Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site voder.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!hplabs!nsc!voder!kevin From: kevin@voder.UUCP (The Last Bugfighter) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: violence on the roads Message-ID: <637@voder.UUCP> Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 21:04:36 EST Article-I.D.: voder.637 Posted: Wed Jan 16 21:04:36 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 21-Jan-85 02:11:03 EST References: <1210@shark.UUCP> <387@hou2g.UUCP> Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara Lines: 29 > I am curious as to possible reasons for the alarming >level of violent behaviour during driving disputes in >the U.S. ... such as the person whose passenger caught >a bullet between the eyes because he flashed his headlights >at a guy going the other way. *** Quick, duck! There's on-coming traffic! *** As to the why, I think that in todays very regulated society a lot of us feel somewhat 'impotent' (males and females). If someone kicks your dog you can't go and punch him because then he'll sue you for $1,000,000. So you end up sueing him, it only takes several years and a lawyer ends up with most of the settlement anyway. But get inside your car and you have a $10,000 dollar suit of armor in addition to a fast get-away. Now you can take-on everyone else on the road because you're reasonably safe behind your shield. Did that wimp with the glasses and the Porsche 928 pass you? Bump him off the road. Did that 230lb redneck with a IQ of 46 sneer at you? Push him into a telephone pole. What a great way to work off all your frustrations. You're just another faceless non-entity behind your tinted windshield getting even with the rest of the world. Maybe you have to be meek and mild with your boss, but on the road it's Offensive Driving, otherwise known as Driving Through Intimidation. Of course it's also possible that these people are just jerks. -- Kevin Thompson {ucbvax,ihnp4!nsc}!voder!kevin "It's sort of a threat, you see. I've never been very good at them myself but I'm told they can be very effective."