AGGRESSIVE DRIVING: Practice kindness instead

For decades I have enjoyed traveling by car. From the back seat of Dad’s Oldsmobile Cutlass, some of the first words I learned to read as a child were on road signs and models of vehicles. I earned my driver’s license at 15 and eagerly chauffeured Mom on errands or appointments. Twenty years ago I was dubbed “travel buddy” because I rarely turn down a good road trip.  

Of late, my interest in road trips is waning. Aggressive drivers are sucking the joy right out of me. In a recent 24-hour period two such drivers became hostile toward me, honking erratically, yelling, and flailing hand signals that indicated anything but stopping or turning. And I was abiding by the rules of the road! 

I have witnessed many unwarranted acts of aggression both behind the wheel and as a passenger with inexperienced student drivers. I am deeply concerned and have a question for anyone who sits in the driver’s seat: Why has it become customary to express violent reactions behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle?  

Answers could be buried in miles of missing pavement and the absence of infrastructure to accommodate urban sprawl in this desirable area. It also seems likely that besides common courtesy, the two aforementioned aggressive drivers lacked, among other things, an understanding of road laws and rules of behavior.  

All excuses aside, the answer is … be kind. In his old Cutlass, Dad taught me to look where I’m going, not where I’ve been. Moving forward, let’s yield the right-of-way to common courtesy rather than aggressive driving. Kindness is where the rubber meets the road. 

LISA OLIVERIA

Coeur d’Alene