CROSSROADS OF ANGER Tensions and Conflicts in Traffic

Abstract

This article focuses on drivers involved in various modes of personal transport in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and describes their interactions and conflicts, often resulting in verbal or nonverbal expressions of anger. Using various approaches, ranging from semi-structured interviews to “participant driving,” it describes in great detail a small part of traffic infrastructure, that is, a crossroads in the city centre, which is a daily meeting point for thousands of people and their vehicles. Through an analysis of driving habits and reflections on daily language and media, the article sheds light on some key questions, which have, so far, only briefly been discussed by anthropologists: How do people habituate their driving? How do they comprehend vehicles as an indispensable part of their identity? And how do they express feelings and emotions on the road?