Our
View: Road rage out of control, settle
down
Among the many oddities frequently seen while cruising along Los Angeles roads
is people beet red screaming, shouting or otherwise expressing their out of control
anger towards other motorists. In other cities the problem of road rage is significantly
less prevalent, but sitting in L.A. traffic has an effect on people. A combination
of the blaring Southern California sun, people talking on their cell phones and
watching snails creep toward your destination at a faster pace has an irritating
effect that can make
even the most mellow Angeleno peevish.
This anger, although understandable, is totally unnecessary and avoidable. Among
the many things perpetuating this hateful attitude is the belief that upon entering
a vehicle one no longer has to adhere to societal conventions and is free in
his or her own little world. No longer are people obligated to be polite and
friendly; instead, they allow even the most trivial transgressions to transform
their usual calm demeanor into one of rage.
The most obvious form of this total lack of consideration for other drivers is
those who choose to blast unpleasant music so loudly that the surrounding cars
tremble, sometimes even violently shake. Before losing your cool over this slight
offense, remember this person probably is not deliberately blaring his or her
music to annoy you, that’s just how he or she enjoys the music.
Other driving habits that often elicit road rage include merging cars without
a turn signal, drivers using their cell phones and general disregard for driving
etiquette. Although these things are incredibly frustrating, many of these things
that we readily notice in others and quickly criticize are common mistakes we
ourselves make.
Many of us do not hesitate to answer cell phones while driving, but when someone
in another car does, we chastise them and question his or her driving abilities.
The important thing to remember is although you can only vaguely make out the
features of the other drivers faces, there are people in those behemoth vehicles
three feet away from you who are perfectly capable of accidentally behaving rudely.
An extremely small portion of bad driving behavior is done deliberately; in most
cases people are not even aware they have done something wrong. If someone had
made an equally small mistake that affected you outside a car, like bumping into
you in the hallway, would you lose your rag and begin screaming? Would you even
mumble under your breath about how incompetent that person is? Probably not.
A wise adage says getting angry is like taking poison and expecting the other
person to die. Road rage works exactly the same way. The only person suffering
from your anger is you.
So, rather than lose your temper while driving, remember the car next to you
contains another human being who, in other circumstances, might be a an extremely
kind and considerate person.
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