Aggressive Driving v Defensive Driving

Is there a real difference between the two? In the past my response would have been a knee-jerk and emphatic YES!

Yet, now I'm not too sure. For me, I think I've blurred the line a wee bit.

First and foremost:

I am a SAFE and SANE driver. I don't tailgate, cut-off other drivers, hell, I even signal before I turn. I even to signal to show my intent that I'm changing lanes. I am not "asking" for permission to merge into another lane. I am constantly verifying my surroundings and marginal distances within my two dimensional space on any given road or freeway.

I drive fast. I always have. Whereas Sammy Haggar once screamed in song- "I can't drive 55", I can't merely hang at 65. The GR1FF3N can handle a comfortable cruise of 70. Sometimes when I'm not paying close attention to my velocity, GR1FF3N may fly along as fast as an occasional 80mph, but like I said that's only occasional.

I sing in the car. I yell in the car. I yell at my fellow drivers from my car.
I can't honk the GR1FF3Ns horn because it doesn't honk anymore so I flash my highs. I'm aggressive when I need to be to get around the folks with the cellphones plastered to the side of their heads. They're the ones that just can't drive the speed limit AND gab on the phone at the same time. They're the ones that are the main cause for the "slow-downs" on the freeways. Sometimes they're driving so damn s-l-o-w. That I want to get out of my car and bitch-slap them.

Road Rage Is justifiable

Some kid (defined as a person half my age and younger) cut me off on HWY 101 the other day. It would seem to him that there wasn't anything physically behind the back of his head when he decided that he had to travel from the far left lane adjacent the center divide (aka lane number One) across my path in the number 2 lane and then proceed to the exit lane. Yeah, I've seen this practiced before only not with such wanton disregard for everyone around him. Apparently the kid didn't realize that there was indeed the whole rest of his old-school vintage 60s era Mustang all located immediately behind his head. I like the fact that GR1FF3N is equipped with ABS braking or else there would've been a bit of a tangle between me and that kid, not to mention our intertwined vehicles.

I liken the freeway experience to what George Carlin had surmised a number of years ago during a show. "There ought to be different types of music for each of the traveling lanes on a freeway." The number one lane would have driving music. Beat laden riffs and wild methodic guitars. Music to sink your teeth into as you buzz by the other cars beside you. The musical genres would get real mellow by the time you're in the far right lane. It's called the slow lane for a reason and slow music would be most welcomed there. A real calming effect- "Whew, I survived another roust of the freeway". Time to mellow out for the surface streets and stoplights one is destined to encounter. The slow lane is also a ramp-up to come join the jungle. Find your niche and go with the flow.

But, no.

We all know that ain't gonna happen. There will always be those multi-taskers out there whom think that they're adept at reading maps while driving, applying make-up whilst behind the wheel or displaying erratic driving velocities when gabbing on a cellphone.

All I want is a particle cannon.

I once gave serious thought to the mechanics required to mount a laser guided paint-ball rifle onto the GR1FF3N. Some ass that is driving stupid, ought to have the world know that they're a jerked driver by the simple display of puke green paint ball remnants on they're rear window.

But, now, I'm in road-rage-justification-mode. I say just ELIMINATE them. Get them out of the gene pool, altogether. That'll teach 'em.

L.A. drivers are often maligned with they're perceived driving habits.
"OMG, there was a 15 car pile-up on the 405. They drive crazy down there!" Uh, hold on, wait a sec. It is true that South Cali drivers are all flying on the freeway doing 75, driving mere inches from the car in front of them. But they drive as a UNIT. As if Southlanders have a secret driving choreography- only known amongest themselves. Ottah and I traveled through rush hour in L.A. changed from the Ventura Freeway to the Hollywood Freeway and back onto good ol' HWY 101. Ottah was my navigator- I was the pilot. It was fun! It was amazing! It was actually enjoyable. If someone had to change lanes, on went their signal and they were able to merge into the intended lane. No one missed a beat. It was a smooth as silk transition. So unlike us Nortenos, we could learn a thing or two from the Southlanders- maybe we could do lunch and discuss it.

So Sayeth Das Behr