why montreal drivers are so rude

something about driving in montreal seems to unleash the beast within. well, at least that's true for me. fictitious case in point:

passenger: hey ange, so what's been going on?
ange: i've just been relaxing lately, and...HEY!! what the HECK, that loser just CUT ME OFF!! well i'm just going to have to tailgate him now! (Honks horn and speeds up)how do you like THAT, LOSER?! (Turns on high beams despite the fact that its broad daylight.) HA! regains compusure Ahem, so yeah, I was thinking of doing some reading this weekend. I wanted to try out this recipe I found for cookies. And maybe rent a movie. I was thinking a drama or a romantic comedy. I hate violent movies.
passenger: (lets go of handle above door) um...i see...

I think there is a complex interplay of different factors that can turn normally calm, rational and demure people into vengeful, snarling road warriors. 2 1/2 hours on the road each day, 1 hour of which is spent sitting in traffic, has allowed me to see the ugliest side of montreal driving (not counting taxi drivers). For starters, our road system doesn't help. When you have less than 5 seconds to merge in without getting yourself killed lest you wind up back onto the street you just came off of, it can make you a little uptight. The lack of warning about lanes abruptly ending and exits for major thoroughfares is either a cruel test of your sight and driving ability by the Quebec government or its meant to scare tourists and new drivers. Then there is just the general state of disrepair of our highways. Even the roads in China are better. You know something's got to be wrong when there's more pothole than asphalt. And when you drive downtown, there's the wayward pedestrian randomly wandering into intersections seemingly without a care in the world. So you see, it becomes a sort of a strange dance. Change lane. Swerve to avoid the pothole. Honk at the pedestrian. Merge left before the lane ends without warning. Swerve to avoid another pothole and the stray dog that just fell in. Gesture angrily at another pedestrian for making you miss your light.

And so it continues, a vicious cycle in which motorists became more and more hardened. Unfortunately its happened to me. There are many mornings when in the span of one minute I start off as that jerk that cuts into a lane at the very last minute to avoid sitting in more traffic to being that person who refuses to let said jerk into the lane because he/she chose to do it at last possible second. Now I also know some of you guys cover your eyes during a car ride and suddenly stop talking when I have to change lanes or make an exit. I'm terribly sorry if I scare you but one must do what one needs to in order to get somewhere. And if I got a dollar for everytime I've almost met my Maker because some idiot decided NOT to check his/her blindspot before changing lanes, I'd have amassed quite a bit of wealth by now.

sigh. if i only i owned a helicopter.