ROAD RAGE A SIGN OF THE TIMES?
Suspects flee the scene in a BMW after a road rage incident in which a woman was dragged from her vehicle and attacked. Some link the rise in road rage to the economic downturn.
The drivers sit in bumper-tobumper traffic, some seething, most frustrated. Then, a young woman gets out of her car and starts to sing and dance, soon to be joined by fellow motorists, their traffic troubles suddenly forgotten.
If you think that sounds more like a Hollywood film than real life, you’re right. It’s the opening sequence of the new blockbuster La La Land, a musical that’s been praised for giving moviegoers a delightful two-hour escape from reality.
Sadly, life on Calgary roads these days is a massive departure from the lighthearted, hopeful film. Over the past two weeks, the city saw a record six road rage incidents that went far beyond the usual flipped bird or shaking fist.
On Dec. 8, two men in a BMW used a hockey stick to assault a Calgary driver in front of her nine-year-old daughter. On Dec. 13, a father and son were charged after running another driver off the road, then pulling him out of his vehicle and assaulting him.
Last Saturday saw two shocking incidents, one where the driver of a Pontiac Trans Am shot out the rear window of a truck with what is believed to be a BB gun, while a woman was chased up Deerfoot Trail by another man in a BMW, with the Calgary police HAWCS helicopter giving chase.
If the wave of motorists behaving badly has you shaking your head, Sgt. Paul Stacey is right there with you. “I’ve certainly seen my share of road rage over the years,” says the 28-year Calgary police force veteran, “but not this concentrated a number over such a short period of time.”
During the holiday season, one might hope to see a little more goodwill towards all men and women than at other times of the year.
Stacey, though, thinks the timing of this has more to do with living through one of the worst economic downturns this city has seen in decades.
Recent hard evidence on the current mood of Calgarians backs up his anecdotal observation. Domestic violence calls to police are up 17 per cent this year over last year, domestic assaults involving weapons are up a staggering 70 per cent.
Robbie Babins-Wagner has had a front seat to the growing malaise.
“We’re seeing an increase in all areas where people are vulnerable,” says Babins-Wagner, CEO of Calgary Counselling Centre. Along with a sharp increase in working poor and the unemployed needing help, BabinsWagner says questionnaires gauging people’s overall distress are recording levels she’s never seen before.
Which brings Stacey to offering some sage advice. That driver that cut you off earlier? Well, there’s a better than normal chance these days they’re driving a stolen car. “They don’t care about side-swiping your vehicle,” he cautions. “They don’t care about the vehicle they’re driving.”
Still, even an otherwise lawabiding citizen might become enraged beyond reason if you give in to the temptation to offer them the middle finger or a fist shake after they cut you off in traffic. “No. 1, be patient and don’t engage,” says Stacey. “You might find yourself having an encounter you don’t want.”
If you are being followed and feel under threat, Stacey says it’s legal to use your cellphone when driving.
“Calling 911 in a real emergency is an exception,” he says. “You don’t have to pull over.”
Drive your vehicle to the nearest police station, fire station or busy lit area, like a shopping mall parking lot.
“Beep your horn, get people’s attention,” he says.
It’s a strategy Stacey follows every day when off duty. When he’s working, though, Stacey gets to realize the fantasy of the rest of us hounded by road rage drivers. “I pulled four people over today on my way to appointments,” he says.
“When I’m at work, I don’t have to let anything go. That’s a good recruiting tool.”
No. 1, be patient and don’t engage. You might find yourself having an encounter you don’t want.