I had a bad day
 

I almost got killed today a few times on the road driving. Just because someone did not want to wait their turn to go into the left lane. Oh it is more sensible to try and kill the person in the left lane instead just because you are tired of waiting for the lanes to clear in order for you to safely go into a lane. I thank God there was a turn lane because I had to pretty much go into the turn lane to keep myself getting killed and floor it up the turn lane and go up and around the ****** hat who tried to kill me. That really was scary and I was screaming hysterically. My swearing comes from the pits of hell when I am horrified. I love God but then I have people like that pulling my triggers left and right. Well I got over that obstacle and continued driving. Then it got dark so I was driving with my regular night lights on. Not the high beams because you are not allowed to do that. Well there was a guy behind me flashing his high beams at me! I was like WHAT?????? But he kept doing it anyways. Him doing that actually made things dangerous because I had a hard time seeing where I was going. It was horrible! I had to rip the rear view mirror off my car just so I can see straight a head with out getting blinded! So yeah. People just *edit*today! SERIOUSLY! Might as well give the ******* a gun so he can go on a killing spree because that is what he was trying to do to me. Shooting me would be easier dumb *** carry a gun next time!

I had to pull over into a landromat and have my mom come and get me. It was really bad because I started crying really hard and screaming. I think the reason why I was upset was because I failed to get to where I was going because I had no idea how to get there even with proper instructions form people!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I pretty much got lost all day long.
I hate that! So everything all at the same time.

So I was thinking the reason why the person high beamed me was because of maybe something was wrong with my car. So when I got home to my moms house, She and I did a check on stuff and well we found that every light works very well and that the high beams were not on at all. And that the turn signals worked, and the breaks worked so it made no sense for the person to high beam me unless they were trying to mess with me. driving is not a game. It is a task. WHere you travel from point a to point b. That is it. Not a game. I wish people realize it.

sigh...I need a cookie:(

I would need a stiff drink after al of that.
glad that you made it home safely.
road rage is awful!
good thing to keep your cool.
bizi

Dear Sharla,
You had a tough day.
I'm glad you are safe.
Mari

We have some horrible drivers out here too. I've seen some of the worse driving that there can be.

I'm sorry that you had a close call on the road. BF:hug::hug::hug:

I can certainly understand bad drivers... they make me angry too.

One reason that people flash their lights at you may be because of your headlights.

Some cars today have overly bright headlights and they "appear" to be highbeams when they are not.

When I got my new car, I noticed that some people were flashing me on the regular setting. It can be as simple as this. When they do that I just flash them back...so they can SEE the real difference!

"driving is not a game... I wish people realize it."

You are so right, Sharla. Some people just lack the intelligence and/or imagination to envision the possible consequences of their aggressive behavior. They sit in their cars, feeling empowered by the roar of the engine and feeling invincibly surrounder by steel. As an accident victim, I gotta tell you that steel is about as protective as a soda can in a serious impact.

So much of the carnage on our roads is the result of stupidity and anti-social behavior. I wish people had to pass a personality profile (sort of like in Sweden) and IQ test before they were allowed to drive.

Unfortunately, the idiots are out there and we have to deal with them. The thing about jerks, is that they are extremely impatient, especially with whimps who impede their progress by doing silly things like driving within Mach 1 of the speed limit. The high beam blinker guy behind you may have wanted you to speed up.

Usually with "go faster" jerks, I find a safe place to pull over and let them go on their merry, reckless way. Of course, that isn't always possible. I had a guy drive behind me and blink for miles. He was frustrated because I insisted on lowering my speed in the near white out and the other lane was unploughed and too full of snow for even him to pass. Had I pulled off the road, I'd still be in the ditch.

Anyway, I hope you're feeling better today. I have PTSD from my accident and if all those things happened to me on one day, I fear my car would be on the front lawn converted to a planter.

Drive Safely Everyone!

Dear Sharla
 

i am so sorry you had such an awful day... road bullies that's what those people are. :( yeah people blinking behind you is annoying - and dangerous like you said for visibility.

like Hockey i've also pulled to the side and let people pass... (definitely safer to have those idiots in front of you than behind.) but sometimes it is not a good idea to stop for other reasons - like at night, or in desolate areas - i've seen reports of criminals tailgating or blinking to actually GET people to stop and rob them, or whatever... so in similar conditions best not to stop unless you can pull into a well-lit place with lots of people around.

usually when i would get tailgated, or blinked at or both, i would slow down and wave the person on with my hand, like "pass me" (if there is room for them to pass obviously). another strategy is to turn on your hazard lights temporarily until the creep turns off or passes or whatever. some tailgaters will at that point back off a bit ... unless they're stupid as well as aggressive.

and getting lost on top of it... that had to be the pits.

the bullies will always be out there, but it will get a little easier to deal with them after you have been driving a while. it is really REALLY hard to deal with these things at the beginning. for your part of things, you did a good job. i am glad you are ok and that your mom could come meet you. i hope you got to have a cookie... or three.

here are some hugs from me... :hug::hug::hug::hug::hug:

~ waves ~

Good point about the crime thing, Waves. I hadn't thought of that, because where I live,it's not really an issue unless I run into a "bear gone bad."

I'm lucky because my driving is rural and sometimes small town. I have to admit that I could never manage urban motoring now. To help with PTSD stress while driving, my psychologist suggested playing soothing music and using my deep breathing exercises when things get nasty. He also suggested a GPS thingy to help keep me from getting lost, but I couldn't learn to use it.:D

At the moment, I can't drive because of seizures. That's a huge inconvenience -but part of me is secretly relieved.

Another way to deal with people's lights being too brite is to adjust your rear view mirror to deflect the lights directly off your eyes. and you can adjust your side mirrors as well if automatic that is. I have even gone in to the left hand lane to let some one go ahead if they are not paying attention and are tail gating me. Using your caution lights is a good deterent too or braking to let them know they are too close.
It may be illegal to adjust your side mirrors to deflect the light back to them but that surely would send them back or maybe just make them madder...I don't know....I have never done that but have thought about it for sure.
bizi

Dear Sharla,


You have had your license for a short time. You are doing well.

This is a good back up plan pull over and sit out the chaos until someone comes for help or the situation on the road changes. Also, sometimes I take a break. I stop and get a soda and listen to the radio while I get my head together.


I can't find a cookie right now.
How about a soda? http://bestsmileys.com/drinks/5.gif

M.

Uff...

Sharla !! Im so happy to read you are ok... and it was "just" a scary... Silly people. Thank God you are fine.

:hug: Now, take as many cookies as needed !!! :hug:

I'm just so glad that you are okay.

I'm also glad that you could call your mom.

Donna:grouphug:

I agree with Mari that you should congratulate yourself for having a back up plan. I wish I'd been as well-prepared and level-headed when I first resumed driving after my car accident. Instead...

Stupidily, I never saw the PTSD coming. I was driving to a friend's house for lunch. By country standards, she's not that far away and I'd been there a million times before. Anyway, I managed to take a wrong turn and I was lost instantly. I became disoriented and couldn't backtrack or recognize any landmarks. (In fairness, one stand of trees looks pretty much like another.)
To make matters worse, DH had left me with very little gas.

I started to panic because those back roads alternate between totally barren and looking like a set for the remake of Deliverence. I had my cell phone, but I couldn't remember Bev's number. Heck, I couldn't remember my own number. And did I mention it started snowing?

Anyway, I ended up at the side of the road, screaming in the car. It was very dignified. When I was late, Bev sent her husband to find me. I had to leave the car in the ditch and have him drive me home.

Sharla, you did good!

oh hockey, I am sorry that happened to you.:hug::hug:
I hate getting lost.
Hubby one time got lost driving during a hurricane, we were staying at my aunts home north Louisiana and he was visiting a friend a couple hours away.......I felt so helpless talking to him and not being able to help...he just did not know where to go...he was hours away.
He eventually got here he had used map quest and had not done the reverse directions to get back....that is how he got turned around.
bizi

Thanks Bizi,

The worst thing is that I didn't recognize what happened as PTSD. It wasn't until I'd had a hallucination that put me back at the accident that I realized what was going on and started to get treatment.

Thanks to the brain damage, I'm always getting lost. I can only drive to places I know and I have to follow the same route, the same way everytime. The sight of a detour sign triggers a panic attack.

For a new driver, I think Sharla did a great job of being prepared for possible problems.

Cheers

Dear Hockey,

You have developed good coping strategies.

Even when drive in my own neighborhood, I take the exact same route.
Mari