"Duel" was a made-for-TV movie about a traveling salesman who incurred the wrath of a truck driver. Dennis Weaver was the stodgy Plymouth driver and just about the only character in the movie who had any lines. And he spoke most of them when he was alone in his car.
"Duel," which premiered in November 1971, is road rage writ large. The screenplay was adapted by Richard Matheson from his short story and the movie was directed by Steven Spielberg. I remember being in a state of high anxiety when I watched it, even with commercial breaks.
The term "road rage" didn't appear in print until 1984, interestingly enough in a Los Angeles Times story about a truck driver who went after a car whose driver had cut him off. It was slow to catch on as a description of driver behavior but we all know it now.
I find myself wondering if cruise control is much of a contributing factor in people driving angry. On my commute this morning, some guy in a van got so close to my bumper, I was convinced he was going to ram me. I was going the speed limit (65), driving in the right-hand lane and wondering what was going to save me. It was a terrifying few seconds until he lurched out in search of other bumpers.
"Duel," which premiered in November 1971, is road rage writ large. The screenplay was adapted by Richard Matheson from his short story and the movie was directed by Steven Spielberg. I remember being in a state of high anxiety when I watched it, even with commercial breaks.
The term "road rage" didn't appear in print until 1984, interestingly enough in a Los Angeles Times story about a truck driver who went after a car whose driver had cut him off. It was slow to catch on as a description of driver behavior but we all know it now.
I find myself wondering if cruise control is much of a contributing factor in people driving angry. On my commute this morning, some guy in a van got so close to my bumper, I was convinced he was going to ram me. I was going the speed limit (65), driving in the right-hand lane and wondering what was going to save me. It was a terrifying few seconds until he lurched out in search of other bumpers.