RIDING SHOTGUN WITH A “ROAD RAGER”
We all know the type. The “one hand on the horn”, “middle finger flying”, cursing, angry driver that cannot handle not being FIRST in lines of lanes of traffic. The one who NEEDS to be everywhere fast and furious (pun intended). Typically a “Rager” gets up close and personal to the vehicle in the fast lane, and if they aren’t going fast enough, they will flash their lights, ride the edge of the lane, to make themselves more visible (and annoying) to the unsuspecting driver in front of them…..
THAT, ladies and gentleman, is my boyfriend. I am not proud of it, nor am I “OK” with it. I spend most of my time in his truck grasping handles, hitting the non existent brake on the floor at my feet, and asking him to “slow down” or “back off”. His answer is always the same “People don’t know how to F — KING drive!”
Errcchhh…..WHAT!?!?!
“People” are actually driving according to the traffic rules and laws. Ragers don’t follow these rules and laws. They need to be everywhere early, and fast. They need to be the one in the lead, and they need to be angry!
He and I have had many discussions about his inability to cope with fellow drivers. We work in a city of over 2 million people and many, many drivers on the roads. I know which highways and side roads to avoid at rush hours, and I like to speed, but I also like to relax when I drive, and be courteous. If I see someone coming up behind me at a fast pace, I move into the middle lane. If I see someone signal to get over in my lane, I am the one who lets them in. I know what the term “zipper merging” is now that we drive in the big city, and I always wave at people in my rear window, to thank them for letting me in.
He does NOT. He refuses to let people ahead of him in merge lanes, at times he will actually speed up and race ahead of them so they can’t, and I quote “cut him off”. When other drivers signal and and change lanes a few yards ahead of him, he speeds up, and says “Did you see that guy cut me off?” ARE YOU KIDDING??? He was innocently trying to get into the “driving” lane in front of you. He/she had no ill intentions of cutting anyone off. Racist slurs, swear words, gestures, flashing headlights, you name it. Anything to alert other drivers that HE is on the road and NEEDS to get somewhere, and THEY are making it difficult, so “get out of the F__king WAY A__hole!”
We used to live in a small town, that you could drive end to end in about 20 minutes. He was not meant to become a big city driver, as I honestly believe it has taken years off his life, just in the stress factor alone. There’s no relaxing and singing along to the radio. There is definitely no “road games” when we take trips anywhere. If there isn’t someone cutting him off, or driving to slow, he’s looking for a pace car to follow, so they will get pulled over before he will, for speeding.
So, my question is, WHY DO I PUT MYSELF IN THIS POSITION? Why do I insist on being in a vehicle that could be potentially unsafe, let alone hard to feel comfortable in, and definitely no fun? Is it because I like the Adrenalin rush? I do enjoy roller coasters, free falling and the occasional spinny, scary ride at the carnival. I get ZERO enjoyment from his driving habits. So, its not the answer. The only thing I can think of, is that I love the guy. No matter how stressful these situations are, I try and accept him no matter what his “issues” are and I hope that one day, maybe he will calm the F down. I love to crank my stereo, set the cruise, stay aware of my surroundings and enjoy my alone time in my car. It’s my own little bubble that I can just chill in. I am not super early for anything, but I am not late. I am on time, and I will get there, regardless of what my GPS says is the “fastest route”. I enjoy driving. I enjoy the solace and quiet, and being able to belt out lyrics and play the occasional “steering wheel drums”.
My fear, however, is THIS. He has purchased a new Spyder. For those of you who are not familiar with these contraptions, it looks just like this:
Now, he THINKS I am going to just jump on this thing, hit the open road with him, and NOT fear for my life…… Ummmmm NOPE. He has yet to get his actual licence for it, and is going next week to give it a try. He has the written portion complete, so just needs to pass the road test. I am TERRIFIED that he will pass! I do NOT want to deal with the Rage on The Machine, sitting on the back seat with nothing but some leather and a plastic cover on my head for protection. There are no airbags on this thing (I don’t think) and who will protect me when another rager gets angry and decides to bump us off the road?
In multiple conversations, my love has stated that he will NOT have rage while driving the bike. I am not sure if this is a possibility? We have spent 7 years together, a lot of that time on the road in his truck, and thus far, he has shown me nothing but rage for fellow commuters, so I am not holding out with much hope.
My message to all of you, please watch out for us, and if you see him coming, do yourselves a favor, and “get out of the F__king Way!”
I apologize for my outburst, but seriously, DO watch out for ALL motorbikes on the roads. Even if they are driven by “ragers”.
Stay safe out there!!
