ALT-9 Road Rage
An acquaintance of mine, a police officer, was recently arrested by the California Highway Patrol as a result of a road rage incident which occurred in southern California. This acquaintance, I'll call him Fred to protect his identity, is adamant that he tried preventing the situation from escalating out of control; However, apparently the driver of the other vehicle pressed the issue to such an extent, that Fred was forced to take action, as he feared that his life and that of his wife were in danger.
The incident started when Fred observed a 4x4 truck tailgating him on a freeway. Suddenly, the truck overtook Fred's car and it then recklessly swerved back into Fred's lane in front of him almost striking the left front-end of his car. Fred admitted getting angry, so he flashed his headlights at the driver of the truck. The truck then slowed down enough to allow Fred to overtake him on the inside lane. After Fred had driven past the truck, the truck then resumed tailgating Fred's car again. Eventually, the truck tried running Fred off the road.
Desperate and fearing for his life and that of his wife, Fred pulled out his off-duty weapon and held it outside his window so the driver of the truck could see that he was armed. Apparently, the driver of the truck then called the California Highway Patrol, which responded to the scene and eventually arrested Fred and released the driver of the truck. The case is now in litigation.
Personally, I have been the victim of road rage on two occasions. However, in both incidents, I averted escalating the situation out of control by keeping my cool. This is not to say that I did not get angry. I did get angry, and I did want to retaliate and get even. But as a former police officer myself, I had the presence of mind to recall something which kept me from retaliating. On both occasions, I found myself recalling homicide cases in which individuals had lost their lives simply because they had failed to walk away from life-threatening situations.
On both occasions, I had also thought of my son and the people who love me and need me in their lives. These are people who depend on me, especially my son. I could not bear to think how much my son would suffer if I were to die. Yet, despite these things, there is something else which kept me from retaliating in each incident, and it is something which is as important as the two above reasons.
I learned that no one can hurt me with their actions or words unless I personally allow it. And since I deliberately refuse to give others this form of control, it means that I can usually keep my cool under most stressful situations. Doing this helps me to maintain control, and I am able to dictate the outcome of a situation.
Therefore, to avoid giving in to road rage do not allow others to control you emotionally. Maintain emotional control and refuse to be baited into a life-threatening situation. You control your life. You choose and decide your outcomes. Do not allow others to choose and decide for you. Do not allow yourself to be controlled like a puppet. Be wiser and smarter than the other person, who is obviously not using good judgment. In addition, under such circumstances, think of your loved ones and how much they need you. Think of how much they would miss you if something fatal were to happen to you. Do this for your loved ones as much as for yourself.
