One does not expect Alamo to be the scene of public violence in the evening, or any other time for that matter. Yet a middle-aged man was beaten up the week before last near Rotten Robbie gas station by two teens, apparently after the man confronted them for cutting him off in traffic. The injuries were bad enough that the man had to be transported by an ambulance to the hospital.
The lesson to be learned from this incident is not to stay away from Alamo after dark; the lesson is to not take it personally when someone does something stupid in traffic that affects you. Alamo Sheriff’s Deputy Elmer Glasser pointed out that it is important to remember that not everything done by foolish people while driving is aimed at you. The only way out of a bad situation on the road is to keep calm and realize that the aggressive behavior probably had nothing to do with you so don’t take it personally.
Glasser also noted that aggressive driving is usually what triggers road rage and causes car accidents. If you are not the aggressive driver, then you must remain cool because an accident can affect the innocent as well as the perpetrators. It’s easy for tempers to flare over perceived insults on the highway or at the stupidity of some drivers. Road rage may also be exacerbated by the annoyance of more traffic on the roads, a long day at the office, or other frustrations in our daily lives. But road rage doesn’t get you anywhere good – it landed one man in the hospital.
In the evening, one expects Alamo to be a tranquil scene, people returning home for an evening with their loved ones or perhaps heading out to socialize. Drivers must ignore those who cut them off or otherwise drive aggressively. They have nothing to gain by reacting. •
