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I get on the freeways at 6am to have a nice work commute.

A road rager went out of his way to meet me. :(

I was in the 45-50mph range in the rightmost lane. AFIK I did nothing out of the ordinary. Last Sunday, Wayne rode with me the same part of I635 where there is the south exit for the Dallas tollway towards Love Field...gut feeling is this would have still happened if he was driving this morning.

Anyway, this black Expedition or similar did the vulgar left pass inches away, then threw on the brakes. :mad: He crawed for awhile. Sorry - I snapped and fired phasers...quarter mile later he exited and had some animated sign language as he exited north on Preston (i.e. I was not in his way on the south exit of the Dallas Tollway - he was making a statement).

Seems very likely an obvious hybrid going slower than most of the traffic infuriated him...probably was never in his way, but worst case he could have passed in five seconds. Don't rule out he very well could be driving under the influence of something. Seems minor right now, but the could have been 85-86mpg commute became 80.6mpg after being brought to a near complete stop.

Stuff like this is what prompted me to create JOTD, but the citation this road rager I met sorely needs is from the Dallas Police. He had time to hypermile or slow down...he had time to rage. ;)

Sorry to hear you ran into this guy. Its people like him that have caused me to keep a vid camera rolling whenever I am.

Good luck.

You know, I had something similar happen to me this morning -- only it didn't have the intended effect on me. ;)

I was driving along at 25mph (accelerating from my turn onto the road -- the speed limit was 40) on a 4 lane road. Some fellow passed me and then slammed on the brakes. Trouble is, since I found the road was pretty much empty I started a FAS as soon as I hit 27mph... and even though he slowed drastically I never caught up with him. :D

He gave up and I just coasted all the way to my right hand turn in my FAS. :p

Chuck, was there any chance of just pulling around him?

Odd... I had a similar episode on Monday afternoon. I had gone up to NW Reno to pick up a used printer for our new office space from a guy that posted it on CraigsList. On my way back into the center of town on I-80 E I was doing 55-60 in a 65 MPH zone and tooling along just fine in the right lane when an over-sized pickup truck came screaming up behind me doing 75 or more. His truck leaned way forward when he slammed his brakes. I couldn't tell what kind of truck it was as it had a custom grille and such but it was so big that once he tucked in behind me I couldn't see anything in any mirror except that grille.

I guess he wasn't happy that he couldn't speed in the right lane anymore so he stayed about 1/2 my car's length off my bumper. I didn't care for that one bit so when the left lane opened up a bit I tried to let him do a reverse pass but he stayed glued to me as I moved to the left lane and then back to the right again.

I sincerely considered slowing down to like 35 MPH just to punish him but playing a game of chicken like that when you're in a 2,300 pound car running amongst 6,000+ pound vehicles moving at high speeds didn't strike me as a particularly bright thing to do but I'm also not going to speed up and burn fuel in an attempt to please someone like that.

There were also tail and cross winds up to 60 MPH that day so my little car was getting batted around quite a bit.

I did nothing. I just fumed and kept tooling along between 55 and 60 in the right lane with this guy glued to my bumper while I was getting blown all over my lane. I was contemplating calling the police on him but he exited the highway about 2 or 3 miles later.

Chuck, was there any chance of just pulling around him?Not in the pre-rush hour I635 traffic - would have likely been rear-ended, the hothead was taking a chance some behind us would have rear ended us all.

Two things to do differently: (1) just blow him off and not respond to him (extremely hard for me with this degree of offensive driving for me, but it's the high road) (2) look harder in the rear view mirror, although it probably would have happened anyway.

I would add one thing to that. If he blew by within inches of you, slammed on the brakes and slowed down below your speed. I would call the local pd or 911 and report the license number as a reckless driver.

Since you didn't have any alternatives option 1 is your best choice. It is never wise to react aggressively on the roadway.

I would keep MSirach's suggestion in mind as well. Endangering another driver like that is completely unwarranted.

I ride a bike-mainly for exercise/fun sometimes to get milk/bread save some gasoline.
These are the same idiots that wizz by within inches so you feel the woosh of their rear view mirror blasting by.I always ride far right,and the speed limit is 25 mph(I'm doing maybe 12 mph),so it isn't like they are losing more than a very few seconds.

Still almost everyday I get buzzed by some idiot who makes zero effort to swing a bit wide.There isn't a shoulder,and there is a slight ,sharp dropoff ,so I can't move farther right.

Some bike riders try to claim the entire lane; that might work in more bike friendly communities on the W coast or in college towns, but not in S Louisiana. Bicycles on the road are barely tolerated.

Oh well, big aside from the thread-sorry.
Charlie

I ride a bike-mainly for exercise/fun sometimes to get milk/bread save some gasoline.
These are the same idiots that wizz by within inches so you feel the woosh of their rear view mirror blasting by.I always ride far right,and the speed limit is 25 mph(I'm doing maybe 12 mph),so it isn't like they are losing more than a very few seconds.

Still almost everyday I get buzzed by some idiot who makes zero effort to swing a bit wide.There isn't a shoulder,and there is a slight ,sharp dropoff ,so I can't move farther right.

Some bike riders try to claim the entire lane; that might work in more bike friendly communities on the W coast or in college towns, but not in S Louisiana. Bicycles on the road are barely tolerated.

Oh well, big aside from the thread-sorry.
Charlie


That's all right

I've had plenty of problems when I biked - ironic in the state of Lance Armstrong.

Would not suprize me if at sometime one of the drivers brushing by had this:

http://www.bikefriday.com/sites/default/files/images/texas%20license%20plate.jpg

Since you didn't have any alternatives option 1 is your best choice. It is never wise to react aggressively on the roadway.

I would keep Manuel's suggestion in mind as well. Endangering another driver like that is completely unwarranted.

I totally agree. My problem is, such drivers often just tick me off - and I tend to become reactive. One way to avoid this is to adjust the rearview mirror so that you can no longer see the jerk. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.

I know that eliminating the use of a rearview mirror has safety implications, but so does road rage.

I totally agree. My problem is, such drivers often just tick me off - and I tend to become reactive. One way to avoid this is to adjust the rearview mirror so that you can no longer see the jerk. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.

I know that eliminating the use of a rearview mirror has safety implications, but so does road rage.Actually, the rearview mirror may have helped...if I saw him, maybe I could have done something that he would "only" make the rude pass.

One of these days, someone will probably be declared a saint with the note: "they never became cross on the freeway". :D

Somewhere there is a guy fuming.

Slow jerk put on his "pass me on the left signal" and then he moved left in front of me; Next he used his "pass me on the right signal", but again moved right to block me. Finally tried to pass him in the dotted line lane, and he almost side swiped me. I was so tired I had to slow down after passing him so I wouldn't pass out.

I simply tilt my head downward so as not to see the offending driver. hasn't happened much to me. And need I say more about the need for J.O.T.D?

One of these days, someone will probably be declared a saint with the note: "they never became cross on the freeway". :D

:GROAN:

At least you didn't introduce your friend Christopher.;)