Are You Judgemental on the Road?
A commentary on how the cars we drive affect our perception and attitude toward others on the road
For the past few days, I’ve been driving around town in a nondescript — or should I say decrepit looking — 25-year old Nissan, just for the heck of it. It has been my project car, bought for the purpose of being as an alternate car for bringing the kids to school.
The car has comfortable interiors, but the exterior is a bit dated — faded white paint with some peeling paint, a few dents, and a noisy “free flow” exhaust, which made me look (and feel?) like a hormone-driven 18-year old driving his first beater car.
The car itself cost me only around US$700 — an amount just a bit higher than the monthly amortization most pay for our SUVs. Won’t mind too much if it got scratched or dented. It was something that actually ran well, can be cheaply and easily maintained (even DIY), and was reliable or even high-performing. I would rather have that than a dressed-up used car that only looked good on the outside. I’d rather have a sleeper than a ricer.
One thing I noticed while driving the old car was that I get less respect on the road than when I drive my SUV. Drivers would get impatient when I’m slow and honk their horns. Many don’t stop at intersections even when I had the right of way. I even get discriminating looks from the cashiers at the drive-through windows.
Or is it just my perception?
Which begs the question. When driving our SUV, do we feel high-and-mighty in our high driving position and expensive tech? Do we become judgemental of other motorists on the road? Does everyone else automatically become a bad driver or rider? Are we automatically superior to those with cheaper, smaller, or older cars?
Respect begets respect. I think that if we become more respectful on the road, the world will become a better place. Even if it’s a tired jeepney driver plying his daily route, a bus driver trying to earn their daily profit, a cyclist coming home from their minimum-wage job, a pedestrian looking for their next UV Express ride, or middle-aged guy in an old Nissan — everyone deserves respect for their space, right of way, and person.
Yes, even the a**hole driver we sometimes encounter on the road — maybe they’re just having a bad day.
In fact, there’s news of a conviction and prison term due to road rage, just recently.
Don’t be a courteous, respectful, and mindful driver just because there are dashcams and CCTVs around. Make it automatic. Even if you’ve been stuck in three-hour traffic, or even if you’ve been cut, or even if other cars don’t want to give way after you’ve engaged your turn signal.
What do you think? Have you had your experience of bullying or discrimination on the road because of your ride? Have you been on the other side — discriminating against other motorists? (I admit to having been at fault one time or another, but I promise to be more mindful in the future.)
*Author’s note: This article was originally posted on a car club Facebook page. Since some members wanted to share the article, I decided to put up an edited version here on my blog.
