Accidently flipped off a coworker in traffic

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Lean L

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2009
3,685
0
0
I'm Engineer...and I approve this message and have started living it more myself*

*unless you tailgate me and I'll fly into a rage and eat your children and pets too! :mad::twisted::mad::twisted:

I've actually had cases of people tailgating me and even aggressively driving and honking while I was biking. It pissed me off but it was safer to move aside... that and I could not catch up to read their plate since they sped off.

I think if TVs can be labeled the idiotbox, all cars can be labeled insanity cabin.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,517
223
106
Long story short, this person wouldn't let me into the lane i needed to get onto the freeway, they did the whole "oh this guy needs to get over, let me speed up and prevent him from doing so" routine

so when I finally got in behind said person, I flipped them the bird. then when we stopped at the light, I noticed it was a coworker.

Pretty sure I cant get into any real trouble but has anybody had this happen to them before?

Buy a faster car and that won't be a problem. :p
 

futurefields

Diamond Member
Jun 2, 2012
6,470
32
91
200 ft from where to where? You conveniently left that part out of your OP. How the hell would anyone know what you're talking about when you don't actually tell anyone what happened?

Not my fault you jump to conclusions based on your own false assumptions.
 

Jaepheth

Platinum Member
Apr 29, 2006
2,572
25
91
Use your tanto to sever the offending digit and present it to him....

you work for the Yakuza, right?
 

SagaLore

Elite Member
Dec 18, 2001
24,036
21
81
Was there a safe amount of distance for you to switch lanes? If not, then they closed the gap to prevent you from doing something stupid.
 

futurefields

Diamond Member
Jun 2, 2012
6,470
32
91
Flipping somebody off in traffic is childish, I didn't do anything wrong in terms of driving though.
 

brianmanahan

Lifer
Sep 2, 2006
24,394
5,841
136
at my first job, i cut off a VP while driving to a company christmas dinner

he was mad and knew it was me but i successfully buffooned my way out of that faux paux by saying that i had never driven in a city before
 

Blanky

Platinum Member
Oct 18, 2014
2,457
12
46
No not at all. But if you needed to be in that lane so urgently that it pissed you off enough to flip off a driver vs. Having many opportunities over the course of several miles to get in the right lane, I have zero sympathy. Drive better.
Did you just get your license? Some people are assholes and prevent others getting in their lane just to be dicks. These people deserve to be flipped off or oil-slicked.
 

FuzzyDunlop

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2008
3,260
12
81
I think I became a much safer driver, and happier to boot when I just realized that everyone including myself is an idiot driver. Don't think about anything twice and don't honk anymore...

Now I just cruise down the road and look for signs of bad drivers or idiot moves and avoid them. I'll be 1 minute late to my destination rather than risk my life.

Zen driving practices. I started this about a year ago. Makes for a much less stressful drive, and also puts me into a better mood when i reach the office in the morning because Im not getting as pissed off at idiots anymore.
 

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
12,604
15
81
So you change the way you act, in public, based on if you can get called or not?

Screw your coworker and tell him so.

You'll be a happier person.

Doesn't work so well with the CEO.

So you change the way you act, in public, based on if you can get fired or not?

Screw your CEO and tell him so.

You'll be a happier person.

Somewhat poorer than before but happier.
 

himkhan

Senior member
Jul 13, 2013
665
370
136
This has happened to me a couple times before and both times it was someone texting and driving. When I see the person the next time at work I tell them they drive like an asshole and need to pay more attention to the road and less attention to their their little rectangular texting box. Can't get fired for that.
 

xgsound

Golden Member
Jan 22, 2002
1,374
8
81
I think I became a much safer driver, and happier to boot when I just realized that everyone including myself is an idiot driver. Don't think about anything twice and don't honk anymore...

Now I just cruise down the road and look for signs of bad drivers or idiot moves and avoid them. I'll be 1 minute late to my destination rather than risk my life.

The first year I drove 40,000 miles at work I came to a similar conclusion. It's a good idea to be 1 minute away from that big accident. You cannot drive the other guy's car no matter how hard you try. One of these days you will find out that the driver you just cussed out/ cut off/ ran off the road is a cop, was having a heart attack, is a doctor going to surgery, or much to your surprize is a psychopath with a gun.

There is nothing wrong with driving calmly and getting to your destination safely.

Jim
 

dualsmp

Golden Member
Aug 16, 2003
1,627
45
91
When I took a test drive with a salesman a long time ago at a ford dealer some woman blew a stop sign at an intersection when we were driving through a residential neighborhood. I mentioned what a idiot she was and it turned out to be the salesman's girlfriend. It was mildly amusing, and ended up not buying the car. :biggrin:
 

zanejohnson

Diamond Member
Nov 29, 2002
7,054
17
81
lol, funny thread, the lesson to be learned is......dont flip people off in traffic, it's just not worth it...

its kinda like when you tell someone on the internet you're going to kick there ass..

and then you run into that person in real life...

just save yourself the trouble, dont act like an idiot! whether in traffic, or on the internet, or anytime in life...

it took me until i was about 25-26 to figure this out, so don't sweat it too much.
 

Spungo

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2012
3,217
2
81
Did you just get your license? Some people are assholes and prevent others getting in their lane just to be dicks. These people deserve to be flipped off or oil-slicked.

I would get flipped off all the time because people refuse to go. Someone will signal to change lane because their lane is ending, so I take my foot off the gas. The space in front of me is as long as a football field, and they refuse to speed up and go into that space. Then they give me the finger. Apparently I'm supposed to come to a complete stop because they don't know how to use a gas pedal.

When I watch people drive, I lose faith in humanity. If the sign says 50, you should be going 50. People in my area drive half the speed limit. It's insane. I think people are actually trying to cause accidents. Who drives 30 in a 50 zone?
 

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
24,326
68
91
Traffic, where logic does not apply.

How close of a coworker is it? Do you like them?
To make it less awkward, go talk to them about it.
Apologize and say why you were in that lane to begin with.
It's best to get everything out in the open than to keep it bottled and awkward for life.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,071
744
126
I flipped a guy off yesterday.
He got himself in the wrong lane and forced his way into my lane. He waved "sorry". I waved with my middle finger.
Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago a couple of blocks from my work. I followed the guy to his work which was two buildings from mine. I walked over to his car and he was out looking at me "hard". I said "learn to drive" and punched him in the face. He took off running into his building as his co-worker screamed for me to stop.

My advice to anyone. Never take any kind of negative action against someone that you aren't willing to physically back up. Be a man.