In which the author revisits a point that he didn't quite make succinctly.
Themes: Fear, Self-absorption, Murder, SUVicide
Coherence 8/10
I believe that quite often road rage is justified, as you are watching someone through an act of selfishness commit what can only be attempted manslaughter or even attempted murder if you argue that the person involved should have reasonably understood the potential consequences of their actions. And people should understand the consequences of taking a 2-ton machine and while moving it at 80 miles per hour suddenly swerving within 2 feet of a nearby driver. That doesn't take a lot of foresight. It is an act of incredible self-absorption to think that getting somewhere 45 seconds earlier is worth killing someone.
So I offer my coping mechanism not necessarily because road rage is unjustified (on ocassion it is quite justified), but because it is not a healthy way to live. And the justified kind can lead to the unjustified kind as anger begets more anger.
I offer this delusion to distract one from the truth: There are people out there who are trying to kill you, and they're not doing it because they're evil or because they want to take your money or because they hate you. They're doing it because they're 3 minutes late for yoga class, and that, to me, is truly more terrifying than murder.
Posted by ktismael at February 22, 2005 12:49 PM