After driving in another state for a month, I am NOT going to fucking miss driving in the Bay Area (particularly on the stretch of 880 from Hayward to San Jose, but today's story took place on 580).
My friends and I were driving in two cars to go on a beer run (beer, barbecue, and science documentaries), and I tried to switch lanes. The guy was being an asshole and speeding up when I tried to change lanes, but I squeezed in and just made the exit. He tailgated me for the next minute, pulled up next to me, started screaming until he was red in the face, and then went to take a left, and I took a right. He then drove perpendicular across four lanes of traffic, sped up to catch me, and stopped at a red light to walk up, and started roaring at me through the passenger window that I cut him off and I needed to learn some "basic fucking safety driving". I pointed out that he had been intentionally blocking me from changing lanes, then he started yelling that I was a horrible driver and should just step out of the car.
It was at this point that he realized that, while I was trying to avoid a fight (I've done a couple martial arts for six or seven years, including muay thai; while I LOVE full contact sparring, I don't like street fights), my three friends in the other car who had pulled up next to me and weren't being quite so level-headed. He yelled some last obscenity, got back to his truck, and glared at us as he drove off.
I know I shouldn't try to understand road rage, but what. The. FUCK. I was strongly reminded of the old man who pulled a guy over and then shot him with a crossbow because he 'cut him off' or something like that. I have no idea what the hell motivates somebody to scream until they're red in the face over something that can easily be brushed off (particularly if you were doing your damndest to enable it).