A Blonde A Brunette and a Mic
Look forward to time with these two women who have life experience and something to say! Join us each week as we dive into topics that may be raw, unfiltered, funny and even a little controversial. Whatever we discuss will give you our perspective, get you thinking and will keep you coming back for more!
A Blonde A Brunette and a Mic
Season 2 Episode 99 Get the hell out of my way! Road Rage...
Ever found yourself gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly as holiday traffic ramps up? Michele and Julee share their relatable experiences of navigating Seattle's notoriously congested streets, where friendly faces often morph into aggressive drivers misusing bus lanes. As the festive season approaches, there's an urgency to maintain composure and spread kindness, even amidst the chaos of impatient honking and merging woes. Listen in as they weave their personal tales with insights into combating road rage, offering a fresh perspective on how small gestures of generosity can make commuting a more pleasant experience for everyone.
Balancing humor and insight, we tackle the psychological triggers of road rage, emphasizing the stark contrasts between small-town tranquility and big-city bustle. Stress and impatience often fuel these aggressive encounters, particularly during the holiday season when tensions are high. Tune in for practical commuting tips, from savoring podcasts and classical music to keeping snacks and energy drinks on hand. As the air fills with the joy of Christmas tunes, we're reminded of the power of patience and how small acts of kindness can transform not just our journeys but also our days.
Hey everybody. This is Michelle and this is Julie. Welcome to a blonde, a brunette and a mic podcast. What is our podcast all about you?
Speaker 2:ask Well, we're 250 something.
Speaker 1:Women with life experience, and oh bloody to say which is exactly what we're gonna do right now.
Speaker 2:Hey, hey, Michelle.
Speaker 1:Hey Jules, how's it going? It's good, yeah, yeah, it's Tuesday and I am making my way through this week, no problem.
Speaker 2:Making your way through the week and it's only Tuesday, are you?
Speaker 1:really thinking that way. I am, I am.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm making my way through the week too. I had to force myself to go to the gym today. Force, force, force. Because I really wanted to go have like a French dip instead.
Speaker 1:Oh, but you didn't do that. No, I went to the gym.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because Mary bailed on me when I got her nails done, so I'm like she's making me go to the gym. There you go. Yeah, but I didn't get angry about it.
Speaker 1:Well, that's good. Because, if you're hungry and you're driving, you just might be hangry, which might cause a little bit of road rage.
Speaker 2:So that's our topic today people. That's it. As we go into the holidays and we see so many things happening on the freeways or at the stoplights and stuff, we thought this might be a really good opportunity to talk to you guys and just say, hey, it's time to chill, we can chill.
Speaker 1:Well, outside of that road rage in Washington, and, I must say, probably more so the Seattle area, it's a thing.
Speaker 2:Did you know that road rage in Washington is? We have some of the highest road rage incidents in the country, which seems so odd to me because we're so nice?
Speaker 1:No, that doesn't seem odd to me at all, really. Here's the thing, okay, when I'm in Julie's car, riding with Julie, so you have to know she's just like due to do. She's not a road rage type person. She never seems like she's in too big of a hurry to get anywhere. She'll let the person behind you go beep, beep to kind of give her a little nudge to move along. I wave at them. Yeah, she's just.
Speaker 2:And you know they're going, bitch, get out of the way.
Speaker 1:That's like that Ludacris song Get out of the way. Get out of the way.
Speaker 2:Because I know that's what they're saying, or just like they're doing this in the window.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:That's probably why you're surprised.
Speaker 2:Now yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying I'm a road rage person, but I just I do. There are times where the irritation really kicks in and you know you could say it's because of stupid drivers and all that. But I think with all the traffic we have here, in general, no matter where you go. It used to be traffic would start at like 2.30 in the afternoon on I-5. And now it doesn't matter when you're going anywhere unless it's like five in the morning on a Saturday.
Speaker 2:Well, we're waterlocked. Well, going into the city, we're waterlocked. But I got to tell you it was like I was out north today, so 20 miles north of where we live, and, coming on I-5 South, hit the gym, got out of the gym it was 430 and get on the freeway and I look and it's literally a parking lot yeah, literally. And I'm just like what the hell? There's no accidents, nothing. And so you see people trying to like skirt the little lights you know where you're supposed to sit at the light and monitor traffic going and they're just like nope, I'm pretending I have another person in my car going through the carpool lane.
Speaker 1:And so here's the thing too, I drive 522. Those of you that live in the Seattle area you know what 522 is. It's that, that lake. It goes through right next to Lake Washington, yeah, essentially. And you go through Kenmore and Lake City Way and Lake Forest Park and Bothell it's like you hit and then you end up in Woodville right. So there's a bus lane and people. That's literally for buses only, and in the morning the traffic really stacks up.
Speaker 1:So what people will do is they get over into that bus lane and they go past all the traffic and then go back in and, I'll be honest, it irritates me Because I'm following the rules and so I'm like, oh yeah, go ahead, just go ahead. And I do talk to drivers, I do, I do that.
Speaker 2:I talked like you were saying, you put your hand up like in front of the rearview mirror, if they let you in, so then they can see that even if your windows are darkened. I do that. I mean, yeah, that's what you're saying.
Speaker 1:Well, I just mean, like I talk negatively to drivers as they're doing, that I talk to them like they can hear me and I know they can't, but at the same time I am that person that will wave and give a thank you. I even say it out loud. I'm like thank you Like they can hear me.
Speaker 1:I used to say that to my kids all the time I'm like, do you think they heard me? But yeah, because that's the nice thing to do If I let somebody in front of me even though nobody else is letting them in, and I let them in. I do expect to have a little hand wave like thank you. And when people don't do that. It irritates me.
Speaker 2:Well, it makes you go. Why am I letting them in, Is it?
Speaker 1:wrong that that irritates me? No, I Well, it makes you go. Why am I letting them in? Is it wrong that that irritates me? No, I just think it's a nice thing to do. It's just like common courtesy gesture to the drivers around you, and then people don't get irritated and upset.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I would have to say that I I'm not a road rage person, but when there has been an opportunity like someone has cut me off or they're just being jerks or whatever I find that the F bomb comes very, very easily to my tongue. Yeah, car, I am not doing that. Like I said in a couple episodes ago, we were talking about going down. I went down to this Mariners game and I sat in this traffic forever and I just needed to get like five car lengths to get over to the next.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's like I did everything the way a nice person would do it, and the guy just looked at me. He didn't F bomb me, he didn't do anything, he goes. No, I, I mean I even tried to be charming, and it didn't work no, he was setting his boundaries yeah, those boundaries were kind of redonkulous. I was just like whatever dude, fine, but I'll let you in if you need to go, but anyway.
Speaker 1:So that is our um, that's our topic today so sharing some like obviously disturbing stories within ourselves, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So let's talk about, like, maybe the kind of road rage that we've run across. Have you seen like really aggressive stuff? Because in Washington there's been a lot of these I-5 corridor road rage, incidents with guns there's been several in the last few months and I don't really look at our area as being, like, you know, washington DC kind of a thing where you hear about like all the crime and all that kind of stuff. It's just not like that here. So I'm just don't know why.
Speaker 1:It is, though, julie.
Speaker 2:No, it's not that bad. It's really not that bad. It is no.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is. It's just our population's smaller. No see, you just got to get outside of shoreline. No, I meant population in the state is smaller. But I'm just saying that as far as crime goes, just look at the news on things that happen further south Auburn, Kent, Federal Way, Tacoma.
Speaker 2:You know what? Stop saying bad things about our area because people are going to, it's not bad. No shade to all of you people down in King County.
Speaker 1:It's just, there's a lot of shit happening down there.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:It's not safe. So we live in our little bubble up here and it's not even that, because you know they found a body in the trunk of a car like not two miles from here. When did that happen? A couple months ago.
Speaker 2:Oh, geez, Well, the gym over here that I like to go to it's on the like, I don't know that. I not the I-5 corridor, the Aurora corridor, which is kind of like this. It was the freeway back until the freeway.
Speaker 1:You make Aurora sound so fancy the Aurora corridor. It's not fancy, it's Aurora people.
Speaker 2:We're going to do an episode on some of this trafficking stuff because it is unbelievable some of the things that we see. But anyway, there's been shootings, there's a lot of drug activity, there's a lot of prostitution.
Speaker 1:So then people are carrying guns in their car back to the road rage? Yeah, it's definitely. Well, I have a coworker who last year I think it was it might have even been two years ago now, but it wasn't that long the last year or two there was a road rage incident down in renton. The guy got out of his car and came and shot in the car and he had his uh like 10 year old with him and they got killed and that got, you know, he got shot in the face.
Speaker 1:Though. He got shot in the face mid-afternoon like they were doing the whole road rage thing and dude got out of his car to stop light, shot through the car and off he went.
Speaker 2:I mean I kind of been feeling like maybe that's like we've got people that have a lot of anger management issues. I mean, I don't feel like I have anger management issues, but I could really get unhinged if someone pissed me off and I'm pretty easygoing. But all it takes is some stupid person who cuts you off, flips you off, whatever and you're just like really people and all of a sudden all your common sense goes out the window.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's when they're outwardly being obnoxious, Like you know, if they're like tailgating you if you're driving the speed limit and they're all up on your ass and things like that that are that.
Speaker 1:That's where I don't, I don't engage when people are, you know, it's like they're trying to pick a fight with you in your vehicle, Right, and I just ignore them. I don't look, I look straight ahead. I just you know, you can just tell when it's happening and just choose to ignore because, to your point, too many people have guns now and it's just like not even something to mess with. I had.
Speaker 2:I was oh, I was just thinking about this is a couple of weeks ago on the freeway and while I was getting off the freeway and this guy had been tailgating me. And so, just like you just brought that up had been tailgating me, we get. Just like you just brought that up had been tailgating me, we get off the freeway.
Speaker 2:And we're in like these turn lanes and I am in the left turn lane, he's in the right one, so he pulls right up next to me Because obviously I wasn't making, he wasn't too happy with me, and he starts revving his engine like that. You know, like I'm gonna race him or something. I mean, my car is cute but it's probably not gonna go as fast as your. Whatever you have you know. So anyway, I just pretended like I didn't even see him and thank god, the windows in my car the one I had before are completely all darked out, so you can't I mean, when people do shit like that, it truly, it really can be quite disheartening, like you know, unsettling, I guess, unsettling Well, and especially they can follow you home.
Speaker 2:These are all the things you kind of have to think about. So I would say that road rage in general, especially this time of the year, is probably more prevalent because we have people with more stressful situations going on. You know, money might be tight, we've got Christmas shopping, we've got, you know, activities and events and all this other stuff that's going on. So you have to kind of really take those things into an account when you're, when you're on the road, because you don't want to be put in a situation where you're going to be defending yourself right, you know what are some of the psychological factors that might pertain to some of these things, some of the things that, like we were talking about, stress, impatience, what about?
Speaker 2:like they've got kids in the car that are screaming? Right, you know they're late for work or late for something you know, so they're driving a little more erratically.
Speaker 1:As a pan of water, just like boiling over. You know just, you get to this point where it can't be contained. Right and people? Yeah, like you said, you just never know what people are going through. And yes when people are late and you do have kids in the car and there's like a baby crying, just like so many different things. Work can be stressful. Everything changes. Everything in life is just stressful.
Speaker 2:Well, I would say we talked a little bit before about traffic and I think that's the one thing, especially if I've got to be somewhere, I just I. It's kind of like when you go to the grocery store and you try to choose the shortest line and it ends up being the longest line to. The other day I was at Trader Joe's and I I got in the line that had one cart. Everybody else is lined up like out the door, and I was like screw it, I'm getting behind the lady with a huge cart and I ended up getting out of there before other people. I was kind of surprised. Anyway, total side note, I forgot where I was going with that.
Speaker 2:Oh, congestion, traffic congestion. So one thing that I try to do when I know, like when I used to drive home from downtown out, you know, to milk, is like 25 miles. It could be anywhere from an hour to an hour and 20 minutes. I mean sometimes on really bad days, like an hour and 40 minutes and I was in my car. Same thing on the way in and I would take that time to listen to music. Obviously I would talk on the phone because I had hands free, but now people have podcasts. And it's funny because with the commuting, whether it's in your car, whether it's on a bus or light rail, you know, like we have light rail, you have it's kind of like your time to listen to a lot of these things that you wouldn't necessarily take the time to do otherwise. So I have found that I am exploring other, like podcasts and things of different, different genres. You know I'm really into the true crime, so I like listening to some of those.
Speaker 1:Check out a Blonde Brunette and a Mike podcast. I don't know if you've ever listened to that.
Speaker 2:You know what I have heard? That podcast, and those girls are hilariously funny.
Speaker 1:But back to the music. My son drives for Amazon, he is on delivery driver and he recently I noticed the music in my car would always be set to classical.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And he listens to classical music all day while he's driving. Because I asked him why, because I was surprised and his reason was because of the stressful driving conditions, because he drives in Seattle and it just keeps it all calmer. When we went to Usher and we popped in the Uber, right, and what was the guy listening to Classical music? Yeah, because it kind of grounds you, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I am not opposed to that at all. I think that's actually, because I mean I'll pop in my regular stuff. You know, I get through. You know how I am. I get kind of crazy on certain artists and then I'll just play them, and play them, and play them. But I'm trying to hear new things or bring in some old stuff, you know.
Speaker 1:But I try to stay away, as you know from the news.
Speaker 2:I'm not really listening to the news or anything, so I'm trying to see other things and I'm in my car a lot, so there's something to be said for having a plan and having snacks. Snacks are good in the car.
Speaker 1:Yep, yep, something, yep. So if you're feeling a little bit hungry, you have something to snack on. I think those are all great, great ideas. So if you find your commute to be somewhat stressful, think of things to have in the car to alleviate that, one of which would be food.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Snacks Energy drink. You know if it's going to be later when you're sleepy. Energy drink. You know if it's going to be later when you're sleepy, just for that, that bewitching hour after three o'clock, when you're hungry and you're tired?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I always get these little bags of nuts from. Trader Joe's and I keep those in my car and then I have those because if I get hungry then I'll snack on that, or you know, you can't really keep I I mean, it's not cold unless you have like a cooler or something in your car but which I used to do because it was like I was living in my car a lot of the time, so I'd have all my little snacks when I was really focused on eating well, healthy.
Speaker 1:Now I just won't eat anything till I get home, so it's maybe not the best but of course now everybody should be listening to Christmas music, Because it just brings you nothing. But you know.
Speaker 2:You were listening to it before Christmas, long before the Christmas season.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little bit before, which a couple of weeks actually, yeah, before.
Speaker 2:My friend Dawn Dawn Kleese Clay. She starts listening to it in freaking October. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa she's harsh, this is the Disney Clay. She starts listening to it in freaking October Whoa, whoa, whoa whoa, this is the Disney adult.
Speaker 1:She's a.
Speaker 2:Disney adult. Yeah, she's one of those. She's hardcore, but she will not apologize. She will tell you nope, this is what I'm doing. I'm doing it, I'm listening to it and I'm like. She's always in a good mood, though, so there's that, yeah, well, there you go, yeah.
Speaker 2:So just some takeaways, you guys, knowing that we're going to be dealing with parking lots at the malls and you're going to be sharking for parking spots and people are going to take them, and you have to just take a deep breath and go. It's not the end of the world. I mean, obviously it'd be assertive when you need to be, but it's not the end of the world. It's a stupid parking spot. There's gonna be another one, there'll be plenty. It's a mall, you know. But I'm really trying to step away from just getting angry about stuff because it just it doesn't help you in any way.
Speaker 1:Today, do something intentional every single day. Today, I let somebody go in front of me so they could turn right at the light, even though they had the longest time to try and get over, instead of waiting till the last minute and passing all the traffic, which irritates me every single morning in this one particular place. But I was like, go ahead. I ushered them in in front of me and said go ahead and turn the corner, even though you should have done it a long time ago.
Speaker 2:But yeah, do something know I know you're an asshole that has been kind of scaling this line right next to the exit only line and you're gonna sneak right in there up ahead of me. I know that's gonna happen, but you know what? It's one car I may not. Do you ever notice like in, when you're on the, on those exit lanes or whatever? People just like they don't. They just have no idea. They have no peripheral vision whatsoever, none, they don't. It's like, oh my gosh, I didn't realize there's someone right neck.
Speaker 2:Oh, I didn't know they wanted to get in, my gosh, so my bad yeah I know, and that's when you kind of put your little nose in and you know kind of wave, put the nose in a little further. Wave some more, let them flip you off. Wave some more.
Speaker 1:I'm a very observant driver, though. I pay attention, like when I go to work. I know which lane I need to be in, I know which one moves because of people turning or that are going to turn, I know where the backups get. I don't know that everybody is. I'm not saying I'm an amazing driver, but I just don't know that all drivers are as aware and pay as much attention, you know.
Speaker 2:I think it's commuting too, and and like the airport, like that's a whole nother topic. But like when you get to the airport and going through the security lines and waiting, and waiting and waiting, which is something I really have a hard time with. Anyway, I've just call me entitled, I don't care, but I just I don't like to wait, so I'll be the girl that pays the extra money to go in the carpool lane by myself.
Speaker 2:I will, so I'm not waiting anyway, so those are the takeaways that I have. Do you have any for people?
Speaker 1:Just to do something intentionally nice every day when it comes to somebody on the road to do something intentionally nice every day when it comes to somebody on the road, whatever that might be, and get your little list of things that you're going to prepare yourself for in the car, whether it's what podcast you're going to listen to, what music you're going to listen to nice music, not heavy metal that will put you in a road rage. That might relax some people Heavy metal, it might.
Speaker 2:It doesn't relax me.
Speaker 1:It doesn't relax me.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Snacks, podcasts and music. I think those are three good takeaways and doing something intentionally nice every day.
Speaker 2:And you can talk on the phone as long as you have Bluetooth.
Speaker 1:Hands free, everybody Hands free yeah.
Speaker 2:So, Michelle, we're out on the socials, aren't we?
Speaker 1:We are out on the socials, aren't we? We are out on the socials and thank you, everybody for the downloads. Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and go to YouTube. We're on the YouTube. Now You're going to be able to watch our episodes.
Speaker 2:We're out there we're on the YouTube.
Speaker 1:The YouTube Go. Check us out on the YouTube. The YouTube Go check us out on the YouTube. We are out there.
Speaker 2:Anyway, we are out there and we appreciate everybody listening and we're just doing some just a short little silly one today, because we thought you know what People just need to chill out a little bit. Road rage is not silly. Well, people can be silly and they can be mean and they can be very, very difficult. Just do it when you get home. Do it when you get home. All right, on that note, thanks again, guys, and we'll chat with you next week. Peace out, bye.