If you find yourself wanting to beat someone up every time you pull into a gas station and see that gas prices have risen yet again, you’re not alone. Even some of our nation’s safest drivers are going ballistic at the pumps, according to one report late last week by the Insurance Journal.

It’s no secret that safe driving leads to less risk for insurers–and lower auto insurance prices for consumers. So, in an effort to reward Milwaukee motorists for being ranked the safest mid-sized city behind the wheel, Allstate decided to give away a tanker truckload of gasoline late last week for such display of character.

The madness that ensued painted a perfect picture of driver frustrations being played out at gas pumps nationwide.

Although many motorists waited patiently in line for hours to get their share of what is quickly becoming liquid gold, others weren’t so patient. Fights broke out over who was first, cars crashed into one another as friends let friends cut in line, and four people actually ended up in jail for their misdeeds.

The excitement lasted only a couple of hours, but local police weren’t surprised at the results.

“Any time you offer free gas when it is $3 a gallon, it is not surprising people would get excited,” said spokewoman Anne E. Schwartz.

In the end, the insurer gave more than 700 motorists free tanks of gas–quite the reward for those who behaved themselves.

Although I don’t agree with some of this extreme behavior, I certainly understand the angst behind some drivers’ actions. And I expect we’ll be seeing more and more public displays of anger as gas prices continue to climb, causing further strain on drivers’ already empty wallets.

All that said, the irony behind this story just can’t escape the eye.

[Read it in its entirety here.]