How do you "communicate" with other drivers?

[Mike Rotch]

We all encounter them. Those fantasticaly incompetant drivers who think indicators are superfluous, traffic lights are guides, rather then hard and fast rules, and racers who feel that a 1.6l engine is an invitation to tailgate you because you are obeying petty things like speed limits.

The question is, how do you "communicate" with them. This thread does not condone road rage, it simply is a survey to explore the preferences of the many drivers that read CiG. 👍

 

[Ethix101]

Usually, I just use "The Finger." Sometimes, I even bust out the "Super-Finger," but only when I'm really pissed.

I voted for 'a combination of the three' though. 👍



-Mark

 

[DRIFT4EVA]

If it's a crazy guy driving....
1) I get their lisence plate number
2) Hack into the DMV Mainframe
3) Find out where they live
4) When they are away. I satisfy their wives....... Properly

If it's a woman driver....
1,2 and 3 are same
4) I'll satisfy the driver instead (Unless they're "Lemons")

 

[-Fred-]

I shout loudly, usually. Most of the time I'm the only one hearing it, too.

 

[1X83Z]

It's lights if the guy knows he's being a jackass, horn if the guy doesn't know he's being a jackass. I used lights a few weeks ago when a white 2004 Ford Taurus SES sedan, rented at the airport, cut me off with about a foot to spare. Meanwhile I used horn when a first-generation Infiniti QX4 ran a stop sign in front of me because the driver couldn't see around a huge mobile construction vehicle parked on the side of the street. Scary thing was she didn't seem to acknowledge her mistake - and worst of all, at the two-way stop on the other side of the QX4 (coming the other way) was a woman in a Mercedes ML-class who saw the whole thing unfold - doesn't she have some responsibility to alert the QX4 driver that I'm coming? A horn, lights, something? If I had hit the QX4 she would've been just as responsible as the QX4 driver, in my opinion, because she was the only one who had a clear view of both vehicles.

Anyway - using the finger is scary; people get shot for that. And of course, honking and using lights requires a good deal of risk-reward assessment. Today, in a very nice part of town, a young fat guy with a beard pulled in front of me in a late-90s Civic sedan without even looking. I could've used the horn, but he could've had a knife. Risk-reward, people.

 

[Mike Rotch]

And of course, honking and using lights requires a good deal of risk-reward assessment. Today, in a very nice part of town, a young fat guy with a beard pulled in front of me in a late-90s Civic sedan without even looking. I could've used the horn, but he could've had a knife. Risk-reward, people.

Red = excellently put. One has to know when one is applying the proverbial flame to the fuse, and when one is applying it directly to the gunpowder.

As Doug said, it depends on the situation. For bad drivers ahead of me, horn or lights are enough. Horn usually for avoiding a bender. Like on Tuesday, I was driving next to a minibus. Him in the right lane, me in the left (a 2 lane road). We were next to each other rounding a sharp bend when he decided he wanted to take the left-lane slip road at the next set of lights. No problem, he simple began gradually drifting into my lane. I saw the gap narrowing rapidly between our two vehicles and realised his intension. So I honked the horn and he straightened his vehicle and braked so as to get behind me. I stopped at the lights and he took the left-slip road. He then stopped next to me and shouted something at me. So i gave him my best rendition of "A double bird". With hindsight, a stupid thing to do. He could have got out his vehicle and made things nasty.

It is amazing how stupid one can be in the heat of the moment.

 

[Ethix101]

That's a good point. It really depends on where I'm located at the time of the incident.

If I'm in a fairly decent neighborhood, I usually give the finger and yell a few choice words.

If I'm in a shady neighborhood, I usually yell quietly. It's more of a hiss really.



On a slightly off-topic note: I remember this guy (lets call him "Dan") that my dad used to work with. (He played a couple pre-season games with the NE Patriots as a linebacker. That should give you an idea of his size.)

Anyway, he and my dad were driving to a meeting one day when this guy cuts him off ("Dan" was driving). My dad told me he followed the guy to a stop light, jumped out of the car, ran up to the other guys car, pulled him out of the open window, and punched him once, knocking the guy unconscious.
My dad was still in the car like two or three cars back in complete shock.
For some reason...the unconscious guy didn't press charges or anything.
It turned out later that "Dan" was on some drugs (painkillers and possibly steroids) and ended up getting fired.

Talk about some serious road rage issues.



-Mark

 

[Dorifto]

If I'm alone I'll just yell at them and from behind the wheel flip 'em off. That or just sit in amazment in how bad their driving was.

 

[Viper_Maniac]

Its kinda all three for me. Most of the time I give them the salute.

 

[boombexus]

I usually ignore them.

It's of no use to me and a waste of my time and energy to get angry at someone on the road. It's not like you're going to make things better, and as Doug said, there is a risk involved when displaying your anger to the other driver which could possibly escalate the situation.

All can be avoided by keeping my cool.

 

[emad]

just the occasional salute or I yell (I'm usually the only one that hears it though). Depending on circumstances, i'll also hit the horn

 

[///M-Spec]

Mutter under my breath, ignore them and never make eye contact.

You road ragers might find THIS story funny, though.


M

 

[Race Idiot]

Mutter under my breath, ignore them and never make eye contact.

You road ragers might find THIS story funny, though.


M

That's hillarious, seriously.

I'll just ignore idiots and mutter something incomprehensable, also avoiding eye contact.

If someone leaves a gap in traffic for me to slot into i'll always raise a hand in thanks or a thumbs up, most people do the same if I let them in anyway.

 

[Duke]

Mutter under my breath, ignore them and never make eye contact.

You road ragers might find THIS story funny, though.

Dang, I don't feel like registering just to see the pic. If it's a good one, make an OWNED image out of it, ///M!

I yell, finger, or make other gestures as appropriate for neighborhood. Yesterday I got satisfaction. I was following a real spithead in a (sorry, ///M) new M3 convertible with a vanity tag that said "KACHING" who was yakking on a cel phone. We waited to make a left, and he held up traffic making an illegal U-turn. As he came around the end of the island and our windows lined up I bellowed "TALK LATER, ****HEAD!" at the very top of my lungs at him from 5 feet away. I was rewarded to watch him jump and drop the phone into his footwell.

I will yell or gesture, but I never get out of my car, and I never ever get involved in chases or 'anger tag' games.

 

[///M-Spec]

Dang, I don't feel like registering just to see the pic. If it's a good one, make an OWNED image out of it, ///M!

Here you go. The original poster already did as you requested.

I yell, finger, or make other gestures as appropriate for neighborhood. Yesterday I got satisfaction. I was following a real spithead in a (sorry, ///M) new M3 convertible with a vanity tag that said "KACHING" who was yakking on a cel phone.

About what I expect out of an M3 VERT owner.


M

 

[Event]

I mutter to my self. They never know my anger. The tailgaters really piss me off, though. I always go 5 miles/hr over the speed limit and they still ride my ass.

 

[MazKid]

I use my dual horns(most 323's only had 1) when someone is really stupid and cuts me off/begins to stop in the middle of the road for no reason, etc.
For normal idiot drivers(slow people, people changing lanes erratically, etc), when it's a slow person if I have the chance to pass them I will and that's that. If they are really slow(like 20 in a 40) I'll pass them and open up my 1.6L and as I pass I look directly at them and give them my "What the hell is wrong with you" face, most of the time they see it too. When there's a quick lane changer(the type that hops between lanes for optimum speed/the want to be in the lead), if they come up next to me with someone infront of them and they act like they're gonna cut me off I do everything I can to block em out. I also block people that cross over white lines that you shouldn't cross over, or the people that when I'm sitting in traffic on the highway at an exit shoot up next to me and want to get over because they are too dumb to play the game correctly and get in line. There is a point where yeah sometimes they have no choice, and when this is the case I'll let em in. But the ones that have to know better don't deserve my space in line.

When my dad gets cut off he'll lay on the horn, and floor it past the guy, laying on the horn the whole time. It's great for people with cell phones, thier poor conversations are interrupted. My dad also blocks people, and will also see how fast someone is going(this is hilarious. Someone will be doing thier high speed run on the highway and when they pass us if the road is clear enough my dad will floor it and catch up with the guy and just follow him. We've done this at 115mph before. Also if my dad sees someone flying up behind us on a 2 lane highway if we are in the fast lane he'll floor it and see how fast the guy wants to go. It's great fun seeing a Civic DX doing 105 shoot up behind us and we leave him in the dust in a stock Probe GT or RX-7(or MPV, heh). I do this sometimes but since nearly everything on the road can beat me I usually have to let em by.

My brother, when behind a perpetual signaller, would use his signal switching it back and forth. Sometimes if they don't get the hint from behind he'll pass em and get infront of them and do it again. It usually works too.

 

[Jordan]

I'm like boom on the road, better to stay out of it than to cause trouble. I will use my horn occasionally to inform the idiots that you an actually make a left turn at a green light without the arrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh. I do have a pure hate for tailgaters, however. My favorite technique for them is to lightly touch my brake pedal with my left foot, so the lights come on, while still applying the gas.

 

[TheCracker]

I mutter to my self. They never know my anger. The tailgaters really piss me off, though. I always go 5 miles/hr over the speed limit and they still ride my ass.

I'm no fan of tailgaters either, the best way to deal with them is to 'brake-test' them, not in the literal sense, but if you rest your left foot on the brake pedal - without applying any brake pressure the lights still come on at the back of your car - and it can scare the life out of them.

 

[TheCracker]

...Jordan beats me to it!!!

 

[1X83Z]

I will use my horn occasionally to inform the idiots that you an actually make a left turn at a green light without the arrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh.

Nobody where I live has a problem with that, though I was behind a car in New York the other day from Pennsylvania who refused to make a right turn on red at a clear intersection. I didn't honk - because it was a short light - but also because I didn't feel they were obligated to make the turn.

I'm afraid to honk waiting at lights, because the person could always get out and punch you in the face, too.

Someone will be doing thier high speed run on the highway and when they pass us if the road is clear enough my dad will floor it and catch up with the guy and just follow him. We've done this at 115mph before

I hate when people do this. I was driving a week ago in a huge speed trap and passed a 92-96 Camry who was doing a bit over the speed limit in the left lane. After I passed him, he got behind me and followed every move I made, passing other cars, etc. I hate when people do this because you never know if they're an off-duty cop radioing to dispatch that they're following some guy in a silver Mercedes doing 20 over the speed limit.

I do have a pure hate for tailgaters, however.

Same - I frequently drive like an absolute jackass, but I never tailgate unless someone's doing at least 20% under the speed limit.

 

[87chevy]

Tailgaters are hated by myself as well. I don't brake check them in my Celica cause I'm afraid the idiots will hit me. I do get mad. Sometimes raging mad. I live in a college town, a major college town; college students are idiot drivers (for the most part). I was driving my Chevy one day a couple years ago, when i had my lift and KC lights but not big tires or fender flares, so i wasn't exactly something that blended in. I'm going down this two laner and there is a silver explorer on the right (wanting to turn left) and a minivan on the left. The explorer was coming out of the drive of an Apt. Complex and the minivan who was nearly directly across, was trying to turn right out of a Trailer park. I get about 50 ft away from the explorer going around 30-35 and then he just pulls out in front of me to turn left!!!!! I slam on the brakes and as he passes me the other way he yells something at me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to run that MOTHER F-ER down and ram him off the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just went nuts! i was yelling and cursing and pounding the steering wheel (yeah, real bright i know) I sat in the road for a few seconds to calm down. The lady in the minivan saw the whole thing (including me freaking out) she made her right turn following the Explorer after a few seconds and i made i contact with her. I dont think she could believed what had just happened but i think she was a little freaked out by my reaction also. I could've beat that guy to death in that moment and not felt anything. The nerve of him to pull out in front of me like an ass and then have the gall to yell at me like I was in the wrong!!!!!!

whoa, that's longer than i intended. Point is I despise stupid drivers and i do get pretty mad. Usually i'll mutter/yell in my vehicle. I don't usually flip people off, but I have. And i'd never get out of my car. And if someone got out of theirs to come after me, i'd run'em over. or run up on the sidewalk to get away. What's driving me crazy now is that the horn in my Chevy quit working. One day i really needed it. but that's another story. I hate bad drivers.

 

[pimp racer]

A combination of all three techniques

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

I usually can keep calm with assholes. What really pisses me off, though, are people who get on you for (a) following the law, or (b), hesitating for like 5 secs at a light.

There's a no right on red at the bottom of my hill, and I occasionally get honked for waiting at it, despite the multiple signs.

The worst is picking up my younger brother from school. I see these b*tches in their minivans, and have to wait behind them for what seems like forever sometimes, while their fatass kids stagger over to their cars, but these same cars will honk at you if you stop for one second to pull over to pick someone up, and will lean on the horn the second the light goes green.

That's when I flip out the bird.

 

[wellyrn]

the horn is for communicating to other drivers when they are doing something wrong. i don't even do it as often as i should. Drivers SUCK where i live, signals, saying between the lines, and even 4-way stop procedure is just too much for most of them.

As for tailgaters i like to slow down gradually until they get the idea.

 

[Bollocks#999]

I'm like boom on the road, better to stay out of it than to cause trouble. I will use my horn occasionally to inform the idiots that you an actually make a left turn at a green light without the arrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh. I do have a pure hate for tailgaters, however. My favorite technique for them is to lightly touch my brake pedal with my left foot, so the lights come on, while still applying the gas.

Ive found that the best way around that is to just flick on the lights, the rears still light up without having to go for the brakes at all


Voted for the "combo" myself, but usually its just a shake of the head or a sarcastic clap out the window


My absolute pet hate is those people who think that the car they own is to "precious(sp?)" and have to take up 2 car parking spaces, even when its an empty carpark 👎

 

[Famine]

For some reason my car - a bright red sports car - seems to be totally invisible, especially when accelerating towards someone who is waiting at a junction, and even moreso when I have my headlights on. Literally. At least one person every day will pull out right in front of me, whilst looking at me. I've taken to driving without my lights on at night now, because at least people then go "Ooh! Look! A car without it's lights on!"*

Generally it's horn for these people. The finger is reserved for people who operate under the belief that, since they pay for the road in their taxes, the road is theirs. Especially the non-taxi driver.

Story
At a local roundabout (if you don't have them, don't ask), there is a situation where there are two lanes. One peels off to the left exit, the other doesn't - however, the left exit has a short stretch of two lanes which is designed for people who have been caught out by the ropey lane discipline there. People generally use this stretch to jump a large row of traffic.

One day I was in the "peloton" (whatever the equivalent for cars is... I don't know) trundling down off the left exit, when I spot in my wing mirror a guy in a London taxi - not registered, so it was a private vehicle - who wasn't keen on waiting and used the second lane to jump the traffic. There were no gaps for him to pull into so he just carried on, over the double white lines (illegal) into oncoming traffic. He decided that he wanted to go in front of me - yeah, pick a race with a bright red sports car driven by a young male while you're in a 1965 diesel taxi. So I matched his speed precisely - it was naughty of me, but if he hadn't been illegally alongside me, he wouldn't have had a problem. This meant there was a perfectly usable gap behind me. When it dawned on him that no matter how close he got to the side of my car, I just wasn't going to yield, he pulled in behind me and started flashing his lights, gesticulating and shouting at me.

I stopped the car dead in the road. I turned round, slowly and deliberately and gave him the bird and mouthed a phrase similar to "tanker". I then turned back round and launched the car, full chat, onto a motorway and off into the distance.


It was terribly rude of me, but the driver was illegally alongside me, having illegally passed several vehicles and was attempting to use force and intimidation to get his own way on the road, then blaming others (me) when it didn't go his way.


I have been properly road-raged twice - once was funny, the other not so.

Funny Road Rage
I was driving, slowly, through a car park. The vehicle in front of me swerved right (no indication) as if to go into a parking space that side, then stopped. So I carried on past and parked up ahead on the right.

Next thing I know, someone's beating their fist on my side window then wrenches the door open.
"What are you playing at?" it shouted. "I could have reversed into you!".
"I'm not psychic." reply I. "You gave no signal and, if you were reversing, your reverse lights don't work. And why weren't you using your mirror?"
It raged on. So I go to step out of my car - and he attempts to slam the door on my leg. I do get out and I'm a whole foot taller than him - and he's driving a Citroen AX which I could lift up with one arm. Which he's left running with the door open in order to remonstrate with me.
"Hahahahahaha!" say I. "**** off, you stupid little c***!" I remark.

To recap - this guy gives no signals to his intent, drives an unroadworthy car and claims that it would be someone else's fault if he were to reverse into them. Marvellous.

Not funny road-rage
Another two lanes into one. Apparently, at the speed limit, I wasn't going quick enough for another driver (Mitsubishi Pajero), who passed me on a short stretch of dual carriageway. As the road turns a corner, the road becomes single-lane. So as we round the corner he slices right across the road in front of me - we're talking inches at most. I utilise my horn briefly (Highway Code - "To alert other drivers of your presence"). He stops and gets out - unofficial rule number 1 of road rage incidents is do not, under any circumstance, get out of your vehicle. For some reason, I'd had a foresight moment that he'd do something really stupid like this and had stopped too, some 50 yards behind him. As he walked towards me, I figured that I'd not done anything wrong and was holding up other cars behind me, so I dropped the clutch and launched it. He happened to be roughly in my path but wasn't for long.

I never saw him again - but still wonder why he felt the need to come and remonstrate with me for his extreme error/arrogance and my adherence to the rules of the road.



However, I should point out that most drivers seem to conduct themselves safely and responsibly most of the time - we all make mistakes - and these are only three incidents in total in 10 years.

For the most part I just drop a gear and leave the trouble behind me where it ought to stay.

*Joke