I don’t easily get angry (which was not always the case – should you want more details: keep following this blog, as a future post will be on anger management), but some things can cause a small internal eruption of the human equivalent of lava. One of them is linked to a specific situation in traffic. Or rather a collection of cases whereby a healthy dose of courteous behaviour is best practice: in traffic jams, when a pedestrian wants to cross the street (with no zebra crossing nearby), when a car wants to leave a parking during heavy traffic, to name only a few examples.

Usually giving way then doesn’t really have a big impact on your own travel time (statistically, half the time a car leaving a parking lot will go into the opposite direction than the one you are traveling in), so usually I give way even when I don’t have to. The response of the other driver is then what potentially triggers the negativity – or rather the lack of response. If I am being courteous, I want some form of recognition. A wave of the hand, signaling with lights, a nod, whatever – anything except no reaction at all.

So today’s suggestion to slightly improve the world: if you ever are given way in such a traffic situation, make sure the other driver is aware that you appreciate this – as the other driver could be me.