“So I Live Here Now” — Woman Takes Her Time After Being Honked at Sitting in Parked Car

TikToker Winnie ( @winnivere ) recently posted a video that has zipped past seven digits into 1.2 million view territory, sharing her unique way of dealing with a rude driver who honked at her. In the video, a text card appears as Winnie sits in her car, "Sitting in my parked car minding my own business."

Addressing the camera, she said, "Somebody just honked at me, so I am going to count the loose change at the bottom of my purse now. There's a lot of change in here, too, and I'm really bad at keeping count. Oops, I lost count."

Winnie’s act of defiance, likely infuriating the impatient driver behind her, was met with enthusiastic support from viewers. One user commented, "This happened to me yesterday while I was halfway out the spot. I pulled right back in and went back in the store lol."

Another wrote, "I would start counting the drops of rain." A third chimed in, "Being petty is so fun!! 😂 I begin to clean my car 😂😂." Winnie's video title, "I live here now 🙇🏻‍♀️," perfectly captured her playful rebellion.

Winnie’s video touches on a broader issue that many Americans are noticing: an increase in rudeness and impoliteness. According to a survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 74 percent of Americans feel that people have become more ill-mannered over the past 20 or 30 years .

Additionally, 68 percent believe that the disrespectful tone of political campaigns is even worse than everyday rudeness.

A poll by Rasmussen Reports echoed these findings , with 75 percent of adults feeling that Americans are becoming ruder and less civilized. Women under the age of 40, in particular, felt strongly about this decline in behavior.

These surveys speak to a growing concern about the erosion of civility in both personal interactions and the public sphere.

Winnie’s playful protest really tickled many viewers, as evidenced by the supportive 165.8K likes and hilarious comments on her video.

Her actions were emblematic of a shared frustration with everyday rudeness and a collective desire to push back against it in small, and yet big, ways.

Thank you, Winnie, for teaching people how to fight back with a bit of humor and creative juice – everyone needs a little time to count the change at the bottom of their purse, after all.

As more and more people feel the sting of declining manners, acts of defiance like Winnie's can offer a refreshing reminder that it's OK to stand up for yourself — even if it means counting your loose change or raindrops to make a point.

If you do decide to stand your ground while driving, you should know that statistics have been showing that road rage incidents have been increasing by high margins across the United States.

The Trace wrote that "road rage shootings have surged over the past decade" stating that drivers are becoming more quick to bust out their piece if they're getting angry while driving.

The outlet penned: "Between 2014 and 2023, the number of people shot in road rage incidents surged more than 400 percent, from 92 to 481, according to a Trace analysis of data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. All told, angry drivers shot 3,095 people over that decade, or nearly one every day. One in four of those people — 777 — were killed."

Bankrate also cited a collection of road rage incidents/statistics that indicates there's been an increase in violent attacks that have occurred as a result of commuters getting into disputes while driving.

Forbes also ranked the states with the most confrontational drivers — Arizona, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Texas, and Ohio round out the top 10.

Delaware and Idaho had some of the lowest reported road rage incidents, according to the list.

Have you ever dealt with unruly drivers during your commute? What state do you live in?