A long time ago, when I was younger and brasher and living in Ottawa, I stalled my car in rush-hour traffic.
The gentleman, if I may use the term loosely, in the car behind me, leaned on his horn, adding anger to an already frustrating situation.
Not doing much good in my own vehicle, I swung out and strolled back to his, offering to hold the horn for him while he got my car started.
His reply will go unprinted.
Feeling much better, I ambled back to my car, which co-operated, and with a cheery wave I drove away.
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If what I have read lately is to be believed, what I had come up against was an early case of the phenomenon now known as “road rage.”
It’s coming to the fore, some “experts” say, because many drivers are putting themselves into stressful situations when they’re more interested in beating the clock than driving safely.
Some would have us believe that our streets and highways are turning into war zones, and there is certainly some evidence of that. Last summer in Montreal, a driver fired three shots into a minivan after one of the passengers made a rude gesture for cutting him off and, in Sarnia, a motorist punched another driver who had backed into his vehicle.
These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re the reason drivers are being urged to keep a good two car lengths behind other vehicles and to keep the car doors locked at all times to keep an angry driver from being able to get at you at a stop light.
Experts offer other tips, for avoiding road warriors and for not turning into one: not taking traffic problems personally, avoiding eye contact with aggressive drivers, no obscene gestures or glaring and making faces at other drivers, no tailgating, horn used sparingly.
Don’t drive after an argument to “cool down.” You might “hot up” instead.
Don’t block the passing lane or the right-turn lane.
Don’t drive to the speed of fast music, and never, ever tap your brake as a warning to someone who is taligaiting you, because some people see this as highly confrontational. Wow!
Some of the main reasons for road rage are traffic congestion, stringent limitations on speed and too little movement because of one-lane roads.
These things don’t generally apply where I live out beyond the pavement, but I’ll sure be thinking about road rage next time I visit the city.
