Jekyll and Hyde? (Road Rage)

Member Name: JaguarMLS

Product:	Road Rage
Date:	02/09/00 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: The effect on others

Why do people do the things they do? What makes us angry? What makes us happy? Of course, if I knew the answers to these questions, I wouldn't be asking them. Is their a Jekyll and Hyde in all of us? Perhaps road rage is the Hyde - the half we don't really want to accept exists, but the half we can never be entirely free from.

I'll admit there have been occasions while driving where I have been, shall we say, 'aggrieved' by the driving style of others. They don't indicate, make a suicidal overtaking manouevre or pay scant regard for pedestrians or other road users. These actions may not be directed at me, yet I feel strongly enough to want to have a few harsh words on occasion.

So imagine what it is like if you feel personally insulted by someone else on the road. What should you do? In this respect driving is just a reflection of life itself - some people are bad losers or don't take kindly to others who have whats perhaps seen as a better social standing than them. "He has a bigger car than me, I'll show him". I do tend to get this a lot while I'm out, and the people who are the worst offenders are the sort of people I wouldn't get on particularly well with in person - Those who think they are better than the masses and who are looking for any oppurtunity to prove how fantastic they are. Are these the people who commit acts of road rage?

If I get cut up by someone, I may feel aggrieved, Yes. I may swear at them, although not out loud. I have even considered flashing my lights or leaning on the horn. But what am I going to get from it? They will keep on doing it regardless of what I say. If I anger them, it will just make a bad situation worse. I'm willing to accept that they have, in my opinion, driven in a less than satisfactory manner. But to say they are mindless idiots is going too far - I am not perfect either, and whilst I would never consciously compete with someone else on the
road, I can't say the thought doesn't enter my head.

So, is that it? Is it a competition that some people are more desperate to win than others? I don't know, of course, but the competitive go-getters in society are often the ones who want to prove they are better than others, and this shows in the way they drive. In a very few cases, they may 'snap' and pass beyond the bounds of what is considered reasonable behaviour. That is what needs to be avoided. So whilst we all know what to do to avoid becoming further embroiled in an incident of road rage which we see developing, it makes sense to try and impress upon others that starting such incidents in the first place doesn't get anyone anywhere, does it?

Lastly, Personal space is very important to some people. Imagine someone leaning over your shoulder while you are busy trying to work. Not very nice, is it? You may not have anything against the person - you may not even know them - but sometimes we need our space and we should respect the fact that others do too. Its easy to give someone a bit of body language which tells them to back off if they are standing right next to you, but when you are cocooned in your car, that becomes nigh on impossible, so bear that in mind when you are next sitting on the M25.

Perhaps if some people thought a little more about others and a little less about themselves, perhaps road rage would not be the spreading epidemic it is fast becoming.

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