[creative420]

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

I was initially a bit scared that I am gonna get into a fight (especially with wife and 2.5 yr daughter around) with the owner coming over and stopping me, but nothing happened.


This is just common sense which probably most drivers on the road LACK!!!

You put your wife and your kid under a huge HUGE risk. Imagine if that guy was with some 7-8 guys and what if one of them was carrying a piece with them? This act of yours hasn't caught the attention of the press, but the severe repercussions of this would have. Please take my advice in the friendliest way possible: You have a huge amount of rage pent up inside you. Confessing about this on this forum is a huge step. But you'll only get a pat on your back from a therapist.

Also, if you remember the number of the car, please get in touch with the owner in any way possible and confess to him. I just hope he has not filed an FIR for this. If he has, the cops will get to you eventually.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

The only thing my Safari suffered was a minor scratch on the extreme edge of the right corner bumper and on the spare wheel cover.

Oh how I wish I had a butch SUV to do the same. My car has been blocked due to double parking on the main road near my office several times and there are no whereabouts of the owners' of those vehicles. People just don't seem to bother and feel that it is their right to do whatever they like irrespective of the impact of their action on others.

What you have done is really what anyone would do had it really been an emergency. However, there was a huge risk considering you had your family travelling along with you.

However, should you regret doing such an act?? Absolutely not.

[acroback]

Sourav had you done the same if you had a puny alto?
Please do not take SUV to be a tool in your hands. Waiting for some time would not have hurt much. Being a fellow SUV owner I hope you understand that with big vehicles come bigger responsibility. I see people around in safari and fortunners driving like crazy. This reflects the common mentality of people that they have power while sitting in a suv, of what kind I do not know.

Please take utmost care not to loose your temper while driving your suv. One small mistake and you are endangering lives of several people on stake.

I hope you have learnt the lesson. I appreciate your honesty in confession. Take care and keep that rage in check.

Do not pay heed to members who are saying that you did the right thing. You did wrong and you know it. Such members think once you have a butch suv you can take reaponsibility for a toss. Not good. Bigger the car, bigger the responsibility.

[ramzsys]

I was waiting at the extreme right lane to take a right turn at Kudlu gate signal, towards silk board. A biker did his usual antics of finding way by adjusting his handle bar and inching through my left.

I watched it helplessly. Thank god, he didn't scrape. Then he was followed by a woman(with a male pillion rider). She was trying to learn i guess, as she couldn't balance slow speed riding at all, swaying both the sides. She hit my ORVM(it unfolded further, as in a Fiesta) and then hit my fender and then the bumper.

By this time, the signal turns green, she did not turn back, she just went forward as if nothing happened. I kept my horn engaged and followed her, overtook her, and asked her to stop.

I asked her whether she has a DL. The guy replied in the affirmative. I then shouted what the hell she was doing in the road riding like that. He said, the signal was green, so she rode like that. I got further incensed and said, can't she wait for some 10-20 seconds. They just watched silently and took all my hot vent, the girl said a 'sorry anna'. I said nothing and turned back.

Wife asked me, "what did you get by shouting at them?". I didn't answer.
Maybe the girl will be careful next time, i thought.

The damages was a screw that binds the mudflaps to the chassis has gone, and a slight paint mark on the bumper, no dents/depressions.

PS: One good news. Wife was pestering all the time for visiting a temple this weekend. She has not talked about this till now.

[souravdebiswas]

Hi

Have read the opinion from various individuals, and I do agree with what you have said. Frankly, I should not have done such a thing.

And I have never actually done such a thing or ever been involved in a road rage incident before (except once about 3yrs back). I always keep my cool while driving. And I am quite proud to say that there has never been a single scratch on my Safari, or the Firsta 1.6S that I own.

However that day I got really irritated. I am not accusing the guy who said its not his car. I know it may not have been his car.

But whosoever that car belonged to, did not do the right thing. If he would have had any common sense, he could have informed the guys sitting right next to my car about where he is going or when he is gonna come back. If someone thinks that others would wait for him to come back (which could be 15mins or 1hr), that surely was not the right thought process, and he does not deserve any sympathy from anyone. If anyone has any sympathy, I would assume you do the same thing.

What if it was an emergency? Should I still have waited? What if someone's family member had passed away, or if someone was sick? Should they have waited for the idiot to have come back?

I was in a situation where my daughter was cranky and was crying. I know it wasnt an emergency, but I had no option. I waited for 10-15 mins but the owner was not in sight. I enquired with shops around and locals sitting there, but no one had any idea. Therefore I had to do what I did.

As I said, I was initially scared because my wife and daughter was with me. And I should not have done what I did considering the specific circumstance.

But I really did not care what damage his car suffered. He got what he asked for.

That is why I confessed saying that I went through a road rage mindset that point in time.

[Googleman]

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

. If someone thinks that others would wait for him to come back (which could be 15mins or 1hr), that surely was not the right thought process, and he does not deserve any sympathy from anyone.

Ha ha.. to cool things down, here is my experience.

I went for a movie in Sigma mall (Bangalore), parked my car at a corner (directed by the security guard). Front was the wall and right too.

When I came back, I see a car is parked in the right, and behind my car, blocking me even to reach my car.
I called the security guards and we laughed about my situation for some time. After the fooling around was over, around 7-8 security guard, lifted the Zen and moved it away to make way for my car to come out.

Seems impossible reading it here, but that's what happened. I was amazed at their ability, probably the Zen came there everyday and it was a regular practice for the security guards.

[selfdrive]

I usually use my car for commuting and the bike on weekends. What I note is that my road rage shoots up when I am using the car but when I am on my bike I am almost immune to road rage.
I thought it was because of the weekday factor, but the road rage levels are high while driving the car on weekends too.
Perhaps it is because I am not stuck anywhere with the bike, but with the car we feel some sort of helplessness in traffic. I am not entirely sure, but if we feel like we are tied up with a rope a knee jerk reaction is bound to come sooner than later?

I am not justifying road rage, but only trying to understand why I have this more while driving a car than a bike.

PS - I am not a lane cutter on a bike, more of a sedate rider. Maybe thats the reason.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

What I note is that my road rage shoots up when I am using the car but when I am on my bike I am almost immune to road rage.


I am not justifying road rage, but only trying to understand why I have this more while driving a car than a bike.

PS - I am not a lane cutter on a bike, more of a sedate rider. Maybe thats the reason.

+ 1 to this phenomena. Same with me. I don't particularly have a heavy foot, I am sedate 99% of the times but road rage hits me more often when I am driving rather than riding.

I think that most bikers think that they can do all those idiotic acrobatics on the road & get away while the car's driver responsibility is only to save them.
Irresponsible bikers think that they have made a fantastic cut between those vehicles at 60 kmph but fail to realize that if the car behind them had not hit their brakes, they might be history!

But now with nearing 30, I have probably become matured enough to keep myself cool in most conditions. I prefer not to put my life in other's hand and prefer to drive sanely.

My & my family's life is my responsibility and I won't trust anybody else than me to keep me & my family safe...be me on my bike, or the vehicle with 2 more wheels.

Regards.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

PS - I am not a lane cutter on a bike, more of a sedate rider. Maybe thats the reason.

Does this mean that when using 4 wheeler, you cut lanes and in the process feel the rage taking over? Is there some specific locations along your drive where the rage starts to build or is it all along.

I have observed in my driving that when crossing specific areas, the blood boil starts to begin coz I see vehicles using the jungle law to move over that specific section. For eg in Majiwade in Thane where the flyover is being constructed. Although the roads are narrowed, people still try to squeeze and thats where the frustration builds knowing that I have to cross that crowded stretch. The continous honking, absence of any traffic rules being followed really gets my nerve. Once I cross the stretch, I immediately normalize.

[roamer]

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

Hi
What if it was an emergency? Should I still have waited? What if someone's family member had passed away, or if someone was sick? Should they have waited for the idiot to have come back?

But you didnot have any! It could have been possible that he could have one and has to park the car in an emergency.

Maybe a call to Traffic police department might have helped?

Finally He might have commited a minor traffic offence, but you ended up committing a criminal offence!

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Does this mean that when using 4 wheeler, you cut lanes and in the process feel the rage taking over? Is there some specific locations along your drive where the rage starts to build or is it all along.

Ha ha, no! Thanks for pointing that out.
I am not a lane cutter in a 4 wheeler either. Just that when I am in my car, I get angry looking at morons flouting rules so blatantly and insensitively. When I am on my bike, I dont get so angry though the number of aforementioned morons is pretty much the same.
Maybe I am just busy trying to stay out of harm's way. I do see more of the same old antics, but I just shrug and ride on.

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

Well...I had an experience last weekend which may not qualify as a 'ROAD RAGE', but definetely is a 'PARKING RAGE'.

What I did after that was crazy. I got into my Safari, reversed, banged into the Honda City with force, pushed the car all the way into the middle of the road, turned around and drove away. The local shopmen were telling me to stop since I was hitting the honda, but I did not care. The honda had a huge scratch and a deep dent on its left side doors. The only thing my Safari suffered was a minor scratch on the extreme edge of the right corner bumper and on the spare wheel cover.

I was initially a bit scared that I am gonna get into a fight (especially with wife and 2.5 yr daughter around) with the owner coming over and stopping me, but nothing happened.

This is just common sense which probably most drivers on the road LACK!!!

Originally Posted by creative420

Also, if you remember the number of the car, please get in touch with the owner in any way possible and confess to him.

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

But whosoever that car belonged to, did not do the right thing. If he would have had any common sense, he could have informed the guys sitting right next to my car about where he is going or when he is gonna come back. If someone thinks that others would wait for him to come back (which could be 15mins or 1hr), that surely was not the right thought process, and he does not deserve any sympathy from anyone. If anyone has any sympathy, I would assume you do the same thing.

I was in a situation where my daughter was cranky and was crying. Therefore I had to do what I did.

But I really did not care what damage his car suffered. He got what he asked for.

My question to you is, who are you to serve justice? So what he obstructed your way and you could not take your car out? Who gives you the right to damage property? If I was the Honda guy, I would spare no efforts to trace you down and I have no apologies to offer you for my honest opinion. You cannot serve justice as deemed fit by you. There are authorities and systems in place for that. You do not have that right to damage someone's vehicle just because they made a mistake.

For all you know the guy would have apologized profusely for his act. My car was once blocked by a Verna who had forgotten to put his car on neutral before heading out to Priya's. I had waited for an hour. I was ready to give him some verbal treatment as he came back towards the parking when he sprinted towards his car and apologized. I calmed down immediately. That was the end of it.

Even if he is a regular offender, no one has the right to damage. Have you never made mistakes when driving? Have you never cut off a vehicle by mistake? Did they throw stones at your window because of that? Do you honestly feel he deserved it?

You cannot penalize someone's asset which might have been half of his lives savings or maybe all of it just because he wasted 15 precious minutes of your time. I fully agree he is wrong and I would have been enraged had this happened to me but at no point would I resort to damaging someone's car.

You can assume the ones who offer sympathy do the same thing. I can assume most of us would never resort to either parking like that or being violent at all.

You cannot talk about the Honda city owner lacking common sense and yet go on justifying your actions saying he deserved it. Please make me understand what was wise about your actions? You had an infant and your wife for company and as creative rightly said, you had a good chance of being in a tricky situation. So here's how it is, you damaged property and put your kid and wife at risk because you could not control your temper.

He did not ask for it. Not at all. He's another idiot on the road. You let go of such things. If you can measure up his mistake against yours, I am sure you know who's more at fault.

I admire your courage to speak out but it would be only good for you if don't deny the obvious.

Just because we're BHPians does not mean other road users, including the fools, do not love their cars. We need to respect others' property just like we respect our own.

If you cannot bear a sight of scratch on your Fiesta or Safari maybe you should not cause extensive damage to other cars. Maybe you want to step into his shoes and see how he must be feeling?

I can only imagine the plight of the Honda city owner. Being an idiot isn't exactly a crime and he DID NOT deserve it.

[RM2488]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

I can only imagine the plight of the Honda city owner. Being an idiot isn't exactly a crime and he DID NOT deserve it.

While I wholeheartedly agree with you (that he did not deserve it) I do have a different opinion of the situation-
1. The whole point of the thread is listing down where you went wrong- road RAGE.
2. The concept of what constitutes an "emergency" varies with people.
3. People can usually justify their actions, no matter how foolish.
4. It is sometimes difficult not to mete out your own personal brand of justice considering the shambles our administration is in. I have NEVER had the cops help me out (there was even this ridiculous thing where a friend of mine was getting beaten up by 5 guys- the cop that was approached for help actually ran away!)

I can admit to small acts of vandalism that I've done when the administration has been apathetic. I suppose we all have a different idea of "taking it too far". My personal way is to daub messages with a wax crayon- removable, but not without soap- the offender has to drive home with the message.

Of course, I don't sympathise in this case- if it were my car, I'd track you down and make you pay. And most of us would never dent somebody else's car on purpose. All I'm saying is let's be a little considerate- lets not be too judgmental. Live and let live.

[sierrakamat]

This happened about 8 years back i was returning back from Thane to Mumbai at about 1.30 am on a completely empty highway a trucker suddenly scraped my Ford Escort ,as i looked up the cleaner was laughing at me and abusing me for not allowing the truck to pass.
THAT was the trigger i blocked the truck the cleaner came down with a rod which i grabbed and then started punching him till he fell down the driver followed and met with the same fate .All this happened in the darkness.
Suddenly the cops came took all of us to the police station.In the end i was let off because of my political connections and the fact that both of them were drunk and mutually everyone decided not to press charges
BUT when i saw them in the police station i was shocked when i saw their swollen faces and the blood stains on my shirt as a result of the nose bleed of the driver THAT was a wake up call for me as to WHAT HAVE I DONE.
EVER SINCE i have never got of the car in similar situations and there have been more than one leave alone lift a finger on anyone.
I am sorry may be the post is haphazard but i dont know how to put this incident down better the emotions of the recall are just too overwhelming.

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by RM2488

While I wholeheartedly agree with you (that he did not deserve it) I do have a different opinion of the situation-
1. The whole point of the thread is listing down where you went wrong- road RAGE.
2. The concept of what constitutes an "emergency" varies with people.
3. People can usually justify their actions, no matter how foolish.
4. It is sometimes difficult not to mete out your own personal brand of justice considering the shambles our administration is in.

I can admit to small acts of vandalism that I've done when the administration has been apathetic. I suppose we all have a different idea of "taking it too far". My personal way is to daub messages with a wax crayon.

Of course, I don't sympathise in this case- if it were my car, I'd track you down and make you pay. And most of us would never dent somebody else's car on purpose. All I'm saying is let's be a little considerate- lets not be too judgmental. Live and let live.

Thanks RM. I am aware that this thread is about road rage. It is also about owning up and taking responsibility for our actions.

It is judgemental for him to state that everyone who has sympathy for the Honda does the same thing.

Personal brand of justice but at what cost? How far are we willing to go? Do we resort to extreme aggression to drive the point home? There has to be a line drawn somewhere.

It is not really about the act. One can excuse the same because things can easily go out of control when tempers are high but defending and justifying violent behavior is in fact not pardonable.

As I see it the thread is called 'confessions'. We own up here. Isn't that word the purpose too?

I hope the gentleman realizes that I have nothing personal against him. I wish he stays safe and never gets into this situation again.