Let my temper get the better of me while driving.

cluelessoz

I done something so silly.

I was driving this morning and a big bmw pulled out in front of the car, in front of me. They beeped the horn at him and he stopped his car waving his hands out the window. He than drove really slow and we came up to traffic lights. When they were flashing amber, he still didn't drive on, even tho there were no pedestrians in sight. I lost my cool. I overtook both cars and beeped the horn at him. He sped up right behind me, beeping his horn...I waved back at him to pee him off.

We than came up to a round about, hoping he was going the other way but he was still behind me. I than turned into the shop, without indicating so he wouldn't follow me, but he was right behind me.

I started to freak a little and drove straight to the other side and out onto the road.

I'm sure he probably took a picture of my number plate, but I'm terrified now he might go to the guards. I recently moved into a new place and I'm worried the guards will knock on the door looking for me.

I let my emotions get the better of me. I do have road rage and there's been many times I've not let it get to me. I feel so stupid. That driver was a pr*ck but I know I did wrong also. What should I do?

o1s1n

Stop driving till you have your rage under control. You could literally kill someone.

FortuneChip

Sometimes you will encounter bad/dangerous driving etiquette on the roads. You can't address it with even worse displays of dangerous driving. It's for the guards to deal with.

The initial driver may have done something wrong, maybe careless. What you did was intentionally dangerous.

Cars are not toys. Driving is not some combat sport. What did you hope to achieve?

Maybe a visit from the guards will help you understand how dangerous driving is dealt with

cluelessoz

If there was someone there at the lights, I wouldn't have over took.

When I saw there was noone I thought he was still acting the pr*ck. This has left me a little shook, and has made me have a proper look at myself and road rage.

FrancieBrady

He was in the wrong too and risks you having dash cam footage to prove it. I don't think you'll hear from him again tbh. You can tell the Gardai you feared for your personal safety, which is what he was trying to induce by following you.

No harm you are reviewing how you react in these situations, every day is a learning day.

Oscar_Madison

Sounds like you learned a lesson today- “road rage” can very easily happen given the right set of circumstances. Events like these can end up with someone seriously injured or worse - and a charge of something like using a vehicle as a deadly weapon or whatever the law is.
You will always encounter idiots on the road - I do all the time - sometimes in the past I haven’t acted particularly well either - I’ve learned some lessons - it’s all fine and good when you’re locked into your little cabin whilst beeping your horn and driving aggressively - you’ve found out today that some people, even though they might be a d1ckhead themselves, don’t take to kindly to that.

Next time, deep breath and just stay calm - and get yourself a dashcam - you can upload their nastiness in future to the Gardai website and let them deal with it

cluelessoz

Is there a chance the guards might call to my door? Am I as well off to go to the guards myself? I don't want to report or get involved in anything petty (I know I kinda already have) I just dont want this to go further

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123442965#Comment_123442965

you were 2 cars back. You did not have a clear view. You had no idea if someone was crossing or not.

cluelessoz

I did have a clear view, it was a straight stretch the pedestrian had fully crossed before the light turned amber. There were no other persons on the path. Like I said, if there was a person approaching or on the crossing, I would not have done it. I done it because there was no one there, the light was flashing amber and he was not budging. He was deliberately delaying the car behind him.

con___manx1

Don't let the anger get yo you and start doing ridiculous driving yourself. It's not good to be driving when your head is not clear.

I usually just give stupid drivers the finger. If they get angry I have a good laugh. Try that next time.

baxterooneydoody

You'll be fine, the only thing you'll get on here is the ever righteous pontificating to you about how everyone all the time should be perfect just like them. The best thing is learn from it and move on.

The replies you'll get here won't do you any good and only serve to make you feel inferior to these perfect bastions of society and that most on here are saints with perfect driving records and in full control of their emotions 100 percent of the time

Put it behind you, learn from it and move on

youtheman

Relax, you have nothing to worry about in this instance. Road Rage can be at various levels. Starts off with beeping horns, gesticulating, rolling down the window and verbal exchanges. Then it can escalate to dangerous maneuvering and maybe exiting the car and a physical confrontation with another driver. That's what you want to avoid because it can be a 'life altering' event at that stage. Think it is very important as a car driver you know when it can get dangerous and out of control. Nobody expects you to be a saint behind the wheel. But it's an opportunity for a 'lessons learnt' and you can certainly reduce the risk of a 're-occurrence'.

charlessmith22

Can't imagine anything will come of it. It seems your anxiety has blown this out of proportion.

Also the fact you felt it necessary to include it was a 'big BMW' shows you're carrying some sort of inferiority complex and feeling less than in this situation and this seems to have triggered you.

The issue behind the issue is what needs addressing here. Do you feel not where you'd like to be in life and carry some jealousy/envy towards those who are in a better position?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443040#Comment_123443040

and what if there was someone bent over tying their laces , picking themSelves up after falling etc?

From cars back you didn’t have that view

baxterooneydoody

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443188#Comment_123443188

🤣🤣🤣

Markus Antonius

I listen to Lyric Fm. Not sure if it quells my road rage or just focuses my anger on something else not linked to the road.

In situations like this, the horn is your friend. Use it liberally. Us Irish don't use the horn enough. Go to any other country in the world and they practically sit on the things.

Don't listen to those who say "stop driving until you sort your road rage out". We all have road rage in us, most people just don't let it dictate what we do on the road. But I think you know now to not let it do this.

HildaOgdenx

Mod - Moved to a more suitable forum.

cj maxx

Some people are just pricks in a car . I had an incident years ago where ( in Dublin that I don’t know ) I stuck to the speed limit on one of the bypasses , obviously annoying the driver behind me , gave me the finger passing me . No big deal . Forget about it and relax

purplefields

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443153#Comment_123443153

I also picked up on the 'Big' description, but for me I took this as meaning 'obnoxious' rather than 'better than me'.

For what it's worth, I drive a really old, small car. I would rather retire early than get into loads of debt. I wouldn't regard expensive car owners any better or worse then I am. Other people have different priorities.

Regarding road rage, I always consider other cars as driven by the sub-human. Not worthy of my aggression. They are taking up my road space, and I'll never see them again.

EmergencyExit

Happens to us all. Put your big boy pants on and move on with your life.

boardsdotie44

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443153#Comment_123443153

What a load… lol, BMW included was because it usually is, or an Audi… must mean I am not where I want to be in life lol

cluelessoz

Could this be moved back to PI?

My issue is more to do with my reaction and panic to the suitation, rather than anything to do with motors.

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443040#Comment_123443040

OP from 2 cars back you didn't have a clear view. It's not possible. Doesn't matter how open the road. The only person with a clear view is the car at the front. And also if there was a car in front of the BMW maybe it wasn't a case of him delaying but waiting for that care to start.

The amber light means that you can proceed with caution, not that you can take off at pace. So in fact I think the BMW wasn't doing anything to provoke you but rather that they were obeying the rules of the road. Or at least the car in front of them was if that was the one stopped first at the lights.

Look there's no law against taking time to start at lights or deliberately delaying the car behind. You overreacted & escalated what was a fairly small incident with the BMW pushing in front of you. You need to look to your own behaviour here & if you can escalate something so small you need to think about if you should be driving.

cluelessoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443570#Comment_123443570

Your suggesting the driver that pulled out at speed, right infront of another car, who than proceeded to halt his car, when the person behind him beeped, and drove off slowly, deliberately, is obeying the rules of the road? Read my op again, he didn't pull out in front me of, it was the car in front, that hit the brakes sudden and luckily I didn't end up in the back of them.

I did have a clear view. As we were approaching, even at low speed I could no one at the zebra crossing, bar the person that had already crossed.

Why can't ye accept that? Get off yer high horses. I've admitted my behaviour wasn't right but the other driver was as much in the wrong.

Fishdoodle

Not a nice situation when other drivers drive recklessly …but bad driving habits spread like osmosis as per yourvreaction. Well, fair play to owning up and recognising your tendency to over react. A lesson to learn here & you’re especially fortunate - no crash, no injuries.

However, you have X amount of driving years left in your life. Unless you address some issues …the can will be kicked further up the road. Recommend you do a course in Advanced Driving. -A big step up from basic driving lessons. (They’re quite short but really improve your driving style and instructors are top notch). The likelihood of repeating bad habits is greatly reduced to such an extent that you get a reduction on insurance for life.

Other than that…probably, other stressors in lifestyle to address. -But the road is not the place to vent.

eggy81

Best way to be in a car is passive. You need to learn this op.

Flinty997

Cops might have a chat but there were two if you in it.

Valuable lesson learned though.

User1998

If two cars in front of me we’re road raging against each other and holding up traffic I’d drive around them too. Not in anger or anything, just proceeding with my journey. Same way I’d drive around a learner driver who keeps stalling for example. I guess the difference with OP is that they got uncontrollable road rage.

I may add that doing it on a pedestrian crossing is it a bit dumb, but if the road was as clear as OP says it was then I probably would have done the same.

thebourke

i was going to the supermarket last saturday on a local road in south dublin….there was a problem with the car and i couldnt get much power to drive so was going at a slow pace.the guy behind me starting to blow his horn…he had room to overtake me….i then put on my hazard lights…i put my hand out the windows for the trafffic to overtake me…the guy kept blowing his horn as he overtook me….

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443605#Comment_123443605

You can't control the other drivers though, you can only control your own reactions. And if a car pulls out in front of you or beeps at you or drives slowly - how does you losing the head and bombing past multiple cars at a set of traffic lights help? Why are you trying to justify your reaction rather than try to change your behaviour?

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123443605#Comment_123443605

First off apologies, I misread the OP & thought he'd pulled in front of you.

Secondly - doesn't matter what he did at all. It's what you did. And you said it was lights, not a zebra crossing. They're different. And still a clear view doesn't excuse your dangerous driving. Yes what the other ones did were wrong but they mainly endangered themselves. You endangered yourself, them, anyone crossing the road & potentially cars on the other side of the road too (not knowing the road & whether there is a median that would prevent this). The other driver was not as much in the wrong. They were in the wrong but you were the one who took it to the next level. Sorry that's not being a high horse - that's reality.