Good old fashioned beat down.

I'm driving home in my neighborhood. It's a typical Seattle street where the streets are very narrow and if there are cars parked on both sides of the street only one car can pass which means someone has to pull over. People are usually polite about it and figure out how to give each other right of way.

So I'm in my car  two blocks from home I'm two thirds of the way down one of these narrow blocks and I can see a huge SUV come bombing down the hill, he rounds the corner onto the street I'm on and basically charges at me. He's not looking, he's not stopping and this forces me to pull over or he's going to hit me. Mind you, I have to back up to pull over into an empty space in front of a driveway.

Now I'm not proud of this next bit. My grandfather used to have a really bad temper when he drove and he'd constantly curse when he was driving. If he remembered there were kids in the car, he'd yell something like "get a horse." but often he would just curse a blue streak. My dad was much better he'd just make a horn sign with his fingers and almost jokingly give the guy what we'd call the horns; it was meant to be a kind of joking curse.

I guess my granpa rubbed off on me. I'm generally easy going, but if I feel like someone's breaking the rules or taking advantage of me when I'm driving I can curse. I've gotten a lot better about it, especially being diagnosed with high blood pressure it's something I've worked very hard to control for my health. My meditation also helps.

But this was pretty blatant, I was tired from work, it was my Friday and I just wanted to get home. This made me really really mad and I yelled "Fuck You." Ooops. It was only when he stomped on his breaks that I realized both our windows were open.

He stops, his window square with mine but two feet higher because he's a little man in a big truck. "What's your problem buddy?"

At this point I realize what I've done, I'm embarassed and sense a little danger here.  . I try to be very calm but firm. "You're driving really aggressively."

He looks at me, face red, veins popping on his forehead, he has a puffy mean face and he says "Hey bud. You're the one who cursed."

"Yeah, I did and I shouldn't have," I say flatly."But I had the right of way on this street and you forced me off the road."

"I LIVE here." he says, as though that gives him some right to drive like he's the king of the road.

When I say "me too". Something set's him off and his eyes turn to slits. He starts to make a big show of taking off his seat belt and says "When was the last time you got a gold old fashioned beat down?"

At this point there are 2 cars behind him, one behind me and an entire playground full of parents and kids a block away. Not to mention, that he's extremely overweight and doesn't look like he's ever had a fight.
The idea of two grown men pummeling each other over this is so absurd to me  I acutally laugh  and say  "Are you really going to beat me up in front of all these witnesses?"

He looks at me and makes a huge show of putting his seat belt back on, narrows his eyes and the dismissively  says."I haven't got time for you buddy. I haven't got time for you." and drives off.

Now granted I shouldn't have cursed.;it's still something I'm working on. But what possesses a grown man who presumably is responsible enough to live in a nice part of town and own a big expensive car to not only drive like an aggressive jerk but to think it's okay to solve a problem with threats and beat downs? I can honestly say I don't drive like that. I was taught defensive driving by a kindly older man named Mr Rowbottom. I gice way when need, I make eye contact and wave when road conditions are confusing, And I certainly have never threatened anyone with a "beat down" because they made me mad.