Tell me about your episodes of road rage after the witch I just encountered has left me fuming.

[IaskBoringQuestions]

In my 18 years of driving I’ve maybe had about 8 episodes of road rage but today’s topped them all and made me so angry.
I feel like I need to type it out and read others examples to calm down.

I was in a busy car park (probably the scene of most road rages!) awaiting to park in a spot.
The woman in front stopped dead and did nothing. I wondered why.
I decided to reverse to see if she was wanting to back into a space next to us.
She did. And as she came level with my window she shouted “If you would fucking move you stupid cunt”

Well. She ignited my fire within and my rage boiled over. I couldn’t believe the way she spoke to me when I had done nothing wrong (no way I could have known her intention as she didn’t indicate etc)

I got out of my car and said EXCUSE ME! How dare you speak to me like that when I’ve done nothing wrong

She was about 25 years older than me and looked like a real life witch. She said “you stupid fucking cunt learn to drive”

Even though I do swear I chose to be the bigger person and use words rather than swearing and I said “how was I supposed to know your plans and how did that warrant a load of abuse, you horrible rude woman”

I walked away and she shouted cunt.

And I couldn’t let her have that as the last word so I said “you are lucky my kid is in the car as I would drag you out of that car and show you who is a cunt”
And I drove off.

Why do arseholes like this exist.

Tell me your examples?

@IDespairOfTheHumanRace

Next time perhaps just smile sweetly, head tilted to one side and say:

"At least a cunt has warmth, depth and usefulness - qualities which you sadly lack!"

As a matter of interest did you notice whether or not it is easy for her to manouvere and park a broomstick?

Great response ! Wish I could think of good replies at the time but I never can !!

because you can’t just go around calling someone a cunt, what if it had been a vulnerable elderly person

That makes no sense. What do you mean by a vulnerable elderly person? Vulnerable in what way? Physically frail, financially insecure, socially alone, technologically challenged?

People more vulnerable to being harmed by being called a cunt are those who suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, trauma from similar occurrences and so forth. None of which is more likely in an elderly person.

I'd have laughed at her. People being ludicrously over the top angry at really innocuous situations like mild confusion over a parking spot always give me the giggles.

I got out of my car

I really wouldn't do that. I really wouldn't. Much better you stay safe in your ton of metal and they get out so you can run them over than the other way round.

Well, I've never been involved in an episode of road rage, though I've certainly encountered my fair share of idiot drivers. I really don't think the best response to someone hurling abuse is to hurl it back. That isn't standing up for yourself, it's just lowering yourself to their level.

I'd have done the exact same thing, OP. Some of these responses are hilarious

I don't think I'd have reacted either, but it's easy to say. Harder when you're in the middle of a massive amygdala (so?) response though. It's the red mist, isn't it?

I've never been sworn at like that before, and I'd probably just be baffled at what I was supposed to have done.

We were trying to park outside our local tesco express and my husband accidentally nearly took a space another man was waiting for. He realised and backed out, letting the man have the space. He went nuts, yelling and gesticulating at us (he had his kids in the car) and we could him swearing through his window.
We found another space but I insisted my husband stay in the car as his blood was boiling.
I went in to Tesco and the guy was in there, now perfectly calm and happy. I stood near him and said 'Oh hi!' quite cheerfully and politely. He looked at me a bit confused so I (agsin super politely) said 'I was the lady in the car you were just yelling at as we mistakenly nearly took your space but moved when we realised. It really wasnt good to yell and swear so much in front of your kids over what was an obvious mistake'. He looked completely surprised and just turned away so I left it there and did my shopping! Still makes me smile.

I've had men call.me a stupid fucking cunt because I was doing 50...in a 50. And wouldn't pull over for them. Have also had men slam their breaks on in front of me on dual carriage way simply because I shook my head at them as They sped up as I tried to overtake as they were doing only 25 in a 40 (and god forbid a woman overtakes them). Had men screaming "fucking cunt!" at me for stopping suddenly as I've gone to pull out by they've been speeding at around 50 in the 30 outside our house and they've appeared from around the corner in a second. So many more examples.

Well to be fair op she behaved terribly and the best response is not to engage. It is not to get out your car and threaten to beat the shit out of her. Two wrongs don’t make a right, which is why you’re getting the responses you’re getting.

My most bizarre was I had a prang. My fault. We both pulled over at the side of the dual carriage way, it was a busy a road, but it was the scene of an accident and very obviously so. Cars continued to stream past us but slowly, a white van man stopped as he was a witness. We were not stopping the traffic.

The three of us were standing there in the pissing rain, me and these two blokes. And as the cars streamed past one man stopped in his car, holding all the traffic up , would his window down and shouted

“Move your cars you fucking bunch of cunts”

To which we all stood and gaped at him in shock. He then repeated it and worse, proper did his nut. As the cars were all stand still behind him

Eventually white van man moved forward saying “right that’s enough” and he drove off.

Honestly it was so bizarre, I’ve never seen anyone pull up at the scene of an accident and shout obscenities like that, we were literally open mouthed in surprise.

Ha, I meant to type "(sp?)", not "(so?)"- I hope I haven't inadvertently provoked any rage by sounding rude .

A couple of years ago I was coming along the road on the correct side and cars parked other side so 'woman' waited. When I reached her I popped my hand up with a 'thanks' (although I was on the correct side/had priority).

She had her window down and screamed at me 'I didn't fucking say you could go!' She had 3 children in the back and I genuinely had done nothing incorrect, I approached before her etc. I just said 'wow, children present' and carried on. Odd behaviour and totally unreasonable but then road rage is in the main people who cannot control their anger and display like a angry toddler.

Get a dashcam, say nothing and just point at it, usually works

I had also had men catch up, tailgate and speed past me after I have overtaken then correctly. Was it because I am a woman in a pretty decent fast car or are they usually knobs I have no idea.

Also, didn't see a much much older grey haired chap was walking very slowly across a space because he wanted to reserve it for his wife, who was driving around trying to find a parking spot, and I hadn't seen her. I went to pull slowly into the spot as he veeeeery sloooowly walked what looked like past it - he veeeeery slowly went to turn around, saw me - I was waiting, angled into spot. He went to walk on, so me, thinking aw, he's just a really slow older gent, let him walk at turtle speed before I pulled into spot. Then realised a car had been in my blind spot off to the side - he came round to my door and went odd on one at me "bloody selfish woman, do you always treat people like that? Selfish cow!". I started stuttering as I had no bloody idea his wife had also been slowly driving round waiting for him to stand in a spot. As I got out, he was busy spouting off about "that selfish cow" etc. I tried to explain I was sorry, I had no idea his wife was waiting (she'd literally been crawling around the car park in her car, and hadn't been even in sight when I'd started pulling into the space). He was such a nasty man.

I felt sorry for you @IaskBoringQuestions until the final bit

'And I couldn’t let her have that as the last word so I said “you are lucky my kid is in the car as I would drag you out of that car and show you who is a cunt”
And I drove off. Why do arseholes like this exist.'

You became as bad as her and an arsehole yourself with the final bit. Never lower yourself to their gutter level otherwise you are the same as them.

My instinct is always to retaliate when someone is like that with me, but I strive to be one of those people who laugh it off as just another crazy person.

The reality is I usually let them know I'm not happy about whatever they said/did and carry on doing what I'm doing.

One woman who missed her bus because I apparently wasn't fast enough at the cash point, told me I have a fat arse, I laughed and said "have you looked in the mirror lately" and walked away.

A woman in Tesco once, came round the corner no trolley or basket and then called me a cunt for not moving out of her way. I told her I wasn't having a row with her in the middle of Tesco and moved on.

I would never, ever threaten someone.

I've had men call.me a stupid fucking cunt because I was doing 50...in a 50. And wouldn't pull over for them.

Was this a motorway or multi lane road ? My reading of the MN book of motoring is that you must always pull over to let people speed.

(I may have misread it )

Years ago, a few months after passing my test, I had to go through the Dartford Tunnel. I think the payment system is different now, but you had to throw your money into a large bin, then the barrier opened. I got there, threw the exact right money straight in and the barrier didn't raise. The guy behind me was so impatient he started nudging my bumper - but as the barrier was down I could go nowhere.

A supervisor came running across to help, but the guy behind then leant on his horn continuously. I saw red, got out my car went to the car behind and opened his door and tried to grab him. The guy was then so scared he tried to get over to the passenger side. Once I'd sufficiently scared him I went back to my car where the supervisor (who surprisingly didn't step in) confirmed I'd put the right money in the bin and I went on my way. I half expected some incident off the guy further along the motorway but didn't see him again.

Sorry OP but the whole story is dreadful. I cant see how after that exchange you were able go happily go about your day without worry you might come across the woman or she might damage your car or whatever.

If you just learn to ignore you will feel better about all of these things and realise to win you really do not need to scream and shout

I once beeped a large 4x4 car for going through a red light at a crossing. We had been stuck in a queue of traffic due to the roundabout in front & other lights. He was waiting, leaving space for the crossing, but the queue moved & the traffic light at the crossing turned red, people (Including primary school kids) began to cross, but he just sped over the crossing to get to the roundabout. I beeped, he got caught at the roundabout & I was waiting at the red light. He got out of his car & came up banging on my window and shouting at me for being a cunt etc. I'm only small and slim and he was a beast of a man. I was terrified.

Some people lose the plot on roads and in car parks. When people behave like that it just makes me laugh as they come across completely unhinged. Of course they really hate it when you laugh of them for being so demented and get even more angry but it’s something about road rage which reminds me of giant toddlers.

Was this a motorway or multi lane road ? My reading of the MN book of motoring is that you must always pull over to let people speed

Narrow country lane with a specific 50 section which then went down to a 40 as it was coming up to a junction notorious foe accidents.

I was driving my little horsebox up through the village. One of those roads with lots of cars parked on one side, so I was very pleased to see that my side (the side with no cars parked) was completely clear and the on-coming car had pulled into a space. So imagine how pleased I was when he pulled out and came towards me - on my side of the road - at a speed that had to be deliberate. So I stopped and waited for him to back up again (nothing behind him, two cars now behind me, also with "right of way") but would he? Would he heck. Clearly shouting the odds at me he sat there and wouldn't move. His wife in the passenger seat looked as if she was trying to melt down into the footwell.

(Says me... posting too soon...)
So eventually I put the horsebox into reverse, luckily the cars behind me did the same and we all reversed up so that he could come through on our side of the road. I went slowly - precious pony in the back - and he was clearly swearing and shouting at me all the way.

So I wound down my window as he came up beside me, as did he, and he didn't get time to open his bloody mouth. I yelled at the absolute top of my voice "You stupid, stupid, ignorant man!" as pedestrians stopped in their tracks and stared. Then I just drove off, leaving him with the frustration of not having had a chance to have a go at me. He was and probably still is a stupid, stupid, ignorant man.