Ducati Monster Forum

now in this political correct world we live in, any mention of violence is considered bad, there is absolutely no distinction between smacking a child for misbehaving and gang beating a man at the Prahran Hungry Jacks for being alive and ordering a strawberry shake, all violence is BAD.  We seem to have lost the ability to discuss these things because the very mention of them is deemed incorrect.

so onto road rage....

I've yet to see a single incidence of random road rage....some driver going along and next thing you know has a 100kg rugby full back bouncing on their bonnet like a child on a bed, it just doesn't seem to be out there.

However whenever I do witness road rage I'm usually shaking my head at the near lethal lack-of-skill, lazy or just plain selfish manoeuvre that has threatened the fellow road user. Perhaps we should be asking people "have you been the 'victim' of road rage?" and if they answer in the affirmative the next question should be "had you, by any chance, nearly killed the person who is was wildly gesticulating at you?"

and if you think that's wild...follow this thought....I live in an area where we have the vehicle equivalent of a nuclear-weapon build up, the women round here drive giant 4wds....because the other women drive giant 4wds....and if I'm in a Peugeot and your in a Toyota Bulldozer and we crash; your kids live, whilst mine die. But the bigger the vehicle and bullbar and the more safety air bags just means that they feel invincible and this leads to arrogance and selfish/dangerous (to everyone else) driving. Perhaps if people knew that if they stuffed up there was a real chance they could get injured...there'd be greater care on the roads???

I don't road rage...I give very vocal corrective advice for better driving!

People are not generally nutcases however when they have been sitting in traffic for an hour that is moving at snails pace, they are late and are pissed off.

I used to get unbelievably stressed from my 24km drive to/from work which took 1.5hrs. So i sold the car and went to a bike and it's solved my issues.....except now when i drive, i can't cope at all. The stress levels increase massively after 15mins stuck behind dckheads doing 20km/h under the speed limit. I only drive if the missus has had a few wines, otherwise i'm passenger.

Ride a bike and avoid the stress however commuting will corrupt you more than you think. Honestly, i am almost pure evil after commuting for a year. Never had road rage on the bike (receive or give). I am there and gone so quick they soon forget.

I have spent a bit of time riding / driving in third world countries and love it.

~ It's not fast but everybody drives at the same pace (no slow in the fast lane)
~ The road is there to use for all vehicles (ALL of it)
~ Cars are all similar (no V8s tailgating a Honda Civic)
~ Bikes are all similar (No crotch rockets tailgating Honda 50s)
~ You beep and go (everybody does it so not a problem)
~ You weave in and out of traffic to get where you want to go (everybody does it so no problem)
~ You pull in front of the vehicle next to you (no problem cause they will do it to you next time)
~ Lack of road rage (cause you all drive the same)
~ You don't own your piece of the road (cause everybody else does as well)
~ You certainly are aware of everything around you
    (Cars, truck, buses, bikes, donkeys, camels, cows, horses, buffalos, holy men, terrorist & army road blocks, beggars, prostitutes, bodies)

And yes I know if all we had was Honda 90s and Suzuki Swifts it would be boring.......... But it is fun.....  [moto]

All stupid drives should be sent to drive in one of these countries for 1 month as rehab....  ;D

Giving "advice" to driver to help them better understand how to drive is fine. I have issue with people who retaliate in such an overblown and out of preportion way. We are seeing more anger management issues in our society.

Why are people getting angrier, is it a result of our sedate lifestyle, frustration that is built up, or just a blatent disregard for police and authority?

I'm an old fashioned guy and firmly believe there should be more respect, then I believe a lot of these issues would not be occuring in the frst place. People are too wrapped up in themselves to think about how they are impacting the lives of others.

I read in The Age this morning that a report is indicating that Melbourne can support another 2.4 million people without growing in size. Surely having dense populations with people becoming lost in the mass's, and the loss of community feeling, all add the the frustration of modern life. Hectic hectic hectic, rush rush, take a breath, do it again....

My suggestion to calm the masses, red wine and more sex....

I feel better now......

Red wine & Sex now your talking.

I used to be one of those drivers that had to get there in a hurry and after a while it would build frustration and anger. I worked out that if you go with the flow in peak traffic you get there the same time and save alot of fuel in the process. Now I look upon those idiots flying up the left and right on the brakes then flat to the floor and think what for? I cruse along and in the end these people either make one spot better in the cue or they end up behind me showing more frustration. I drive defencive but with a passive approach. Gee am I getting old?

Road ragers are a funny thing these days, there they are going nuts at you and all I do is smile & wave which makes them even more crazy! Life is too short to wast your energy getting mad! Gee I rarely use the horn unless I really need to.

Rob.


 

Why do you think people in the US are so polite on the road?  Because they know that if they piss someone off there's a fair chance they'll be looking down the barrel of someone's high powered assault rifle (for personal protection purposes only, naturally). ;D

Loved their four stop sign intersections! [thumbsup]

Ahh, yes!

After you, please.
No, no, you must go first.
Oh no, I couldn't.  I think you were here before me.
But that would be so rude.
Oh, but I insist.

AAARRRRGGGG !  SOMEBODY  JUST  GO !  [bang]

I figure that people lose the right to civil discourse right about the time they endanger my life. However, how I'll react depends very much on the situation.

1. You don't see me, & do something silly = horn.
2. You don't see me, & do something plain dumb/selfish = horn, & lots of it: do you see me now???
3. You see me, but deliberately push the issue = I become your 'best friend'; maybe I'll follow you for a few blocks or, if I really like, I'll pull up beside you in traffic, & just stare at you (works well with a tinted visor).
4. You are the Lord of the Road: you are wholly self absorbed & indifferent to how your actions affect others = you and I will have words, at length, & at volume.

However, I should point out that I'm not actually road raging in any of the above cases - I just look & sound a hell of a lot like I'm raging.

Also, just to keep karma off balance, I always try to be a considerate road user, & I stop & help people when they need it.  [thumbsup]

 Road rage: an argument for Spider to wear that Bat suit in a previous thread!

Big T - Add me as being all for driving in a 3rd world country. One of the biggest problems I see here is people who have no idea of the size of their car! I spend a lot of time in Manila, I never realised you could lane split in a hummer, until I witnessed it there. they all know the size of the vehicle they drive to the millimeter...

There is one in Alexandria, and I was abused by some old Mediterranean looking man, who had just pulled up to his Stop sign and decided it it was invalid, even though I had long ago stopped at mine, did my checks and started moving on...

Anyway, moving on...

Z...

There's one in Artarmon (NSW) just round the back of Northside Ducati....lethal!

Its only leathal because the RTA does not bother to educate anyone how to use the system.

Over the course of many visits to San Francisco and careful evidential research into 4 way stop sign controlled intersections, I've worked out "the system". It goes like this:

"He who hesitates loses!"

cheers,

big

That's how it works in Hawaii too!



Agreed.
Always get pissed off leaving northside, then that intersection just makes it worse.

I used to get all stressed out and pissed off, but then I realized, I'm only going to work.....why the hell am I trying to get there faster?!?!?

I'm generally pretty cool when going to work, or coming home, we get a lot of tourist drivers up here and they do what ever the hell they want!
So you learn to keep you eyes open, always check when going through intersections (as people in Cairns treat Red lights as a reason to slow down, not stop)
I just chill out and go along for the ride, I try to avoid situations where I know I'll get pissed off or stressed out, if traffic is really heavy I'll take the back roads, slower, but generally less hectic and crazy.

But sometimes we all have to get a bit pushy, to protect ourselves....

I booted the car door in on a guys Kia just last week, I was in peak hour traffic, Car in front, Traffic Island to the right, Nissan Pulsar right up my arse, this guy in the lane on my left  decided he wanted to be in my space right now! I beeped the horn twice, he still keeps moving, check the mirror, can't hit the brakes, Pulsar is still up my Arse, Can't go forward as the car in front has decided to slow, Shit! Shit! Shit!

So with only a small gap left, I boot his rear Drivers side door with all my might! left behind a very large dent! he finally swerves back into his lane and turns to look at me, silly prick is talking on the phone!!  [roll]

He mouth's the worry Sorry, and speeds off into the traffic, woman behind me finally decides to back off and give me some space.

But I broke one of my golden rules when riding:
"Always keep a space/buffer around the bike and always keep an escape route open"

I didn't stress, I just got out of traffic and kept going to work as normal.

and I bet that guy possibly thinks twice before using the mobile again!

Bullshit! How much do you wanna bet he just kept on yapping away "Oh my god! An evil _biker_ just tried to kill me _for no reason at all!_ He's probably on _drugs_ and on his way to rape some children! I'll have to call my insurance company and report the assault and aggravated damage to the police - Oh, hang on - call waiting... Hello? blah blah blah..."

cynical big

surely next time a part of his little brain will say "hang on, last time I did that....my door got crumpled"

well....I hope so.

Cynical spider

I'm with you Big. >:(

Equally cynical Dragonworld.  [evil]  [roll]  [bang]

i thought we are all evil bikers and there brought in new laws too deal with us , ps except jukie and heather

This is the 3rd car door I've booted in, and still no phone call or visit from the boys in blue, I don't just kick cars for the fun of it, It's only when I'm presented with a life or death situation and I've tried every other avenue of escape or exit.

If I could get $5 for every cock I see driving around talking away on a mobile phone while on the way to and from work, I'd be clearing an easy $100 to $150 a day! easy!

I love that intersection. Whilst everyone is wondering WTF they should do, i just get on the gas and i'm gone!

CairnsDuc - I had something similar happen the other week but a few toots of my manly horn grabbed their attention and they swerved back into their lane.

On the roads in heavy traffic IMO you need to ride like a menace and not like a chump. I am far more alert and prepared being a menace than i am a chump sitting with the cars. In fact each time i ride like a chump, that is when i have an issue.

Disclaimer - By menace, i mean law abiding citizen.

Fixed it !!  ;D

Somedays in the commute, you understand why we have strict gun laws, otherwise that shottie on the side of the bike would get a workout!!

As for the stock horn, it ain't great at getting people's attention. Even the loud pipes seem to be ineffective to mobile talking, cage driving f'wits. Now, a horn that I can recommend is the Stebel - I heard one once from a fellow member and actually thought at the time, that it was the bloody 4WD truck driver having a go at him. Later found out that it was the stebel that interruped the fine song from my duc.  :o Well worth the investment!

The problem with loud horns is that it messes with the harmonic tuning of your belts ... could be serious


I love bringing together two pieces of random information that I know nothing about and making shit up  [cheeky]

Thank Christ we have Gun laws, I'd be doing my Best Arnie impersonation from T2 on every friggin commute to work, Swing the gun round and BLAM!, round again, BLAM! 

Damn you all to Hell!!! BLAM!

GET TO THE CHOPPER!!! BLAM!

Back in my day........ Shit I sound like a senile old man.....

I lived in "The Land of The Free" many many years ago and being a young Aussie lad loved it that I could get any handgun weapon of mass destruction I wanted.

So my favourite was a Smith & Wesson 6" Barrel 44mag (Dirty Harry Special)......

Couldn't hit shit a two paces with it but man when you fired that sucker.... Everybody round you knew...  [evil]  [evil]

And if you were lucky enough to hit something.... It was hit and stayed hit (Cars included)......

Now I recon a tank holster on the Duke would work a treat......

Aaarrrrr those were the days........

biggest I've ever used is a .50 calibre desert eagle, the muscle car equivilent....no subtlety or finesse just more power than really required, the kickback was so strong your forearms got sore and the soft tissue near your thumb got damaged.

when everyone else in the range is using a .22 target and you fire one of these....well people came over to look at the cannon (I was one of them).

although nothing gets attention at a range more than the Japanese tourist (they use to bring them by the busload, fire a few rounds and charge them the earth for it) who after listening to the proper technique for target shooting (breath, lift, drop, hold, squeeze)....lifted, squeezed...and shot the trellis frame of the overhanging roof!...the entire structure shook and the noise was enough to make all of us drop to the ground. Said tourist then pivoted on the spot to look at the trainer/instructor...whilst holding the pistol and aiming the live gun on all of us.  :o

we all put the guns away and went to the pub to drink to our good health after that one!

Clearly, such tourists should stick to Canon's...

Z...