Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Raging Roads

About 6 years ago, I was the victim of a really nasty road rage incident. Driving home from work one evening, Scott in the passenger seat, a parked car pulled out in front of me. I had time to stop, but only just, so I gave a quick toot of the horn and didn't think much of it. At the next set of lights, about 100m down the road, I noticed a female get out of the passenger side of the car behind me. Everything happened so quickly, I had no idea what to do. She opened my door, attempted to smack my face and then proceeded to spit... yes, spit all over me. One of the most revolting and scary experiences I've ever had. It was all over in seconds, before she took off back to the car, and the male driver sped off, mounting the footpath as they went. We reported it to the police and months later they caught up with the culprits. By this stage, I was keen to put the whole ordeal behind me, so I didn't press charges. It seriously changed my approach to driving and keeping my doors locked at ALL times.


Then last Friday evening, I had another incident of road rage thrust upon me. This time, with both of my boys in the car and no husband in the passenger seat. I had just pulled out of the car park after work and was waiting to turn out of a small lane onto an exceptionally busy 3 lane road. The car behind me started beeping long and loud, the minute it pulled up. The weather in Sydney was atrocious. Raining, cold, the roads like an ice rink and the cars were streaming by continuously on the main road. At first I didn't realise I was the one being beeped. Surely no one would be beeping me waiting for a break in the traffic?! I was wrong. The impatient, sorry excuse for a man behind me was literally sitting on his horn, harassing me to move my car out into oncoming traffic.


When I finally moved out into my lane, I noticed him pull out quickly behind me and move to the lane next to mine. I was furious. Stupidly, I wound my window down and motioned for him to do the same. He let fly with a barrage of heated words (none swearing thank goodness, I despise when people are abusive using foul language) about how I needed to learn to drive and that I had plenty of opportunity to pull into the traffic. I told him I had two babies in my car and I was in no way putting my family at risk for a matter of seconds, nor was I going to put oncoming traffic under pressure to break in wet conditions. He yelled back that he also had his child in the car, clearly trying to make a point. I was rattled, shaky and angry. The hide of him. A professional looking male, behaving that way towards a Mother with her children in the car. I was disgusted. This is the city I have always known and loved. But this is also the world we live in nowadays. I'm sure there were cases of road rage long before my time. Though the frequency and intensity is like never before. Indeed, the roads are raging. 

12 comments:

  1. How scary!
    I hope you are okay.
    I think I would have burst into tears - I just don't understand why people need to be so impatient. Its like the person who goes speeding past you only then to end up 1 car in front at the traffic lights. Just no point.
    Some people are just idiots .... total idiots!
    Good on you for being strong and not putting your family at risk.

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  2. That is incredibly unfair Julie and I could feel my blood pressure rising as I read! I loathe impatient drivers, they take unnecessary risks putting others in danger. Hopefully it's much longer than six years before your next incident... gxo

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  3. Scary! Not sure I could have contained my composure... swearing and giving the bird would have come upon me before I had the chance to think about the smalls in the backseat!!!!

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  4. Wow..that is a scary tale! I did have a young bloke once who thought I was sitting on his rear a bit and so kept speeding up and then braking several times..erratically to make his point..which was caused by his overactive imagination! I tend to drive on the cautious side..not because of it..but because mr w's mum and sister were killed on the road..I've seen what accidents do to people firsthand.

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  5. A few years ago we were at a busy intersection and the car in front was trying to turn right where there was a no right turn. We beeped to let them know you couldn't turn right. They ignored us so we went round. Obviously realising there was no way she could turn right, she took after us at speed and started yelling abuse. She had a young child in the back. She then sped off, and so agitated she mounted the curb and hit another car. I was flabbergasted!

    It's scary stuff. I hope you don't encounter it again. x

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  6. Unfortunately this type of behaviour is all too common these days, I often wonder how people even get their licenses with the way they drive or use the roads.
    I would have been completely rattled in your shoes Julie....I don't enjoy driving at the best of times.
    x

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  7. How awful!
    Why do people become so revolting on the roads??
    Like it's not dangerous enough already, evenone just needs to calm down!

    I hope it never happens to you again.

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  8. Oh my gosh what an impatient twat that's just disgusting. Especially considering he also had a child in the car. So sorry to had to experience that. Karma will get him ;-)

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  9. “Your incident was very scary and eeewww, spitting, that is horrid. I get honked all the time for letting cars in or not driving fast enough (in peak hour, on the way to school, with 4 children in the car??) and it astounds me. I talk my children through the psychology of what is wrong with the drivers carrying on this way. I loathe drivers who don’t thank you for letting them in, how hard is it to say thanks?? I then love the hoons who show off at the lights & zoom off, like I’m going to race them in a 2 tonne 4WD loaded with children. Dumb thing is, I meet them at the next lights & just consider my better use of fuel economy. Love Posie”

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  10. Oh, Julie. How horrid. I must say I have been so glad to leave Sydney's road ragers behind by moving to Hobart. J x

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  11. That is truly horrendous. How appauling that a jerk would be that way in those weather conditions. You never know a about people anymore.

    Becareful out there!

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  12. ... MY GOD!!!!

    My heart was pounding for you!

    What was also disgusting is that HE was behaving like that with HIS child in the car!

    Wow, I thought Melbourne was bad ...

    That's my biggest fear, something like that when I have Max in the car.

    You poor thing xx

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