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Road Rage Linked To Automobile Bumper Stickers
Ponca City, We Love You sends news of a study by Colorado State University psychologist William Szlemko that recorded whether people had added seat covers, bumper stickers, special paint jobs, stereos, or plastic dashboard toys to their cars. Szlemko found a link between road rage and the number of personalized items on or in people's vehicles. "The number of territory markers predicted road rage better than vehicle value, condition, or any of the things that we normally associate with aggressive driving,' says Szlemko. What's more, only the number of bumper stickers, and not their content, predicted road rage... Szlemko suggests that this territoriality may encourage road rage because drivers are simultaneously in a private space (their car) and a public one (the road). 'We think they are forgetting that the public road is not theirs, and are exhibiting territorial behavior that normally would only be acceptable in personal space,' the researcher says.
"The number of territory markers predicted road rage better than vehicle value, condition, or any of the things that we normally associate with aggressive driving,"
Measuring the degree of car territorialisation to predict road rage? Seems like a damn roundabout way of doing it, you might as well measure your car velocity by looking at the apparent motion of the stars.
I suspect analyzing drivers' I.Q would make a simpler, better job at predicting stupid road behaviour.
...are the cause. People see "Vote George Bush 2004" and see red.
Now, that's why I don't put political bumper stickers on my car. Obama, Hillary, or McCain, I don't care. I don't need some nut-job running me down because he doesn't like my choice of candidate.
(Plus, it'll spoil the purdy paint.)
Camping on quad since 1996.
I'm not a psychologist, but I don't think I'd let a study done with that methodology through peer review. It's way too susceptible to confirmation bias on the part of the police. Traffic cameras would be much better.
who have a psychotic need to display their politics so aggressively
i'm talking about the people with 4-5 bumper stickers, all stridently ideological
of course you are entitled to be proud of your beliefs, but if you are radioactively evangelical about them, then i am 100% certain that your mind is completely closed and your brain dead hack partisanship is total
on the other hand, you can be assured no one will want to borrow or steal your car... although these bumper sticker hordes are usually stuck on a 15 year old rust eaten subcompact
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
You can sort of test this yourself while walking. While walking down the street, step in front of another pedestrian (cut them off) and then keep walking, you'll hear negative comments. Do the same thing, but then apologize and the person you cut off will act like it was their fault.
I wonder if we could get them to do a study on slashdot rage...I think that I've noticed that people with sigs tend to fly off the handle more often than those without them.
I haven't done any driving in the UK, but a decent amount in mainland Europe (I am from the US) and have found (at least outside of large cities), the drivers are more aware on the highways and get out of the way if someone comes cruising up in the fast lane. Americans are decidedly stupid when it comes to never leaving the fast lane on the interstates. The larger cities (Madrid, Paris) tend to be more hectic, especially with those crazy roundabouts and the mopeds/motorcycles allowed to drive between lanes of traffic.
At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don't care that you're not here with me
Which is fair enough. What's the justification for overtaking them after they go past?
ever hear of the statement "wear your beliefs on your sleeve" or "wear your feelings on your sleeve"? example: you go to a party, and meet a stranger and ask how are they, and instead of a polite reply they tell you that their husband likes asian shemale pornography or their wife can't achieve orgasm except with her own hand
that doesn't really bother me, nor do the bumper stickers. the point isn't about my aversion to someone else's personal info, the point is someone who aggressively puts their personal issues and beliefs out there for all too see. people can handle this sort of thing, this isn't about strangers being exposed to personal beliefs being somehow damaged or discomforted
the issue are those who have the need to aggressively get their deeply personal beliefs and feelings out there in front of strangers. it belies large psychological blind spots. its healthy to not want random strangers to know deeply personal things about yourself. to invert that simple protection mechanism isn't about a surfeit of confidence, it is about a surfeit of lack of self-awareness
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
The problem with the car horn is a honk can mean so much from:
- Move over you spineless git!
- hey dickwad, you almost hit me
- Hi there
- careful, you're about to hit something
- I just passed out and slumped into my steering wheel
You try talking for a while with just a mono-tone "Hey" you'll find it's very difficult to be understood
I will not give in to the terrorists. I will not become fearful.
Not a bad idea. I was once driving 60 in 65 mph limit and on the right most lane, everyone was happy cruising on the other lanes except for one dude who was hell bent on me driving faster; when he brandished his gun it was enough motivation for me to take the next exit.
No Sig for you.!
I'm going to get a bumper sticker that says "get the fuck out of my way, asshole!"
Seriously, though, I have no bumper stickers, seat covers, personalized anything on my car. However, I'm prone to curse at idiots in traffic (they can't hear me, of course) especially when they threaten my life.
Tami always bitches about my "road rage" even though it has no effect except to let me let off steam. Is this road rage, or do you have to do something like zoom around someone and cut them off, flip them the bird, or otherwise let them know that they have annoyed you for it to be road rage?
I think Tami doesn't know the difference between rage and annoyance.
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
The Hummer covered in American flags and ribbon magnets for every armed service (because, y'know, the driver was in the Army, Marines and Air Force simultaneously) and the Forester with the "SMASH FAITH-BASED FASCISM" and "HOW MANY IRAQIS PER GALLON" stickers (because, y'know, Subarus burn rage, not gasoline like those awful SUVs) are equally likely to make a right turn through the bike lane without looking.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
Calling someone a "platitude-dealing pollyanna" is not an ad hominem when it's true.
Asking a person how their espoused philosophy would deal with thugs and tyrants in the real world is not a strawman.
And so forth and so on.
Oh, and you should look up ad logicam sometime.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
Who said we were talking about curing the patient? Or what was good for the individual? The species' survival is more important than the survival of any single individual.
Why ?
No. Only the grandparent, who was putting words in the other's mouth and then denigrating him for them.
Was the great-grandparent poster a Pollyanna? Either a small teenage girl, or the colloquial form as a blind optimist?
No.
So, what about it was "true", as you so nicely put it?
And so forth and so on. Pot to kettle: stfu.First, there is an enormous difference between Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), and "horribly retarded". Down Syndrome is actually considered one of the more benign mutations (three copies of chromosome 21, instead of two) and IS "compatible with life". (The vast majority of severe genetic mutations are not compatible with life, and spontaneously abort) Many (Down Syndrome) patients are able to lead long, healthy, and productive lives.
...and my father is a Ph.D. w/board certification in human genetics, with training from Yale, etc... He has worked both sides of the fence (more affluent and less religious areas often tend to abort, while poorer and more catholic/religious areas tend to keep 'whatever god wants them to have' upon analysis of an fetus's genotype. FYI).
I do not know anyone with Down Syndrome, I don't have it, and I don't research it, but unlike the vast majority of genetic defects, Down Syndrome is most certainly one of the more benign, and while the affected person is likely not going to MIT, it is quite possible that he or she can hold a job, live on their own (or with a spouse, or in a group home), and have a productive and happy life.
I would consider "horribly retarded" to be a person who is unable to feed themselves (ever), incontinent, unable to walk, aphasic, and essentially being unaware of the world around him/her. This type of patient would 'potentially' require 24/7 assistance for the rest of his/her life, never have a chance for a 'normal' social interaction, or even have a vocabulary at all.
Missing limbs... Ummmm, if fetus missing a limb is enough reason for you to abort a pregnancy, I would encourage you to think about it a little more. A missing limb is about the most benign problem you've written about so far.
Stephen Hawking can travel the world, do extremely complex calculations, perform countless hours of research and author several books - effectively contributing to and changing the world's viewpoints on things like black holes, hawking radiation, and general relativity. He suffers from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease for those in the US). He cannot speak, he cannot walk, point, write, or even nod his head. However, he is a genius and has altered the way many people think about our own universe.
Around the time of his graduate work, he was not expected to live long enough to finish his thesis (2-ish years from that point, I belive he was in his late 20's), however he is currently 66 years old.
If genetic testing enabled you to abort a fetus because they were highly suspected of developing ALS later in life, would that be reason enough?
How about someone like Jim Abbott? He played professional baseball in the Major Leagues and was born WITHOUT A RIGHT HAND.
Can you lump together "Down Syndrome", "Horribly retarded" and "Missing Limbs" into the same category and state that you would be tempted to abort if ANY of the conditions in the set were met?
I mean, I can understand your idea, but this is why there is currently so much ethical scrutiny in the field of genetics, stem cell research, and abortion. Being able to pick and chose who, what, and (exactly) when to give birth to, although convenient, is not the way that nature usually works.
It's essentially impossible for me to think of what I would do in a situation where I was faced with a choice like "terminate or go to term" with an unhealthy child, but I'd like to think that I'd make the right decision (whatever that may be).
Disclaimer: I have ZERO religious belief, I am not against abortion, I might very well choose to abort a fetus who is not capable of living without assistance for his/her entire life.
YMMV.
Grandpa: My Homer is not a communist. He may be a liar, a pig, an idiot, a communist, but he is not a porn star.
I do appreciate your so nicely illustrating the shrill, tantrum-like thought process that drives so much of the politics on the left
And I appreciate your so nicely illustrating the propensity of both your sides to equate everyone with beliefs different than yours as being the same as all others in their camp. The fact is that a lot of people on both sides want to kill anyone with differring opinions, and other people on both sides would rather have reasonable discourse.
Don't judge all liberals (or all conservatives) by the actions of one emotional misfit.
Me, I haven't decided whether to vote Green or Libertarian. I'm not voting for the Corporate stooge McCain, and I'm not voting for the corporate stooge Obama (and since the Libertarian is really a Republican I'll probably vote Green).
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
I think action is the defining characteristic of road rage. No action, no harm, no foul. FTA, the point is that you recognize that the inside of your car is your space, but that the road is shared space. Road Ragers don't acknowledge that second point.
.40 S&W. For any of you that think it's OK to confront someone who doesn't drive in a manner convenient for you, consider that.
I have no bumper stickers. After having been on the receiving end of three road rage attacks/incidents, involving people following me and physically threatening violence, I now carry a
I was taught to respect my elders. The trouble is, it's getting harder and harder to find some.
I am a relatively intelligent person.
I work in neurosurgical research, and live about 10 miles from my job, too far to use anything but a car, especially taking into consideration the route I'd need to take for a bike.
The most road rage I have ever experienced is flipping the bird at reckless drivers who almost caused an accident. And I think that happened twice in the ten years I have had a driver's license.
I am a very safe driver, overall. I do speed, but not at a level that *I* would consider excessive. I always use my turn signal. ALWAYS.
I have bumper stickers. Lots of them. I get bored sitting at red lights or in traffic, and I enjoy watching people be amused or horrified. I was once pulled over by a cop because he wanted to tell me he liked my stickers. I was once followed around the city until I found a parking spot because the driver behind me wanted to say he liked my stickers. I have also been spoken to in disappointed terms by more conservative types.
I have stickers saying things such as "I 3 MASTURBATING", and "THINK: it's not illegal yet" as well as "Auntie, Hate you. Hate Kansas. Taking the dog. Dorothy" and "I have animal magnetism. When i go outside, squirrels stick to my clothes." I think of them more as a gauge to see how uptight the people around me are.
My car is far too old to worry about the paint when I live in a state that pours salt and beach sand on the road three months a year. Let me tell you, the stickers are nothing in comparison to that.
Cars for me are utilitarian objects. I use them because I need to. And the stickers don't really interfere with that. Not even a little bit.
As a whole, I can see that many people might use stickers as a territorial thing. For me it's more to make people uncomfortable. Comfort encourages stagnation.
I, with all my bumper stickers, in all my pacifistic glory, would challenge you, who assumes there is a correlation between my sense of humor and my IQ, to a battle of wits any day.
I also have vanity plates. but they are relatively classy, compared to the rest of me.
I was going to mod you up but felt it was better to chime in.
I never experience road rage until I moved to a big city (Washington, DC). Since then I have had at least two incidents where someone got pissed at me then followed, honked, and yelled at me for miles.
One was when I stopped in a yield lane making a right turn from one busy road to another. Traffic wasn't clear for me to merge, so I slowed and stopped until I could get in safely. The asshole in a huge, shiny SUV behind me didn't like me wasting his time. After I merged, he pulled up along side and yelled. I just looked over, decided he was an idiot, then looked back at the road and continued driving. He kept following me, tailgating and changing lanes to stay behind me, until I pulled into the entrance gate at work. Thank god for armed guards. The asshole fled.
The other time I don't know what I supposedly did wrong. My best guess is that he thought I ran a red light against him. But he had a flashing red and my road was only a flashing yellow. Anyway, he pulled up next to me, honking and yelling for a mile. I just acted casual and slowed down, refusing to pull alongside. Eventually I made a left turn when he was boxed in and couldn't follow me.
I can definitely see the desire to carry a gun. Just two problems: it's illegal in DC, and I might use it. It doesn't matter how safe and courteous you are. If you spend much time in a crowded city you'll encounter some some hyperactive self-important assholes on the road.
Brandishing is illegal in Oklahoma and i would guess anywhere for the simple reason that is is insanely dangerous.
If you pull a gun only as a deterrent, not meaning to use it, if your your opponent is armed he is going to shoot you, in self defense. And he will not have the delays in his pulling of the trigger.
The first thing they teach in the concealed carry class is; "Do not pull your gun unless you intend to kill someone". This is actually one of the scenarios that ALL CC classes discuss. You can tell an angry assailant that you will have to defend yourself if he persists but if he sees the gun, you should be squeezing the trigger to make it the last thing he ever sees. Then you will need an average of $50,000.00 to defend yourself in the legal aftermath.
Do yourself a favor, put the gun in the house, or sell it. Learn to let the other guys bad driving not affect you so much. Maybe he feels he has an emergency, let him go. Let him catch the cop.
Your idea of gun use scares the hell out of me, and I am a Lifetime NRA member.
Nothing is foolproof, fools are too ingenious. - Murphy
So "fanatical athiests" is your code for someone who occasionally gets annoyed with people advertising their religion- but who doesn't act on this annoyance, instead jokingly complaining about it on slashdot?
No, if some asshat brings up creationism or the golden rule or abortion here he deserves to be slapped down unless the topic is specifically about that whether he's an athiest, Baptist, or Muslim. There was a thread about some stupid "creationist museum" a while back and anti-religion posts were valid there. But I see athiests coming out of the blue here just bashing religion in general without provocation whatever. Perhaps you made some of those posts yourself.
If your sig says "there is no god" you are advertising your (lack of) religion, and that's valid and will get no grief from me, just as valid as the fish with legs you see on cars.
Who modded this flamebait insightful?
Flamebait? Why are you so defensive, son? I never attacked you. Perhaps it was modded so by someone who, like me, sees athiests attacking people at slashdot for religion on an almost daily basis?
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
In Australia if you pay a LOT more than the usual road registration you get to put just about whatever you like on the plate. I find it bizzare that people with their names clearly marked on the back of the car do stupid things that will cost them a lot in fines if they get caught, but I suppose it's part of the territorial thing. It's a good rule of thumb here to give people in european cars with personalised plates a bit of extra space so their stupidity doesn't get you as well.