Last week a Calgary man was charged with manslaughter after a road rage incident where he backed his car into a man, crushing and killing him instantly.
Was it worth it?
Sure, the guy who got killed had been equally involved in the escalation of the incident prior to the fatal moment which ended with one guy in the morgue and the other in handcuffs. He may even have been the initial instigator, according to the police report.
However, when a companion in the car with the man who did the fatal deed called 911 just prior, they were told to disengage. The driver did not, and made the crazy decision when the other guy stopped to get out of his car to make threats, to also stop, back up and eventually run the guy down.
This is road rage magnified to tragic consequences for all sides, but each and every day when we commute to work there is always some idiot angry about something. Sometimes that idiot is us, admittedly, when somebody cuts us off, for example. The surge of adrenaline response to fear leads us to wailing on the horn. But sometimes, there are those certain individuals who seem to feel compelled to speed up to get beside us, give us the finger and pursue us for a bit to make their displeasure known.
If you have ever done that, you have crossed the line from fear and adrenaline into road rage. The Michael Douglas character in the classic film “Falling Down” asks poignantly at the end of the film when finally confronted by the police after going on a rampage brought on initially by road rage: “I’m the bad guy?” Not realizing until that moment that he was.
Yes, you are the bad guy, and you need to find ways to address your anger issues.
Remember, take a breath. De-escalate. Distract yourself with some good tunes. Pull over if you have to until you are under control and calmer. Stop for a coffee. Get some gas.
Life is hard enough already without making it harder on yourself.
