SifuPhil
R.I.P. With Us In Spirit Only
- Location
- Pennsylvania, USA
It's because of the safety and anonymity of the internet. People can't be traced, or at least they believe they can't.
It's the same kind of thing as people acting mean and inconsiderate when they are driving. If they were walking into a building, and somebody else was trying to go through the door, would they be likely to cut them off, shouting obscenities at them? Most of the time, not. Yet, this is how people drive around here.
Just read an article (can't find it right now) about pedestrian rage, how walking slowly drives most people crazy and a listing of various pedestrian walking speeds in various world cities (yes, there was a study on that).
Having lived in NYC I can attest to the reality of pedestrian rage - people there for the most part walk like they're on fire and will hassle anyone walking too slowly.