[sir_hc]

Grrr sorry about this but I have to get it off my chest.

I was a little short of time and walked straight out the main entrance of my apartment block. There was a young guy walking towards me about 15m away. I didn't recognize him and couldn't be bothered to wait there and hold the door so I let it slam and walked straight past him to hear a sarcastic "Thanks."

Don't really know what came over me but I turned immediately, walked straight to him as he was unlocking the door and asked him loudly "Do you know me?" He replied "No." I said I didn't know him either so why should let a stranger into my apartment block then I walked off.

I'm a quiet reserved person but this guy really got my goat. Could have been the last straw because in the previous 5 hours I had 2 irritating encounters both while driving.

There's 2 lanes going straight across a junction controlled by traffic lights. The left lane is ahead only. The right lane is ahead and turn right too. Because of this the right lane usually has a queue of cars turning right that wait for oncoming traffic to clear.

There's usually a longer queue in the left lane because of this and I'm sitting in it watching people let cars in from the right lane who have just zoomed up from behind to cut in. The queue starts moving and next thing see is a little Honda Civic zoom from behind to alongside me. Note he was alongside me not slightly infront or behind.

I just carried on forward following the car in front and assumed he would try to cut in behind me. Surprise surprise he moves straight into me ignoring my constant horn and forcing me either off the road or to stop dead. Obviously I stopped dead to avoid damaging my car and boy was I pissed off. The lights had changed and the queue was stationary.

I was straight out the car banging on the driver's window which he actually rolled down and yelling "What the f*** do you think you're f***ing doing?" Still fuming I went back to my car without waiting for a response. Next thing I know he's got his hazard lights on and not moving when the lights change green. I always keep enough distance between cars so I just pulled out overtook him and tried to forget it. About 5 mins later I get cut up by this same idiot who then speeds off.

I try and forget about it because I have a 1 hour drive to deal with. About 30 mins later while passing a string of trucks in the fast lane of a 2 lane stretch I get an idiot in a 4x4 tailgating me for about 5 mins.

I don't drive that slowly. I was doing about 80mph with the limit at 70mph and a crazy hotrod breathing down my bumper with full headlights on on a sunny day. So I slowed to 70 and carried on passing the trucks for about 5 mins then once the slow lane was clear signalled and pulled slowly over and watched the woman driver floor it and squeeze past while I was still crossing the dividing line.

Do I just attract this kind of aggravation or does this also happen to others. Maybe I'm not used to living in an urban area. I just feel behaviour is getting worse and worse (mine included as a result).

I really hate losing my temper and I probably have some anger management issues. I have calmed down a lot with age but I still have a tendency to suddenly explode. I really envy those thick-skinned slick-talking slimy barstewards sometimes because this sort of aggravation just seems to rolls off their feathers.

Hope this didn't ruin your day too much. I'm going to to enjoy a calming and stress free Valentine's with my other half. Enjoy your Valentine's Day too.

[TheBadgerHunter]

Doesn't your building have double doors? Aren't the first set always unlocked anyway?

[E's Lil Theorem]

Originally posted by sir_hc:
....

Do I just attract this kind of aggravation or does this also happen to others. Maybe I'm not used to living in an urban area. I just feel behaviour is getting worse and worse (mine included as a result).

I really hate losing my temper and I probably have some anger management issues. I have calmed down a lot with age but I still have a tendency to suddenly explode. I really envy those thick-skinned slick-talking slimy barstewards sometimes because this sort of aggravation just seems to rolls off their feathers.
...

It happens to everyone. The only difference is how we respond to it when it does. It sounds like you at least know you have some anger management issues, which is a good thing as now you can work on getting those ironed out.

Oh, and for future reference, never, ever get out of your car. The person you go yell at might be on a thinner string than you and pull out some sort of weapon. At the risk of sounding cheesy, think about your "other half" and how it would affect them if something happened to you.

Happy Valentine's day and good luck with it all.

[sir_hc]

The entrance is a single locked door to a corridor leading to a reception lobby. Not actually the 'main' entrance but the most used since it leads to the car park.

Actually writing that out has really helped to calm me down and let me reflect on things. I agree getting out of the car was extremely stupid but I wasn't thinking straight. Maybe if someone had been with me I would have thought twice but I was on my own and just lost it.

I will do that more often - the writing I mean but probably not here in the Lounge! I feel embarassed now about posting but that will serve to remind me of my behaviour.

I also think I need the therapy of thrashing a bucket or two at the driving range tomorrow.

[xi_hyperon]

When I was younger, that sort of crap would really set me off, but age has mellowed me considerably. Think of it this way: Stressing out over dumb people is giving them importance they don't really have. Life is too short for that.

[macroy]

It's definitely NOT you. Having said that - yes, you probably didn't make the best choices in terms of your reactions; and that usually feeds on each other.

As "Xi" stated - Try to never give idiots any acknowledgement. You'll just end up regretting it later.