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  1. #1
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    Mar 2013
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    484

    Default A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    A funny thing happened to me today driving my car to work. A lady backed out of her driveway into the road, right in front of me. She was looking in the other direction. I was slow enough to be able to safely scoot over to the right-hand lane to avoid her and just passed. The car behind me was apparently a bit more surprised and hooted at her.

    To my surprise the sound of hooting was followed by screeching tyres and this lady was barreling after me. In no time she was right on my tail, flashing and gesticulating. I assumed she thought it was me who honked at her. She probably did not even see the car behind me. So I took a turn off into a quieter street, but she followed me. As soon as she could she overtook me with millimeters to spare, and then tried to push me off the road. As I slowed down she got in front of me and started brake testing me and swerving.

    During all this time, and as she passed me, the middle fingers were flying and I could make out the F and P bombs coming from her lips. She seemed to be middle aged, perhaps a bit younger than me, fattish pepperpot, clothes that probably fitted her, once. Golden earrings and rings and bangles, salon done red-purple colored hairstyle that no straight man would ever find attractive, even on someone who was. Upmarket expensive car. White (to save on insurance I bet). I noticed a little dog in the front passenger seat. I noticed there was noone else in the car. I also took note that there were no other cars around, and noone else was following us.

    By now I was sure she thought I was the one who hooted at her, and that this was a road raging, as she swerved and braked in front of me and tried to get me to stop. Eventually I did, at a spot where there could be no surprises to the front or rear, and just far enough to be able to get around her, or run her over. Sure enough, she stopped and got out, arms waving wildly as she was swearing and screaming. Dog going apeshit in the car, so she closed her door, at which time I smiled and waved and backed up, made a quick wide turn around her, and got out of there.

    Now, what made me sad (in a smiley-and-wavey sort of way) was this: This fearsome chickie, armed to the teeth with her small dog, had it in her mind that it was OK to road rage someone about who she did not know squat. In fact, not only did she follow me to a quiet street with few if any witnesses, but she did so from an incident in her driveway (which means I knew where she lives now). She was pitting her (inaccurate) righteous rage and her 150 gram dog against dear sweet and innocent me.

    I was, as always, completely unarmed. With the small exception of a tiny number of firearms, one of which was in my lap, and an assortment of fighting knives, batons, tonfas and other offensive nasties on my body and in the car.
    All of which I am mildly proficient, slightly trained and humorously experienced with.
    I also (and this is funny) had 10 yards of industrial plastic sheeting, a bucket full of rags and a bag full of cleaning chemicals in the back (I was going to spring-clean the workshop today), and the numbers of any number of lawyers,pig farmers and assorted gardeners on my speed dial.

    My thought at that very moment was: "What would the loved ones of this woman think if they saw what she was doing, and KNEW". What might the father of her children think if he knew what she was doing, while (undoubtedly) having on her person the keys to the house where their children live?

    The horror of it.

    And about what?

    And, what if I was someone else?

    So my call today to everyone is: Please chill out out there. The asshole on the road who you are angry at may not even be the right one. And you dont know what their reasons were for doing whatever annoyed you anyway. They may be having their own problems.

    And most importantly: You dont KNOW who (or what) that person IS. (and if you think the "what" refers to some title or rank or job or political affiliation, just stop reading now and go away. You cannot be saved anyway)

    Make a point to be more tolerant and zenfull to other road users, no matter how bad you may THINK they are. And take the time to explain to your family and loved ones to be so too. Please. You may save a life! Because even if you are 100% in the right, completely justified, and have the very wrath of the god on your side, what are you really going to achieve? Moral victorious-nous?

    At what cost?

    Please, for the love of life, treat other road users with, if not respect, then at least with the courtesy you would normally reserve for people who could kill you if they wanted to.

  2. #2
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    Oct 2011
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    51
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    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    Totally agree

  3. #3
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    Aug 2016
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    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    true.

  4. #4
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    Feb 2016
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    58
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    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    Congratulations for avoiding a confrontation that would have probably got You into trouble. Unfortunately theese says, people are too quick to react on the slightest thing and start unecessary problems. We live in very volatile times, facing all types of tension. Excersising caution and still remaining vigilant to threatening situations is a real challenge.

    Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  5. #5
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    Jan 2015
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    K-Pax
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    335

    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    Also had a milder incident a week or two ago.

    I always make a point of it to look who stopped firts at a 4 way stop. So I stop, before one of the other cars, but anyways give the guy the wave to go first. Then there's a car next to me that does a stop and go, so I pull off at the same time as this oke, but then from the left of me a white Ford Ranger comes racing at me as he must have thought I took a chance to go with the car next to me although I was there way before him. So he actually used his vehicle as a weapon and who's fault would it have been if he T'ed me on the left door. How would I prove I was there first? Anyways I hate this "I have to be there first" or "How do you dare be there before ME". Having ridden bikes on the road you tend to drive/ride with your eyes WFO(wide f..kn open).

  6. #6
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    Dec 2010
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    Philippolis
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    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    Good post Piet.

  7. #7

    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    Piet, we have never met, but reading this post gave me so much respect for you.Thanks for a lesson in tolerance, and with some humor too!

  8. #8

    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    I can half imagine me getting out, calling her over and pointing to the plastic sheetings, shovel and several weapons and politely asking if she wished to continue here melt down while slowly putting on a pair of rubber gloves.





    No I really wouldn't do that, I probably would never have stopped or turned down the quite road. I once had someone follow me after they cut me off and hooted and voiced my displeasure in a non vocal manner. I pulled into the parking lot of pick n pay hyper, realised they where following me, they realised I knew and thankfully moved off, I continued back to my normal route.

    Congrats on handling it so well Piet. I think we all (as a country) need to take regular chill pills.

  9. #9
    User
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Noord van die biltong gordyn.
    Age
    56
    Posts
    9,116

    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    Piet, the world needs more of your type. Armed to the teeth, ready to roll, but with a load of self restraint. And a healthy sense of humour too. Respect!

    I would like to have your dashcam footage and post it all over social media though.

  10. #10

    Default Re: A Call to All to Chill out a Bietjie

    It's morons like that, who make dashcams so necessary. If she had caused a collision, you would have been blamed. If the situation escalated, resulting in damage to property or person, you would have been blamed. Their aggressive, tough as nails (the paste on kind), can do anything (well, almost anything, OK maybe 50%), hear me roar attitude changes to "I'm just a girl" the moment things start to go sideways for them. Well done at keeping your cool.

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