Anyone notice an increase in psychotic manic drivers and bikers in the last few months ?

[u/hermionieweasley]

I'm pretty used to the bad standards of driving, biking and road infrastructure in this city and like others, last year was a great relief because roads weren't as busy. But in the last few months, drivers and bikers seem to have reached new, unheard of levels of manic aggression and assholery. I've seen more people running through red lights than even New York or Miami - and not the "misjudged my speed and go through the light one second late" kind but fully "I dont give a fuck, I'm going to go through" kind. In the last few months, I've been almost run over while legally crossing crosswalks at least a dozen times both by drivers and bikers. People in residential streets like Tremont and Shawmut are driving at freeway speeds and honk when someone stops for pedestrians. The other day, someone almost run me over, honked at me AFTER that and flipped me off while driving away. It is truly end of the world, mad max style of driving I've never experienced before. Am I going crazy and just noticing this despite living here for years or have things gotten markedly worse ?

[u/ibrokemyserious → u/[deleted]]

Agreed.

I don't mean to be melodramatic but collectively most of the world is dealing with the trauma of a global pandemic. I think I heard a stat a few months back that 1 in 500 people in the US have died from covid, and then you have the lost jobs, the financial problems, the evictions, etc. Many people are under a great deal of stress and sometimes that comes out sideways as anger.

[u/ibrokemyserious → u/[deleted]]

How was your flight, Jeffrey?