Road Rage! Many motorists in this country have, at one time or another, been irritated by the conduct of inconsiderate drivers , especially those who drive mini-bus taxis and seem to be a law unto themselves.
Most of these drivers seem to ignore the very basic rules of the road: tailgating, ignoring stop streets or red robots, overtaking on double barrier lines, using the emergency lane to get ahead of other drivers also caught in a traffic snarl-up, and so on.
Often, the law abiding, and considerate drivers will grit their teeth or tighten their hands on the steering wheels and then continue their journey.
As time wears on, the frustration increases and a time might come when a driver feels that enough is enough.
At this point he or she take the involuntary and unfortunate step of retaliating, showing his or her displeasure by hooting, flashing lights, using rude gestures etc.
This can easily lead to the situation escalating into something more serious, and in certain cases the incident ends up in court, or worse, a mortuary.
The authorities suggest we should use patience and be more tolerant of other road users! Easier said than done.
Last Thursday, I almost reached the tipping point as my patience and tolerance levels were tested to the limit. I had driven up Margaret Avenue to the Mall traffic lights.
It was my intention to turn right onto the R102 and head north in the direction of the hospital.
It was quite remarkable that my car was the only vehicle at the intersection that was either about to head up to the Mall or, in my case head up the R102.
The lights turned green for me and as I moved slowly forward I was surprised to see a minibus shooting through the intersection against the red lights, heading south.
Annoyed at almost being wiped out, my pulse rate increased, and the Kings English almost started pouring from my mouth. The minibus braked, and then turned across the road to enter the glide-off from Park Rynie. Instead of heading up to the Mall, the driver cut across the road to enter the glide-on to the R102, for traffic from the Mall heading north.
At this stage my vehicle was through the intersection and next to the glide-on to the R102.
Undaunted, the cowboy continued speeding up onto the R102 and I had to brake violently to avoid a collision.
I was enraged at this callous display of reckless driving, and it took a great effort to prevent me from trying to overtake the mini-bus and force it to a stop.
Fortunately, a little bit of sanity prevailed, and I merely ground away a bit of the enamel from my teeth. Where are the traffic police when one needs them?
No doubt, patrolling Scott Street, looking for vehicles with expired licences.
Has anyone ever seen any traffic police monitoring the situation at the traffic lights at the Scottburgh Mall?
