People have gone mad on the interstate!

[IamAlan]

@mike921921 I found that handing them my Concealed Carry Permit with my license helps when I am carrying, then like you putting my hands on the window sill. I feel that is less threatening than 'telling them I have a gun on me', never know when one will take that as a threat.

Ohio is a “Shall Notify” State and I was instructed to roll down my window, place my hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel and before he/she has a chance to say anything, announce that “I have a Concealed Handgun License and I am armed. How would you like to proceed?”
It’s happened twice and both times I was treated with respect and had no issues.
Didn’t get me out of a ticket but the handgun wasn’t a problem.

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[Tim]

I have had folks rage behind me for actually letting someone merge. It is a no win situation.

The whole “speed up so people can’t merge” is an east coast thing. I’m talking about when there is room and you’re up to speed but the car you are about to merge in front of speeds up to block you. In the midwest where I learned to drive it was expected you would let a vehicle merge if they were up to speed. I believe in some states it is actually law that ramp traffic has right of way. This actually makes the road safer than when some jackwagon has to be one car ahead and won’t allow a merge. This causes the merging car to have to reduce speed or stop at the worst place possible, the end of an acceleration ramp/lane.

In any case, a little courtesy costs almost no time and certainly shouldn’t cause rage. People really are going nuts.

 

[Jonny A]

Must agree. It's the major reason I stopped riding motorcycles a few years back. Every time I got back from a ride I felt like I had cheated death again. Got tired of it and in my old age I'm not near as adventurous as I used to be.

Damned cell phones. Feeling like you cheated death after every MC ride is totally true. I do not know when the last time I went out and didn't have to make evasive maneuvers to dodge someone not paying attention on a cell phone. On a bike I feel so vulnerable. Small silhouette, harder to see. I am loud, but folks have windows rolled up all the time now days, so can't hear me coming. I have rode a MC a couple hundred thousand miles in the last 35 years and only 10 k or so total in last 10 years. It's the cell phones, got me spooked.
Top off, doors off is about as in the wind I get now. Still have my Softail, but I just feel so much more at ease in the JTR.

 

[Sazabi19]

The whole “speed up so people can’t merge” is an east coast thing. I’m talking about when there is room and you’re up to speed but the car you are about to merge in front of speeds up to block you. In the midwest where I learned to drive it was expected you would let a vehicle merge if they were up to speed. I believe in some states it is actually law that ramp traffic has right of way. This actually makes the road safer than when some jackwagon has to be one car ahead and won’t allow a merge. This causes the merging car to have to reduce speed or stop at the worst place possible, the end of an acceleration ramp/lane.

In any case, a little courtesy costs almost no time and certainly shouldn’t cause rage. People really are going nuts.

100% not an East Coast thing. Dickheads are everywhere.

 

[BAT]

Damned cell phones. Feeling like you cheated death after every MC ride is totally true. I do not know when the last time I went out and didn't have to make evasive maneuvers to dodge someone not paying attention on a cell phone. On a bike I feel so vulnerable. Small silhouette, harder to see. I am loud, but folks have windows rolled up all the time now days, so can't hear me coming. I have rode a MC a couple hundred thousand miles in the last 35 years and only 10 k or so total in last 10 years. It's the cell phones, got me spooked.
Top off, doors off is about as in the wind I get now. Still have my Softail, but I just feel so much more at ease in the JTR.

Gave up cycling years back. Became too dangerous. Was tired of having to take to a ditch or crash my bike into a shoulder or other from being run off the road. I tried to stay off major roads if at all possible but as things built up the farm roads became gobbled up. I've had lit cigarettes flicked at me, spit on, sodas, beer bottle thrown and shattered on my bike luckily. My buddy got taken off his bike one ride when some kids threw an orange. Doesn't seem like much but when you're going 25 on a bike and the car is doing 60 Plus it is a major impact. Hit him square in the chest and caused a crash. He was all busted up for some time.

 

[XJADDICTION]

I had this happen a few weeks ago. Car was coming over and I pretty much didn't have a choice it was let them in or be hit and the mess dealing with a wreck just isn't worth it. So I slowed up a tad let them in. I could see the guy behind me going ballistic. Now we are not talking about any sort of major delay here and he could have easily pulled into the left lane and gone full throttle. Next thing he comes pulling alongside me as I was just cruising at around 65. He is screaming inside his car, swerving at me, and then guns his car to get in front of me. He hit his brakes (I was keeping a close eye on him and keeping my distance as much as possible) and then guns his car going back into the left lane then slows to get alongside me again. He is pointing and just going off in his car. Next thing he accelerates fast and takes off to what seemed like 100 mph down the freeway till I couldn't see him any longer. I never saw him again after that but I can tell you I sure wish I had put my gun in the car but I usually don't when just making a run to someplace like sporting good store like I was.

That’s the kinda crazy you do your best to stay away from. I see that behavior more often now, people just come unhinged. One of the police officers told me they are seeing more women doing the “unhinged” road raging when it used to be more men doing it. . They have noticed this increase since the pandemic.

 

[XJADDICTION]

Gave up cycling years back. Became too dangerous. Was tired of having to take to a ditch or crash my bike into a shoulder or other from being run off the road. I tried to stay off major roads if at all possible but as things built up the farm roads became gobbled up. I've had lit cigarettes flicked at me, spit on, sodas, beer bottle thrown and shattered on my bike luckily. My buddy got taken off his bike one ride when some kids threw an orange. Doesn't seem like much but when you're going 25 on a bike and the car is doing 60 Plus it is a major impact. Hit him square in the chest and caused a crash. He was all busted up for some time.

I’ve had a lot of these things happen on road bicycle rides as well as the dumb arse kid “roaling coal” on us. I’ve switched for the he most part , to mountain biking for this reason.

 

[Renoraines]

You would have invested far more time in police interaction and conversation with a batshit crazy person than you would lose by just saying, "you go right ahead "

Na, I’m pretty chill for the most part. I may get frustrated as again my time is invaluable to me, but I’m not gonna get hemmed up for dumb stuff. It’s all calculated. If I feel my interactions are worth stealing from others I’ll make them, if not I wont.

 

[danielspivey]

I have dark tinted windows in the JT. The back you can’t see anything. The front you can barely see a silhouette. I’ve found with tinted windows I rarely get interaction a road rage.... I think it’s cause they can’t see in the car to know who or how many people they are dealing with.

Would you act differently towards a young female driver vs. four huge tough looking men? I think the only thing worse is the uncertainty.

Also it’s like when people get in a verbal fight... if the other isn’t interacting it isn’t a fight. That’s that tinted windows does for me, they can’t see me and have no one to participate w, or they are scared who could be inside!

 

[Renoraines]

I drive a UPS truck all day. It seems like most people don't think the rules of the road don't apply to them. They just do what ever they want.

There’s not much much courtesy in todays society. Is what it is. The day of the selfish a-hole is here.

 

[Trippin01]

A dash cam and a P.A. was one of my 1st investments. I'm not getting out of my JT, and if someone breaks in, may the good lord help them.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Reminds me of this video

 

[Blade1668]

I can say last Saturday had a extra load of them on the road. A out of State dipstick passed me then cut right in front of me then started doing the "brake check" B.S. and weaving to not let me around and away... I slowed down then was driving in left lane as the area went to 3 traffic lanes. Dipstick looks over to make eye contact as I'm passing, he started to follow me (my thought is this is going to be great) I'm on way to work. Please do! I don't drive in to work in uniform.

On the post above mine if you're driving though Decatur, AL watch out for a another one doing the same thing that don't have brake lights, the driver cut across in front of me trying to get hit.

 

[mrmo]

I have the utmost respect for what you guys deal with. Right up until one truck in the right lane is maxed out at 68mph and the truck behind him decides that life just cant go on unless he drives at 68 1/2 mph and blocks the left lane for 7 miles.

Amen...trucks blocking the interstate really pisses me off...average speed is 78 or so, but two lane blocked for a half mile while two trucks play "who can get there first"....

 

[Higher_Ground]

I am a traffic engineer. One of the things I used to do was inspect crash cushions and sign posts for damage.

Crash cushions are designed for up to 62 mph, some marketed for 70. If you hit it going 85 mph guess what happens? Or if you're in a commercial vehicle?

Ditto for standard highway guardrail. Tested at 62 mph with an old truck smaller than the JT. Modern crew cab and especially with 35's is going ride over it like it wasn't even there.

Most of the time crash cushions are used because there is a hazard too close to the roadway. I have gone to inspect them and found energy-absorbing material stolen... or just as bad, already hit multiple times. Nothing to soften the impact.

The signs I would inspect are typically placed 35 feet from the edge of the road. They would get hit over and over again. Lightening does strike the same place 2x, sometimes in the same day.

People drive like it's a video game and don't realize that when/if they crash driving like that they will not make it through unscathed.

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