Road Rage Lives On

Little did I expect to encounter hostility at 7:45 a.m. as Jake and I went out to get the paper. And then later in the day another incident that demonstrated our ability to piss each other off in cars. What was most surprising was my quick descent to the level of the perpetrators!

We have been letting Jake out off leash in the mornings, but today proved he is not really well trained. He saw a black dog across the street and immediately bolted, not to start a fight but rather to have a literal pissing contest with the other dog as they took turns lifting their legs on everything sticking out of the ground in my neighbor’s yard. In my concern for his safety I stood in the middle of the street to slow down any cars that might drive by.

Now bear in mind we live on a dead end street with no more than 30 houses between us and the last cul-de-sac. So while I’m watching Jake and calling him non-stop, a big black Lexus speeds up the hill going at least 40 m.p.h. and starts honking his horn like crazy. As I point to the dog, he flips me the finger and speeds up! Without thinking I returned his gesture.

I couldn’t say who this rude person was, although it was definitely a white older male. Apparently another neighbor called our house at about the same time, probably having witnessed this out her front window. I’m wondering just how much she saw of our little battle of the fingers.

I finally got Jake home safely and will think twice about giving him such freedom, because he definitely does not know to be scared of cars.

It did cross my mind to take a walk this evening in search of the big black Lexus and let the air our of his tires. He wouldn’t be doing 45 m.p.h. up the street quite so early tomorrow.

You’d think one such incident would be enough for a day. But no, as I attempted to park at Costco at 2:00 p.m., a time when there are plenty of places available, I encountered yet another very impolite person. As I sat waiting for someone to pull out with my signal on, this person ahead of me proceeds to back up to the point where I thought she would hit me even as I sat on my horn. But she had decided that space was hers for some reason.

The problem now was that she was totally blocking the person who was trying to back out and she refused to budge. After at least 5 minutes she was actually blocking three cars that were trying to back out. Finally we all backed up so she could have the space she wanted, knowing two of us would get the other two spaces. The offender had DC plates, but that hardly excuses abusing parking lot etiquette.

I saw the person inside. She was wearing the most pointed purple stilettos you could ever imagine and she had a look on her scowling face that said, “Don’t mess with me!”

Part of me wanted to remind her of the fact that she had caused all of us, including herself, great delays in parking our cars. Another part of me wanted to take my key and run it down the side of her already beat-up car on my way out.

It’s scary to think how aggression breeds aggression. But it definitely does.