Road Rage Suggestion

[amead]

Greetings...

I tend to do a lot of driving, and am what I consider to be a very conscientious driver. I'll always move over to let people merge, will slow and wait to pass a car on a highway if other cars are coming up upon us quickly so as not to force them to slow, etc. I try to pay careful attention to the road, speeds, etc. and have not had an accident or speeding ticket in 10+ years of driving.

But, I tend to get very annoyed when other drivers do stupid, inconsiderate, or dangerous things. I particularly hate when the left lane is closed, there has been signs indicating this for 2 miles, and cars in the right-most two lanes have slowed and merged to keep traffic flowing smoothly, yet jackasses insist that their time is more important than the other folks who are promptly merging in order to keep traffic from being bottlenecked, and zip by before forcing their way into line when the lane actually is removed. But anyhow, I digress.

These sort of aggressive, careless, and rude types of things bug me, and I have in the past taken to performing countermeasures on cars that tailgate or cut me off. I will not breakstand or anything overly unsafe though, because it's not worth causing an accident over.

So, here was the scenario. I'm in a line of traffic in the left lane of major divided highway, with 3 or 4 lanes in both directions. Traffic is moderate.

The line of cars in the left lane is traveling ~75mph in a 65, and are overtaking cars in the next lane over at a pretty reasonable clip. I pass one car, and there is a gap of probably 3 car-lengths between this car and the next one that our column is passing (read: not enough room to get in between the two, even with a pretty aggressive maneuver on my part). As soon as I pass the first car, the driver behind me (who is definitely too close to my bumper) flashes his lights at me as if to instruct me to move over.

This makes me angry. I'm in a line of cars passing a line of other cars at 10+mph over the speed limit.

I proceed at same speed, and within a 10 seconds or so am abreast of the next car to be passed. As my back window is roughly even with the driver of the other vehicle's window, the idiot flashes me again.

Now I'm really angry. I get off the gas and coast to the same speed as the other cars, and put this guy in the freezer for probably less than 10 seconds of real time. At this point, I accelerate back to 75, pass the car, and move over.

Captain Aggressive zooms past, and I notice that he's an older guy (probably ~60) with his presumed hag wife in the passenger seat. As they pass, the hag wife points to her head a couple times in the classic "use your head" motion.

Super pissed at this point, and am ready to start making bad decisions. I simply follow their vehicle, not tailgating or anything, but here is what I do:

I grab a Sharpie marker and a notebook from my glove compartment, and write the following in big letters:

WHY ARE YOU SO RUDE?

OLD = DYING SOON?

I got into the right lane, and pulled alongside their car and held the notebook against my window so they could read.

At this point, we approached a toll booth, and they were total chumps and didn't have EZ Pass, so I was long gone and they never re-appeared.

So, is this a good play? This was the first time I considered conveying an actual message to an annoying driver (aside from the standard ones expressed with a single finger).

Also, I wasn't satisfied with the message. I definitely was locked in with the Why are you so rude message, as I wanted them to realize that they were asshats. I also wanted to subtly mock them for being on the verge of death, while I am young and figure to have many more good years left.

Suggestions for other messages? Is this illegal? Anyone else have experience writing a note of displeasure to another driver on the road?

CLIFF NOTES:
Aggressive driver is rude, hag wife makes a mocking gesture to me, I catch up and write a note in marker on a piece of paper and hold it up to my window as I pass them back calling them rude and suggesting that they are dying soon due to old age.

[traz]

I laugh at people like the old couple, and I laugh at people like you. WTF just drive morons

[guids]

I grab a Sharpie marker and a notebook from my glove compartment, and write the following in big letters:

WHY ARE YOU SO RUDE?

OLD = DYING SOON?



you sure showed them.

[amead]

Better suggestion? Follow them to their house and grab a cinder block?

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
Better suggestion? Follow them to their house and grab a cinder block?

[/ QUOTE ]


ideally, you chill and dont be a douche, just drive moran, like traz said. but if you feel the need to do something, dont be a bitch about it.

[amead]

I hate just swallowing down the thoughtless and rude actions of others. I feel some responsibility to enlighten them.

But perhaps everyone just accepts people being rude to them and chalk it up to the fact that most folks are dumb.

Different strokes.

[By-Tor]

maybe you should get a programmable lightboard for each of your windows so that you can properly propagate your message.

[amead]

By-Tor - Sadly, I've considered this.

Wouldn't it be sweet to pop on the display and give someone a rearview mirror full of STOP DRIVING IN THE PASSING LANE?

I think someone told me once that this sort of thing was illegal though...

[The Stranger]

I'm not perfect at this or anything, but it seems that the best attitude to take on the road is to try to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and not worry about what everyone else is doing.

[AceLuby]

Usually I go for the 'ol one finger salute to them being a [censored].