or on another planet and/or doesn't know how to drive and/or doesn't understand the rules of the road.  In their minds it's their road, they can do what they like and nothing I say or do is going to change their perception of their own brilliance and sense of entitlement as a driver so I just let them get on with it.

Emp_Fab

So, no insights or opinions on why people react that way?