Reckless driving on our local roadways and freeways is on the rise and tempers are flaring at an alarming rate!
Just about every day I’ve witnessed some of the most egregious behavior by angry drivers – cutting people off, tailgating, “flipping them off”, refusing to enter a cross section even after the signal has changed daring them to rear end their vehicle, and “inviting them to pull over so they can have a civil conversation (NOT!).
One recent confrontation involved a driver brandishing a firearm! Another involved an elderly lady chasing a young driver who cut her off on the freeway until they were side-by-side so that she could give him the one finger salute!!
One startling and sobering fact is that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has issued thousands of Carrying Concealed Weapons (CCW) permits over the years. So, the odds that maybe, just maybe, one of those angry drivers you want to let them know your displeasure may have one of those permits and, in a fit of anger, decides to take a shot at you! One never knows!
Is it worth the risk? I agree that when we feel anger it is difficult to just let it go. We all have a picture in our minds of precisely what it is we want to do to that “idiot driver!” I’m no exception!
But with all the vitriol going on in our society today, triggering a potentially fatal response is not the answer. Think for a moment that your attitude may cause you harm! That could create angst in your family!
One action that has worked for me is that when I feel that rage, I take a deep breath and pause for just a moment. Amazingly, more often than not, the anger dissipates!
The trick is to take a few seconds and choose to just “let it go”! It really works. Drive smart…and safe.
