Today, I got really anxious thinking I was going to piss off the guy behind me by not moving off at a stop light fast enough. It got so bad that I had a panic attack right there in my car. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, while driving my son and his friend home, I was so frantic to pee, I was bouncing up and down in my seat. I stopped and ran into a store but it was too late. There was a line and I made it 11 seconds. I was radiating heat from the humiliation of walking past dozens of people after peeing my pants. I even apologized. FML
Today, my anxiety was so bad that when I was riding my bike on the sidewalk and two pedestrians came walking in the opposite direction, I got so nervous about having to go between them or accidentally hitting them that I fell off my bike, into a bush. FML
Today, I've only just got my license and waved someone through at a four-way stop because I was nervous. They waved back. We both kept waving while traffic built up behind us. Someone finally honked, and we both panicked and went at the same time. I stalled the car in the intersection. FML
Today, I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic for half an hour. The entire time, a man I had gone on a date with and that had gotten very out of hand with, was sitting in the car next to me. I noticed, panicked, and tried to drive off, rear-ending the car in front of me. FML
Today, I was feeling super nervous about driving because I had my first accident the day before. As I stopped at a red light, I got rear-ended. FML
Today, a stoplight turned yellow as I was approaching it. I was about to go through but saw a cop, panicked, and slammed on the brakes. I ended up in the middle of the intersection and had to reverse. Soon the light turned green, and I stepped on the gas. My car was still in reverse. FML
Today, I was driving home from work and noticed the car behind me was tailgating me pretty badly. I was starting to get angry with the driver, and kept glancing in my rear view mirror at him. While I was doing so, the traffic ahead of me stopped, and I rear-ended the car in front of me. FML
Today, while at a stop light, I was rear-ended by a car behind me. The guy got angry at me, because according to him, I should've known that his car has poor braking distance, and so I should've moved forward a few more feet to compensate. FML
Today, I spent five minutes waiting by a stop sign. The two cars in front of me were taking a long time to move, so I began beeping and getting angry. Turns out, these cars were parked and I was holding up a line of traffic. FML
Today, I was driving to work and stopped at a stop light. A full 2 or 3 seconds passed, followed by a car rear-ending me. The idiot driving it got out and gave me hell, calling me a maniac because I braked "too quickly" and didn't give him a chance to react. FML
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Top comments
Zebediabolical 45
If you get this anxious over things maybe you shouldn't be driving. It's just a matter of time until something bad happens.
niiiiick3 15
Loosen up a little OP. If people end up getting angry that easily, that's their problem.
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Comments (39)
gemstone586 12
I have lots of road rage fears that most would call irrational. I feel your pain, OP.
blackonblight 33
Stuff like this is one of the reasons I've never been behind the wheel and hope self driving cars take over before I'm forced to attempt it. Worrying about all the rules at once, about all the other drivers on the road, about anyone nearby, all those things, hell just riding as a passenger is stressful if I can't control the hyper-vigilance.
amberv61 22
Same here. I didn't get my license till I was 20. Took me forever because I didn't feel responsible enough to drive anywhere. Now that I can drive it's so much of a hassle to deal with people getting angry with you because you are doing the speed limit and not 15 over
Zebediabolical 45
I find personally that riding as a passenger is much more terrifying than driving. At least if I'm driving my safety is in my hands and I can't blame anyone else if something goes wrong.
blackonblight 33
I'd rather trust someone who has been driving longer than I've been alive. I'm 25 now and just the thought of being responsible for the safety of anyone near the murder machine an automobile has the potential of becoming is way too much for me. I have anxiety with panic attacks, plus I'm on the autism spectrum and have sensory processing oddities. I don't know if I'm really medically safe to drive even if I wanted to.
NodakN8V 25
I feel unproductive if I haven't pissed anyone off in a day
Badabam_fml 14
OP could have had a bad day/week at work and felt perfectly fine beforehand. Small things can push people over the edge into a panic attack if they're stressed enough, even though they may feel fine. Also, we have no evidence panic attacks are a regular occurance for OP so we can't really be asking how her managed to get his license.
goldblade84 4
I feel you OP, I have had the same anxiety in the past, I've even had a guy chase me because I cut him off (even though I was right to do so)... Jerks on the road will be jerks, however... While you should adapt how you drive depending on where you are (e.g. driving in NYC, people are very jumpy off the line, and the short merging lanes in various parts of NYC requires you to floor it), you should never allow other drivers (particularly ones behind you) to force you to drive out of your comfort zone. Just remember to be polite and consistent... I drive fast, but I don't drive aggressive... (As in, I'll definitely pass you, but I won't scare you to do it) And I really appreciate those on the road who are polite, and consistent in their driving. If the guy behind you is trying to pass, let him... blocking people just adds to road rage. Don't make sudden moves, commit to your moves, and be consistent in your driving style. This allows me to better judge what you're doing and makes it much safer for everyone who wants to pass or just follow you. If you've ever seen street racers in your rear view mirror, you should not quickly change lanes to let them pass... slow down to a set speed, give them space and let them work around you. Because chances are, by the time you notice them, they're already behind you... and two vehicles shifting around each other at very different speeds is a lot more dangerous than one guy passing you. Best of luck!
lastunusedname 11
If you have such a serious problem, then get off the road dickmunch.
lauraacurtiss 5
I think about that all the time!
ppnlvr 6
Isn't it awful how having anxiety can cause anxiety? Hang in there, you'll be okay.
wrenavery90 12
I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be driving.