So I’m walking to an evening class at a local college, it’s dark. There’s a bend just before the junction and as I’m walking across a car comes round way too fast. I had to step back to avoid being hit. I was wearing gloves and as it went past I hit it, no idea why, just instinct and anger.
I carry on walking and I see the driver has pulled over a bit down the road, I was expecting a “sorry are you ok” but she instead shouted “did you just hit my car?”. That set me off, shouting at her that she almost fucking ran me over. Then she says “you don’t have to use that kind of language”, the fucking nerve.
Gave up and just walked off. Wish I’d have smashed the wing mirror or keyed the car or something.
Has anyone else almost been run over and how do you deal with the anger of it?
I don’t have much to say besides I’m glad you’re safe.
I’ve had a few near misses like that. I try not to lose my temper but sometimes the sweet release of calling a driver in the wrong a basic dickhead is too appealing.
It’d depend on their reaction. I’m happy to say they’re apologetic more often than not. If they were clearly on their phone I’d probably cuss them out anyway.
E: I get maybe irrationally annoyed when they don’t use their indicators though.
Regarding indicators - my town has a lot of roundabouts, we keep left and roundabouts are clockwise, so you indicate right to show you are going past the next exit, left to show you are exiting
While driving I have many times waited for a person who indicated that were not exiting, who then exit; or cut off a person who indicated they were exiting, but didn’t. It must be something like 1% of people indicate backwards
I luckily haven’t had any dangerous interactions with those people on my bicycle
That’s not irrational. That’s rational anger. It’s normal to get angry at others for not holding up their end of societys agreed upon rules.
Seinfeld made an entire show based off the concept of “character does something wrong, 4 main characters react to it, audience relates to how annoying that person is”.
I feel validated by this response 😊
Yes and no. It is sort of rational and our world would be a much better place if more people cared about the safety of others, so I don’t fault you for being angry, but I think it is helpful to keep in mind 1. that anger doesn’t help you or anyone else (unless you are literally fighting off an attacker). 2. Sress and anger actually erodes your own happiness and lifespan.
So stay frosty my friend.
Thanks, yeah I think most people, drivers or not, are decent people, but driving is stressful and that changes them. I regret hitting the car now I think about it, I wonder if they would have said sorry or just drove away.
I understand the regret but I kind of feel like a person’s fight or flight response would be pretty strong in a situation like that.
If they realised they nearly hit you, I’m sure they’d come to understand why you did that. Here’s hoping empathy prevails.