BATON ROUGE, LA – Louisiana drivers reacted with a mix of confusion and mild offense this week after a national report once again ranked the state as the worst in the country for road rage, with many Baton Rouge residents expressing surprise that other states believed they were even in the running.
“It’s not rage,” said one commuter while simultaneously shooting someone the bird through out the side window. “It’s situational awareness, emotional honesty, and sometimes education.” Several drivers echoed that sentiment, explaining that honking, yelling, and dramatic lane changes are simply how people communicate when traffic on I-10 and Siegen Lane reaches a complete standstill for reasons no one can explain.
Transportation experts noted that Louisiana’s roads create a unique environment where construction never ends, exits appear without warning, and speed limits are treated as suggestions. Combined with heat, humidity, and a deep suspicion that the other driver definitely did something wrong, tensions tend to escalate quickly.
State officials attempted to downplay the ranking, noting that consistency should be viewed as a form of reliability. “We don’t spike one year and disappear the next,” one source said. “We show up every time.”