Oh my, my road rage episodes have gotten fewer in my later years, but there are still things people do that just drive me crazy when driving down the road. I experienced all of these on my recent drive down and back to St Louis to watch my daughter’s football team, the St Louis Slam! play in their first playoff game of the season (more on that later!). Here are the top 5 things that make me go batty! Are they yours too?
- Tailgating – especially when I’m already speeding or I have no where to go (or both!). Do you think pushing
me is going to help you? Not only does it raise my blood pressure, but usually, it makes me go slower… Lately, I try to just ignore it, but still. Why? - Not driving a consistent speed. I hate it when someone passes you, and then you pass them, and then, they block you in because they are passing you again – ever so gradually. Not much will tick me off more. I only let it happen a time or two, and then I accelerate to get them (and keep them) well behind me. Hoping to avoid a speeding ticket while doing it. There is this new invention called cruise control. Use it.
- Not clearing the left lane for passing. Just go faster or slower than the person on the right and get back into the right lane. Quit holding up traffic as if you are some self-righteous asshole, or worse yet, oblivious to what is going on around you.
- Trying to pass on the right. When there is a whole line of cars in the left lane only going slightly faster than the person on the right (see #3), there is always at least one idiot who goes down the right and forces their way in (or gets stuck there). They force me to tailgate the guy in front of me just so that they don’t take that space! Again – why?
- Semis that attempt to pass on a hill. Come on. You are professional drivers. You’re supposed to go the speed limit. Why not just stay in the right lane even if the truck ahead of you is going 1-mile-an-hour slower than you wanted to go? And, if you are going to pass, please accelerate to pass and don’t try to pass on a hill!!!
Ok – these are my top 5. What are yours???
Thanks for reading!
Kristi – the Trippy Tripster
Hi! I love road trips, but I too have my pet peeves.
The biggest one for me is tailgating when I have no place to go like on a single lane highway and I’m already going over the speed limit.
I get to the point where I just slow down really slow until hopefully they get the point, but I’ve had jerks pass me on the shoulder when I do that. Jerks!
It’s just nowadays you can’t really afford to tick anybody off because you don’t know if it’s some psycho who’s going to follow you.
Have you ever had that happen?
Hi! I’ve seen people pass on the shoulder! I’ve also seen them pass on an entrance ramp! Crazy dangerous! Yes, I agree that you have to be careful not to tick off the wrong person. People tend to get braver when they are in their cars – even if they aren’t psychos! I usually try to be calm and ignore the idiot (even if that’s not easy!). I’ve never had someone follow me, but if I did, I’d go to the nearest police station straight away!