people flipping others off??

[Mixmastamunkh]

can somebody tell me why people feel the need to flip other people off in stupid situations?!?? like if you launching from a stop light, and that car pulls ahead of you, and flips you off? why does this happen so often? (side note, i'm most definitly not one to race people off stop lights, but it's happened about twice on purpose and a couple times with loser preppy kids in there moms beamers trying to act cool). also it's happened that i've tried to change lanes, and a guys boxes me in, comes close to my window and then downshifts to pull ahead of me. they feel desperatly compelled to flip the bird?

does this make them feel more manly? or is there some kind of universal custom i've not bee told of? it's so stupid and annoying.

just wanted to tell you guys about it...

[Dattebayo]

Wow, I am sorry. Was that you this afternoon? haha

[masticatingcow]

It happens... not all the time, but SOMEtimes. Just let it go.

It's not worth over-analysis. You'll just drive yourself insane trying to understand the deeper meaning behind someone's extended finger. You'll probably feel hurt, be reminded that your car IS slow, and have a crappy day.

It's definately not worth trying to catch 'em. I mean, assuming you DID, what would you say? "That wasn't very nice, mister. You hurt my feelings." Um, no. You'd probably just flip THEM the bird, and then, great, you're a jacka$$ just the same.

Of course, you DID say you were launching your car. If that's the case, I'd flip you off too. I HATE it when someone launches next to me. It's loud and usually scares my girlfriend. And damn, if you launched next to ME and threw off my groove, you'd be lucky if all you got was the bird. LOL.

But seriously, don't sweat it.

[skydragoness]

I love it when your'e minding your own business, then someone cuts you off, then flips YOU the bird. WTF.

All i got to say is (and this is probably an assumption) is that these stupid east-coast people wouldn't be flipping people off if this was L.A. Unless they want to get shot or something.

[Mixmastamunkh]

not not really like me launching an unprovoked car. i'm talking some guy who pulls up beside be thinking they're badass for some dumb reason. i don't think i've ever taunted someone into a race.

[Dattebayo]

Well this just went from zero to pointless in no time flat.

[Bruno240]

i flip off ppl if they almost cause a wreck. like if they make a left turn right in front of me and causes me to make a screching stop so i dont hit them, I will then proceed to honk the horn and flip them the bird.

I dont street race so i dont know about the rest of the stuff

[Fenvy]

I flip people off almost on a daily basis

around where I work, it's a asian community and you know how asians are inconsiderate of others in traffic

everyday after work, I have to make a left turn at a light. Usually, the oncoming traffic would stop at the hint of a yellow light so I can make a left. In this particular turn, however, people still try to make a run for it even when the ligjt turns red. Needless to say, a lot of times only 1 car gets to make a left turn... 2 if you're lucky.

The nearby asian supermarket's handicap parking is always occupied by non-handicap

if you wait for a parking, someone might just cut you off and park in the spot you were waiting for. I had to kick someone's door last time when it happened, to teach that person a lesson.

[bcar240]

I don't flip people off, usually because in a situation were I would be temped, the other person would never see it. I make mistakes and do stupid things on accident, so I usually give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they are better than that. But when it is obviously some punk kid or something trying to be hot stuff or do something dangerous, I sometimes get heated. I let people know when they have done something REALLY dumb. Like if someone pulls out in front of me in dangerous way (pulls out and doens't go, etc) I will slow down enough to avoid them and then lock up my brakes or ebrake on purpose to scare the s*** out of them. A week or so ago I was driving through an industrial park, limit is 35mph, but everyone goes 50, some idiot pulls out onto the road from a side street rolling through a stop sign at 20 mph. Instead of having to brake a lot to avoid him, I stayed at 50 drove around him in the shared left-turn lane, I bet that was a suprise. I feel like a vigilante now!

[hannibal]

All i got to say is (and this is probably an assumption) is that these stupid east-coast people wouldn't be flipping people off if this was L.A. Unless they want to get shot or something.

I cant remember an occasion where another driver flipped me off. Maybe cause Ive lived in cities like DC and Atlanta or I just dont look for that kinda thing. I did show a bird to a guy who rode in the left lane and my blind spot. When I sped up and passed a car in front of me, he sped up too, then started honking and tailgating like I had just cut him off.

But I'm usually a friendlier driver...

[hudy]

Some people put to much competition into driving home. Around where I work they usually try to block you from getting on the highway. If you get in front of them they are mad and make rude gestures. I'm like whatever. If that was the worst part of your day then you have got some issues.

Isn't it illegal to make hand gestures like that in Germany?

[skydragoness]

I cant remember an occasion where another driver flipped me off. Maybe cause Ive lived in cities like DC and Atlanta or I just dont look for that kinda thing. I did show a bird to a guy who rode in the left lane and my blind spot. When I sped up and passed a car in front of me, he sped up too, then started honking and tailgating like I had just cut him off.

But I'm usually a friendlier driver...

you just mentioned big cities, when i have been to philly there's no hand gestures, at least not like around here (DE). i think its because of the fact that they haven't been taught a lesson for their stupidity at one time or another so they think they're unstoppable.

[Veriest1]

Quote »a couple times with loser preppy kids in there moms beamers trying to act cool[/quote]It may not be their moms. A decent E36 M3 can be had for about the same price as a GT Mustang on the used market and non-M cars for a lot less. And I see plenty of 16 and 17 year olds with GT's and monstrous SUV's.

Actually, BMW cars are Bimmers. Not "beamers," bEEmers are BMW motorcycles.

On topic, I don't flip people off. Especially not around here since there are to many drunk rednecks with shotguns. I have have seen people look at me funny or shake their head when I've accidently squeaked my tires taking off from a redlight. However, they change their tone when I "accidently" squeak them going into second and third gear.

[AZhitman]

I flip people off almost on a daily basis

if you wait for a parking, someone might just cut you off and park in the spot you were waiting for. I had to kick someone's door last time when it happened, to teach that person a lesson.

Loveless, don't ever come to Phoenix. Because I WILL park in "your" spot.

I ever see someone kicking someone else's car, they're gargling teeth. Plain and simple.

[Fenvy]

Loveless, don't ever come to Phoenix. Because I WILL park in "your" spot.

I ever see someone kicking someone else's car, they're gargling teeth. Plain and simple.

it's common courtesy to actually allow a person, who is waiting for a spot, park due to the common norm of "first come first serve"

to wait behind someone, and cut him off right before he parks, is just asking for it, no matter where you live

it's a lesson to be learned for that person, any person, to have this courtesy.

better question is: what would you do if it happened to you?

[AZhitman]

It's also common courtesy to stay outta the left lane except to pass, signal 500 feet before a turn, stop for a red light behind the crosswalk, and tons of other things - Wait - those are LAWS! Do you always follow all those?

Besides, if a car is behind you, how are they getting your parking place? Maybe you're just slow.

You gonna kick the next person who cuts in front of you in line at a store? Maybe gets on an elevator before you?

Don't go kicking people's cars, dude. That's chickensh!t.

If you have a problem with them, say it to their face.

[bcar240]

I remember Loveless' story on that, it would piss anyone off. I probably wouldn't kick someone's door personally, I am just afraid to get caught on a security cam or something. But that is what small pebbles in the tire caps are for. Sad fact, more and more people need to experience the consequeces of doing something wrong to convince them to do it the right way, principles and ethics arn't enough anymore.

[masticatingcow]

I remember Loveless' story on that, it would piss anyone off. I probably wouldn't kick someone's door personally, I am just afraid to get caught on a security cam or something. But that is what small pebbles in the tire caps are for. Sad fact, more and more people need to experience the consequeces of doing something wrong to convince them to do it the right way, principles and ethics arn't enough anymore.

The problem with the pebble idea is that, hours later, their tires will be flat and they won't know why. Punishment is a bad way to teach a lesson unless you can attach the punishment to the behavior. The effect must be linked to the cause or else no logical continuity exists, and the lesson will not be learned. In layman's terms, pebbling valve stems won't reinforce ethics.

If you wanted to each someone a lesson, you could knife their tires and carve and angry note into their fenders with the same blade. That way, they'll KNOW their car was messed with because of their parking lot ettique. And they'll probably have a pretty god description of the car to send to the police.

So LET IT GO. If they snag YOUR spot, wedge themselves into YOUR lane, or otherwise misbehave on YOUR roads then move out of the way. (Not speaking directly to you, bcar240, but to everyone in general.)

[HashiriyaS14]

Don't go kicking people's cars, dude. That's chickensh!t.

If you have a problem with them, say it to their face.

I would tend to agree.

The parking space thing happens to me once in awhile, someone will be pulling out, I'm waiting, and then someone else zooms in from the other side and steals it.

Last time it happened, it was some little middle-aged guy in a 5-series, probably 50 years old. I put my flashers on, walked over to his car while he was getting out of it, looked him square in the eye, and told him to get out of the spot that I was waiting for. Suffice it to say that he never managed to get both feet out, and he willingly complied. Your average person only acts like an a$$hole because they're unwilling to face the consequences, and once they realize that there might actually BE consequences, they'll usually reconsider.

[bcar240]

Ya that makes sense. Sometimes I just wanna feel like I got back at them, lol. My friends do a lot of stuff like that, they will leave piles of rocks under peoples tires and stuff and be like, "we got them so good." I don't get it, first of all they don't know if the person even ran over the rocks when they left, and even if they did they probably won't understand it.

[PaulSheraton]

One time, I completely on accident cut off some lady because she was in my blindspot and sped up when I tried to merge...

This crazy lady followed me for ten+ miles in the opposite direction... I mean we were even stopped at a red together and she was yelling (from behind me), "I have a child in my car!" and "I'm calling the cops!" to which my reply was, "You're really setting a bad example for your child!" and "This is called road rage!" Then I whipped a 180 and lost her..

Edit: Oh and yes, she flipped me off plenty of times....right in front of her child...what a crazy lady
Modified by PaulSheraton at 5:23 PM 7/20/2005

[574-240sx]

I believe when somebody flips me off thats how many finger(s) they can take. It cracks me up everytime.

[S14-84]

One time, I completely on accident cut off some lady because she was in my blindspot and sped up when I tried to merge...

This crazy lady followed me for ten+ miles in the opposite direction... I mean we were even stopped at a red together and she was yelling (from behind me), "I have a child in my car!" and "I'm calling the cops!" to which my reply was, "You're really setting a bad example for your child!" and "This is called road rage!" Then I whipped a 180 and lost her..

Edit: Oh and yes, she flipped me off plenty of times....right in front of her child...what a crazy lady

Modified by PaulSheraton at 5:23 PM 7/20/2005

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!~

[floodshark]

Yeah I always hate the people who speed up when you try to merge in and then get all pissed when you merge anyway. I'm convinced merging and the idiots who don't do it right or let people in are the biggest cause of traffic since they end up slamming on their brakes when the person just merges anyway and thus the chain reaction begins.

[Tulsa_S-13]

What's really great is when people flip you off, box you in, then proceed to beat the **** out of your car and punch the passenger in the face. These people had no reason to do this (the driver and I had no clue who they even were). It took about 30 minutes for the police to arrive and by that time the people were already gone. My face is better now though.

[bcar240]

ya, I do think that is one of the largest driving problems today. People are so competitive that they don't ever want to let people in front. Of course, this is probably due to the fact that half the time when you do let someone in, they turn out to be a slow-poke or don't know how to drive or something. I have similar problems with people who will speed around you in traffic passing in the right lane to get one car ahead of you in the line from where they were (this causes the only times I ever really tailgated someone). The other day, I was driving in the right lane on a 2-lane (in each direction) road, I needed to merge left because the right lane ended ahead, everyone knew this because there were signs. I was trying to get in and someone sped up to block me out of the left lane. "fine," I thought, "I will be the bigger man," and just went to pull in behind them, and a punk in a Mustang, sped up and did the same thing behind that car. The traffic behind the mustang was nearly solid, and I was going to have to stop in the merge lane until I got a break. That just pushed me over the limit, I downshifted into 3rd and punched it. I passed like 5 cars and got in front of the whole line of traffic before I had to merge. I am not proud of that, but I did avoid a potential bad situation that was caused by over-competitivness.

[Bandit240]

I see this kind of **** everyday. I ride on an 18 wheeler all day long and it amazes me as to how many small cars think they can crowd a huge *** truck over. A few weeks ago we had to make a right hand turn out of a parking lot with a 50ish' lowboy. Had out strobe light with right hand blinker on, but sorta in the middle of the driveway. Some little russian prick in a Honda figure he would cut around on the right side(blind side). Well now he needs a new fender, bumber and rim. He got lucky since he hit the horn, otherwise those tires would have went right over his ***.

[AZhitman]

I notice I get a lot less hassle from people on the roads now that I have a shaved head and a goatee... Or maybe it's the combination of my Jesus fish and the 265/40 Pirelli's.

They just don't know what to make of me.

[574-240sx]

I see this kind of **** everyday. I ride on an 18 wheeler all day long and it amazes me as to how many small cars think they can crowd a huge *** truck over. A few weeks ago we had to make a right hand turn out of a parking lot with a 50ish' lowboy. Had out strobe light with right hand blinker on, but sorta in the middle of the driveway. Some little russian prick in a Honda figure he would cut around on the right side(blind side). Well now he needs a new fender, bumber and rim. He got lucky since he hit the horn, otherwise those tires would have went right over his ***.

I know the feeling, I use to make local deliveries and the cars that cut you off. I use to carry liquid totes that weighed about 2200lbs each. With about 16 totes loaded on the truck, it doesn't stop on a dime. I had one person pull out at the last minute and stop in the middle of the road, not looking. I ended up taking off the trunk of the car. I barely got my foot on the brake, there was no time to react. Not my fault on the accident report and I still got fired.

[Juujai]

man asian supermarkets? u mean specifically chinese supermarkets and chinese dim sum restaurants. ahh **** i see fights break out all the time because of parking spots lol. not only kicking peoples doors man i've seen cars completely bashed windshields, tires shanked... keyyed paint

it's common courtesy where we live lol. i'm pretty sure the jackasses that rob parking spots already know the consequences as they have people seen bashed cars but they wanna be tough... not that they deserve it over a parking spot but its common practice