Road Rage

I recently had the "pleasure" of experiencing my first incident of road rage. Now I know that this is a regular occurrence on our "wonderful" South African roads. But being a fairly new driver I NEVER in a million years thought I would experience it at the level I did.

Now I am quick to admit that I was in the wrong. Due to traffic, my vision was obscured to the traffic coming in the opposite direction. So I stopped and waited, but I couldn't make out any cars coming up the road so I proceeded to turn. I must have driven on for 5 seconds when a guy started hooting profusely at me. So I looked in my rear view mirror and saw guy who looked pissed and his hands were making alot of angry looking gestures. So I put my hands up as a sign of appology. But oh no, Mr was not impressed. He pulled up next to me and had a fat lot to say which I just ignored. Then he pulled up in front me and slowed down, but all the while still having a hissy fit (the hands were still making angry gestures.) When we got to the junction in the road where I turned left, he was still carrying on. I could no longer take it so I gave him the finger and proceeded to turn.

Did he not decide to follow me?! He obviously thought that he could come and intimidate me because I was a woman and I was alone. But by the time he got to me I was already out of my car and ready to go to blows. (I am not coloured for nothing!! ;) )

Now I know looking back I should not have allowed the guy to get to me. I mean living in the society we do where people have been killed (yes killed!!!) because of road rage, I should've had more sense to just ignore and continue on. But I had had a day from hell, there was load shedding and half the robots weren't working, so you can understand my level of frustration. He had just met me on the wrong day at the wrong time. Yes I made a mistake ( I should've been dead certain that there were no cars coming when I turned) but I had appologised.( although when I do think about the distance between where I turned and where he came out of, it was far enough for me to have turned safely, so he must've been speeding) and still he was not satisfied?! He just wanted to be a macho man because he was driving a new shiny, fast car.

The moral of my story is this: we as drivers need to practice patience, kindness and especially be more courteous to our fellow drivers. All this racing around trying to get from A to B whilst insulting and swearing each other is REALLY uncalled for. Let's respect our learner drivers ( I had even put an "L" sign on my car so that people would be aware that I am a new driver). But strangely enough this sign seems to piss people off and thinks it gives them a right to hoot at you and over take you.  (I am NEVER doing that again!!) If you see a car taking a bit long to pull off when the robot turns green, be patient, don't hoot, it could be a new driver experiencing problems with balancing their clutch (your hooting just makes them more nervous and prolongs the situation.) Remember, you too were once a new driver. Let's practice our road rules. If you get to a traffic circle, first one there has the right of way as do those who are already within the circle. (Just because I'm in the circle does not mean you can zoom through quickly while I am still trying to turn!!) Let's give right of way when we can (trust me it's a real nice gesture) and you'll get a nice lift of the hand in thanks or a "hazards flash" (well most of the time anyway.)

If all of us did this our roads would be a nice, happy place. (After-all we do spend a large amount of our time on the road.) Be safe. Xoxo T.