Abbotsford is about the most tense place to drive that I have ever experienced. Now, admittedly I'm not a world traveller as much as some, but I really know that I'm getting close to home after a long road trip when I suddenly notice two key things: I'm being tailgated and I'm only driving about 10km/h over the speed limit. Now the average speed in Abbotsford is about 20-30km/h over the limit - 40km/h on the Trans-Canada.
I do have issues with road rage sometimes...I might respond to the yelling driver or the completely boneheaded decision the other one made. Or was the other one the bonehead?
I've tried to cope when I drive to my Monday night class by playing music in the car. Right now I'm playing Johnny Cash's hymns CD over and over. When I'm going 110km/h and the majority of drivers fly by me like I'm standing still, I'm humming "I'll Fly Away". That helps.
The issue with tailgaters is solved (for me, anyway) by gradually slowing down to EXACTLY the speed limit and not looking in my rearview mirror. Honestly, I could care less what they think. I don't understand how they think coming up to my bumper helps things.
The last thing I do is mumble: "Get off the phone." whenever I see the ignoramous chatting away on a cell phone. This is impaired driving. I've only seen what I thought what drunk driving once and never had a near miss with a drunk driver. Cell phone idiots? I've had more close calls than I care to describe and usually witness at least 3 different close calls with me or others each month. There are at least two times that I could have lost my life if things were just a few centimetres closer. I wonder if Mothers Against Drunk Driving has taken up the cause of cell phone drivers? (I'm feeling too lazy to look it up.)
I am thankful that I received, however reluctantly I took it at the time, defensive driving instruction when I was first learning to drive. This has helped me a lot in coping. I highly recommend it to the frustrated. It helps to not yell out windows too. Also, letting my wife drive most of the time is the best way to deal with it.
