VisorCentral.com - Who is the aggressive driver

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Posted by dampeoples on 09-20-2001 11:26 PM:

Who is the aggressive driver

I travel in my work, and drive a company van. Today, I had a person call in to my office and complain that I was going 70 in a 55 zone and that I cut someone off. Maybe I cut someone off, I sure as hell was going 70. Am I agressive for driving like this, or is this person hashing out their own form of road rage by doing the only thing they can, call and complain? By the way, I got into an argument with my boss about it and I'm the only person in the field that has the phone number printed on the van, should he have even called me on this? I'm pretty torqued about this whole thing (It happened last week as well), and I got called aggressive. Whadya think?

Posted by MarkEagle on 09-20-2001 11:49 PM:

Re: Who is the aggressive driver

quote:
Originally posted by dampeoples
I'm pretty torqued about this whole thing (It happened last week as well), and I got called aggressive.

Well... if it's true, then I would say you have no right to be torqued. If, in fact, the allegations are false, then you may have a right to be upset. However, keep in mind that your boss needs to do what's right for the company as a whole. Repeated complaints will only serve to undermine your credibility and sooner or later the company will probably take action.

Just my opinion, of course... and, yes, I've called some of those "How's my driving?" numbers in the past though I feel they went unheeded.

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Posted by Soul Raven on 09-21-2001 12:04 AM:

Well, I certainly drive 70 MPH in places where I shouldn't, and I have (accidently) cut people off before, and I don't think that I am a particualrly aggressive driver.

I also don't drive a company van. I am certainly not privvy to what your boss may or may not think, but I am guessing that your boss is not so upset that you were doing 70, but that Joe Q. Public now has a negative memory with your company's name stamped on it. I have never had a company car/van, but I did drive my share of Coriscas and Blazers in the military. It took everything I had to keep that needle below 55 MPH, but I knew if I blasted by grandma doing 70, she would look up and see the uniform, see the U.S. Government plates, and would write a letter to her congressman about the damn-fool kids hot rodding around on her tax money. And she would be right. It's all advertising. When you are out driving that van with the company's name on the side, you are representing that company, and it is your job to represent that company in the best possible way you can. I know that if an Office Depot van cut me off, on purpose or accidently, and I needed paper clips (or whatever), I might consider going to Staples instead.

Do I think from your explanation that you are an agressive driver? No. You may actually be agressive, but what little you told us doesn't support that. Do I think you should drive 55 when the limit is 55 and check your mirrors twice before changing lanes? Yes. That person may still have road rage, but now at least they won't call your boss and complain. They'll call about the Office Depot guy.

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Posted by dampeoples on 09-21-2001 12:34 AM:

When I said torqued, I meant from the standpoint that I am the only one with the stinking phone number on the side of the van. I work for square d, the other guys don't have it and if someone calls 1-800-squared, then they get a phone sex line. My whole point is that out of our whole fleet (and we have MANY drivers worse than myself), I am the only one with this big fat number displayed for some person to call about.
I also feel that my cell number should be on the van, so I can inform the caller of his mistake, if any. A lot of the people I blow past are traveling too slow in the fast lane, we've all seen it, you may be one of those guys. Not saying I am correct in my actions, but If I have to be at a spot at 3:30 and 70MPH is the way to get there, that's what I'm doing. I think the boss needs to cut me some slack, I drive anywhere from 400-1800 miles a week, that's a lot of potential for an aggravated caller. THanks for listening.
Sterling

Posted by homer on 09-21-2001 12:40 AM:

scrape the phone # off of the side of your van.

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Posted by dampeoples on 09-21-2001 12:42 AM:

HOMER!
My sentiments exactly, I have planned to take it off, just havn't done it yet.....

Posted by Yorick on 09-21-2001 01:14 PM:

Originally posted by dampeoples
I travel in my work, and drive a company van. Today, I had a person call in to my office and complain that I was going 70 in a 55 zone and that I cut someone off. Maybe I cut someone off, I sure as hell was going 70.

70 isn't a big deal if the limit is 65 ... but if it's 55, that's a bit too fast, especially if everyone else is going closer to the limit. I mean, if some vehicle goes whizzing by me on the hiway and it's not police or fire I'm most likely going to consider them a maniac -- and I'm typically going 75 in a 65 zone.

Am I agressive for driving like this, or is this person hashing out their own form of road rage by doing the only thing they can, call and complain?
Aggressive, perhaps. Road rage, I doubt it.

By the way, I got into an argument with my boss about it and I'm the only person in the field that has the phone number printed on the van, should he have even called me on this?
[another post]
My whole point is that out of our whole fleet (and we have MANY drivers worse than myself), I am the only one with this big fat number displayed for some person to call about.
well, if your van is the only one with the number, then it's pretty easy to figure out who's responsible ...
Although, having one van in a fleet with a "How's My Driving" number isn't vry fair. Better to have a number on all the vans and number the vans, it would also help the company track where their property has travelled to (were it to be stolen or something).

Originally posted by dampeoples
My sentiments exactly, I have planned to take it off, just havn't done it yet.....
Actually, that would be considered defacement or destruction of company property, so I'd advise against ...

I also feel that my cell number should be on the van, so I can inform the caller of his mistake, if any.
That's a bad idea. It takes the anonymity away from the caller and gives you too much chance to vent at some nice old lady who doesn't deserve it. If someone complaining about your driving has to confront you, they won't call -- which may be what you want, but isn't going to foster much goodwill to your company.

A lot of the people I blow past are traveling too slow in the fast lane, we've all seen it, you may be one of those guys.
"too slow" in comparison to the limit or in comparison to you?
We also don't know the general conditions. I mean, is this a crowded urban center or are you out on those long lonely country stretches? both? neither?
If the cars are packed together it's more likely you'd have cut someone off. Gotta follow the "full nose" rule -- if you can't see both headlights in your rearview, you'll be too close when you change lanes in front of someone.

Not saying I am correct in my actions, but If I have to be at a spot at 3:30 and 70MPH is the way to get there, that's what I'm doing.
I agree with the theory, and I've done it myself. For myself it's not the right thing to do but it's often the thing you need to do.

I think the boss needs to cut me some slack, I drive anywhere from 400-1800 miles a week, that's a lot of potential for an aggravated caller.
Get him to put numbers on the other vans so you on't have to take the blame for bad driving. Or follow the limit and be late and see how he feels.

The trouble here as I see it is that since you're driving a company van, you're representing the company, and your actions, good or bad, are going to color the public's view of the company, as Soul Raven noted. The same goes for any customer service agent someone might call.

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Posted by homer on 09-21-2001 03:02 PM:

quote:
70 isn't a big deal if the limit is 65 ... but if it's 55, that's a bit too fast, especially if everyone else is going closer to the limit. I mean, if some vehicle goes whizzing by me on the hiway and it's not police or fire I'm most likely going to consider them a maniac -- and I'm typically going 75 in a 65 zone.

Most highway accidents are caused by people going too slow rather than too fast. From a safety perspective, it's better to go the speed of traffic instead of the speed limit.

Now, if you were passing people on the right, well, that isn't the proper thing to do. That said, sometimes you have to when the ***hole in the fast lane is puttering along at the speed limit.

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Posted by Yorick on 09-21-2001 03:51 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by homer
From a safety perspective, it's better to go the speed of traffic instead of the speed limit.

I see that I neglected to note that part. It was in my head but didn't make it to my fingers. doop.
What I meant to say, was that if everyone else is at the same speed, and someone goes whizzing by ...

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Posted by PDAENVY on 09-21-2001 03:52 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by homer
Most highway accidents are caused by people going too slow rather than too fast. From a safety perspective, it's better to go the speed of traffic instead of the speed limit.

This seems intuitive, but it begs for validation. Can you point to any data to demonstrate this?

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Posted by Madkins007 on 09-21-2001 04:28 PM:

I taught a driver's safety course at work, and just from what you posted, I might have rated you an aggressive driver.

On a quiz we used in class, you got a point for every mile an hour over you drive, and 5 points for cutting people off. You also got points for language use, etc. At 30 points, you bought the label 'potentially aggressive driver'. I have no idea what else you may be doing, but your aggressive response to the complaint would seem to be a warning sign as well.

I do not like the '800' numbers- it is just too easy for someone to call because THEY did something stupid, or because they were torqued off about something someone else did. Follow-up studies have shown that many of these calls have nothing to do with the actual driver or vehicle the sign is on!

By the way- slow drivers do cause many accidents, but those statistics are misleading. Many, many accidents happen at slow speeds- parking lots, backing up, manuevering, etc. These accidents, however, do not generate a lot of damage or injuries. High speed is still a real problem, along with distracted drivers (cell phones, trying to do other things, etc.) impaired drivers (drunk, high, medicated, tired, angry, etc.), and inexperienced/young drivers.

If an injury involved a fatality, the statistics are enormously in favor of the crash involving high speed, alcohol, and/or an inexperienced driver in one of the vehicles or another.

Posted by dampeoples on 09-22-2001 03:09 AM:

Sorry for the late response, i was out DRIVING back home.

You all make good points, to save time, I will not quote anyone.

I was traveling with the "flow of traffic", regardless of speed limit, this is, in my opinion, the safest and smartest means of travel.

As far as posting my own number, I still think it's a great idea, given the circumstances that I'm the only one who has the number, let me tell the guy his faults while he's complaining about mine. The guy in the Taurus in front of me doing something stupid doesn't give me the luxury of bashing his driving ability.

AS far as driving too slow in the fast lane, I think we may have all been aggravated by this, I realize that on highways sometimes the turn someone needs to make is on the left, causing the person to drive slow in the fast lane. Fine. Just don't do it on the Interstate and back traffic up for miles because you want to obey the speed limit. The fast lane is for passing, not sightseeing.

AS far as me being an aggressive driver defined by a score method at some class, please. I'm pretty sure the rating system didn't take into consideration the fact that the rest of traffic was also doing 70, and that I may have not actually cut someone off, I don't remember it. It could have been a guy with a cell phone and nothing better to do. It's hard to see past my van and calling the number might have been a good laugh on his part. I prefer to call my style of driving regular, defensive even. I log a fair amount of miles and have a schedule to keep, and I think the ends justify the means sometimes, maybe that's what happened to me.
I agree with all the other crash factors, excessive speed, inexperience as well as alcohol, distractions...
i think possibly that i'm not too awfully po'd about this anymore, I just think that I have the right to defend myself when accused.

Posted by RSGMOOSE on 09-22-2001 04:56 AM:

Well

dampeoples,

Yorick makes some good points in both of his posts that I mirror in my opinion.

I believe though that you may want to consider that if you've been "caught" twice within two weeks then you need to look to your inner self. However, if the same person complained both times then they may be looking out for you if you are travelling the same path each time you've been reported.

Perhaps, your supervisor could give you more specific information about where the incident took place etc so that at least you are more aware of the circumstances regarding the complaint.

The complaintant could also be another supervisor for another company and he is simply doing his "management" duty by reporting you.

But if you been tagged twice, best slow it down in the right lane and go with the flow of traffic.

I still think it's safer to slow down and use your cell phone to call someone and inform that that your going to be late then driving too fast.

Only you know whether you are driving aggressively but I'd say this much in closing: It's better to be safe then sorry.

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Posted by dampeoples on 09-22-2001 05:07 AM:

I was caught in two different places, but the whole point is that I was driving in the flow of traffic, I'm not an excessive speeder, if the limit is 55 and the flow is 70, then I'm going 70. I'm not that guy that does 85 when the flow is 70. When I was referring to blowing past a slow moving person, I didn't mean all out, but if he's doing the speed limit or below and the rest of the world is faster, then he will get passed. I just want to know who is policing these cell phone tattle tales? It's my business if I travel over the speed limit, there is nothing in my employee handbook about speed, I just require a reasonable driving record (which I have). My boss even confessed to speeding (I've ridden with him, I can testify) I understand that some of these people may feel that they are doing the company a favor, but once again, do I follow this person home/work/grocery store if they make a mistake in front of me and tell them about it? No, that would sue for harassment. To clear another point up, I don't have a sign that says "How's my driving", I just have a phone number for advertising, people take it upon themselves to call.

Posted by RSGMOOSE on 09-22-2001 05:37 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by dampeoples
It's my business if I travel over the speed limit, there is nothing in my employee handbook about speed,

Technically, it's against the law. Now I agree with you regarding staying with the flow. It might be though that you've been tagged by a couple of Legal Eagles just because of the phone number on the van.

The good news here is that the caller didn't turn you in to the local Highway Patrol or other state police. I used my cell phone once when there was an obvious drunk driver on the road to call the highway patrol but I've never called a number on a van. I don't think that it's correct to ask the public to play police to an employer. As long as the number is on the van, you or who ever is driving is potentially going to get calls. Let's face it there are people out there that live for that kinda thing.

I'd discuss the matter with your employer and state - that as long as you don't have any accidents or excessive speeding tickets or other moving violations (which your proof of good driving record probably showed) they should remove the phone number to avoid possible legal action on the part of a ambulance chaser type lawyer that decides to target your company. Afterall, it sounds as if your boss is taking the caller's word over yours. If that gets to court that you've been "tagged" before and this lawyer claims you caused an accident without actually being involved and there are no witnesses other than this "lawyer" your company might have to pay and the only fault was that your van had the phone number on it.

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I may be from the LEFT coast but that's not the correct political view in my mind!

Posted by dampeoples on 09-22-2001 05:47 AM:

I never even thought about the "TV lawyers" and that liability, I'm gonna get those numbers off there one way or another, I've even thought of placing removable tape over them.

Posted by RSGMOOSE on 09-22-2001 05:54 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by Madkins007
By the way- slow drivers do cause many accidents, but those statistics are misleading.

Yeah this happens when someone driving too fast runs into the back of the slower driver. However, all freeways, expressways and even two lane roads should have a minimum speed rating. They have it in Germany on the Autobahn. For example: lane one is min speed 65, lane two is 55, and lane 3 is 45. The gustapo will site you in Germany if your not doing the minimum per lane unless of course of gridlock.

The California Highway Patrol is now targeting excessively slow speed drivers as much as too fast of drivers but they also recommend rather then getting in a road rage about too slow a driver in the fast lane, pass them on the right. I personally don't agree but it's better than getting worked up and pulling out the Glock 9mm and surgically removing the offender of the "Slower Traffic Keep Right".

We all need to be patient and understand that no one can make us mad, we can only get mad if we let ourselves get mad.

I drive 30,000 miles a year and have never had to take a car to a body shop for repair in over 30 years of driving. Yet, I must admit to driving 70 in 55 mile zones because the 55 is only there because of it's location within City Limits.

Stupid people cause accidents. I've seen people on the cell phone, smoking, reading and putting on makeup all at the same time. At the same time, I saw front end damage that was probably caused by this same type of behavior. Now you would have thought that this person would have learned- no. Stupid people.

Ok I've raved enough, I'm not accussing anyone on this thread of this type of behavoir or of being stupid - just venting all of our frustrations.

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Moose Man
I may be from the LEFT coast but that's not the correct political view in my mind!

Posted by dampeoples on 09-22-2001 05:57 AM:

"- just venting all of our frustrations. "

EXACTLY!

Posted by homer on 09-22-2001 12:17 PM:

quote:
This seems intuitive, but it begs for validation. Can you point to any data to demonstrate this?

What? You expect me to back up my opinions with facts?

Not sure where I obtained that info, but a quick search on Google turned up some documents:

http://www.sense.bc.ca/disc/disc-05.htm

IMHO, most accidents are simply caused by inattentiveness. I find that a lot of slow drivers are driving so slow simply because they are spaced out on the phone, listening to the radio, what have you. People that are speeding can be just as inattentive, mind you, but, typically, if you are speeding, you're probably in offensive mode and are actually paying quite a lot of attention to traffic.

I just find that the arbitrary ticketing of speeding people does little to prevent overall accidents. Just as many speeders cause accidents as do slow drivers. Our highways here have a posted speed of 55, which means most go 65. The minimum is 45mph. A 20 mph difference is disaster waiting to happen. I'd rather see police ticket people that don't use turn signals, use cell phone while driving, taligate, thos who try and merge on the highway going 40 mph, or those who are weaving in and out of traffic as opposed to the person going 10 miles over the limit in the fast lane.

Of course, we could fix this mess by investing more in proper mass transit solutions. I'd love to be able to get off of the damn highway.

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Posted by Yorick on 09-22-2001 01:51 PM:

Originally posted by dampeoples
I just want to know who is policing these cell phone tattle tales?
well, most likely no-one, but hey, it's America. We're free to do that sort of thing.

It's my business if I travel over the speed limit, there is nothing in my employee handbook about speed, I just require a reasonable driving record (which I have). <snip> To clear another point up, I don't have a sign that says "How's my driving", I just have a phone number for advertising, people take it upon themselves to call.
ah, so now the truth comes out ...
This makes your complaint make more sense. I had thought you did have a "How's my driving" and the rest of the trucks didn't. If people are calling to complain about your driving to a main number it does seem like they're being petty and rude.
However, I still don't think you should be the one to speak to them.

Originally posted by RSGMOOSE
We all need to be patient and understand that no one can make us mad, we can only get mad if we let ourselves get mad.

right. yes.

At the same time, I saw front end damage that was probably caused by this same type of behavior. Now you would have thought that this person would have learned- no. Stupid people.
the only time I ever had front-end damage on my car, it was caused by striking a deer that was in the road, that ran in the direction that I was swerving towards to try to not hit it. You shouldn't just assume that damage to a car was caused by just being stupid. They might have been struck in a parking lot or bought the thing used with the damage already there.

Ok I've raved enough
You rave, I'll rant, then we can "Rant 'n' Rave with the Stray Cats."

ahem. sorry. digression.

I'm not accussing anyone on this thread of this type of behavoir or of being stupid - just venting all of our frustrations.
right. yes.

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