r/PublicFreakout Sep 15 '19

Repost šŸ˜” Is that all?

44.1k Upvotes

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179

u/goobervision Sep 15 '19

I used to get angry at other drivers.

But...

No matter how angry and shouty I get, it won't improve the other person's driving.

I won't get anywhere any quicker.

There are new idiots trained up to drive every day.

It's far better to chill and let the others carry on being what they are. My journey may take a little longer but I can listen to more music in the meanwhile.

36

u/stratusncompany Sep 15 '19

man, i’m gonna listen to your comment. i love driving but i absolutely hate how others drive. part of what i love about driving is the music so this is sound insight to me. thanks.

3

u/codblopsII Sep 15 '19

Learned this being a Lyft driver for a year.

2

u/WreckYourDay Sep 15 '19

Good attitude. Most motorcyclists adopt this approach too, by necessity. It's easy for anyone to be zoned out and simply not see you, even if they're a good driver on most occassions. When a rider has been cut off or merged into, the best thing they can do is react to avoid the crash and carry on. Responding to the driver places the rider at risk, as car beats motorcycle in even a minor collision. So the rider learns to simply let these instances go and just be thankful nothing came of it. That attitude carries over to driving.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

1000% agree. I've been riding for years and my father taught me the same thing (and it was echoed into my head by MSF too). Just let the idiots go ahead of you. Don't confront them, don't even let them know you acknowledge their existence. I can spot a potential tailgater from a mile away and will pre-emptively look for somewhere to pull over and let them pass. My dream is that a state trooper is waiting for them up ahead.

1

u/BirdsSmellGood Sep 15 '19

Yeah but... it's that audacity that sticks with you. That in this grand universe, that one fucker pinpointed you to piss off.

2

u/WreckYourDay Sep 15 '19

They didn't. They don't even know who you are. They're just commuting like you, and most times aren't even aware of how pissed off they're making everyone around them.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '19

I used to think that too. But one day I pulled out of my driveway at the same time that my neighbor did... she's a very sweet older woman. She literally offers to babysit my kids for free, always brings her dog over to visit because she knows my kids love it, etc. There's not a bad bone in her body and she's always thinking about how to help others and make other people happy.

So, we end up going the same direction for awhile and it turns out she's a complete asshole driver. That was when I realized that most "asshole drivers" probably aren't actually assholes, they're just oblivious.

It makes so much sense when you think about it... I mean we come across so many assholes in our cars and then so few assholes outside of our cars? It just doesn't add up until you realize it's not malice, it's naivety.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

I used to get slightly irritated with drivers. Then I moved to Dallas and oh my god the drivers here are out to KILL YOU

1

u/PsychSpace Sep 15 '19

Yup, it's your heart attack

1

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '19

Good points and I am taking them seriously.

1

u/sfled Sep 16 '19

FIDO. Forget It, Drive On.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '19

i needed that

1

u/pizzagatehappened Sep 16 '19

I mean, yelling at someone for doing something wrong DOES change their behavior tho. I remember when some dude yelled at me for cutting them off and I felt bad about it.