I would like to bring up an issue that most drivers are guilty of, and probably would rather not talk about. It's a clear fact that when someone is NOT going fast enough, most of you think you can just abruptly swing around them, driving into their lane as you pass to somehow distract them or run them off the road, and then cut close in front of them without using your directional, place your hand on your rear view mirror as to convey a message that you are watching them, and/or give them an obscene gesture. I'd like to know WHY an obedient driver doing absolutely nothing wrong should have to tolerate being yelled at, cursed at, and offended by reckless driving maneuvers - and don't give me that CAMPING IN THE LEFT LANE CRAP because this obedient driver is driving well fast enough in any lane, left, middle, or right when it happens and doesn't have to cruise at death speed to be left alone. We do a lot of driving and whether in a company vehicle or our own vehicle we get treated like a target for everyone's frustrations. They drive around us like they want to kill us. There's no reason for this behavior. There is no excuse to drive violently, speed, fail to use directionals, and distract others with obscene gestures. You may be in a rush, maybe you're not enjoying the car you pay so much for, or maybe you just have a fear of sharing the road with other users. But that gives you no right to possess criminal intent behavior towards biased vehicles, older vehicles, and professional, obedient drivers doing nothing to bother you!
Explain if you can, why you think you can just run someone off the road, fight with them because they weren't driving fast enough, cut in front of them, and then make up a false complaint to authorities that they started with you just to cover your own ass? It's quite common that people who are in the wrong are the ones who make the most trouble for the good ones! We're just minding our own business. To all you wrong doers and aggressive drivers who think nothing of distracting a good driver or running them off the road, don't think you can just lie about a person to get them off the road. We keep a camera on our dashboard to capture all that is done to us, and we show authorities so that they get the whole story!!!!!
We will never be falsely accused of anything again!
It's all about biased attitudes and we don't need our life put at risk because most of you cannot accept particular vehicles you share the road with. The highways are not for the adventurous only, they are for normal easy drivers also. Maybe you should learn how to calm down and enjoy yourself. Giving us the finger, and pulling stunning maneuvers on us is not going to make you feel any better. Actually it makes you look like a total jerk beating on your car!!!!!

I whole-heartedly agree with you, Mr. Proud. All too often, the more visible vehicles (i.e., commercial vehicles with some sort of writing or special paint job denoting them as being somehow different from civilian vehicles) seem to get targetted a lot by frustrated motorists. They especially like to call up phone numbers posted on the commercial vehicle and complain, even when they're doing nothing wrong (granted, there are some commercial drivers out there who drive unprofessionally, but they're a minority on the roads I drive). Having a phone number and a business name written on a vehicle acts like some sort of invitation for errant motorists who have nothing better to do than harrass professional drivers (sometimes all it takes is for the motorist to have been previously cut-off by a different commercial driver to feel the need to complain about all the other commercial drivers).

The only advice I can offer (in general to all professional drivers, not to you specifically) is to try to not be very visible. Stay with the flow of traffic and try to stay clear of aggressive drivers. If you are confronted, just let off on the gas and let them go on ahead. If there are others behind you, they will understand especially if they see a visible confrontation from the offending motorist. If you have regular occurances on a particular route, perhaps it's also time to let the appropriate authorities know (whether it be the highway patrol or county sheriff) about your frequent encounters on that route with aggressive motorists. The authorities really are concerned about highway safety, and will show up if problems are regularly reported.

I'm glad you keep a camera with you. This is the best tool for modern-day driving on our highways, where confrontations occur especially without troopers to witness them.

Good message there. And keep up the good work, our country's economy relies on the commercial drivers on our roads to keep it going.

Thanks, Daily Commuter....
It was a pleasure to see that finally a normal person with a clear view responded on this wonderful website.
I will take your advice.
God Bless!

my wife and i are both over the road drivers.we had someone call in on us saying we were driving in excess of 90 miles an hour in los angeles. i have no idea who or why ,but fortunatley our trucks are governed at 65 ,and no matter how hard you press on the pedal it wont go any fastetr.my company told us about it only because they wanted us to know that someone was mad at us or something.2 years ago we started using a camera that records 24/7 on the dash board its getting so dangerous to drive in LA now that i cant imagine driving without one. ive lost count of the people that have forced me to make panic stops when they force there car in front of me, inches off my bumper, only to slam there brakes on in order to make the exit without hitting the car that was already in front of me.I dont know how much longer i can allow my wife to be exposed to this danger. ive been at it for 21 years and my wife for 12.but the time to change occupations is drawing near.if the aggresive yuppies in la dont kill us it will be the over privilaged kids in dallas ft worth driving high power muscle cars that do us in.rant over ,,,,thanks

If you're affraid of getting ticketed for excessive speed... stay out of the left lane!
Stay off the cell phone and turn off the DVD player... road safety is more important than keeping your snot-nosed brood entertained.

What seems excessive to you (due to lack of driving skills or vehicle ability) may be a non-event for others.

To Proud2baPro; After being navy for 10 years( In which I saw different attitudes about driving in many different countries) I drove tractor trailers of different types for 7 years (I quit to go back to shool). I agree with your being tired of violently aggressive drivers (of course there is a "but"), but I found that since I was a professional driver I was more accountable than any of the non-commercial drivers. I also have been one to approach someone in the left lane and hope that they would move over. It was totally within their rights to stay there, but we are talking civility aren't we. How much does it cost to move over and drive in the right lane. Yes I know, it's your right. Again "we're talking civility". There will be "many more" (as I'm sure there were times already) times when you will depend on the kindness of someone else who is within their rights to not move or yield and you will hope that they will yield to you out of courtesy. I have yielded to many and have had even more yeild to help me. As I have learned in marraige; Yes you may be technically correct but will that be your consolation if things go poorly. I have many times been in my right to stand my ground and not move over, or not slow to let someone merge into "my" lane, or whatever, but it would have been little comfort as I stood on the side of the road in 20 degree weather explaining my rightness to a state trooper on a Friday night when I was trying to get home for my 2 days off with my family. I'm not trying to belittle you, but we seem to suffer passive/agressive tendensies. Which is another form of aggression. It's simply hidden behind a facade of frustrated but waning tolerance for "all these other mean aggressive drivers".I believe we are a little too self absorbed in this country and don't take into account; There may be circumstances for that persons seemingly insane behavior. We never know. Just thought I'd throw that in. I don't know if any one looks at this any more, but if anyone does please consider what I have said. It can't hurt in the long run.

Here's something to add to the above -

In many areas there is a difference between the speed limit on the sign and the one that police enforce. Sometimes this is for practical reasons. In other words, improved road quality and vehicle quality mean that a higher speed is reasonable, especially in some areas. So, the police, being practical folk, don't strictly enforce the limit.

It's frustrating and aggravating then, when individuals take it upon themselves to enforce the limit by not moving over when it's obviously easy to do so.

It's all about sharing the road, and cooperating with other roads users in a reasonable way.