Road Rage The Disease

[K-Lo]

Just when I thought I'd seen it all. Road rage.......the disease. :evil:

http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=19745@kcbs.dayport.com

Just another way to avoide personal responsibility for your actions. Unbelievable!! :rolleyes:



On the topic of road rage, during a couple of RAs, I have heard dispatchers say "rage call." Is there a VC or PC section that addresses road rage or would it fall under 23103?

[ResQ]

"Road Rage Disease" and "Intermittent Explosive Disorder" terms used in the report...

K-Lo said: "Just another way to avoid personal responsibility for your actions" BUT the worst stinkin' part about this whole thing is that the scientists and doctors are empowering these people to continue in their "blameless" ways...now that there is an official label, we will see medication, treatment programs, disability claims, the courts will have to deal with this as though it is legit...it may be passed on from genetically from generation to generation...I can hear the media spin on this forever and ever...

[Flying Pig]

I was on a call about a year ago where a parent actually told me her son had "Chronic Anti-Authority Disorder". It was a 5150 call. Thie kid ACTUALLY had meds. I think it was Bi-Polar, but mom said the Psych referred to it as the other. I asked her what she was suppossed to do when he had outbursts, and she told me the Doc advised her to call the police and not to upset him. Ohh.....He was 12, and lived VERY comfortably in a high dollar neighborhood. Im thinkin....BRAT!

[RC5150]

You?re witnessing the birth of the next great defense in courts for future vehicular manslaughter and murder cases. It will go something like, Your Honor my client couldn?t help himself he has a medical condition that in moments of stress he loses control and does things he otherwise would not do. You?re Honor he is a sick man not a criminal he does not belong in prison, he requires treatment and counseling.

[Mac]

It's all the same - symptoms of today's society in which "responsibility for your actions" is a rapidly dying concept.

Political correctness is of tantamount importance - God forbid anybody would have to suffer the indignity of being stigmatized by being held responsible for what they've done! :shock:

[TheForceCHP]

It's all the same - symptoms of today's society in which "responsibility for your actions" is a rapidly dying concept.

Political correctness is of tantamount importance - God forbid anybody would have to suffer the indignity of being stigmatized by being held responsible for what they've done! :shock:

So sad, yet so true

[SB 405]

I have a question about the ol' 23103 driver.....I'm hearing a number of calls going out each day advising Officers of reckless drivers and I'm wondering how many times do you actually find the vehicle? ie... I've heard two 23103 calls go out just in the time it took to type this post.

[Slim]

I work on I-5 between LA and SF. The two difficult things about catching 23103 calls is:

1. The people who call them in the first place. People don't know where they are when they call these things in and only say something like, it's a silver Chrysler and he's speeding. They give a location plus or minus 10 miles in any direction and then expect us to find the needle in a needle stack.

2. The second thing is dispatchers sitting on the 23103 calls. For the most part, they get them out in 1-3 minutes which is helpful. But there are a few that sit and sit on these calls until they BOL them and say, "This was 15 ago." They might as well not even broadcast it.

If someone gives a specific location, a good descripition of the vehicle, license plate and dispatch sends the info out promptly, I usually get them if Im in position. If the call comes out really late and it sounds like something I'm interested in, I will check the log and call back the RP if there is a good number.

[RoadDawg]

Road rage is caused by several types of people? It is a result of inattentive, selfish and impatient drivers. 99% of the time it is a result of both people involved, even if one is unaware they did something which provoked the other person. Random acts of road rage are rare.

How to avoid road rage? be patient, pay attention to your own driving and don?t hog the road.

1-Inattentive drivers: I even find myself getting very frustrated with these types of drivers. It seems that no matter how many lanes there are on the freeway, people will drive in the #1 lane, pay no attention to their rear view mirrors and hold up traffic. Although they may think theyre being safe and cautious, it infuriates many people. Even if you?re driving the speed limit, if someone wants to pass you, move over and let them by, we (CHP) will catch them up the road eventually.

2-Selfish drivers: These people think they own the road, and everyone else should give them the right of way. These are the drivers who you wait for at an intersection as they approach, only to have them turn without ever signaling. Sometimes these are the same people who drive in the fast lane, and are very aware of the cars behind them, but they just don?t care because they are doing the speed limit. These are the truck drivers, who will pull out to pass another truck while cutting you off, and then only go two miles an hour faster than the truck theyre passing, while taking two miles to get around them and holding 40 cars up in the process. Once again, this infuriates people.

3-Impatient drivers: These are usually the drivers who get physically aggressive and put the ?rage? in road rage. These are the excessive speeders, people changing lanes cutting you off and drivers who go out of turn at a four way stop. If you are this type of person, you need to chill and realize an automobile can kill you. If your not this type, then don?t be the two previous types of drivers I listed and you should be just fine. The thing I find amazing, is when you contact people who are driving reckless, they usually seemed shocked?. ?Me, I wasn?t driving bad, Im a very cautious driver?, is usually the response you get. Most impatient drivers are late to work, school or some place they feel is important, so stay out of their way and let the police do their jobs.


I want to reiterate, I am not condoning speeding or knocking slow cautious drivers, all I am doing is giving advice on how to avoid a road rage situation. Remember, in all conflicts it usually takes two to tango. Like Valleydre stated, if you are going to report someone, make sure you know where you are (notice in the news clip the operator kept asking the lady on SR-99, where she was at?) and get some identifying information on the reckless vehicle. Also, make sure the car is truly reckless, and not someone who just accidentally cut you off once. If someone continues to drive poorly, call 911 and keep in mind its very likely the person is DUI, or could be driving a stolen vehicle. Do all of this, and I can almost assure you, that you will not be a victim of road rage.

I dont think Road Rage is a disease, it is just another example of today's selfish and impatient society.

[Kevin]

Great post, RoadDawg!!! I used to travel between SF and LA a lot and have experienced firsthand the stuff you've mentioned above. One of my pet peeve is selfish drivers in the #1 lane.

[bcjack]

Bottom Line...In my humble opinion...IT'S ALL ABOUT MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Since it is all about MEEEEEEEE!!!!, the hell with everyone else. :evil:

[dw]

3-Impatient drivers: These are usually the drivers who get physically aggressive and put the ?rage? in road rage. These are the excessive speeders, people changing lanes cutting you off and drivers who go out of turn at a four way stop. If you are this type of person, you need to chill and realize an automobile can kill you. If your not this type, then don?t be the two previous types of drivers I listed and you should be just fine. The thing I find amazing, is when you contact people who are driving reckless, they usually seemed shocked?. ?Me, I wasn?t driving bad, Im a very cautious driver?, is usually the response you get. Most impatient drivers are late to work, school or some place they feel is important, so stay out of their way and let the police do their jobs.


The irony being the impatient driver is usually no faster and oftentimes slower than the flow of traffic. How many times have we all watched the guy going in and out of traffic, braking hard and then gunning it, slowly moving ahead and behind us. You can drive a steady speed in the #1 lane for miles and watch these people make fools of themselves and endanger everyone else as they make absolutely no forward progress in their venture.

[micnnic]

Road Rage Disease? Chronic Anti-Authority Disorder? It's all BULLS**T!!! It sure is just another way for people to deny responsibility for their actions. But fine, they want to call it a disease, then anyone who is diagnosed with this "disease" shall have their drivers license permanently revoked.

[LadyVol@330]

Years ago, we occasionally put a "harmless" sticker on our bumper, but gave that up when all this sick stuff started on the freeways, namely shooters. Still see a lot of racing, cutting off, etc. at night on WB 80 in the East Bay, coming back from Reno trips. It's all over the place, and we just try to stay out of the way!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/15/AR2008061501963.html

[Andy O'Hara]

It's all the same - symptoms of today's society in which "responsibility for your actions" is a rapidly dying concept.



True, but it began long ago and has simply been allowed to proliferate. I handled cases of "road rage" (I don't think we called it that or, certainly not "intermittent explosive disorder") back in the early 70's.

They were rare, but they happened. But given the culture of violence kids have grown up in (and been fed by the media and games), who can be surprised that it is now common enough that the intellectual elite and--who else--the lawyers, have found a new way to profit. Yep, "IED" beginning at 14.

You don't believe it, they don't believe it, but they can always put together a jury that will.

Then send them to "anger management." Yeah.

[AyatollahGondola]

Road Rage Disease? Chronic Anti-Authority Disorder? It's all BULLS**T!!! It sure is just another way for people to deny responsibility for their actions. But fine, they want to call it a disease, then anyone who is diagnosed with this "disease" shall have their drivers license permanently revoked.
that's not a bad idea really. Your license can be revoked for other health reasons.

I haven't seen too much of the road rage. About the closest I came to it was at a light getting off the freeway, and traffic was stopped. Somebody behind me blew their horn when vehicles weren't getting out the gate fast enough when the light changed, and the guy in front of me thought it was me, and charged out of his vehicle at me flailing arms and making demands. Just looked like another mad man to me, but he was on the road, so.....

[CHPUSMC]

The irony being the impatient driver is usually no faster and oftentimes slower than the flow of traffic. How many times have we all watched the guy going in and out of traffic, braking hard and then gunning it, slowly moving ahead and behind us. You can drive a steady speed in the #1 lane for miles and watch these people make fools of themselves and endanger everyone else as they make absolutely no forward progress in their venture.

Speaking of that, I was recently driving between Vacaville and Dublin (80 to 680). I was in the #1 lane at 70, as were all the cars in the #1 lane. The slower lanes were less populated but were all driving 60-65mph. I noticed a red SUV pass me in the #2 lane at about 80, then cut over to the #3 to snake back to the #2...typical. I made a mental note of the license plate the SECOND time he passed me (less than a minute later). The entire way to Dublin that same car passed me FOURTEEN times. I stayed in the #1 (which was still moving faster than the slow lanes) and had a good laugh. My wife even began waving to them happily each time they passed by.

[AyatollahGondola]

The irony being the impatient driver is usually no faster and oftentimes slower than the flow of traffic. How many times have we all watched the guy going in and out of traffic, braking hard and then gunning it, slowly moving ahead and behind us. You can drive a steady speed in the #1 lane for miles and watch these people make fools of themselves and endanger everyone else as they make absolutely no forward progress in their venture.
All a matter of perspective. That one gained car length really means a lot to them. It looks a lot grander to them, being closer and all.
Are these type of folks really the road rager's though? they seem more like the self-serving, me-first types that park at the front door of the store and block the path for others while their spouse or kid shops. Those types usually seem more dismissive of others than engaging.

[Jeff Rhea]

In Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity, John Stossel dispels the myth of "road rage". "Road rage" is a term coined by a reporter, not a sociologist or criminologist. The reporter used the term in passing in an article that was purely subjective. Other news outlets picked up on the fearful story and ran with it and the term "road rage" entered the American lexicon.

The Automoblie Association of American (AAA) conducted a study into the new phenomenon, road rage, and found no evidence such a phenomenon exists. Since the term road rage was coined there has not been any increase in the number of drivers cited for wreckless driving, assualt with a deadly weapon, or any other crime associated with malicious or extreme driving. Also, the number of traffic collision has not increased. If road rage where truely a problem, surely there would be collisions associated with it.

AAA's conclusion? There have always been rude drivers; the only difference now is we have a unique name for them thanks to one reporter and one story that achieved what Malcome Gladwell examines in his book, "The Tipping Point."

I recommed both Myth, Lies and Downright Stupidity, and the Tipping Point; along with Freakonomics, for a reality check and some lessons in critical thinking.

[Red Vines]

with all the shootings that stem from road rage happening, with a very recent triple murder in SF, i'd be really cautious about driving, esp on freeways. i'll let these A-holes cut me off all day long- it's not worth taking lead for.