I was passing through there recently, blinker on, waiting to make a left onto Route 9, when the driver behind me did the kind of crazy thing you see at this intersection - and all over the Boston area, with its many irregular junctions and short-tempered drivers. As the last oncoming car cleared and I began to turn, the driver behind me stomped on the gas and tried to squeeze past me on the inside. There wasn’t room, of course, especially for her wallowing SUV, and to avoid a crash I swerved wide, narrowly missing a car on the other side. She had taken the kind of insane, pointless risk with both of our cars and lives that briefly fills even a gentle woodland creature like myself with hot outrage. In a moment like that, you run through your options for decisive response and then realize, already cooling off, that there’s nothing you can really do.
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Comments
A thoughtful column from a patient and intelligent man. We should all read this column every morning before we start off for work (just after we test the horn, and load the revolver).
Epitomizes the "driving in Europe" with a Darwininan sense of purpose that engulfs this area. A way to capitalize: on-line license plate lookup services. I've used this for push-back on inconsiderate neighbors and their visitors....oh the shock on their faces when you can call their names out via a letter in the mailbox or curbside encounter! Often rectifies their behavior very quickly, or puts the fear of God in an anonymously rude movement violator.
Very nice reflection on a common moment of encounter in our culture.
I suppose legally you couldn't post her tag number in your column, but I don't know that it would matter. My outsider's observation has been that New Englanders KNOW that their behaviour is reprehensible and take pride in it.
Ironically, I just read in Men's Health magazine that they rated Boston one of the safest driving cities. Of course, that has nothing to do with rudeness! Maybe we have the best defensive drivers.
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We are all members of our society. How is it possible that the near victim of an impatient driver can be chastised for "contempt and negativity"? The other driver endangered someone's life. It is important that such a person is, at least called to answer for his/her dangerous behavior. Walk up and politely say - "That was my child and I that you cut off back at the intersection. You created a serious situation and I almost had an accident. Please be more careful." And walk away. At least for a moment that person will be uncomfortable and not be able to hide behind the anonymity of driving a car.
Have to agree with swedgirl (except for the use of 'my daughter and I'). The offender needed to hear that her behavior was unacceptable. She would either have been mortified, or indignant. How she reacted would set the stage for all future encounters.