Welcome
      to
      The
      Jungle
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      How
      to
      hen
      if
      You're
      a
      Road
      Warrior
     
     
      ~
      by
      Julie
      VEINOT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      stereotypical.
      Canadian
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nice,
      polite,
      and
      always
      ready
      to
      help.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Except
      for
      when
      they've
      got
      .
     
     
      3,000-pounds
      of
      steel
      at
      their
      beck-
     
     
      and-call.
     
    

    
     
      Recent
      polls
      iazout
      road
      rage
     
     
      isn't
      limited
      to
      other
      provinces;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Maritimers
      are
      just
      as
      apt
      to
      engage
      in
      *
     
    
   
   
    
     
      territorial
      acts
      on
      the
      road
      as
      someone
     
    

    
     
      from
      bigger
      provinces
      and
      cities,
      mak-
     
     
      ing
      University
      Avenue
      (or
      the
      parking
     
    

    
     
      lots
      at
      UPEI)
      a
      likely
      place
      to
      witness
     
    

    
     
      or
      deliver
      some
      form
      of
      road
      rage.
     
    

    
     
      Not
      everyone
      can
      dismiss
      road
     
     
      rage
      as
      being
      something
      that
      only
      hap-
     
     
      pens
      to
      other
      people;
      84
      per
      cent
     
     
      admitted
      to
      one
      act
      of
      aggressive
      driv-
     
     
      ing
      in
      the
      year
      before
      a
      Canada
      Safety
     
     
      Council
      survey
      in
      the
      summer
      of
      1999.
     
     
      of
      1,022
      drivers.
      Another
      poll,
      this
     
     
      time
      by
      Leger
      Marketing,
      found
      one
      in
     
     
      five
      Canadian
      adults
      have
      been
      on
      the
     
     
      receiving
      side
      of
      road
      rage.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      20
      million
      licensed
     
     
      drivers
      in
      the
      country.
     
    

    
     
      And
      they
      share
      900,000
      kilo-
     
     
      metres
      of
      roadway.
     
     
      |
      "The
      costs
      of
      aggressive
      driv-
     
     
      ing
      are
      staggering,"
      says
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      Health
      Network.
      "Transport
      Canada
     
     
      reports
      that
      227,000
      people
      were
     
     
      injured
      in
      collisions
      and
      2,900
      were
     
     
      killed
      in
      2002.
      Road
      collisions
     
     
      account
      for
      more
      than
      90
      per
      cent
      of
     
     
      all
      transportation-related
      deaths."
     
    

    
     
      The
      release
      says
      there
      are
      three
     
     
      stages
      of
      road
      rage.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
            
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —
      Quiet
      nae
      rage
      involves
      rac-
     
     
      ing,
      competing,
      following
      too
      close,
     
     
      unsafe-lane
      changés
      and
      muttering
      to
     
     
      yourself.
     
    

    
     
      Verbal
      road
      rage
      includes
     
     
      yelling
      insults,
      swearing,
      rude
      gestur-
     
     
      ing,
      fist
      shaking,
      horn
      honking
      and
     
     
      light
      flashing.
     
    

    
     
      Epic
      road
      rage
      is
      comprised
      of
     
     
      verbal
      confrontations
      that
      can
      lead
      to
     
     
      assault,
      use
      of
      weapons
      and
      bodily
     
     
      harm
      or
      death.
      This,
      says
      the
      network,
     
     
      is
      uncommon
      on
      Canadian
      roads,
      but
     
     
      is
      most
      often
      a
      resort
      of
      young
      males
     
     
      and
      Type
      A
      personalities.
     
    

    
     
      A
      typical
      road
      warrior
      feels
     
     
      territorial
      and
      competitive,
      rationalizes
     
     
      their
      own
      aggressive
      behaviour,
      and
     
    

    
     
      -
      has
      self-righteous
      indignation
      for
      being
     
     
      wronged.
     
    

    
     
      Are
      you
      likely
      to
      be
      a
      Mad
     
     
      rager?
      Answer
      yes
      or
      no
      to
      the
      follow-
     
     
      ing
      20
      questions
      from
      the
     
     
      Transportation
      Health
      and
      Safety.
     
     
      Association
      of
      Ontario.
      The
      more
      yes
     
    

    
     
      _
      answers
      you
      rack
      up,
      the
      more
      poten-
     
     
      tial
      you
      have
      of
      getting
      into
      a
      fight
      on
     
     
      the
      road.
      Do
      you:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1.
      Mentally
      condemn
      other
      drivers?
     
     
      2.
      Verbally
      abuse
      other
      drivers
      to
     
     
      another
      passenger
      in
      your
      vehicle?
     
    

    
     
      3.
      Close
      ranks
      on
      a
      highway
      to
      deny
     
     
      another
      driver
      access
      to
      your
      lane?
     
    

    
     
      4.
      Give
      another
      driver
      non-verbal
      sig-
     
     
      nals
      (i.e.
      glare
      at
      them)
      to
      show
      them
     
     
      how
      upset
      you
      are?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      5.
      Speed
      past
      another
      car
      or
      rev
      your
      .
     
     
      engine
      as
      a
      sign
      of
      frustration?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      you
      because*you're
      mad?
      >
      Be
     
     
      7.
      Tailgate
      a
      driver
      to
      pressure
      him/her
     
     
      to
      go
      faster
      or
      get
      out
      of
      the
      way?
     
    

    
     
      8.
      Imagine
      physical
      violence
      against
      .
     
     
      another
      driver?
     
    

    
     
      9.
      Honk
      or
      yell
      at
      someone
      i
      chro
      the
     
     
      window
      to
      indicate
      displeasure?
     
    

    
     
      10.
      Make
      an
      obscene
      Bere
      at
      anoth-
     
     
      er
      driver?
     
    

    
     
      11.
      Use
      your
      vehicle
      to
      retaliate
      by
      |
     
     
      making
      sudden,
      threatening
      manoeu-
     
     
      vre?
     
    

    
     
      12.
      Pursue
      another
      car
      by
      chasing
      it
     
     
      because
      of
      a
      perceived
      provocation
      or
     
     
      insult?
      :
     
    

    
     
      13.
      Get
      out
      of
      your
      vehicle
      and
      engage
     
     
      in
      a
      verbal
      dispute?
     
    

    
     
      14.
      Carry
      a
      weapon
      in
      the
      vehicle
      in
     
     
      case
      you
      decide
      to
      use
      it
      in
      a
      driving
     
     
      altercation?
     
    

    
     
      15.
      Deliberately
      bump
      or
      ram
      another
     
     
      vehicle
      in
      anger?
     
    

    
     
      16.
      Try
      to
      run
      another
      car
      off
      the
      road
     
     
      to
      punish
      them?
      .
     
    

    
     
      17.
      Get
      out
      of
      the
      car
      and
      ascaiil
     
     
      someone
      as
      a
      result
      of
      a
      driving
      inci-
     
     
      dent?
     
    

    
     
      18.
      Try
      to
      run
      down
      someone
      whose
     
     
      actions
      angered
      you?
     
    

    
     
      19.
      Shooting
      at
      another
      car?
     
    

    
     
      20.
      Kill
      someone?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      any
      of
      these
      apply
      to
      you
      -
      especial-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ly
      those
      from
      numbers
      17
      and
      up
      -
      you
     
    
   
   
    
     
      should
      seek
      professional
      help
      and/or
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      .
      consider
      using
      one
      or
      more
      of
      the
      fol-
     
     
      6.
      Prevent
      another
      driver
      from
      passing
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lowing
      tips
      the
      Canadian
      Health
     
     
      Network
      suggests.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Plan
      your
      driving
      route
      in
      advance
      of
     
     
      hitting
      the
      road;
      poor
      driving
      can
      occur
     
     
      among
      lost
      motorists.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .-
      Keep
      personal
      or
      work-related
      prob-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lems
      out
      of
      the
      car.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Drive
      with
      your
      windows
      up
      and
      play
     
     
      relaxing
      music
      in
      the
      background.
     
     
      (Think
      Solitudes
      over
      Born
      to
      be
      Wild
     
     
      unless
      you
      can
      control
      yourself.)
     
    

    
     
      -
      Make
      your
      vehicle
      as
      comfortable
      as
     
     
      possible.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      -
      Avoid
      eye
      contact
      with
      out
      drivers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      If
      steam
      begins
      escaping
      from
      your
     
     
      ears,
      get
      fresh
      air
      and
      breath
      slowly.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Keep.a
      safe
      space
      around
      your
      vehi-
     
     
      cle.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Don't
      tail-gate,
      cut
      people
      off
      or
      com-
     
     
      pete
      with
      them
      for
      the
      road.
     
     
      -
      Give-angry
      drivers
      lots
      of
      room.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Drive
      in
      a
      courteous
      manner:
      yield
     
     
      the
      right
      of
      way
      and
      give
      the
      benefit
      of
     
     
      the
      doubt.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Don't
      take
      bad
      driving
      behaviour
      per-
     
     
      sonally.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Avoid
      honking
      your
      horn
      unless
      nec-
     
     
      essary
      and
      then,
      only
      tap
      it
      lightly
      -
      no
     
     
      laying
      on
      it
      for
      two
      minutes.
      Ditto
      for
     
     
      the
      middle
      finger.
     
    

    
     
      -
      If
      you
      are
      being
      threatened,
      don't
     
     
      drive
      home
      but
      to
      a
      public
      place
      or
     
     
      police
      station.
      If
      you
      have
      a
      cell
     
     
      phone,
      call
      for
      help.