Re[4]: Road Rage (Flame on, Johnny Torch!)

[Bruce Stapley <bstapley@megsinet.com>]

On Mon, 28 Sep 1998 12:15:37, "Christoper Hartwell@bbn.com"
<chartwel@bbn.com> wrote:
> 
> This sort of response would only be valid if YOU yourself had never driven
> that way, but as we can all read, ((("As a young, hot-blooded idiot, I used
> to engage in this sort of juvenile tantrum until one target of my
> self-righteous fury TOTALLY panic-braked and started sliding/swerving into
> another lane, endangering not only him, but everyone else on the road.
> Golly Beav, I hadn't thought that the other guy would actually *panic* when
> I slammed him! It's a good thing I knew ahead of time that every driver
> behind him was capable of slowing sufficiently without
> overreacting, too -- otherwise I might have caused multiple deaths"))), at
> some point in your life you did. Now maybe perhaps just maybe John is at
> that point of his life where you were. Everyone goes through stages and I
> don't think slander or profane lanquage across the internet is a very
> mature way of voicing your opinion. You seem like an intelligent person, do
> you not think you could express yourself more maturely. Now keep in mind
> there are plenty of people on the road that drive recklessly sometimes,
> they just don't chose to tell their story. And the ones that do have been
> limited because of these sort of responses. Now you should learn to relax,
> and not become so winded... A simple response would have been something
> like, "Wow thats not too responsible, I don't suggest you continue, because
> I went through an incident where it changed my thought process on those
> sort of "Road Rage Tactics""...... Heres my story...Then you tell your story.
> 
> Chillin' like Bob Dylan.....
> 98GLXVR6
> 
Um, no, actually my response has much *more* validity due to my
experience in the subject. Most people consider experience to be a
valuable asset; a position from which one can speak authoritatively. For
example, I've never performed a quadruple bypass before, would you lend
any credence to anything I said about that procedure? My inclusion of my
credentials as a former über-aggressive driver precluded those with
similar tendencies from disregarding my opinion out-of-hand as those of
someone who's afraid of going fast, etc. Instead they had to deal with
my words as coming from someone who understands their position
completely.

Maybe John *is* at the same stage I was when I drove with my hormones
instead of with at least some small portion of my brain (or maybe not --
remember that I prefer to believe he just typed imprecisely, and is
actually a considerate, noble, safe driver). So? Are you saying that any
behavior is forgivable if the offender eventually repents of his errors?
Or that any behavior is forgivable if someone else has previously
engaged in it? I was an asshole when I drove like an asshole, and anyone
else who drives like an asshole is an asshole when they drive like an
asshole.

You said that many people drive recklessly and would be unlikely to post
that they do if people like me post postings like mine. Damn! You mean
those who endanger the lives of our loved ones will be less likely to
use this forum as their personal support group to reinforce and justify
their reckless behavior? Shit!

You said I should learn to relax about this topic; confront people about
their behavior in a less profane, more mature, supportive manner. It's a
valid point, and maybe you're right; maybe you do get better results
when you don't alienate people. But you know what? My *mother* drives
around on these public byways of ours, and anyone who drives the way I
used to is endangering her life, and I get pretty fucking pissed off
when somebody threatens my mother, capiche?

Anyway, I should issue a disclaimer of sorts: I *am* still an aggressive
driver; I just *think* about the consequences of my actions now, and if
something I'm considering might make another driver freak out and
possibly lose control (or react in a way that might make yet *another*
driver freak out) because they didn't expect it, then I don't do it. (As
a matter of fact, I won't do *anything* while driving that I wouldn't
want someone else to do to me: tailgating, left lane blocking, not using
turn signals, making someone have to slow down -- these are all things I
don't appreciate in other drivers, and I have enough respect for others
on the road to pay them the courtesy of not doing these things to them.)
And when somebody does something that pisses me off and gets my
testosterone up [That hormone never gets older than 17], I just imagine
the other driver is dear old Mom, and forgiveness comes more easily. 
Besides, I'll pass the loser eventually ;) .

Do Look Back at my mistakes so maybe you don't have to make 'em, too.
Bruce Stapley
98 blk/blk