"Brent P" > wrote in message
news:W_MAd.282841$V41.224844@attbi_s52...
> In article >,
Anthony Giorgianni wrote:
> > I'm not arguing whether speeding is bad or sloth merging is bad. I'm
just
> > raising the issue of whether we can take it upon ourselves to somehow
interfere with
> > driving behavior we don't agree with, no matter what it is.
>
> It's a social issue. And like any other can be corrected with proper
> social pressures. How do you know not to fart in elevator? or not to
> shout in a movie theater? Or all sorts of other things?

That's true, Brent, and perhaps appropriate for those examples. But creating
a potentially dangerous situation, as it looks like the OP did, is
irresponsbile. And certainly, if you try to discourage a poor driver by
putting yourself in a precarious situation and they come back at you or you
get into an accident, don't complain about it. I mean, the guy may very well
want to teach you that your efforts to correct his driving are unwelcomed,
and you may both end up going up in a giant fireball of glory.

Also, speeding is a social issue tool. And there are many people who do not
approve of it. But to suggest that they it's okay for them to exert social
pressure - such as blocking maneuvers - to correct speeders' behavior is, I
think you'd agree, irresponsible, just as it is for other kinds of driving
behavior. It's also important to keep in mind that your idea of what's bad
driving and another's driver's idea may not be the same.

Using your car to exert social pressure is rarely a good idea, even when you
are in the right. On the other hand, if traffic is stopped and some guy
tries to cut in after passing everyone on the shoulder, I don't think you
need to accommodate him. But that kind of thing is not setting up a
dangerous situation like the OP did - unless of course the guy decides to
ram or shoot you. :O)

I suspect a lot of this has less to do with trying to let the other guy know
he did something wrong and more to do with a display of manhood - not
letting the other guy get away with doing you wrong. Women don't seem to get
into these conflcits. It's msot men, who end up battling over who has the
higher spot in the pecking order. There's a real problem I think associating
driving with power and manhood and all of that. Car makers don't help with
their silly zoom-zoom commercials either.

And finally, I think we should remember that people make mistakes while
driving. I don't think it's good to assume they don't know what they are
doing and need a lesson Sometimes it's just nice to let the other guy off
the hook. Looking at it that way can certainly save wear and tear on on your
nerves.


--
Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.