Rage

God knows I love a good rant.   Hell, I even used to have a weekly Ranty Friday on this very blog that was widely received, joined in with and looked forward to by many.   Alot of people thought it was because I had to get something off my chest once a week when it actual fact it was so I could limit my ranting to just once a week.  I felt at times I was in danger of ranting ever day otherwise.

What I rarely do though, if ever, is rant at a person.  Either in person, or on the phone.  Even when I am furious at a company’s incompetence I don’t take it out on the person who is, after all, just doing their job.   I might slam the phone down and scream at the wall but I don’t rant at real people.

Why am I telling you this?  And what is that picture above?  Let me explain.

Yesterday morning started just like any other.   But with a bit more added pressure as I had to go straight from the school run to a full day of interviews with a client at a nearby hotel, starting at 9am.   So dog walked, house tidied, jobs done and out the door at 7.30am to drop teen at school for 8am and then head to hotel.

Trundling along a small piece of dual carriageway I see a car about to pull out of a petrol station, right in front of me.  I am doing 40mph, there is a van on my right so I can’t get out of my lane and let the car pull out.   Braking would have been too sudden, and I can’t really move.   They brake but after all, it is my right of way.

The driver, a lady (I used that word reluctantly) then comes right up behind me, horn blaring, lights flashing, hand gestures at me.   I think “well that’s charming” and as I am about to turn towards the hotel I think I might not do that in case she follows me, I really don’t want the hassle.

So at the traffic lights ahead I go into the left hand lane instead of the right, and wait at the red light.

Big mistake.

She gets out of her car, leaving her husband and two small children in the back and comes over to my car and yanks the car door.  Or tries to, but my car automatically locks when you get in.   This annoys her and she decides to punch the window.   All of this accompanied by screaming that I tried to “effing kill her” and “effing kill the kids”.    Her windows are all down so her two children in car seats are not only witnessing their mother smacking my car but hearing what she has to say.   I tell her to stop swearing.

This doesn’t go down well either and as a passing shot she slaps my wing mirror and causes the above.   The mirror bit also fell off but I have managed to reattach that.

Lights are now green and have been for a while so she then goes back to her car and drives off.

Thankfully this has all been witnessed by the car behind hers and he pulls in behind me, gets out and comes over, complete with his name and phone number and says he saw the whole thing and will be a witness.

I am stunned.  I don’t crumble easily but I was shaking for hours, certain if she could have got my door open she would have slapped me.  And I am furious that my car is now damaged.

Yes, I called the police.  Sadly the number plate that the witness and I wrote down is not recognised but the police will be speaking to the garage for CCTV and then considering prosecuting her for criminal damage to my car.

But what makes somebody do that?  How is that ever appropriate behaviour?

And in front of children?  That they are witness to that is just heart breaking.

And leaves me baffled at human nature that we live in a world where somebody feels it perfectly fine to be in the wrong at a junction and then get out and attack somebody else’s car.