I've been doing a lot of thinking about road rage lately and what my attitude is when I'm behind the wheel. It's made me curious about YOU and how you feel when you're out on the road.I don't get road rage. I can honestly say, I've never felt that surge of adrenaline that urges me to chase down another driver and sock it to 'em.
I find driving a rather Zen-like activity. I'm trapped behind the wheel of my car. I can neither go any faster nor slower than the speed limit tells me (don't get me wrong, I'll take my 5 mph headway, thank you very much, but not very likely will I will I take much more.) If I get stuck in traffic, it's one of those things I cannot change, so I don't feel inclined to take it out on the driver in front of me.
Sure, I've been late. Sure, I've been stuck behind a driver who drove like Miss Daisy and failed to go when the light turned green thereby making me miss the light or ... you name it.
Yes, I've been cut off or in some other way endangered by another driver's inattention (or just plain rudeness) and muttered a choice word or two under my breath.
But has it spurred me on to outdo them in the rudeness or violent driving category? No. I just keep on keepin' on.
But as I said, I'm fascinated by what it is that goes on in a persons mind when they get offended on the road and then feel that they just have to take it a step further. That it just isn't enough for them to flip another person off, or even to shrug it off--they have to run the offending driver down and make sure they know how ticked off they are.
If you have insight into the road ragers' mind, I'd love to hear it. Tell me, too, what your attitude is when you're out on the road. Are you dangerous? Are you a passionate driver? Impatient? Or are you pretty even-keeled? Do you have a ke sara sort of attitude?
