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Comment by _Wintermute | Hacker News Reader

> the inconvenience of having to yield to a pedestrian was some kind of trigger

I've experienced this in the UK as well using a zebra crossing. A driver decided to accelerate at me and then slam on the brakes as late as possible, then lean out the window to swear and tell me to get out the way.

It definitely seems like extremely aggressive driving has become more common over the last few years. Not sure if it's just driving or the general attitude of people due to covid, inflation etc causing people to have shorter fuses.

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My pet theory is lot of people overextended themselves due to easy financing[0] and are perpetually frustrated when driving due to the insatisfaction of getting very little of what they imagined. They are just commuting like everyone else but with an additional big bad financial decision. Pedestrians, bicycles, other drivers, everything then become an instant scapegoat for their frustration.

[0]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-02-14/new-car-p...

> Pedestrians, bicycles, other drivers, everything then become an instant scapegoat for their frustration

Yeah, but if you yell at other drivers, they don't hear you so you can do it safely.

If you yell (possibly with open window) to pedestrian/biker they hear you and "take harm" (however small it is).

Another "priviledge" od being in car. Total isolation, including isolation from consequences of your own dick moves.

The very social situation of being canned box is reason for so much frustration of drivers. When you're on bike/feet you behave much better usually.

It sounds like a variety of road rage which is an interesting psychological phenomena.

There is something about that act of driving and the environment of a drivers seat that breeds maladaptive emotional responses. I think it's partly being alone and disconnected from other road users that generates runaway sense of entitlement and cooking off emotionally without any regulating social factors.

I think that both driving and internet use have a common de-socialisation effect fuelling similar negative behaviours.

The same thing happened to me recently! I had the walk indicator lit, crossing in a cross walk, someone comes speeding up to me and stopped and yelled at me to "get my ass out of the road." Someone else drove up on the sidewalk and almost hit me -- they were on their phone when it happened. People are nuts.

One time a guy had to brake real hard as he almost ran a red light as I was crossing, he beeped at my and i told him to f himself, he drove the car around the block and assaulted me.

I am sorry that happened to You.

That sucks. I've had sorta-similar experiences, but I've probably provoked them...

If I have the right-of-way,e.g., stop sign AND I'm in the street when the automobile is 3/4 of the block away and they still try blowing through the intersection with me being in front of them...

I either grab as high [front of the vehicle] as I can if I'm getting run-over, or, if a near-miss, I park one of my heavy boots into the side of their car (not recommended, I tend to dent it but I get tossed to the ground by their velocity).

I live in Seattle, Belltown specifically, for 20 years, and spend much time in Pike Place Market [0]. I've worn a long black coat for the past 40 years; and this stuff only happens during daylight.

The people who "circle around" to confront are rare.

In those situations I behave calmly, explain what is going on, and most of the the time, we walk away.

Now to atone... I do not put up with this in my neighborhood. I am lucky that I call an Attorney. Instead of seeing another "blah foo blah person...getting harassed by a "bum" I find either a compassionate human who figures-it-out or a dick-w that wants to punch me out.

Just massive sense of entitlement, either bred by spoiling children, or by abuse, breeding a "might is right" mentality.

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