by Davijai

In this weks article, we will discuss the Scales of Idiotism I developed, examples and tips on scoring drivers, the purpose of the scales, and how to use the scales to your advantage. Many times I have heard someone be called an idiot or moron while out on the road. There is a reason for this. People have already had a scale in their mind that they have not been aware of. This scale just puts it into context for the casual driver.

The scales are actually three separate scales:

The 3 point Moron Scale.
The 5 point Idiot Scale.
The 3 point Rude Scale.

Now having three separate scales could be a bit intimidating in trying to remember, so all three scales are combined to make the 11 point Idiotism Scale. The lowest score on this scale is Moron point 1 while Rude point 3 is the highest. These will be helpful in knowing what to do when you encounter these driving idiots.

Let's look at a breakdown of the scales and see some examples of each:

The Moron Scale is used to score people who make genuine mistakes. These mistakes should not be life threatening and should not cause accidents.

Moron point 1:
This is the lowest score you could get. It is a minor mistake that could have been preventable:
Example: A person driving while on a cell phone, or leaving the turn signal on while not making a turn for several miles.

Moron point 2:
This score should be assigned to the mistakes that are less common and more preventable.
Example: Slamming on the brakes at the last minute because the light turned red.

Moron point 3:
This is the highest score a moron could get without being an idiot. It is a mistake for which there is no excuse.
Example: Drifting off into the next lane coming close to another vehicle.

The Idiot Scale is used to score people who perform purposeful actions that could result in an accident.

Idiot point 1:
This is a move that the idiot usually makes at the last minute.
Example: His lane ends and he gets stuck trying to merge because he waited for the last minute.

Idiot point 2:
This is assigned to a move that comes close to causing an accident or has the potential for .a disaster.
Example: Turning right from the left lane.

Idiot point 3:
This is scored for people who have caused (or have come close to causing) minor accidents.
Example: Rear-ending another because they are on the cell phone or having to swerve at the last minute because they were on the cell phone.

Idiot point 4:
This point is given to an idiot whose move has the potential to cause a major accident.
Example: Stopping in the middle of the freeway.

Idiot point 5:
This point should be given to any idiot who performs any of the prior mentioned moves - in front of a cop.
Example: Not necessary

The Rude Scale is used to determine how rude a driver is as it pertains to you.

Rude point 1:
This move is a minor move that is irritating or annoying.
Example: You're turning right out of a parking lot onto a street that has a light just to your right. The rude jerk pulls up in front of you, preventing you from pulling out and forcing you to wait until all the cars have gone.

Rude point 2:
This move is usually a pre-cursor to road rage. They are extremely dangerous moves that involve using your vehicle as a weapon.
Example: Tailgating or cutting you off.

Rude point 3:
The road rage. Any act of violence that happens outside of the car can be interpreted as road rage.
Example: The jerk pulls up next to you at the stop light and begins to harass you. Another example is the jerk begins to follow you and makes it noticeable.

From these scales, we can determine how we should act and react. For example, we never give ground to a jerk who scores a Rude point 3, because it’s just dangerous. Likewise, we would not do anything to a driver who scores Moron point 1, because it is a very minor mistake and we all make those.

In the next article, we will look at some techniques that we can utilize to respond to such actions in order to prevent us from becoming the jerk with a Rude point 3!