04-09-2026, 09:59 AM
I got a very interesting look yesterday at what road rage can do to influence other drivers. Sort of an experiment in socialization.
To set the stage, I am on the 91 freeway from Orange County to Riverside, a common back-and-forth for my delivery runs. It's a very wide main artery, and in both directions, there are two segregated toll lanes, separated from main traffic by tightly spaced plastic poles. Periodically along the toll route, there are cameras to snap your transponder or your plate for tolling. There is a separate "3+" lane at the tolling spots, and if you are on a motorcycle or have 3 or more people in a car, you drift all the way to the left to go through this camera lane, and are not charged.
You do not slow down as you go under the tolling cameras, and just maintain your speed.
The toll lanes run at maximum speed regardless of main freeway speed, and due to the rather high tolls are open at all times. Traffic in the toll lanes can run at 80-85, but are delicious speed traps and there are plenty of hidden "launch pads" for sitting CHP cars and bikes with speed guns.
I roll down these lanes with the cruise control on the Blood Bike typically set at 79 mph, fast enough to not hold up traffic, but not too fast to attract CHP.
So... yesterday, riding along the toll lanes, not a lot of other cars using it, cruise at 79. I pass a Tacoma, going about 75 or so. A few minutes later, I pass a Corolla, also going about 75. We're all just cruising along, minding our own business. Here's where the social experiment starts.
I am coming up to a toll station, so I move to the left to go under the special 3+ toll camera. As I'm drifting back over to the right lane after the camera, still going 79, I'm nearly clipped by a Lucid Air going about 110 mph. He's matching the speed of a Range Rover going at the same 110 or so, who just went through the 3+ lane, and the Lucid is trying to block the Rover from moving back to the right as the 3+ lane is ending. They are both obviously angry with each other for whatever reason.
I'm upset with both of them of course, especially the Lucid driver who came up behind me so fast that he wasn't even in my mirror as I was moving back to the right. I maintain my 79 mph as they both disappear ahead of me, both going over 100, side-by-side. As I'm thinking to myself "Go kill yourselves, idiots", both the Tacoma and Corolla, that I had passed minutes before, both pass me, going about 85. So, the two speeding angry cars had to pass both of these other vehicles. Did they cut off these cars and make them angry enough that they want to catch up to the Lucid and Rover? Did the general anger expressed by those two cars transfer to some degree to the drivers of the Tacoma and Corolla and just mentally make them want to speed up?
As I mulled it over in my mind, a few minutes later, I came up on an even weirder scene. An old cargo van going about 60 in the left of the two toll lanes. The Lucid has now moved into the right lane and matched the slow speed of the van, so that the Rover can't pass. The Rover is weaving back and forth, furious at the Lucid for blocking his progress. The Tacoma and Corolla are tailgating everyone, also appearing to angrily weave about. I'm holding back, just watching it all unfold.
So, two angry, speeding drivers are now making everyone around them angry. The van driver is either confused or is also getting angry with everyone, and slows to about 45, with the Lucid matching that speed, effectively slowing everyone down. I'm behind everyone just musing over the whole thing. But, after a few miles of this, I decided I'd had enough, and had to be on the other side of L.A. in short order. I passed everyone up the middle and left them all to whatever it was they wanted to do to each other.
To set the stage, I am on the 91 freeway from Orange County to Riverside, a common back-and-forth for my delivery runs. It's a very wide main artery, and in both directions, there are two segregated toll lanes, separated from main traffic by tightly spaced plastic poles. Periodically along the toll route, there are cameras to snap your transponder or your plate for tolling. There is a separate "3+" lane at the tolling spots, and if you are on a motorcycle or have 3 or more people in a car, you drift all the way to the left to go through this camera lane, and are not charged.
You do not slow down as you go under the tolling cameras, and just maintain your speed.
The toll lanes run at maximum speed regardless of main freeway speed, and due to the rather high tolls are open at all times. Traffic in the toll lanes can run at 80-85, but are delicious speed traps and there are plenty of hidden "launch pads" for sitting CHP cars and bikes with speed guns.
I roll down these lanes with the cruise control on the Blood Bike typically set at 79 mph, fast enough to not hold up traffic, but not too fast to attract CHP.
So... yesterday, riding along the toll lanes, not a lot of other cars using it, cruise at 79. I pass a Tacoma, going about 75 or so. A few minutes later, I pass a Corolla, also going about 75. We're all just cruising along, minding our own business. Here's where the social experiment starts.
I am coming up to a toll station, so I move to the left to go under the special 3+ toll camera. As I'm drifting back over to the right lane after the camera, still going 79, I'm nearly clipped by a Lucid Air going about 110 mph. He's matching the speed of a Range Rover going at the same 110 or so, who just went through the 3+ lane, and the Lucid is trying to block the Rover from moving back to the right as the 3+ lane is ending. They are both obviously angry with each other for whatever reason.
I'm upset with both of them of course, especially the Lucid driver who came up behind me so fast that he wasn't even in my mirror as I was moving back to the right. I maintain my 79 mph as they both disappear ahead of me, both going over 100, side-by-side. As I'm thinking to myself "Go kill yourselves, idiots", both the Tacoma and Corolla, that I had passed minutes before, both pass me, going about 85. So, the two speeding angry cars had to pass both of these other vehicles. Did they cut off these cars and make them angry enough that they want to catch up to the Lucid and Rover? Did the general anger expressed by those two cars transfer to some degree to the drivers of the Tacoma and Corolla and just mentally make them want to speed up?
As I mulled it over in my mind, a few minutes later, I came up on an even weirder scene. An old cargo van going about 60 in the left of the two toll lanes. The Lucid has now moved into the right lane and matched the slow speed of the van, so that the Rover can't pass. The Rover is weaving back and forth, furious at the Lucid for blocking his progress. The Tacoma and Corolla are tailgating everyone, also appearing to angrily weave about. I'm holding back, just watching it all unfold.
So, two angry, speeding drivers are now making everyone around them angry. The van driver is either confused or is also getting angry with everyone, and slows to about 45, with the Lucid matching that speed, effectively slowing everyone down. I'm behind everyone just musing over the whole thing. But, after a few miles of this, I decided I'd had enough, and had to be on the other side of L.A. in short order. I passed everyone up the middle and left them all to whatever it was they wanted to do to each other.
You know what? I actually would like a pickle.
