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Registered:
May 2002
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Road Ragers ... booooo
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Thu, 16 December 2004 12:49
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Beep beep, outta my @#$! way
December 16, 2004 ... source SMH
85 per cent of motorists declined to describe themselves as impatient.
85 per cent of motorists declined to describe themselves as impatient.
Photo: James Davies
The road's a dangerous place. How do we know? Because people like us drive on it, explains Stephen Gibbs.
Khalil Chahine has forearms like Christmas hams that would feed a family into February, but at this time of year his hands provide their best defence on the steering wheel.
The cyclist who tears down the passenger side of Chahine's taxi and swerves straight across its path is lucky the cabbie is quick on the brakes, but he clearly does not see it that way. Lifting one mitt off the handlebar, the rider slams his palm against the taxi's bonnet, turns to glare at Chahine and yells some unintelligible abuse.
Chahine stops at a red light on Castlereagh Street at Park as the cyclist weaves madly through the traffic ahead. It's 6.14pm on Tuesday and it's the second time in less than five minutes Chahine has been threatened by another road user.
Three days earlier, Beni Sarkis had been unconscious for two hours - and had about the same time to live - after an altercation with another motorist a few kilometres west in Glebe Point Road, Glebe, just off Parramatta Road.
The 60-year-old draftsman had left his wife, Homa, inside the couple's Mitsubishi Lancer and walked up to a Ford Falcon he had followed since Francis Street, from where he believed it had blocked his turn.
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Maka Afu, 35, and, like Sarkis a father of two, got out of his Falcon, along with two male passengers, as the angry older man approached.
Exactly what happened next is the subject of charges of manslaughter and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm that will keep Afu in jail over Christmas, but police have said in court documents they expect to call 20 civilian witnesses.
Sarkis was seen to push Afu, who allegedly punched him back once to the head with his left fist. Sarkis fell, hit his head heavily and never regained consciousness. He died on the other side of Parramatta Road in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital at 8.30pm.
Since Saturday night, Homa Sarkis has been surrounded by family, including son Raman and daughter Ramona, in the North Parramatta home she shared with her husband. Afu has been in custody and has not applied for bail at either of two opportunities, while his wife and two children adjust to his absence at their Marrickville home.
CHAHINE has been following all this on his car radio - listening to the reactions of police, politicians and Sydney drivers who say violence between motorists is becoming more prevalent.
The incidence of what is popularly called road rage is not accurately measured in NSW or any other state because the phrase describes general behaviour, rather than defining any criminal offence. The phrase, which entered the Macquarie Dictionary in 1997, is the subject of a debate over whether it can suitably cover actions ranging from verbal abuse to homicide.
The annual AAMI Crash Index road safety report, which tries to measure road rage by drawing on analysis of car accident insurance claims and a survey of licensed drivers (1880 this year), shows Australian motorists certainly believe they are becoming more violent.
Of those questioned this year, almost all - 93 per cent - reported having been subjected to some form of road rage or other "anti-social driving behaviour" at some time, up slightly from 91 per cent in the last survey. One in 20 drivers claimed to have been physically assaulted by another motorist, the same proportion as last year.
The authors note that with almost all motorists having experienced some anti-social driving behaviour it was unsurprising almost three-quarters - 73 per cent - felt other drivers had become more aggressive over the past 12 months.
That figure was up from about two-thirds - 68 per cent - last year. The most common unwanted behaviour by other drivers was rude gestures, experienced by 77 per cent of respondents, followed by the 68 per cent who had been tailgated and 60 per cent who reported being verbally abused.
Chahine has never been assaulted but says he sees or experiences road rage "nearly every day".
"Yes. Especially when you have Christmas coming, and all the festive season," Chahine says. "People try to rush and try to be more crazy - I think so, yes. Being a taxi driver, if you tell someone, 'You're doing the wrong thing', they say, 'You're Arab taxi driver', you know?"
The State Government reacted to emerging public concern about road rage seven years ago by creating two new criminal offences: predatory driving and menacing driving that did not require intent.
The number of drivers found guilty of each of those offences, although small, has been increasing. In each of the four years from 2000 to last year, there were 20, 30, 43 and 38 people found guilty of menacing driving as their principal offence, and 19, 27, 24 and 32 of menacing driving with intent.
Guilty decisions were handed down in cases of predatory driving once in 2001, twice in 2002 and three times last year. However, the two new offences were created only to snare threatening behaviour by drivers that did not fall within existing criminal charges, rather than to catch all acts of violence between motorists.
Those studies of road rage which have been undertaken in this country, notably in Western Australia and Victoria, have attempted to refine what "road rage" means. In a 1997 report, the crime research centre of the University of Western Australia defined road rage as an impulsive driving-related act of violence between strangers.
The huge disparity between actions described as road rage - from giving a passing driver the finger to murder - is one reason bodies such as the NRMA do not like the term.
Giving the car horn a workout, the NRMA has said, is more often an expression of mild frustration than an act of rage likely to escalate into physical violence. Calling both responses "road rage" wrongly promotes the idea one will easily lead to the other.
Barry Elliott, a psychologist and founding member of the Australian Advisory Committee on Road Trauma, has warned that calling a serious criminal assault "road rage" has the potential to justify violence as a spontaneous reaction to aggression.
While respondents to the crash index survey declared unwelcome attention from other motorists, they were also prepared to admit their failings, with 43 per cent saying they had subjected another driver to road rage.
Overwhelmingly, the most common reason given for reacting with aggression to other motorists was being cut off, the explanation from 29 per cent of those who admitted having road rage episodes.
Another driver changing lanes dangerously was the next most common cause for anger, at 10 per cent, followed by a driver not pulling away from traffic lights (9 per cent), failing to indicate or not indicating early enough (8 per cent), and driving too slowly (7 per cent).
Despite these admissions, 85 per cent of motorists declined to describe themselves as "impatient", and almost half - 48 per cent - considered they were better drivers than most. Younger motorists and those who drove more kilometres than others were more likely to react angrily to poor driving and exhibit "anti-social driving tendencies". Men under 25 were voted the worst performers behind the wheel by all motorists, including themselves.
AT THE same time the 1997 laws were introduced, police established a road rage hotline which received 1694 calls in two months. After the death of Sarkis on Saturday, the Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney - who believes drivers are becoming more aggressive - asked all NSW citizens to report acts of violence on the roads. "We are seeing very aggressive driving, particularly on the roads of this state, and particularly by young people," he said on Sunday. His advice to drivers: "Keep calm. Don't lose your own cool."
Chahine may take some convincing that Moroney has the answer in asking motorists to report road rage to police. Not five minutes before his encounter with the cyclist, the cabbie had been driving north on Elizabeth Street and slowed at the Sheraton on the Park to let one car leave the hotel entrance.
Thinking he had shown his share of courtesy, Chahine did not feel obliged to wait and allow the next car to follow the first. The driver of that vehicle - claiming to be a policeman - got out and walked over to Chahine. "He said, 'I'm off duty. If you don't let me in I'll take your number'."
On the road again ... without a raging driver
Drive defensively. Use your indicators well before changing lanes. Follow a car at a safe distance to minimise provocation and risk.
If someone is upset by your driving, respond in a positive way. Indicate an apology. It usually calms most angry drivers and prevents conflict.
Avoid the temptation to gesture rudely or swear at an annoying driver. It isn't a weakness not to respond to others' stupidity.
Consider the consequences of provoking or escalating a conflict.
Remind yourself that your primary purpose as a driver is to arrive safely, not quickly. Drive cautiously and within your abilities. Avoid overrating your competency as a driver.
Carry a mobile phone in the car and if in danger, call the police.
Drive with your doors locked. If a potential conflict is emerging, close your windows. Don't open the windows to engage in conversation.
After an incident, reflect on your driving behaviour. Did you do something to trigger the incident?
Don't drive when you are in a rage. The few minutes it takes to calm yourself down is a small price to pay for your safety and that of others.
Source: AAMI
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Thu, 16 December 2004 22:31
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Wow, I'm so loading up a baseball bat or something.
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I Supported Toymods
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
December 2002
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Thu, 16 December 2004 23:08
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| fOOZ86 wrote on Fri, 17 December 2004 09:31 |
Wow, I'm so loading up a baseball bat or something.
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You're in Melbourne not Sydney... Sydney is where the action is at!
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
April 2004
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Fri, 17 December 2004 00:16
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meh didnt read it all but ffs if they taught ppl how to drive in the first place with an emphasis on courtesy there wouldnt be half asmuch road rage..I loved it ages ago when they were trying to introduce some universal sorry hand gestures to help curve road rage  at the end of the day you can only take so much stupidity!
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
July 2004
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Fri, 17 December 2004 01:40
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Drive with your doors locked. If a potential conflict is emerging, close your windows. Don't open the windows to engage in conversation.
I think this would give me the shits ALOT more than talking to someone who would allieviate my concerns.
not that ever got out to hassle out someone about their driving.
do however go talk to people 'yanno ya only got half a brake light there mate..' and such.. a positive helpfull comment like this could easily turn to 'snobby bitch - stuff you' if they refused to wind down the window.
there should be 'credit points' also.. hehe
little gold stars on you're license for indicating propperly at roundabouts (no one can use these damn things propperly.. okay 1 in 10 can)
silver stars for shoulder checking when changing lanes [oh that reminds me some old guy missed me by a few inches yesterday.. we were side by side and he decided 'oh wrong lane' ahh well no road rage there.. it was a kinda confusing section of road]
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I Supported Toymods
Location:
south Melbourne/KL
Registered:
June 2004
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Fri, 17 December 2004 16:21
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how the hell are we suppose to react if someone shows us a finger?
call the cops "a mitsubishi lancer with wings that can fly rego num RICE just showed me a middle finger"
im sure cops wont do anything about this and we r not adviced to do anything about it.
so i guess u can go out and fuck around on the roads as u have immunity frm the law the way things are..
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Location:
Land of Oz
Registered:
June 2004
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Fri, 17 December 2004 21:16
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Hi,
I feel a bit sorry for Afu. Imagine yourself sitting in your car and someone taps on the window and gives you a verbal. So, you get out to see WTF is this guys problem, and he pushes you. So, you fire back and next thing is he's dead!!!!
The problem is, some people are too fucking stupid or nasty to be on the road and they do dumbass or deliberate things and others are too impatient and want to take them on.
I leave a nice gap in front of my car to the next car 'cos I don't want to run up someones ass and all that, yet it's amazing how many cars see the gap and squeeze in. Some people have no idea.
Of course, our wonderful Sydney road system has a lot to do with peoples frustration.
When I was a young-un and on my P's, some guy on a motorbike got the shits with me and at the lights he was abusing me and ripped of my side mirror. I was scared shitless. Since that moment I have put a big monkey wrench under my seat and I still have it. I have never used it or even been tempted. However, if some asshole rips something off my car I wouldn't hesitate to do some field mods to their car with the wrench - but I wouldn't hit another person with it.
I reckon those mobile phones with the built-in camera are good also 'cos you can take a snap shot of the fucktard and anything else at the time to show the cops if need be.
seeyuzz
river
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
September 2004
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Fri, 17 December 2004 22:34
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I was on the road where you enter/exit Westfield Carpark in Parramatta and there was a lot of traffic. I kept moving slowly and on my left was an entry/exit. There was JUST enough room for someone to barely fit through. I was going to go but then I thought nah, I'll let this chick through. Then at THE SAME MOMENT she goes "move man!". 
I was so pissed off. Like She had no right of way or anything, it was two lanes and I was on the furthest lane and I couldn't back up anyway, where exactly was I supposed to bloody "move?". Forward, so she couldn't fit?
I was thinking of tailing the stupid bitch but I thought nahhh, fuck it.
Then there's the idiots that keep swerving and taking up two lanes. You honk and beep and let them know. Then 2 minutes later they're doing it again. 
There was this funny incident once when this P plater who thought he was fully sick in his Mirage started braking about 5 metres before the red light and his brakes locked up and his tyres shredded and let off yucky smoke. He sort of put his head down and tried not to look at anyone. I drove along side him and as I didn't have my P's own I gave him the "tsk tsk tsk" gesture and shook my head.
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Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Fri, 17 December 2004 23:22
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when i was younger, i almost ran a bike over ... after he swerved into my lane and almost took me off the road ... but then he chased after me .. and i turned into a side street.. he followed suit ..
first thing i said.. was i am sorry and asked if he was cool .. he did not expect this from me at all (he was about to throw his helmet at me at this point!) and he just said yehyeh i am cool, just be more careful ..
so i guess its ok to apologise first and just accept that not everyone is perfect and to just get on with life .. no need to get all rowdy and kill someone .. there will be no winners at the end off the day only losers 
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
June 2004
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Sat, 18 December 2004 01:40
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I just accept that around 70% of people on the road are complete fu(ktards, who have only survived this long through the kindness and quick reflexes of others. They can't help their disability, and they're probably too busy scratching themselves too learn any better.
I consider the horn to be the last recourse of action, only being pulled out when someone is displaying a near total lack of understanding (or regard) of the situation. Once every 6 months or so, I'm forced (I don't want to) to dust-off my A-grade, special reserve horning. It generally lasts 4->7 seconds, and is kept in a special place, ready for when someone tries REALLY HARD TO KILL ME! or just run in to me. Unsurprisingly, this usually happens when someone's trying to change lanes on top of me, or at intersections.
Lately, I'm curious as to why so many melbourne drivers think it's their duty to try and force me (or my g/f) into the lightpole on the traffic island when two lanes turn right at the lights, and I'm in the inside lane.
!
Oh, I've got a motorcycle'n mate who's kicked a couple of drivers mirrors off, cause the driver's just tried to kill him AFTER they've just looked at him in their mirrors. I can see why he'd be pissed, eh?
[Updated on: Sat, 18 December 2004 01:51]
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I supported Toymods
Location:
sydney.au
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Sat, 18 December 2004 09:02
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| river wrote on Sat, 18 December 2004 08:16 |
I leave a nice gap in front of my car to the next car 'cos I don't want to run up someones ass and all that, yet it's amazing how many cars see the gap and squeeze in. Some people have no idea.
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man, exactly.
driving a trueno on the roads of sydney everyday makes you 110% attentive to every other thing on the road because:
a. you cant afford a smash
b. you cant afford a smash to a ae86 trueno, in the front or the back...
c. they are TRYING to get you...
so as a result, im a VERY defensive and courteous driver. i let others in i even give l platers as much room as needed as i KNOW they arent competant yet. So as such, the foolish actions of others can really give me the shits.
so i admit, i am a road rager. No, i dont provoke others or drive closly to shit somone off or even cut others off when they do stupid shit, but damn, ill verbally abuse and give the finger and even throw shit at other retarded fuckwits if they piss me off enough.
like you have said yourself, i also leave a LOT of room and i brake REALLY early to avoid 'last minute realisation' of other non-attentive drivers, but this only gives the 99% of sydneys fuckheaded moronic asshole angry drivers the chance to jump in the gap (at the last minute and of course, without indicating). Or even better, merge REALLY slowly into the gap, or even better still, move halfway into the gap and HESITATE about moving further, blocking not 1 but 2 lanes of city traffic. making at least 10 drivers REALLY pissed off.
i mean.. GOD DAMN... HELLO?!? FUCKHEAD?!? IF YOUR GOING TO INDICATE AND I MOTION TO LET YOU IN, FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING CHRIST MOVE!!!!!
gahhh, sydney, im sorry but you all cannot drive to save yourselves. PLEASE pay more attention to the car infront or instead follow at a DISTANCE of more than 30cm you fuckheaded cunts.
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Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Sat, 18 December 2004 09:46
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the passion ... just awesome !
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I supported Toymods
Location:
sydney.au
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Sat, 18 December 2004 09:57
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| Les wrote on Sat, 18 December 2004 20:46 |
the passion ... just awesome !
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"the powerrr and the paaaassssssion"
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
August 2004
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Re: Road Ragers ... booooo
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Sat, 18 December 2004 10:19
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ae86drift, what you say about sydney drivers is so true.
Driving home on the M5 from work, daily i see the occurence of the most random shit. Leave a safe distance between you and the car infront, and you are GUARANTEED some assclown will just pull in in front of you.
One more thing: don't people understand the right hand lane is used for OVERTAKING, not for crawling along 20km/h below the limit while talking on your mobile?
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