me Battalion
Aggielife
Page 3 • Tuesday, March 2, 1999
Garm
Inconsiderate drivers create difficulties for motorists
BY STEPHEN WELLS
The Battalion
S ee Dick and Jane. See Dick and Jane drive down the lane.
See inconsiderate Aggie try to make a left turn from the right
lane across three busy lanes of traffic because they decide
they might want to eat a sandwich instead of a pizza. See Dick
lean on the horn and, for further elaboration, display a gesture
of hostility.
Dick expressing road rage has become a commonplace oc
currence in every country industrialized enough to have incon
siderate drivers inconveniencing others.
Students at Texas A&M, inexperienced as drivers and cursed
with a confusing system of disappearing lanes and random
curbs, are prime candidates.
Road rage is a recent term used to describe the feeling of
anger all motorists have occasionally felt since the first time
another driver tailgated them with their high beams turned
on.
Sgt. Ernie Montoya, head of the College Station Crime
Prevention Unit, said the words “road rage” describe a
collective exasperation felt by motorists during rush
hour.
“Road rage is a term people are becoming more
conscious of these days, and I first heard it only a
year ago,” Montoya said. “It’s kind of a buzzword
for the feeling of being stuck in traffic and the
frustration you feel for not being able to get out
of traffic.”
Students may not be as objective as the dic
tionary when defining road rage. Mat Merter,
a sophomore physics major, said the defini
tion of road rage is a subjective one.
“I don’t know why I get so mad when I’m
out on the road; I just get that way,” Merter
said. “When someone drives slower than you,
they’re an idiot. When someone drives faster
than you, they’re crazy.”
Students who must commute to get to
school face early morning traffic both on and
off campus.
Carmen Morgan, a junior business admin
istration major, said getting to campus is half the challenge of sur
viving a day at school.
“The streets are bad enough around campus and on the way to
campus,” Morgan said. “But when you actually get on to campus I
think people lose their mind. I hate it when other drivers do 30 miles
an hour through a parking lot and barely miss you, and when you
add bicycles and people walking who don’t even look for you, it
can get you stressed really fast.”
The easy alternative to going into a spittle-emitting, semi-homi-
cidal rant is simply to avoid the areas where traffic is likely to be
heaviest. College Station residents can sidestep the clogged traffic
artery, Texas Avenue, a number of ways.
“On Texas Avenue there are at least two streets running parallel
to it at all time,” Montoya said. “There’s Cavitt Avenue, which is a
much smaller road and probably has fewer cars on it at any time of
the day. On the other side of University is College Avenue, which is
a good alternative until it runs into the Texas A&M campus. For
some people, 29th Street is a good option, depending on where
they’re going.”
Inventive road warriors are finding some unique ways to get back
at others in traffic.
“I get road rage so bad I put a PA in my car to yell at people who
cut me off when I’m driving,” Merter said. “I just connected it to
my CD player and ran a cable up under my hood. I thought it would
be cool to have to just mess around with my friends, but it comes
in handy when I need to gripe at somebody on the road.”
One responsible way to vent about inconsiderate drivers is to
call the police department and tell them about the offending road
hog.
“We get descriptions all the time of people who are driving irre
sponsibly,” Montoya said. “People will call us and say ‘he cut me
off,’ or ‘he’s cutting through traffic.’ I would encourage people to
call in and report things like that. Get the license plate number.” To
report a poor driver, call the College Station Police Department at
361-3888.
Those who are easily provoked should be aware of the possible
consequences of their actions before attempting revenge on a fel
low commuter.
“Just be conscious that you’ve got a lot to lose if you lose your
temper on the road,” Montoya said. “You risk getting into a wreck
and damaging your car or getting a traffic citation. Don’t get mad
at the other guy. If he wants the road that bad, give it to him.”
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SUBTLE HAZING:
SUBTLE HAZING s the most difficult to detect
because these actions are often accepted standards of conduct.
They result in behaviors that ridicule or humiliate the individual.
Subtle hazing includes but is not limited to:
♦ Requiring the carrying of items such as rocks, helmets, and
paddles
♦ Demanding personal servitude that is demeaning
♦ Requiring new or younger members to use separate entrances
♦ Intentionally creating a mess for selected members to clean
4 Requiring degrading, uncomfortable, ridiculous, or
embarrassing dress
4 Assigning pranks such as stealing and vandalism
JUST BECAUSE AN ACTIVITY DOES NOT
SEEM WRONG DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.
Before you or your organization decides upon an activity that
affects another student ask yourself, “Does this activity promote
human worth and value and the educational experience?” If the
answer is “NO,”
DON’T RISK IT.
iTo report hazing, contact one of the following offices:
The Department of Student Life
Student Conflict Resolution Services:
Call 847-7272 to report any incidents of hazing.
The Department of Student Activities:
Call 845-1133 to report hazing involving members
of a recognized student organization.
This advertisement is brought to you by Student Conflict Resolution Services-the Department of
Student Life, within the Division of Student Affairs.
The Office of the Commandant:
Call 458-1341 to report hazing involving
members of the Corps of Cadets.
University Police Department:
Call 845-2345 to report any incidents of
hazing.