Rhode Rage: To the Woman Who Could've Killed Me and My Child

Vanessa Martin

To the lovely woman taking a left out of the gas station across from Twice Told Tales and Kneeland Street in Pawtuxet Village:

You were turning left and looking right, you went to pull out in front of the person in the left lane. I was heading away from the village in the right lane. You didn't look and almost pulled into me. I slammed on my brakes and then pulled around you. Rather than being a decent person, or even a normal person you turned into some screaming banshee and flipped me and my child who was in the backseat off. 

In return, ​I gave you a thumbs up -- because you are clearly doing a great job! I continued down Broad Street towards Park Avenue, and you cut the person off in the left lane, pulling a pretty illegal U-turn in the middle of Broad Street.

I was going the speed limit, as it was 8:20 AM, and there were kids everywhere on their way to school. SO, you sped up behind me -- beeping and almost hitting me. So, I pulled over, because I was not going to drive any faster... then you took a right and sped off. 

I'm curious...

Are you okay? Do you need help?

Did you wake up to find your life more miserable than yesterday?

Because I can't understand why you would behave in such an irrational, unsafe, and insane manor.

But I do thank you for giving me the opportunity to educate my child on road rage -- and how to not feed the fire -- or behave. You could have killed someone. You weren't looking and were clearly in a rush, but if you were in such a rush why follow me? Why follow me anyway? What were you trying to accomplish?

If you read this, which I hope you do, take a minute to evaluate the situation:
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1. A car was driving down the road, that car had the right of way. 
2. You were exiting a parking lot -- in a hurry. You didn't look, and  sped out into traffic, blowing through the marked stop area
3. Rather than realizing your mistake, you turned  around completely and chased after the car that you knew was travelling the speed limit, had the right of way, and had a young child in the backseat. 

What the F*** is wrong with you?!

Be a better person. Be a more cautious driver.

Thank you for scaring the absolute s*** out of me and my child before school. Pay attention next time! Aside from almost causing a head-on collision, you were aggressively driving through a neighborhood full of children on their way to school. 

Sincerely,
The woman cautiously driving the little red car that you chased down the road. 

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