Daily Lessons from Life 06 October 2013 - Road Rages by Me?

Thought I reflect on my personal experience of 'Road Rage' this afternoon! Was driving back after visiting someone in Changi General Hospital and a male, 50+, driver in Jaguar was furiously making all sorts of obscent gestures when his car and mine stopped at the traffic lights junction near Bedok Simpang. He was obviously very very angry at me and kept point his 'up' finger and making other variation of rude gestures at me. I honestly was amuzed at how the driver has totally lost control of himself with his wild gesticulation and constant mouthing of something that I could not hear as I did not bothered to wind down my window to have a conversation with him. I am a bit surprise that I DID NOT reacted strongly to the rude gestures but instead looked at him through the windows and, bad idea, encouraging him to continue. It was my bad here! Should not have goaded him on. Just that it is very funny, ok, not so funny, to see a grown man who obviously has achieved some material successes since he can afford a Jaguar, going totally out of control at, assuming I did something that irritated him while driving, which I am totally oblivious of. What could have triggered this outburst? On reflection, I should have done the following: 1. wind down the window, after 'controlling my own emotion' through deep breathing and asked him: did I do something that he is very angry about?; 2. listen to his explanation and politely say: 'I am sorry.'; 3. wind up the window and move on after the traffic lights turned 'Green'. That you have it, a reflection on how to handle 'road rage'. p/s: the driver DID move on when the traffic light turned 'Green' though he tried to cut into my path and almost knocked an innocent motor-cyclist who happened to be on the same road! I am glad that no one gets hurt. It shows again that when EMOTION RUNS High, rationality has NO CHANCE to succeed!