Why americans need to know more aboot Canada

[thetreble 19]

haha It is really okay! I have really gotten used to it and I'm sure Nevada has too. Although I will say that South Jersey people are a little nicer than North Jersey people.

It took me a very long time to adjust to it and it really can take a lot out of you. I remember in the fall when I was driving home from work on a Friday...

If you live in Jersey you know that Friday from May-October is a complete waste of time. You spend more itme on the road then at work because every one is going down the shore.

I was stuck in traffic and this guy was angry at me...Yes, I admit, I didn't see him creeping up on me and I ended up cutting him off.

Well, he had a young boy in the car and the man continued to blow kisses at me for MILES. He kept up with my vehicle and actually started a traffic jam just so that he could make me know I was wrong and I was wrong because I was a woman...and that blowing kisses at me was like a "oh its okay little girl, you can't drive but it;s okay..." I couldn't get away from him and felt totally attacked! There was no way for me to go..and I'm surprised he didn't follow me home.

But he had a son...and the son was watching it...

Again, that is my reality so maybe when your reality changes, you lash out in different ways.

[SpiritAlight 1]

I'm feeling anxious now....after reading latest posts.

Took shower...will make coffee and get on with business.

Your experience(s) sound too much to bear for any human being....on a day to day basis theTreble.

I wonder how much responsibility we all can take for how things are...for where we are...in our lives and in our cities and in our world.

We can totally control (kind of) only ourselves.

And so when the bleepin'-bleeps beep their horns for the sky being blue, I wave in their general direction and say an emphatic "Hello!"

I am usually on foot when this is happening.

I thought Chicago would win first prize for cars (people) beeping.

I have shared this attitude with Chicagoans and now more people are yelling out "Hello!" when someone beeps.

This is my way of coping.

I think about where I am miserable in my life and am taking steps to rectify that.

Baby steps and leaps...

All I know for sure is this:

I can get "ulcers" and feel immobilized from stress and anxiety.

Living in this stinky, noisy, bitterly-cold city has made my mental and physical health suffer.

I have dealt with it in all ways.

Some healthy and some not-so-healthy.

I need to go.

And so...I am getting ready to.

Transition. Huge transitions this year.

Boy have we ever hijacked this thread.

Apologies to the OP.

[Danu 19]

Thats horrible! Some people can be so dumb. Once driving home on the 401 from Ottawa there was this guy who would drive up beside a card, wave until you acknowledged him, then speed like a bat out of hell up to the next car and do the same thing. We caught up to him about 15 min later, he was on the side of the road talking to the officer that pulled him over. Its too bad there was no cops around for you to do the same thing to the creepy man, thank god he didn't follow you home though!

[Krikit 1,165]

Thats horrible! Some people can be so dumb. Once driving home on the 401 from Ottawa there was this guy who would drive up beside a card, wave until you acknowledged him, then speed like a bat out of hell up to the next car and do the same thing. We caught up to him about 15 min later, he was on the side of the road talking to the officer that pulled him over. Its too bad there was no cops around for you to do the same thing to the creepy man, thank god he didn't follow you home though!

[Sprailenes 47]

Someone got shot in the face on the Schuylkill in front of their daughter because they decided to give another driver the finger.

This can happen anywhere.

Just last weekend my husband gave this guy the finger and the guy started getting close to our car, and all I could do was sit there and freak out because my son was in the back seat. The man in the other car basically became a road bully after my husband gave him the finger. Driving insanely close to us, driving up right beside us etc.

We stopped at a red light and I was expecting the man to get out of his car. I was ready to open my door and get out with my son and let my husband deal with it on his own. My son comes first.. always.

My husband had no right to give the guy the finger, just because the guy wouldn't let my husband in his lane... that's no reason to give someone the finger imo.

Ahh the Jersey mentality. Gotta love it.

I grew up in a crappy area of Toronto though. I kind of learned how to deal with insane people early on in my life.

[trailmix 77]

Someone got shot in the face on the Schuylkill in front of their daughter because they decided to give another driver the finger.

This can happen anywhere.

Just last weekend my husband gave this guy the finger and the guy started getting close to our car, and all I could do was sit there and freak out because my son was in the back seat. The man in the other car basically became a road bully after my husband gave him the finger. Driving insanely close to us, driving up right beside us etc.

We stopped at a red light and I was expecting the man to get out of his car. I was ready to open my door and get out with my son and let my husband deal with it on his own. My son comes first.. always.

My husband had no right to give the guy the finger, just because the guy wouldn't let my husband in his lane... that's no reason to give someone the finger imo.

Ahh the Jersey mentality. Gotta love it.

I grew up in a crappy area of Toronto though. I kind of learned how to deal with insane people early on in my life.

Yeah, whenever my Husband seems like he is getting aggressive on the road I say 'they might have a gun' - which is kooky I know

My ex once pulled in behind someone who had given him the finger and got out of the car and punched the guys door (because he had wisely locked it). He dented the vehicle.

[Sprailenes 47]

Its not kooky, I think the exact same thing.

[Danu 19]

Road rage is so stupid. I mean, I will curse at the other people but refrain from giving people the finger because you never know if they are going to follow you home and hurt you, or shoot at you. Scary times we live in. I just wish people would just learn to be more courtious. Is it really going to hurt you or make you late if you let in that one person to get around an accident? Do you really have to rush to be the first one at a red light? *sigh*

[Krikit 1,165]

I had a long term relationship with this guy named Tom who was really well built and so could be pretty intimidating when he wanted to be. Anyway, one day he was sitting at an advance green but hadn't gone through it because he had come up to it too late. So this guy on the motorcycle behind him starts honking his horn like Tom had purposely screwed up his life. So Tom gets out of the car with the intention of getting in the other guy's face about it but, fortunately, rethought his decision on his walk over. The other guy looked absolutely terrified as Tom came towards him. Instead of beating him to a pulp he reached over, removed the keys from the ignition, and threw them as far as he could into the bushes on the other side of the road.

I think creative approaches yield the best results.

[Sprailenes 47]

Yea see my husband isn't built, he wouldn't know what to do if someone confronted him.

I have had to stick up for him and I'm the woman!

[thetreble 19]

Its too bad there was no cops around for you to do the same thing to the creepy man, thank god he didn't follow you home though!

We have no shortage of cops, I guess none were there for me that day...although I'm sure they wouldn't have cared. We have too many bigger problems in our state for a cop to be concerned with me.

[Emancipation 2]

Yeah, whenever my Husband seems like he is getting aggressive on the road I say 'they might have a gun' - which is kooky I know

I say this to hubby too.. i actually say.. you might get away with this in Canada.. but here in the US where everyone has a gun.. it's SOOOO not cool

[Sprailenes 47]

I guess this little story can go in this thread..

So today at work I was telling one of my coworkers that before meeting Mike, I didn't really know anything about NJ. She kind of gave me that "#######" look... umm should have I known more about Jersey? I mean, I knew where it was and that Atlantic City was here, but other than that, I had no idea about it. She just seemed kind of offended, and thought that I should have known MORE about New Jersey. But prior to meeting my husband I never really heard of the place too much.

She asked me: "How do you not know!?"

So I looked at her and said: "Well... what's the capital of Ontario?"

and she replied with: "How the hell should I know?"

So I smiled and said: "Exaaactly"

Just wanted to share my funny work story.

[Danu 19]

I guess this little story can go in this thread..

So today at work I was telling one of my coworkers that before meeting Mike, I didn't really know anything about NJ. She kind of gave me that "#######" look... umm should have I known more about Jersey? I mean, I knew where it was and that Atlantic City was here, but other than that, I had no idea about it. She just seemed kind of offended, and thought that I should have known MORE about New Jersey. But prior to meeting my husband I never really heard of the place too much.

She asked me: "How do you not know!?"

So I looked at her and said: "Well... what's the capital of Ontario?"

and she replied with: "How the hell should I know?"

So I smiled and said: "Exaaactly"

Just wanted to share my funny work story.

Thats awesome! I would have loved to see the look on her face.

[Sprailenes 47]

She actually smiled and acknowledged how it must have sounded to me. But it was pretty funny... I wanted to do the little: "IN YO FACE" dance but I held back... it was hard.