No need for road rage in The Villages
 

Woke up this morning and decided to take a ride to Publix for some fresh donuts to have with my coffee. On the way home, I turned left onto Morse Blvd and a little bit in had to stop. Ther was a duck with her ducklings crossing the street. Next thing I know a car pulls up beside me beeping, cursing, and giving me the finger. When the ducks passed, I beeped back at him. He pulled over and put down his window. I put down my window and explained what happened. He continued to curse at me and said the h*** with the ducks. He told me I would not have liked it if he rear ended me. I told him that would be his problem. He speed off and proceeded down Pinellas. He had to have been going 50 miles an hour down the whole road to the courtyard villas. It is a shame that there were no police around to give him a speeding ticket!

In my short time living here, just 3 months, I've found that this is "Florida's Friendliest Hometown", until you behind the wheel.

Thanks for stopping for the duck family!

In the case of some folks....You just can't fix Stupid!! Don't let idiots spoil your day!!!

You're welcome.

In the year we have lived here we have learned you have to drive very defensively. By the actions of their hostility while driving I wouldn't engage them. They may be carrying a firearm. I just ignore them which ticks them off even more.

A car zipped by me on El Camino Real yesterday when I was coming home from Spanish Springs Square to check out if there were any dogs at the radio station up for adoption. A half mile up, a cop had pulled over that speeder. He or she was in quite a hurry. The speed was also probably about 50 mph.

By in large, I have not come across that many rude drivers here in the Villages in comparison say to Palm Harbor (around Clearwater). And, I believe I passed a very bad accident almost every week on US 19 or its offshoots.

Sorry to hear about your experience though. I stop for ducks, turtles and other critters as well.

The Villages is no different than anywhere else. Idiots live everywhere!

:BigApplause:

I also will stop with flashers blinking for animals. I wonder what the law would say about running into the back of a car for stopping to allow an animal to clear the roadway. Or would it be better to run them over and leave them kicking and dying in the road.

We stop for all animals. many times we pull the truck off to the side and pick up a turtle to help him cross the street. Don't care if an idiot behind me doesn't like it !!
Glad you stopped for the ducks !!

You got donuts! I love donuts. Rude drivers not so much.

:mad::22yikes::rant-rave::evil6::undecided:
:ohdear:

I wasn't there. I'm glad. I might have done what either of you did.

According to my new AARP Bulletin, "You should know that more than 100 disorders--from the side effects of medication to urinary tract infections--can also trigger dementia-like symptoms."

I try to keep remembering that when I leave the house.

The other day I turned into the gate at Santiago and the residents gate was broken and we had to use the visitor side. Well the always polite gate guard was giving info to the Neighborhood watch and this guy pulls and blows his horn non-stop at the guard. I was behind him and could not believe was a jerk he was for doing that...just kept his hand on the horn until the truck moved and he blew thru the gate. Then I went thru and made sure the guard was ok. I was going in the same direction and where does this idiot go??? Into the area to get the mail. Really??? You were in that much of a hurry!!

I was able to stop because I had just received the left hand turn arrow and was proceeding slowly with my turn. After I turned the ducks were there and I was able to stop. If I had been on a highway or unable to stop it would have been unfortunate for the ducks.

just so glad you were there before him.....it's spring, lots of new animal families...it's actually a joyful sight...too bad he was one of those people who harbor anger

Sounds like his momma didn't teach him any manners or either they didn't stick. Pitiful.

You did what most of us would have done - keep doing it!

Thank you for stopping.

What is wrong with people that they don't care about wildlife
because of their impatience and stupidity?

Imagine being married to that guy!

This happened to us here last summer in the burbs of north Chicago. Slowed down and had to stop for a family of geese crossing the road and the guy behind us slammed into us. Totally his fault, his ins, paying our deductible. Also, as a side note he had a warrant and was arrested at the scene. The family's geese went on about their merry way. It saddens me that there are jerks everywhere. Could be worse, it is hailing here right now.

I've seen more examples of road rage,stupidity,impatience, and rudeness in four years here in the Villages among car and cart drivers than I ever saw in sixty years up north. On the positive side when you're in a store,restaurant,or square,I've never met more kind and friendly people.

I have seen so many horrible drivers here, especially in the round abouts. Most of the real fools go 270 degrees around in the outside lane. But yesterday I had the absolute worst happen. And if I ever find the white Kia wagon with a certain sticker on the back, he and I will have a come to Jesus meeting.

I was going North on Buena Vista headed up to 42. We have to stop at the round about by Glenview to allow in circle traffic to pass. I am in the right lane headed straight through and this double idiot is in the left lane. We enter the circle side by side and he turns right onto El Camineo Real. I slam on the brakes and swing wide right and barely miss him.

I hope I find him.

I experienced a prime example of this foaming-at-the-mouth type of road rage over something I could not avoid.

I was driving my car with all windows down, at Lake Sumter Landing. I had crossed the Morse bridge and turned right headed toward the square, and then at Panera I turned right and passed in front of the sales center and headed leftward to turn left at the bar hut corner, to pass by the back of the bandstand.

Picture the parking spaces on the immediate left after the crosswalk. This guy was in his golf cart tailgating me as I turned left, and as soon as I was around the corner, a parked car in the 2nd or 3rd parking space on my left started backing out in front of me, about 6 feet ahead of me. I had to slam on the brakes (I was going at a snail's pace b/c of such eventualities around the squares), and when the golf cart driver had to brake behind me, he started SCREAMING and shaking his fist and yelling with his thick NY cabbie accent, "You can't stop like that right after turning a corner.....you blankety-blank effing b-word effing this and that....Ya gotta keep GOING...."

Well I'm sorry, but I had to stop to avoid hitting the car backing out regardless of whose fault the crash might have been. This guy couldn't have cared less about maintaining "assured clear distance" behind me.

I'm not exactly a fraidy-cat, but this guy was scary and I refused to say ANYthing that would escalate him further. His clenched fists shaking in the air were enough to cause fear, much less the thought of him having a firearm.

That does sound scary - and you are right. He sounds like one of those hotheads who would carry a gun and wave it around to intimidate others.

After 10 years here the only conclusion I can reach is there are more nasty, inconsiderate, b-eye-itchy old people behind the wheel than anywhere else I have been on the planet!!!!

Always in a hurry, never use turn signals, do not stop for stop signs, do not yield, do not stay in their lane, will flip the bird for just looking and just down right mean!

Bless their old hearts. LOL

The Law
 

The law states that you must be in control of your vehicle at all times. Thus if you rear end someone you are at fault even if they are stopped in the road for no reason.

I agree. And make that 74, The NEW forty.

ditto>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The problem is that the idiots don't know they are idiots. So the solution might be to politely inform them they are idiots. Surely they would respond in all good humor.

I almost always agree with you. How-somever, that is a tough thing to couch in words...ummm...diplomatically.


I like the Midwestern term; Boy Howdy!

How about "My dear good fellow, it has come to my attention that you appear to be an idiot." You don't think that would work? Oh well, back to the drawing board.

AND....where did these people come from?

Most from up north. I took my dog for a one hour golf cart ride today. Must have seen several thousand carts with no incidents. Everyone looked happy and waving. Yes, we have a few grumpy folks, but it is not as bad as some try to make it.

I am glad that the ducks are safe. I guess I will not be getting away for road rage when we come to TV in May. I have dealt with it most of my driving life living in Ca. Here you do need to be careful because the idiots do carry guns.

I often wonder when people are retired what's the big rush. Enjoy your surrounding. Nature is a beautiful and is meant to be enjoyed. If you go thru life in a big rush you will miss a lot of wonderful things.

Glad you were able to stop for the ducks. It reminded me of an incident that occurred to me on the beltway around Indianapolis. We were leaving the beltway to continue on our way east when we saw a family of ducks walking across the highway. Mom and about eight of the cutest ducklings. Amazingly all lanes stopped, including some heavy trucks, and waited until they were all the way across. No horns honking, no shouting. It was nice.

On the other hand, we were on our way to golf this morning and were entering the tunnel under 466 northbound when we encountered a man in a cart PASSING! another cart IN THE TUNNEL. Yikes. Can you really be in that much of a hurry to pass another cart in a tunnel. Sheesh.

I've been thinking about this a bit and here is MY conclusion about some of our very unfriendly neighbors.
1. It's true that some may have dementia related problems.
2. It's also true that some of us seniors are on meds that may affect our otherwise lovely personalities.
3. We are so much closer to everyone physically here. We are close in our homes, close in our golf carts and even close on our roadways. We are not driving 70 mph on 12 lane highways. We are participating in more activities with each other. We crowd into resturaunts far more often, crowd into the Squares for entertainment. Perhaps people would have reacted in these negative ways in our pervious life but we just weren't in close proximity to know it.

It's hard to not take these negative interactions personally but this type of behavior is usually more about them than you. I have a saying that I TRY to remember at times like these. Those who are hardest to love need love the most.

You might be on to something here. I heard of a study once where a certain number of rats were put in a cage together and their behavior was studied. Then they gradually increased the number of rats over time. Eventually, when the cage became crowded, the rats became increasingly irrational and aggressive. When I see certain behaviors, I instantly think "Too many rats in the cage."