How I Became The Target Of Road Rageby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 23 Apr 2007 03:12 PM Friday evening I made the mistake of driving to Wal-Mart to pick up a container of laundry detergent. The sun was just beginning to set as I rolled up to the traffic lights that lead out of our subdivision. It was an unusually warm night and shortly after I stopped for the red light I noticed a maroon convertible with its top down filled with what looked like either teens or a group in their early 20s pull up behind me. I remember looking at the car in my rear view mirror before proceeding to fish my wallet out of my purse. I didn't realize the light had turned green until I heard an elongated honk echo from the convertible behind me. I was a bit startled by the sharpness of the horn and it took me a while (actually, as I look back it wasn't more than a few seconds) to figure out that the light had turned green and I needed to step on the accelerator and get moving. I did just that, but the convertible's honking continued... and continued... and continued. The maroon convertible filled with the group of youngsters decided to tail me for the next two miles while one of the car's passengers repeatedly shook his fist at me. Frankly, I couldn't believe they would waste their gas following me to Wal-Mart. What's more, I was stunned that someone would be so upset at having to wait an extra 7 seconds at a traffic light that he would spend five more minutes following the target of his aggression. Looking back, I could have done many things differently that night. First, I could have waited until I got to Wal-Mart to get my wallet out my purse (I take full responsibility for that poor choice). Second, I could have tried to get the license plate number of the convertible and used my cellphone to call the police. Third, I could have done more to get away from the convertible. But, frankly, we live in a small city and I couldn't imagine that he would follow me to Wal-Mart. What's more, there's no way I could have figured that a person with the mental capability to earn a driver's license would lay on his horn for 2 miles. I have to wonder what other drivers were thinking as they drove by a maroon convertible tailing a Toyota with the horn blaring---did they think he just got married? Finally, I could have (and probably should have) avoided eye contact with the driver. The point of this blog is to dispel the misconception that some people are immune to aggressive drivers. That simply is not the case. You can be the most attentive driver on the road, but you never know what the other guy is thinking. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 41,000 people died on our highways last year. Of those fatalities, it's estimated that about two-thirds were caused at least in part by road rage. Have you ever been the target of a road rager? How did you handle the situation? Related Articles: Making Car Rides Work For Your Family Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments  Michele Cheplic (37349) 24 Apr 2007 06:40 AMThese guys certainly were! And, I thought big city drivers were rude---boy, did I get a wake up call! Thanks for the comment Valorie. Community Tags aggressive driving, car, road rage, Travel, travel tips Discuss this article
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