My church hands out bumper stickers with "Love Wins" printed on them. I haven't been able to bring myself to put one on my car yet, because it wouldn't go well with the machine gun in my backseat.

I knew I wasn't the crazy one!

wingnut

That's a lot of anger, dude. Time to take a deep breath, go outside and take in some of that country calm you moved out of the suburbs to enjoy. Have a glass of wine and sit on the porch with your wife (and a citronella candle to keep the mosquitos away) and watch the fireflies.

Here's how I think about this: assume that some very small, but not non-existent, percentage of crazy/obnoxious/rude drivers have some perfectly good reason to be driving like that: they're taking a woman in labor to the hospital, for example. Most bad drivers, of course, don't have any mitigating circumstances and are just jerks, but I find that if I assume that any individual bad driver might actually be doing the right thing, my anger and frustration and sense of frustrated helplessness evaporates.

Feeling a little angry are we??
The trick to avoiding road rage and stress in heavy bumper to bumper traffic is put your mind in neutral. Most of the time it really doesn't matter and peace of mind is more important than getting there that much sooner. Sit back, relax, take a deep breath and think of your babie's smiles, their happy play, your wife's sweet greeting, etc. etc.
And then quit being angry at that old guy in the passing lane who is going slow... it might be my husband!

Recently found your blog through 6yearmed and love it! You and my husband have the same thoughts on driving. Hate to say it, but the above comments are BS to me. It's fine to be frustrated at other drivers who are doing everything but paying attention to the road--and by doing so putting the rest of us in danger!

I was once challenged by a pastor to, "drive like a christian". That meant I could no longer get mad at my fellow man for his failings, as I was forgiven by the grace of God for mine. I am so much calmer and forgiving since then. I recommend you try it.

Just to paint the picture:

While it is occasionally the case that the driving around here is excusable by the " some good reason" philosophy, it is mostly not. Basically people are self-centered (including me) and are anonymous behind the wheel.

For example:
selfishness - witnessed by the:
- "you can't go faster than me 'cause I'm not gonna let you" drivers
-" I have a right to this space so I'm getting over/turning into traffic NOW, what does yield mean and why are these people on my road?"
- the people who honk when you are turning right or left in front of them and they have to slow down (enough so that you aren't making the turn on two wheels) and they don't want to

carelessness:
-having a phone conversation with waving hands and bobbing head
- texting and checking messages on their phone (not just at lights, but on the highway with traffic NOT stopped but going in the neighborhood of 60 mph)

lack of knowledge:
consistent demonstration of no understanding of the rules of the road (yield, right of way, 4-way stop, lane definition)

To sum up - there is rarely any of the bumper to bumper, sitting and waiting kind of traffic around here. Mostly you are moving with enough space around you to be thoroughly disgusted with how self-absorbed or how personally intentional people are, unable to go on your merry way.

It is galling to see people get so involved in managing my time with their driving. I'm not kidding and I'm not yet certifiable (working on the last). Just a few weeks ago I was trying to get my youngest to the doctor and had two cars pin me in and reduce their speed to below the speed limit so that I could not get around. After several miles when one car turned off the other driver resumed the speed limit. Amazing.

And no I wasn't weaving behind them and riding their bumpers. As my hubby points out my mistake was in looking like I was going to pass. You actually have to hang back and wait until there is plenty of car lengths before getting alongside someone and passing around here, you actually have to fake them out. They speed up, but once you are past they slow back down, except for the nut that insists he wants to be in front of you, all is well so long as I am in front, I HAVE TO BE IN FRONT I SAY.

Ah, Kansas, good, but not perfect.