What kind of driver are you?

Canada
March 21, 2009 5:06pm CST
This morning was a nice bright sunny morning. A lovely start to a day. Hubby and I went to our local coffee shop for a coffee to take home. This store is usually always busy and sometimes takes a while to pull back out of the parking lot as so many cars are turning in. I was sitting waiting patiently for cars to go by so I could pull out. I dont mind. Everyone has a right to be on the road, not just me! A trail of cars is coming down the road, only one lane. FInally a car stops, and signals to let me out. I wave and begin to pull out. The car behind him, steps on the gas and squeels around him, nearly hitting me, and gives me the finger.... I just giggle to myself and say he must be having a miserable day. There was no need to be that impatient, and if there was, he didnt need to be that rude. Do you get impatient in traffic to the point of road rage? Or can you patiently wait and go with the flow? Do you let others out?
2 people like this
16 responses
• United States
22 Mar 09
I drive like a jerk. I move fairly fast. I cut people off unintentionally. I honk, i give people the finger...but my driving skills dont reflect who I am...
• Canada
22 Mar 09
hello there, well, if you do all that, I would say it does reflect a small part of your personality and perhaps you dont see it. Driving like that can cause accidents, not necessarily on your part but you could startle someone. Some people dont stop to think that such behaviour could have an effect on some seniors, such as a heart attack. If you want to drive crazy, in a big field or country road where theres nobody around, thats one thing, but to be rude and impatient by honking or giving people the finger, does say something about your personality. Remember, our actions speak louder than words. You should consider slowing down and enjoying life, you should have a long one ahead of you.
• United States
22 Mar 09
Okay not really. The thing is, I do have road rage when people do something so stupid. Like cut ME off. Hence why I use the finger. It's not to give someone the finger just to do it. same with Honking really. But I don't do the cutting off on purpose. I mean really, it's a matter of looking. That just leaves fast driving which I dont have an explanation for
@mgmagana (3618)
• United States
22 Mar 09
i am very impatient...i have crazy road rage...just the other day i got out of my car and told the b*tch to get out of hers but she rolled up her windows n took a pic. of me n we were at a red light at an intersection lol....i'm really bad.
@mgmagana (3618)
• United States
23 Mar 09
that's wut hubby told me...that someone has been arrested for doing that before...i just need to learn to be more patient n tone down my temper.
• Canada
22 Mar 09
WOW..some day you might do that to the wrong person. A very unsafe practise indeed...and oh the stress, You could get yourself in serious trouble doing that not to mention high blood pressure.. I dont know where you live but here, that would be considered a threat and something you could be charged for. I always like to take the wave and smile approach. It makes them even madder!
@inked4life (4224)
• United States
21 Mar 09
I must confess to being a little bit in the middle. I am a courteous driver, but fall into a bit of road rage usually with drivers who think they own the road. The fellow you encountered would be a perfect example of that kind of driver. My rage is confined to hurling a stream of unrepeatable obscenities at said driver.....childish I know, but it makes me a feel a little better....LOL
• Canada
21 Mar 09
I have to admit, I have been known to do that a few times too! But ofcourse only when the other driver was being unreasonable first!..Usually I would rather smile and continue to be polite. It usually peeves them off even more!
• United States
22 Mar 09
Hey !lol the first time in ca I was doing the pass limit ,people were passing me and blowing their horn's so being from ny let my window down and said Well what's the speed limit? & some stuff...lol and what I got back was ..go as far as you can without getting caught..well 100 plus it'sin my z is what I did...because I was so mad about that answer ,,,so I showed them as Ilooked in my back mirror..lol was that a smart move?
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
21 Mar 09
I'm normally a very patient driver but one of my sisters is insane! She gets worked up if the car in front of her is going too slow for her taste or is someone cuts her off and you should see her if the car in front of her doesn't move the second the light turns green! I don't know why she lets things get to her like that, but she does. My theory is like yours...everyone has a right to be on the road and, unless you're driving like a complete moron, I have no problem with you.
@mgmagana (3618)
• United States
22 Mar 09
i am like ur sis spalladino...lol...my type of slow is when they r going under the speed limit..we have a pretty busy street here n the speed is 50 i swear to u people go 35 on it...that bugs me to no end...it creates lots of traffic as well.
• Canada
21 Mar 09
I have a daughter who drives like your sister! When the light turns green, its like the horses are supposed to jump out of the gate!...I dont know where they think they are going to get any faster by doing that. THe speed limit is only so fast!
@Ramsay (130)
• Canada
22 Mar 09
I am a very good driver. Thanks for asking...lol...I remain fairly calm as I have not been driving that long. I do respect the rules of the road and wouldnt want to lose my license. I dont see why teens who are newly licensed, want to risk losing their license by acting stupid. Road rage will get you nowhere but maybe in the hospital or police station
• Romania
22 Mar 09
Interesting what I read here. Unfortunately I'm not a driver,but I hope to buy a car as soon as I can.
• Romania
22 Mar 09
come to america, the country you love so much, and you can drive when ur 16 and get a car by 18 :p. There nothing more fun than a car !
• United States
21 Mar 09
I may get a little inpatient but there is no way I would have swerved around a stopped driver and flipped some person off that was pulling out. That is unsafe. It can cause an accident. It can hurt someone or even kill someone. It won't take you long to wait for a few seconds until a car pulls out. I think some people just think they have the right to the road and other people do not and they don't care if they cause an accident because it's all about them.
@online_jon (1476)
• Philippines
21 Mar 09
Hi sandymay48, well in your expirince. I think that driver was really impatient and bad, but you all did the right thing that you just nevermind him/her. By the way i am only a student and i am not good in driving vehicles, but my father drives so well, and i conclude that when he is driving, he is very patient no matter what happens, he never got mad, especially when there is heavy bad traffic, the only thing that he has do is sit and wait for the signal of GO. Well here in country, there is so many drivers that was very impatient and not a good driver. Those driver that i am talking too, is those who run very fast in street and those driver that drunk. I really hate those kind of drivers, because they causes a accident in roads, that causes traffic and waste of lifes. I hope here in our place there will be a good traffic police because even though there is a traffic police they were not trusted because they make bad things, illegal things and they were asking for a fee for a bad things that they do in road. As i know in other country most of the people there have there own discipline, which causes for them, to be no longer need a traffic police. Well that's all my response to your discussion. Happy earning and posting to us. . . Good luck to our earning career and good day. . . Mabuhay! ! ! =) happy mylotting! ! !
• Canada
22 Mar 09
Hello online_jon...Yes I figure it doesnt do any good to get mad. Its just a waste of time and doesnt solve anything. Im just glad there wasnt a car coming the other way. I could have been hit on my side. Here the police are really watching and catching people speeding lately. They are also very strict with drunk driving here. It is a very serious offense here.
• United States
22 Mar 09
I drive a big red fire truck so I really need to watch out for everything on the road. Drive code it's a rush!sometimes people move out of the way ,other times they don't know what to do.
• Canada
22 Mar 09
I have seen people get confused when they hear a firetruck coming. Its like they are dumbstruck and dont know to pull over out of the way. What is the top speed in one of those anyways? Just curious!
22 Mar 09
i must say i am quite impatient and can sometimes be agressive but only because a hate sitting around people who bugger about at junctions and roundabouts (old people) i just wanna get in my car and drive not fast just at a stedy pace.
@Jennlk84 (4206)
• United States
22 Mar 09
I would say I'm probably somewhere in the middle also. It all depends on the type of day I've had, where I'm headed, etc. I'm never so rude that I'd almost hit or injure someone or give them the finger, but sometimes I do say mean things to myself, in the car. lol It was pretty ignorant that he was so impatient and rude after the person in front of him was doing something so nice as to let you out into traffic. geez!
• Canada
22 Mar 09
Yes. I was thinking afterwards that it was a good thing there were no cars coming the other way or they could have hit me side on, on my side of the car. I can see people getting frustrated if someone is driving way too slow on a highway or something, but he was ridiculous
22 Mar 09
oh all the time! especially at roundabouts in England, I often come across people in a rush to cut through in front of you. I smile to myself saying "he probably wants to rush home to the loo..poor guy". Yes I let them pass, and let others go too. Whats the hurry? My bladder aint bursting! lol
• United States
22 Mar 09
I have my learner's license. I can't drive without a licensed driver in the car. When I drive I have to follow all the rules of the road and my hubby is there to make sure I do. I get frustrated when old fogies are going really really REALLY slow!
• United States
22 Mar 09
I am a very nice driver that drives cautiously especially when my 11 year old son is in the car. Similar things have happened to me. A young marine actually flipped me off a few months ago and it hurt my feelings a little and I wanted to flip him off too but I did not. I just ignored it and figured he was having a bad day or something. I do let other people out because I know it can be frustrating to need to get out. Guess I am a pretty nice driver.
• Canada
22 Mar 09
Its always good to be cautious especially when we have kids in the car. Its better to also teach them the right way to react. I see some parents, yelling and cursing while they have kids in the car.. I let other people out too because I know I would want someone to do the same for me on some of the busy streets
• Romania
22 Mar 09
I like to think i`m in the middle of calm and roadrage. If i see some guy driving really really stupid i do floor the car and look nasty at him... I always get frustrated when people don`t move on a green light i honk.. not too much, just enough to let him know that he`s interfering with the traffic flow. If someone is an assho*e towards me.. thats when i get the roadrage.. 3 out of 5 times i floor the car, go in front of him and stop the car... if he gets out of the car, he`s in trouble, i have a baseball bat in the car. if not, that means he learned his lesson and i just keep on going. Most of the time they raise their hands as an apology.. but there are jerks that wanna fight... lets put it this way.. they still learn their lesson...
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
22 Mar 09
i am a careful and defensive driver. i come to full stops at stop signs and stay in the speed limit. i do let people out into traffic if i am not in a hurry myself most of the time and if in a traffic situation i keep my cool. there are alot of angry people on the road and i ignore them at all costs.