Thursday, March 27, 2008

Road rage

I thought I have a very bad temper, afterall you're talking about a mother who turns murderous when her children drive her up the wall.. and then I read in the news about road rage and we know that road rage is common problem in Singapore or generally anywhere in the world. We are human beings afterall, and being humans our emotions are more varied than animals. Being the most capable living thing in this world, we find ways to vent on it and being the most selfish brats we think we are always right even when we are in the wrong.

Sometimes road rage lands you in the wrong side of the law and you have to pay so heavily for it. Day in day out, there's bound to be road rage somewhere in the small lanes, streets, expressways. I've encountered a few nasty ones and get bullied more often when they see a lady behind the wheel. But obviously I choose to ignore them and drive off and let them rage and hope they continue raging until their eyes and heart pop out - not my business. Hee! (I'm not childish like them)

Why do we react this way? I remember watching in a documentary about humans being very defensive about our surroundings. And the documentary gave scenerio of a driver. Now, let us all think - when we drive we do expect people to give in to us right? But yet on the other hand we are so defensive behind the wheels that we don't allow anyone to cut into our lanes. I do that too! Come on! Drivers out there don't tell me you're waiting for the TP to pick you out as the most courteous driver right?? We fight for our rights/space.
Then again, it also boils down to why road rage?
Can it be a mental disorder? Can it be because people are under stress to react in such a way? I think it is anger cycle. Click here
Interesting read

Two incidents I encountered :
1) Was a few years back, travelling along an expressway. I was on the extreme right lane and infront of me on the 2nd lane, there was this car that seem to want to cut into my lane. So I let them come in. But no, driver didn't drive into my lane. And all the while his two right wheels were on the white line; very close to my car. But still okay since we're one car length away. Then I decided to speed up since driver had no intention to go into the fast lane. Just then the driver drove too close to my car; this time his wheels are in my lane. I horned as my car was in his blind spot to warn him just incase he crazily decide to cut into my lane just at the same time I speeded up.
He swerved his car to the left. And guess what? It's an old man who's driving. What made me mad was when the passengers didn't know what happened or thought I was going to ram into their car (vice versa) gestured at me. Tell you who hor? One old woman behind was actioning at me like chiding me, one young lady in the front turned to me and actioned with her palms up like "what's your problem?" Baffled! It's not my fault, I was just warning them. And it did anger me coz' it's like I was falsely accused. At that time, I was mad for being accused that I wanted to action back at them but.... old folks. What to do, but to swallow my proud but I was mad.

2) Very recent only. I was coming out from the Moulmein exit to CTE/TPE.
At that time, I can filter into the left lane but this idiot driver saw me coming and delibrately speed up to close up the space between the car infront of him and me. Okay! Fine! Tried 2 more times (very slow traffic) he didn't give in (yes! it's a he coz' I turned to look) deliberately going the same speed as I did. So now, no choice I had to drive along the small shoulder and try to filter in when I can.
When I found the chance, there was a one & half car length space, of course I quickly filter in. Now, the fellow after some time (not immediate response) decided to high beam me. He high beamed me for quite awhile but I couldn't care less coz' it was quite slow traffic and since it was a big space anyone can just come in. He decided to turn off his high beam. Travelled for a short distance before I filter to the middle lane. Call it suay, I didn't know it was his car again - yah..... he always leave that big space what?! So he's behind me again. He may think I did it deliberately. Oh! You might think how I remember his car. He had those chinese "amitabha" words across his top windscreen. Ignored him coz' the lane don't belong to him. Then they filter to the extreme right lane and I saw his lady passenger turned towards me and actioning. Boy! She looked so worked up. I don't know for what coz' it's not that I deliberately squeezed into their lane when there's no space. Ignored these raging people, let them rage until their hair drop off.

** Is CTE is highly stressed expressway? I mean..... I met 2 guai-lan people.

2 comments:

Roslyn said...

You know what? After being away from Singapore, I wasn't used to driving on the Singapore roads when I went back for holidays. So competitive, so rude and what you say is so true about when another driver sees your intention to change lane, he/she speeds up. Why can't they just give way? How much delay will it cause? A couple of seconds? I certainly prefer driving here in UK where drivers signal their intention to give way to you and wave thank you when you give way to them.

Lily Ann said...

Very irritating right? You speed up they speed up; you go slow they go slow. Out of 10 drivers you'll get 6 rude drivers. Our of the 6, 4 are road bullies.
I believe our law takes serious views of road bullies... but then again how many will go through the time/hassle in filing suing blah blah after some time??
Somehow it's the selfish but yet they expect people to be selfless attitude.
Well... there are certainly some things which I can't say much in this public blog.