For two years (at age fifteen and sixteen), I studied boxing. My best friend was a Golden-Glove champion, and we spent our time in a boxing gym, with a real boxing coach, punching a heavy bag and speed bag, working on footwork, etc. Every day we boxed each other in the ring, and other guys in the gym. Then, when I was twenty-one, I spent one Summer learning kung-fu from an excellent teacher.

The point is- I never fought professionally, but I’m no slouch, and I know the character of men.

Well, all those guys, and even half the men on TV don’t compare to the toughest guy I ever met. I will never forget him, or that night. Looking back now, it is almost unreal. But if you like a good fight story, or to talk about fights, this is the guy you wish you were, or wish was your friend.

Charlie: That’s all I know is his first name, and where he worked at the time. (In 1977, at a bar in Chicago, on Paulina Street, right off Lincoln Avenue, under the L-tracks.) Who knows, maybe someone else will know more about him or that bar, and find this one day. That would be cool! Charlie was the real-life guy from the Patrick Swaze character in the movie Road House, and I lived through it that night.

OK, enough blabbering, let’s get to the action.

My step-brother Bill had some friends that had a rock band called Onyx, and they were playing a gig at some bar that night. I don’t think anything ever became of them, but who knows? Well, they needed some help, so they asked us to go. They needed one guy to control the stage-lights, and the other guy to collect money at the door. Me and Bill decided to take turns, since obviously, running the lights was going to be a blast, and standing at the door asking a bunch of drunks for money was not going to be as fun. I would do the first two hours at the door, and the next two hours at the lights.

That’s when I met Charlie.

He introduced himself to me and explained, “This is going to get crazy here in a little while, so pay attention. This is a wild bar, and there will be some fights before it’s all over.”

I studied the small man- he was about 35-years-old, 5-feet 3-inches tall, and weighed about 130. I was 18 (lied about my age to get in), about 6-feet and 200 pounds.

I nodded in agreement as he continued, “These guys that come in here like to fight. They’re not used to paying a cover charge because we don’t usually have live entertainment. So, there will be a lot of regulars who don’t think they should have to pay, and these guys are crazy bikers and rednecks, so we have a system to deal with them, so again, pay attention.” I did. “As soon as someone gives you any trouble, if he walks past you and doesn’t pay, or if he gives you any static, don’t argue with him, just get my attention and point him out to me, then tell me what he did.” I agreed.

The place started getting packed.

I stood at the door and collected 3-dollars from each person. About the tenth guy in was already drunk, and looked at me as if I wasn’t supposed to be there. “I come here every day, I don’t pay.” And with that, he walked past me. I looked over at Charlie who was always looking at me, and pointed at the guy, signalling he didn’t pay.

Charlie called him to the bar, and demanded he pay. The guy just got louder and louder, and suddenly threw a bottle at Charlie. Charlie ducked, jumped over the bar, and in one swoop, knocked the bigger man out with a perfect flying elbow. About three of us stood the guy up, and helped him out the door gently.

This exact incident repeated itself at least five times that night. And the guy was always a huge, Big John Stud look-alike. Yet somehow, small Charlie was able to fly over the bar and knock out each one systematically with one blow every time- sometimes with a hand or foot, and sometimes with a bottle or bar-stool.

A couple of times there was a fight between paying customers, and Charlie would have to break it up. Those often ended with a menacing blow from Charlie as well.

Just like in the movie Road House, the bartenders and bouncers always had eye-contact with each other, and one wave of the hand brought Charlie, which brought the end to the incident quickly every time.

I wondered what was going on in the backroom area, where the band was playing. I couldn’t see it from where I was. The music sounded pretty good though, and I longed for my turn at the stage lights.

Finally, it was time to switch places.

Bill showed me how to work the lights, and I warned him of all the fighting, Charlies prowess, and told Bill how to signal Charlie. He thought I was exaggerating.

I spent the next two hours doing what I came there for- having a good time, rocking out, and jamming with the band by flashing lights on the players here and there. And Bill spent those two hours experiencing more of what I saw earlier.

We met after it was all over, and Bill began with, “Oh my God, there was so many fights, and charlie is an animal!”

“I told you.” I said.

For those of you not old enough to remember, Woolworth was known as a “dime store”. That was long before any dollar store existed. And, although they had a lot of cheap merchandise, some of which cost a dime, their restaurant was a rip-off.

In the back corner of most Woolworth stores was a little restaurant. It was just a counter and maybe three booths. The food was expensive, the servings were small, and it was just for shoppers who couldn’t wait until they got somewhere else to buy some real food.

I was a big 15-year-old football player, about 5-feet 10 inches, and weighed about 180 pounds. I was a pretty tough kid for my age, and no one to mess with on a hot day, after walking all day.

I walked up to the counter and saw the rip-off price of 55-cents, and ordered a Coke. The guy that worked there first scooped up a cup-full of crushed ice. Immediately, before he poured the soda, I said, “easy on the ice.” And I know he heard me.

Ignoring me, he started to fill the cup with about one ounce of Coke. I asked, “Didn’t you hear me say easy on the ice?”

He replied, “Yeah, but this is what I’m, supposed to do anyway.”

I sipped the ounce down in one gulp. Put the cup down and demanded, “Fill it up again.”

He said, “That will be another 55-cents.”

I said, “I ordered a cup of Coke, not a cup of ice. Now I want some Coke.”

He walked away, which infuriated me. I threw my cup of ice at his back as hard as I could. I jumped over the counter and grabbed another cup, and filled it full of Coke myself. He wisely stayed a safe distance away.

An old man with a security guard uniform came over and said, “Hey, get out from back there.”

I stepped around the counter, and nicely explained to the old guy why I did it. Well, the punk who ripped me off started yapping his side of the story to the old man like he was my dad or something, “He stole the pop. I already gave him one and he took another one.”

I stepped in close to punch him in his pimply face, but held back when he cowered.

The old man grabbed my arm, and I yanked it back away, threatening him. “Don’t put your F-ing hands on me, I’ll knock you out, and him too.” The old man wisely waited a few seconds while I slammed my warm soda down.

Ah, that hit the spot. I walked out like I owned the place. I got enough soda, but it still wasn’t my money’s worth.

Road Rage in America:

The question is, how has this problem escalated to this point over the last three decades? Could it be more cars being driven – or perhaps it’s because the atmosphere in this country has people more stressed? It’s possible that it’s a combination of more drivers on the road and more ticking time bombs – it’s hard to pinpoint which, but looking at data on the subject, it definitely has a lot to do with human behavior.

According to a study done on national driving habits…..

Ø Half of motorists will respond to aggressive driving and behavior with aggression themselves

Ø A person using a cell phone is more likely to respond to incidents with rage

Ø Men are more likely to engage in road rage behaviors than women

Ø People under 24 are 2xs more likely to be involved in road rage than other age groups

Ø Drivers with children in the car are more likely to react with aggression – which is probably the most shocking and startling habit of them all

How Road Rage is Expressed:

Road rage is usually identified by the actions of the driver acting irrationally on the road. Below are some of the most common ways an extremely aggressive driver takes dangerous action.

· Tailgating
· Breaking Abruptly
· Accelerating Suddenly
· Using Vehicle as a Barrier
· Cutting Off other drivers
· Honking Without Cause
· Chasing Drivers
· Making Obscene Hand and Verbal Gestures
· Getting Out of their Vehicle to Threaten

In more extreme cases, road rage may lead to actions like:

· Causing Other Vehicles to Collide
· Using Own Vehicle to Hit Another Vehicle or Person
· Striking Others with Weapons or Using a Firearm

Avoiding Road Rage

You can’t control someone else’s emotions but you can take steps to avoid provoking unstable drivers on the road – road rage is almost always a two-way path. The actual triggers for road rage incidents are varied; triggers include accidents, not using signals properly, pulling out in front of another vehicle, or even just giving another driver a dirty look.

To avoid a potentially deadly and violent situation, simply do not engage the enraged driver; most incidents involve two people who are angry – the first one who triggered the incident and the second one responded inappropriately.

If you have done something, which may be seen as aggressive or rude behavior by another driver; simply smile and wave and let them go about their day. Even if you don’t feel as though you’ve wronged them, just be passive if you notice someone giving you negative attention on the road, there’s simply too much at stake to let your ego get the better of you. If you can’t shake the person, call the police for help and head towards the police station but do not get out of your car or try to enlist help from other motorists, this is when things can escalate rapidly.

Have you dealt with an enraged driver? How did you handle the situation?
*****BIO****
Andrew Miller is an experienced Social Media expert and Author. He has worked in marketing for over a decade and finds his passion in bringing concepts to life for the world to enjoy. He is also an avid blogger and currently working on a book with his wife about social entrepreneurship. He is a true Socialpreneur and finds that his goal in life is to be an agent for positive social change through both his writing and business endeavors.
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Drunk driving is a danger to society:

Even good people who decide to just drive this one time while intoxicated could have their life changed forever. If caught by law enforcement while driving under the influence you could face the possibility of license suspension, heavy fines, or even jail time. Law enforcement uses a variety of tactics to determine if a person is intoxicated, which can then be presented in court as evidence for the arrest. It is important to understand that the primary resource at law enforcements disposal is the breathalyzer, which shows the officer the level of alcohol, by percentage, in the blood of the driver.

A breathalyzer is administered by a law enforcement officer when they have established through reasonable suspicion that the driver is possibly intoxicated and therefore operating the vehicle in an impaired mental state. To validate this assumption the police officer will administer a battery of tests that will determine the sobriety level of the driver. These tests will demonstrate the individual’s ability to balance, ability to follow simple commands, and to identify visual impairment due to alcohol. Once the officer has determined that the person appears to lack the ability to drive a vehicle, he or she, will administer a breathalyzer to determine if alcohol is the cause of the impairment, and if the level of alcohol in the individual’s blood warrants an arrest for driving under the influence.

How does a breathalyzer work?

Breathalyzers are administered on the scene by an officer who asks the driver to place the tube of the breathalyzer in their lips and blow. The instrument works to measure the amount of alcohol in the breath exhaled by the driver as compared to amount of oxygen exhale produced. Since alcohol gets into the blood stream and this then runs through the lungs, the air exhaled will provide a clear indicator of the level of blood alcohol percentage by measuring the percentage of alcohol in the breath. A formula is used to calculate the level of blood in the alcohol as compared to that in the breath.
When a breathalyzer test is administered the sample is distributed into a vial which contains a solution of dichromate ion. Ethanol, or alcohol content, reacts with the dichromate ion and the mixture changes to a golden yellow because of the reaction of the chemicals. The difference is compared to that of a solution of dichromate with zero ethanol. The color of the tube allows the officer to identify the ethanol level of the driver.

Should you refuse a DUI test?

However, since the evidence relies on chemical formulas, alcohol content measures in the breath (which could also come from the mouth), and other factors like the temperature at which the test is administered, all of these can be challenged by a good attorney at trial (however be ready for the expenses involved in a trial as well as the emotional stress that will come along with it). See should I refuse a DUI test for more.

An arrest for DWI / DUI doesn’t have to ruin your future, make the smart decision and don’t drink and drive!

*****BIO****
Andrew Miller is an experienced Social Media expert and Author. He has worked in marketing for over a decade and finds his passion in bringing concepts to life for the world to enjoy. He is also an avid blogger and currently working on a book with his wife about social entrepreneurship. He is a true Socialpreneur and finds that his goal in life is to be an agent for positive social change through both his writing and business endeavors.
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The cemetery had a small tool-shed, and that was it. There were no other buildings, and certainly no people anywhere around. Me and my dad walked over to the shed, and he asked me if I thought there would be a lug wrench in there. I didn’t.

My dad busted the lock open. It was our only hope. I didn’t think it was even worth a try. But he did. He had to try something, and that was the only option.

What do you think are the odds of there being a lug wrench in there? Well, there was!

He changed the tire and we left- keeping the lug wrench, just in case.

Did you ever wonder why you never see Chicago Police on the TV show “Cops”? Those of us that live here know why- that would totally disrupt their work. They wouldn’t be able to do their job, the only way they know how. They don’t allow any cameras. If they find you looking at them with one, they’ll break it and pull the film out.

If anyone ever wants to do a sting on the Chicago Police, you better bring the FBI. Or have plenty of cameras, and cameras on your cameras, and hidden cameras on those cameras, that send a satellite signal to a tape machine somewhere else.

Of course, not all Chicago Police are corrupt like this. But a lot of them are. In fact, there is a lot of corruption in some of the suburbs too. Here’s a story from Carol Stream, IL about a crazy cop who had a case of road rage.

Anyway, here’s what happened…

JJ is a drug dealer. On just about any given night, the cops would have found drugs at his house. But on this one particular night, JJ was out of town, and he took his drugs with him. Meanwhile, at the JJ plantation (in other words, his mom’s house), the Chicago police are working on a tip- someone told them JJ was a drug dealer.

About 5AM, cops kicked the door in at JJ’s house, much to the shock of JJ’s mom. They busted the door down too- it was lying on the floor, unhinged. They flip over everything that moved, tossed every drawer out of every dresser, emptied the contents of the fridge onto the floor in the kitchen, and literally tore the place up. But they never found any drugs.

While they were about half-way through, JJ’s mom called JJ and begged him to tell her where the dope was so she could give it to the cops before they wreck her place. But JJ swore he didn’t have any drugs there.

Meanwhile, two friends came over to buy some drugs. The cops dragged those two into the house and beat them senseless, trying to get to “the truth”. Of course, the two had no drugs on them because they were there to buy, not sell. But that didn’t stop the cops, who wanted to know exactly where JJ kept it all.

They even threatened JJ’s mom, who was trying to be cooperative. Thank God they didn’t lay a hand on mom, just some stern finger-pointing and demanding questions.

They went into the basement too, and tore up all the landlords stuff. When Chicago cops search a place, they tear it apart, break everything on purpose, and will punch a smart-ass, or even someone they think is lying.

Bottom-line: JJ had a good time on his little trip, and had to spend all the money he made off the drugs to fix mom’s house back to where it was.

The next day, mom was happy again, and JJ went back to business as usual. And the cops never bothered him again.

NOTE: I know all this from a very reliable source, and would bet my life it was all true. I don’t condone drug dealing, nor do I condone cops busting in, breaking everything in sight without a search warrant.

My only disclaimer: This was a long time ago.

Welcome to Chicago baby.

I didn’t always chase with a tow truck, I was usually in a car, but on this day I happened to be driving one. I was just cruising around, listening to a police scanner, when I came upon an accident. In fact, I saw it happen. It was on Montrose, between the Edens Expressway and the viaduct- a head-on collision.

Since I was right there and a witness, i jumped out of my truck and made sure everyone was OK. They were relatively unharmed, and the driver at fault (always my favorite to get, because then you can usually get the other car too) asked me to tow his car before I could even suggest it. Of course, I said yes, and waited for the cops to come and fill out their report.

I was standing there with the driver when the cop’s pulled up. Now, in most cases, I’d tell the cop I would “take care of him” if I got the car, but in this case I thought I’d try to get the car without talking to the cops- big mistake.

One of the cops motioned me to the side and said I couldn’t tow this car, that he already had a guy on the way. I said I knew this guy, and he already said I could. The cop insisted I leave the scene immediately, but I remained, and told him I knew my rights, as did the driver, and I was a witness as well. Again he insisted I leave before he arrested me for solicitation. I assured him I would “buy him lunch” but that just pissed him off.

The cop then grabbed by beeper off my belt and smashed me in the head with it a few times. I blocked most of his blows, and that just infuriated him even more. He slapped the cuffs on me and put me in the backseat. As I sat down, since I was handcuffed and couldn’t block, he smacked me a few more times with my now-broken beeper, then dropped in on the squad-car floor at my feet.

I sat there for a while, stunned at what just happened, and tried to figure out what I did wrong. Like I said, I knew most of the cops, but I didn’t know this clown.

Just then, a good friend, and fellow chaser showed up. Now this friend (who shall remain nameless) was a very well connected chaser who had been at it for a generation- in fact, he was the guy who took me under his wing early on and taught me the ropes when I first started.

I watched from the squad-car as he shook hands with the cop, and made casual conversation. It seemed like forever before I could get his attention. Finally, my good friend noticed me in the backseat of the cop-car. He said, “Hey, why do they have you in here?”

I answered, “This cop just beat the crap out of me because I wouldn’t leave- and I was a witness.”

My buddy told the cop I was “cool” and that he should let me go. The cop opened the door and took the cuffs off me, and apologized, saying he didn’t know.

I wound up towing both cars, paying the cop $100 ($50 each car), and made a new “friend” at 16th district.

Some slap themselves on the thigh, or even in the face. Some pinch themselves and some splash water on themselves. Some sing, yell, cuss, scream, stomp on the floor, fight the steering wheel and dashboard. Some stick their head out the window and some do all of the above. Most sleepy drivers blast the air conditioning and the radio, open the windows, talk on the CB radio, and pull over soon. But some have a tendency to really push it to the limit, and then some.

I rode with a driver, one very long night, who did most of the above. I tried to get him to let me drive (I was a company driver too, but he thought he couldn’t let me drive his truck for some reason) or at least stop and take a nap, but he just kept going, saying he was alright and that he does this all the time. I was so scared that I was wide awake and really should have been the one driving. He was slapping his face and thigh, stomping on the floor and punching the steering wheel, while struggling to shake off the need to close his eyes. He slapped his thigh more times than an episode of Hee-Haw. I kept talking to him to try to help keep him awake (and to make sure he was). A few times, I even thought that I might have to grab the steering wheel. Sometimes he stuck his head out his window and, as the wind pounded his face, he screamed, “Wake up!” He would then calmly turn to me and say, “Don’t mind me, I’m not mad at you, I’m just screaming at myself.”

Later that day, I told a few drivers about it and some of them told me what they do to stay awake. One driver said he belts out the Star Spangled Banner. He even gave us a sample of it, which was really good singing, but super, painfully loud. I remember thinking that the sheer volume of it would surely wake up anyone. Another driver said he carries a squirt gun and shoots himself in the face and chest. Someone else said he pours water, by the cup, down his back and on his head. And those were some of the “tame” ones!

One driver said his wife keeps him awake. He said she talked a lot anyway and when he would get tired, he would tell her to start nagging, and she would scream complaints at him, like she really meant them, but of course she didn’t. He would scream back at her and turn it into a friendly (though deadly sounding) argument, where cussing and screaming meant nothing. He was convinced that he and his wife never fought for real because of this game they played.

Some told stories of driving hundreds of miles and not remembering any of it. One driver even told of getting fuel and not remembering. He didn’t even have a fuel receipt and was never billed for it, so he must have stolen it without knowing (or remembering). All of them had experienced dozing off and waking up just as they almost go off the road, or catching themselves going across a lane or two. Some weren’t so lucky. If you’ve driven a truck for any length of time, you’ve probably seen many of them – in mangled, multi-vehicle wrecks, on the side of the road.

Everybody seemed to agree that, around dawn, they get the urge to doze, and some at about 3 or 4 AM too. Then, they get a so-called second wind and are awake again, for a while. Most will stop every hour or two, for at least a few minutes, get out and stretch their legs, walk around, maybe do a little exercise, get something to drink and then try it again (this kind of activity only buys a little time).

I am a day person. I like to sleep at night and work during the day. I always had difficulty driving all night. Except when I did it regularly (working nights and sleeping during the day), then I got used to it. But, when you’re accustomed to going to sleep at 11 PM and waking up at 6 AM, every day, then suddenly you have to stay awake all night, it’s a difficult thing to do. Companies who move a lot of freight at these hours should try to keep the same drivers on night runs, so their bodies (and brains) can get used to the schedule.

There is a lot of pressure on drivers to always be on time. Too often, they are expected to drive all night, when they haven’t slept during the day. Some of the companies I have worked for used to do that to me occasionally. They would give me ample time for the load, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Usually, it went like this: at about 8 AM, when just waking up and getting going, they would dispatch me on a load that had to be picked up at 8 PM and delivered 600 miles away, by 7 AM. I’d realize that I would have to drive all night, so I’d try to get some rest. But I wouldn’t be able to get to sleep, because I just woke up from a long night’s rest. So, I’d toss and turn until about an hour or so before I had to wake up, and then would fall into a deep sleep. Then, too soon, the alarm would go off and it was time to get going.

Some drivers simply refuse the load when they know they can’t do it. Others take everything and never speak up, forcing themselves to stay awake when they should sleep. Then they complain to everyone around them. They’ll speed too, trying to make unrealistic appointments on time, all the while complaining (to everyone but their dispatcher) that the company doesn’t understand. To them I say, please communicate with your dispatchers about what can be realistically expected from you, and don’t walk that fine line between asleep and awake.

Get regular rest. If your company doesn’t understand that, believe me, there are plenty more out there that do. There is no freight more important than you are. Please be careful out there, and be sure to visit Big City Driver the next time you’re online.

I was southbound on Ashland Avenue, about 5300 north. Some guy in a dark 4-door cut me off and slammed on the brakes for no apparent reason. As I swerved around him I noticed he was looking at me, and yelling in my direction. I never saw the guy before and couldn’t figure out why he had it in for me. Maybe he just hated cab drivers, I don’t know.

I didn’t think much of it, and just went on my merry way. He burned rubber as he took off again and pulled up beside me, going about 30 mph as I was. He cussed me through my rolled-up window, but of course I couldn’t hear him. I tried to ignore him, but he quickly floored it, cut in front of me again, and slammed on his brakes again. I swerved to avoid him (again), and now wondered what the heck was on his mind.


I still didn’t lose my cool, yet. I just looked at him like he was crazy as I passed him again. Now, he was beginning to get on my nerves, and the thought of dragging him out of his vehicle and giving him the ol’ Jack Demsey crossed my mind. But I remained civilized. He didn’t though.

Again, he cut in front of me and slammed on the brakes. This time, his car turned sideways a little, blocking my lane, and I barely stopped before hitting his car. He jumped out of his car and threw a bottle at my door. Then he jumped back into his car to take off, I thought…

before he could get back to his car, I had a few seconds to react. I grabbed a bottle of iced tea I had, stepped out of my car and slung it at his car as hard as I could. As soon as it left my hand, I was getting back into my car. It’s a good thing too.

He reached in his door, grabbed something, and walking very methodically toward me, I saw him throw several bottles before I realized he still had an arm full of them. I ducked and floored my taxi. I turned the wheel to the right because there was a side-street right there. I went careening around the corner and the side of my taxi hit a parked car.


I kept it floored and got the heck out of there. At the end of my shift, I dropped my cab off thinking they will surely see the dent and nail me. But I got lucky and they never noticed it. So, I got away with a hit-and-run, plus the damage to the cab was not discovered so I got away with that. And all because I lost my temper.

I should have simply turned the corner as soon as he tossed the first bottle. But I wasn’t going in that direction.

Road rage is something that affects many drivers and it’s amazing to see that some of the calmest people in everyday life are transformed when they get behind the wheel. Whether you are planning a second hand purchase via Netcars.com, or buying a new car, think carefully about the model you choose to ensure that it doesn’t bring out the worst in you. If you’re susceptible to angry episodes when you’re in charge of your vehicle, here are ten tips on how to stay calm and avoid road rage while driving.

1. Breathe! Sadly it’s inevitable that we’re all going to encounter aggressive or reckless drivers whose actions put us in a state of unease or worse still, they can even be a danger to our safety on the road. As we all know, it’s best not to react but sometimes the urge to display our anger is overwhelming. The first simple step involves breathing – deep breaths in and deep breaths out are a well-known relaxation technique that works at all times, even when you’re behind the wheel.

2. Laugh! This is a common suggestion for anyone who becomes embroiled in a potential road rage situation. Even if you don’t feel like breaking out into smiles, try and force yourself into doing so. It’s odd how the muscle memory tricks you into laughing and seeing the funny side of any situation.

3. Turn on the radio. Divert your attention by listening to your favourite station or have a tape or CD on hand that contains your most relaxing pieces of music for the most stressful situations.

4. Think of the perfect evening. Turn your mind away from any incident and on to the evening you have planned. Maybe you’re having your favourite meal or just a deep relaxing bath. Even if you haven’t made any plans, turn your attention towards a relaxing event and make time for it as a form of reward.

5. Ignore it! Assuming that the driver who has been the subject of your displeasure is really turning their anger towards someone else is a good step to consider. Simply thinking of it as someone else’s issue can help the anger subside.

6. Look at your driving. It certainly is worth considering your own driving at this point to see if there is anything you’ve done to enrage another driver. If you’re honest, you’ll know if you’ve made an error so just keep it in mind. If it’s a common issue with your style of driving, then you must address it.

7. Move over. If you have an aggressive driver tailgating you then maybe the most sensible thing is to let them by. It certainly makes you calmer when the driver is off your back.

8. Drive defensively at all times. Avoid aggressive driving, as it will only take you into situations where road rage can become an issue.

9. Don’t make eye contact. This is arguably the worst move you can make in any situation. If you are the victim of road rage then eye contact will only enrage the other driver but if you are struggling to stay calm yourself, eye contact will only serve to stir those feelings of anger even further.

10. Keep your distance. If you feel yourself becoming impatient, hang back from other users and don’t be tempted to tailgate. Simply maintaining your own space can lead to calmer, safer driving.