This phenomenon is so well-known that Disney was making cartoons about it 75 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwPSIb3kt_4

There is some scientific backing to this. Basically by isolating ourselves in these little bubbles of death, we stop seeing the other people as people and this removes any moral/societal blockers to descending into a pit of rage and calling for the termination of their bloodline, death by inept firing squad, etc.

Commuter rail is hilarious for this. All the same people that were in orderly lines, holding doors open, giving seats to older or disabled people, and saying “oh you go first” for the last hour spend thirty seconds back in the “safety” of their white SUV and they’re acting like absolute animals to all the same strangers.

Peeps are more civil without a 1500Kg weapon at their fingertips.

Reposting (with minor edits) something I wrote in another comment a few days ago:

Cars force communication that is inherently anti-social. If someone is genuinely sitting at a light too long, you honk at them. There aren’t a lot of other good options. But even a honk sounds aggressive. You could be as polite a person as can be in any other situation, but making the completely reasonable choice to honk at them makes it sound like you’re calling their mom fat.

When this happens to me, and the guy ends up pulling into the same parking lot, I tend to avoid any other contact, even if it's just walking by.

I call my morning drive my "twenty minute hate".

My commute is 1.5hrs one way.

I experienced the reverse of this when I spent 4 years biking around Los Angeles. Road rage...gone, even when I eventually got back into the coffin on wheels. And now I just get frustrated when friends and relatives get unreasonably angry with cyclists and pedestrians.

Like I have relatives who are completely nice people until they get behind the wheel, when they become just the most angry I've ever seen them even when just driving down a calm non-busy street...it's unreal.

I have,... had, a different problem.

I like engines, I like shifting gears, I am a bit of a thrill seeker, and I love driving.

I'm mid 30's now, but when I was a kid... man, some stuff you just shouldn't incriminate yourself with. Raise hell, praise Dale.

These days I have to keep in mind that I'm not only endangering myself, I'm endangering others, so I... tend to keep a light foot.

The majority of human history has shown us that no, in fact, walking does not inherently make you kinder.

The hate is always there, it's just not provoked.

With cars, there is no space. Other people are close. Traffic shows us how we feel when our expectations are not fulfilled.

You don't really learn how to curse until you learn how to drive.

I had the extremely good fortune to move to a place where I don't need a car and I am always surprised by how quickly the hate returns when I get behind the wheel.

There would still be a lot of hate in my heart if I had to walk through crowds everyday.

While less dangerous (honestly with how people responded to covid maybe not that much less dangerous) you still have to put up with entitled idiots that arent fit to be out in public.

I'd say "you don't hate driving, you hate capitalism", but I guess that applies to mostly everything.

Absolutely the opposite for me. I am a chill driver but get very frustrated when trying to walk through busy places. I still like when I can take a non-car option, though

That said, my "very frustrated" at no point ever rises to the level of the road-rage that is all too common amongst drivers

Its sorta annoying because the car culture is so engrained. I had a job prospect in a burb that was not easy by transit but I could swing it with by doing bike and commuting on the reverse (away from downtown) train line. My brother had a folder and since its possible you can be denied bike access and I need it on the other side of the trip to I asked if I can borrow. No he was hoping to use it to teach his kid to bike but he said hey I can borrow his car. Im pretty sure he is just trying to fix my bad decision on how to do things.

Am I the only one who hate-walks? Obviously my hate is directed at drivers.

Nah. The hate of other people never leaves my body. When driving it's the dumbasses that don't use their blinkers. While walking, it's the people that stay far enough from the wall in order to occupy the most space while staying close enough that you don't fit between the douchebag and the wall.

Unless you can see others driving. In which case you'll probably see or hear them doing rude or psychotic behavior. Or at least that's how it is here

Nah. Assholes will be assholes regardless of their mode of transportation. The car/bike is an instrument and a conduit that helps express one's assholeishness, but that state of mind exists even on foot where it gets even more up close and personal.