road rage

This morning's papers are reporting that five young guys beat a dude to death for bumping one of their motorcycles in Delhi's usual traffic. It's not the first time I've read such a story. I recall a couple incidents where a motorist blew somebody away, Charles Bronson style, for such an offense. But this was the first time I actually had to admit some mixed feelings. Along with the horror, outrage and fear -- de rigeur for a whiney, liberal, dimestore-psycholanalyzed git like myself -- I found myself identifying a teensy bit with the bludgeoners. Same goes for the Blueline bus killers. In a very dark, Stalinesque moment deep in my alcohol-soaked synapses, something arced over and I thought: Well, you know, sometimes people DO drive like complete assholes. This is why I have to rehang my heavy bag.