No one is a perfect driver, that is just fact. No matter how diligent we are, we all make mistakes on the road from time to time. But what about those drivers who are overly agressive and antagonistic for no reason? Is road rage a diagnosable condition, as has been recently suggested, or is acting aggressively a controlable and avoidable action?

Our society is quick to label behaviors, whether they are good or bad. But as we continue to label peoples’ behaviors, are we giving them a get out of jail free card? You are in a bad mood so you cut off another driver on the road and give them the finger….not your fault because you have an explosive anger disorder or are you just a jerk in a bad mood who felt like taking it out on a stranger?

I am sure many people have a diagnosable anger problem, but I don’t think it’s an excuse to be used by anyone who exhibits bad behavior. What happened to accountability and good manners? I notice a lot of road ragers on the road and I doubt every single one of them has a clinical anger problem. I think we are so busy finding excuses for our behavior that we are forgetting to take responsibility for our behavior. So where do we go from here? We will continue to make excuses for every single bad behavior there is, or spend more time figuring out how and why people behave the way they do? Only time will tell……. In the meantime, I will continue to not cut people off and still smile instead of giving the finger when confronted with a rude driver. Better to kill em with kindness I always say.

Add to del.icio.us!