Like, if you accidentally cut someone off, and they get mad and honk, how do you apologize?
People will not think “oh, he just made a mistake, bless his soul”. Instead of thinking “fucking asshole” they will simply think “fucking idiot”. Just keep driving, focus and try to make less mistakes.
One time a guy rear ended me (lightly, no damage) and when we got out he said “sorry, I started breaking but it was too late”. I just laughed at how silly it sounded. Like yeah, the whole point of breaking is to stop before you hit someone. I think “sorry, I’m a bad driver” would be more honest. Hey, maybe that’s a solution? Put a neon sign that says “shitty driver, sorry” in your back window and turn it on when you make mistakes.
And don’t get me wrong, I know everyone makes mistakes. I just think "being sorry’ is simply another excuse. “It wasn’t on purpose so it’s fine”. It’s still not fine. If it’s happens rarely don’t worry and keep driving. If it happens often get some extra classes or stop driving.
Here in the UK, turning on your hazards for a couple of flashes means either “Thank you” or “sorry” to the car following, depending on context.
Someone let you merge in? "Thank you!*
You cut someone off? “Sorry!”
Same in Estonia, seems continent-wide basically.
Truck gives you 2-3 flashes of the right (left in the UK I suppose) turn signal in the middle of the road, they want you to pass because the road’s clear and they don’t want a convoy forming behind them. So you pass and flash the hazards to thank them. Sometimes they’ll flash their brights as “you’re welcome” during daytime.
We can be completely self-centered assholes on the road, but we keep our common courtesy.
Same in Germany! I mostly use it to signal „ thank you“ though. Usually the reply is flashing the high beams once very quickly.
Huh. Same in Korea. Which was odd to me when I moved here since I’m from Canada and it is not the practice there.
Weird. You’d think Canadians at least would have a way to say sorry ;P
Middle finger possibly brake check
Sounds like NE USA, but where is the swearing?
Here in Hawai’i it is likely that we will give a sheepish shaka as the driver passes. Might get a tense shaka in response. I am in no way kidding about this.
Hand up, and bow head.
This. It says, “I acknowledge you are upset, and accept blame.”
Instructions unclear. Ended up doing the wave (like you see at baseball stadiums) alone in a car.
Accidentally dabbed.
Accidently my ass! Stop trying to bring it back!
Flash the hazards twice, also works as a thank you for letting me merge in or whatever, it’s pretty common in the UK.
I have gone to using a single hazard flash when people are in front of me as well instead of flashing high beams(reserved as the head tap equivalent for cars) because I hate when people blind me at night trying to thank me… high beams are way brighter than they used to be.
This is SO true. I let a few people pass at a narrowing in the evening and they sometimes thanked me by blinding me temporarily. Like, I appreciate the gratitude, but just don’t.
I have a huge purple dildo. I just start beating myself about the head and shoulders.
Found the saints row player
What about the “sorry, my bad” while driving though?
It’s performative self-flagellation, same as you would do in any religious event or office setting. The pink dildo is just for better visibility.
You can do that at the same time as beating yourself with the purple dildo
Otherwise known as a catholic penance.
Mantis starts beating off with a purple dildo
Me: “…the fuck is he doing?”
Brake check them
raise your hand?
had a brain glitch on a roundabout, nearly forgot to break for a passing car.
The middle finger. It has to be that.
I think the fact that there isn’t a good way I think escalates a lot of otherwise defusable road rage situations.
I live in Hawai’i and, as far as I can tell, we have far fewer road rage incidents than other parts of the US (but not zero). I honestly think a lot of it has to do with us having a third hand-gesture: the shaka (I mention this elsewhere in this discussion). The shaka is truly amazing. You give it when someone lets you in the lane AND you can give it when you mess up and everyone understands that it’s you admitting your mistake. Might even get a shaka in response for giving the penitential one. It’s awesome.
Many people who get angry at strangers easily see someone apologizing as legitimatizing their anger, and people not apologizing as not understanding they are wrong. I don’t think there is a good solution if people can’t just accept that other people make mistakes and move on without any needed follow up.
Hard disagree, everyday life is full of defused accidental escalations because pointless escalations benefit no one.
It is the same with animals and humans.
Sorry? Hell naw. Double down. Make it their fault. Get even more mad than them. Brandish your gun. Then brandish your second gun. Fire a warning shot towards their vehicle. Finish your beer in case you need to get out of the car. Challenge other driver to fisticuffs. Lose. Go home and explain to wife why you lost another fight. Get sad. Go to bar. Get really drunk. Pass out on stoop of the Wayne County Building. Miss work for the 3rd time this month. Get fired. Get kicked out of house by wife. Move into bachelor apartment. No artwork on walls. Only Kroger brand bread, condiments, and cheese slices in fridge. See kids every other weekend. Start going to AA meetings on a whim. Find new job. Hit the gym. Find new hobbies. Meet new girlfriend. Come to terms with faults and find peace through meditation and mindfulness. Experience growth. Drive to work one day. Accidentally cut a guy off. Double down…
I usually just honk “SORRY” in Morse code.
… — .-. .-. -.-- for anyone who wants to try
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