I saw this topic a while ago and have some thoughts to share with the OP and all you others. Two things, some of you have heard or thought of these, some have not, I think they're quite interesting and worth sharing. I don't know if I can do the concepts justice in my writing, but I'll at least get a ball rolling in the minds of some. Well, these two concepts are more on topic with the original postings. This thread has morphed a bit to involve what I consider issues on the big picture scale. Issues with society and whatnot. They are serious and complex issues, emotional, physical and logical. Those will not have simple sollutions and I'm not really going to dive into that stuff at this time. That's good stuff for you, your family, your councelors, your support team, your pastor and your community (to start). It's a multi-facetted topic and I'll go for the road rage portion of it.

One - Cool Cars. So I got to do this cool car driving experience once. 6 luxury/ exotic sports cars, 6 drivers, 6 stops San Jose and Santa Cruz mountain roads! We rotate the cars at each stop and get to experience each one for a stretch of awesome roads. Takes most of the day and starts at their garages with a talk and breakfast. The talk was about cool cars and how people act around them. It is almost a plague! People want to drive behind you, next to you, talk to you at a stop light, talk to you at a gas station, talk to you at a parking lot, take a picture of your car (while they're driving, with their cell phone), take a picture of their kids next to your car, even on your car... They want to race you, to see you smoke the tires, to see you spin out into a ditch even! They'll watch you and forget to watch the road. They'll cut you off on purpose or accidentally. Some of this is annoying, some is quite dangerous, all of it is completely typical. It's what people do around cool cars, We were warned and it straight up happened! Consistently, all the things I listed above, all of it. We had to keep our cool, no green light races, no smoking tires, no tickets or wrecks, watch out for the lookey loos and keep a space cushion. This is what the owner of a cool car must do. Recall, cool is in the eye of the beholder. While my trip involved high end stuff (Audi, Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Aston Marin, Lamborghini) the point is still similar. To some, an old Datsun Z is a cool car. My 240sx's have been cool cars for some and I've had all the above (except the kids photograph) over the years. It is a reality and you need to deal with and accept it as reality (good or bad, it just is, we don't all like reality).

Two - Personal Space. This one I've read about and heard about. The basic principle being that your drivers seat is your personal space, therefor you are king of your castle, you are safe and in charge. Car interiors are much like couches and tables with a steering wheel. Setup for comfort as you command your vehicle down the road. You can set your own temperature, have a snack or drink, play some music, get somewhere, see scenerey, etc. The thing is, you feel like you are in your own space, in your chair, with your rules. Someone cuts you off and it's an insult to you and your space. You can feel like you need to defend it. You can feel like others should follow your rules and if they don't, they're in the wrong. Furthermore, you're in an armoured shell. You feel kind of safe in your space. You can yell profanity at another driver! You know what, that crap doesn't happen on the sidewalk. People don't honk horns and yell at the top of their lungs when face to face with another person. That would be incredibly dangerous. Them's fightin' words! So, why is it okay in a car? This is part of where the rage comes from. Taking it all so very personal and as an attack on your space, your integrity, whatever. Or forgetting that others will take it all so personal and underestimating the effects your actions have on others. The thinking is understandable, it is human nature, but it is not logical or correct. We're sharing the roads. We share the laws. And we're all human. So we do our best to override emotion with logic at times. An understanding of this can be helpful for your own peace of mind and to increase mutual respect in society.

^ Well-said.

A couple more points to add:

Broad, sweeping generalizations about youth (as well as about any group of "others") are typically based on limited information and overreaction. They're also generally incorrect.

If you go back, I'm sure our forbears said the same things about us. Lazy, stupid, ill-mannered, unmotivated... They were wrong about us old dogs, so there's a distinct possibility that your assessment is wrong today. History repeats itself.

I, too, have found myself strongly identifying with William Foster - more times than I care to admit. But I have enough insight and awareness of the human brain to know that two things are happening: I'm no longer as 'in control' of the world as I once was, and I'm not as competent or effective as I once was. It's a simple emotional response to a changing world.

One more to throw out there: There's always a badder dog on the block. I remind myself of that every time I want to slap the taste outta some kid's mouth. Is he armed? Is he undercover? Is he a trained martial artist? Is he mentally ill?

Put all that energy into a hobby or something that brings you peace. That is one of the reasons this site exists, because for 14 years, it has been an outlet for my creative energies.

I hope you find peace, balance, and a way to navigate a changing world without winding up on the news.

Welcome aboard.