Tag Archives: road rage

Runners vs. Drivers—Sharing the Road with Lunatics on Four Wheels

Granted I have never been pelted with a half-eaten jelly donut while cruising down the street on my morning run, but I’ve had my share of empty plastic bottles hurled in my direction over the years. Runners (all 41 million of us in this country, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association) often become targets of lunatics behind the wheel regardless of whether or not we deserve to be. Okay, “deserve” may be a bit strong, though I’ve seen many a runner darting through intersections, cutting off vehicles and sprinting in the middle of public streets. This lack of running … Continue reading →

Thou Shall Not Commit Road Rage

They are being called the Ten Commandments for drivers and they take their cue from the original set carved in stone. Yesterday, the Vatican issued a set of rules that warn motorists not to kill, not to drink and drive and… not to tailgate. I’m serious. And so is the intent of these new “Commandments.” The document’s official name is: “Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road.” It was created by Catholic Cardinals who felt it necessary to “address the pastoral needs of motorists because driving had become such a big part of contemporary life.” While it highlights the … Continue reading →

How I Became The Target Of Road Rage

Friday evening I made the mistake of driving to Wal-Mart to pick up a container of laundry detergent. The sun was just beginning to set as I rolled up to the traffic lights that lead out of our subdivision. It was an unusually warm night and shortly after I stopped for the red light I noticed a maroon convertible with its top down filled with what looked like either teens or a group in their early 20s pull up behind me. I remember looking at the car in my rear view mirror before proceeding to fish my wallet out of … Continue reading →

Just what is stress anyway?

Stress is definitely the pop disease of the 21st century. Just a few years ago, the condition was simply known as “stress.” Today it has many common subcategories such as road rage, telephone rage, image stress, technostress, mid-life crisis, early mid-life crisis: the list goes on. However, stress is really the same condition that has always plagued humans throughout time. There just seems to be an epidemic happening at present. Why is this? To answer this question, we must look at what stress actually is. Those common feelings of stress that most of us are familiar with: churning stomach, tension … Continue reading →

Road Rage can Get Even the Most Calm of People

Driving safety has taken a new turn with people getting frustrated behind the wheel. After all, vehicles are weapons, and sometimes we forget that. Just the other day, I was driving back from my doctor’s office. On a two-lane street I had decided to let someone pulling out to go in front of me. Well, they had to wait for the right lane to clear, as did I. Just a few seconds after this I heard a honk from behind me. I glanced in my rear view mirror to find a man in his car honking obnoxiously, and apparently yelling. … Continue reading →