Oct 9, 2013 3 min read

Why is it that Christmas brings out the worst in some people, among them hostile shoppers and overly aggressive drivers?

You’d think that with Christmas now only nine days away (assuming you are reading this today, and not Sunday when you might routinely sort newspapers for the recycling bin), adults would start behaving themselves.

I mean, we expect the little kiddos to behave and mind their manners, or Santa Claus might skip their chimney. But, no, the stores are full of harried, pushy, ill-mannered adults whose fondest Christmas wish seems to somehow be first in line at every checkout counter in the entire mall.

And then there are the motorists who are so aggressive that they even give road rage a bad name. Now, you have to admit, that’s aggressive.

You know who I’m talking about: red-faced horn honkers, tailgaters, headlight flashers, lane-changers, cussers, yellers, one-finger wavers. Yeah, them, not us. We wouldn’t do that, would we?

Surveys show (geez, that sounds like what the host of the “Family Feud” TV show says) that men are more likely than women motorists to respond aggressively to public displays of bad road manners in the days leading up to Christmas on streets leading to malls and shops. Of course, women top the supermarket category, but we’re talking cars here, not grocery carts.

Young drivers (18-24) are more than twice as likely to be more aggressive than us oldies (60 and up). And get this, drivers with children in the car have been found to be more aggressive than those without kids hanging on for dear life in their car seats.

Cell phone users? Yep, them, too. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is allowed to get in the way of a good phone conversation.

I’ve got some tips for you that could increase you chances of surviving the seemingly endless holiday traffic rush hours.

For example, if you can’t do your grocery shopping, say, between midnight and 5 a.m., try putting everyone in your household on a strict, pre-holiday diet. (Or, slow down on the way to the supermarket; Shop ‘n Save won’t run out of food, no matter what your stomach says.)

Try not to hold up traffic if you can help it. (Hint: Every five miles, minimum, check to see if you turned off the left turn signal. Also, unless you’re a NASCAR driver, get the heck out of the passing lane once in a while.)

Don’t follow the car ahead so closely as to be able to read the other guy’s odometer. (Remember: Tailgating is for Steelers games.)

And, for heaven’s, sake, behave yourself out there. Santa is watching.