Posted on 01/20/2014 9:55:24 AM PST by KeyLargo
I (almost) completely agree. Please let me explain.
Admission: I am an aggressive driver who has learned self-control over the years.
Last summer I was on my way to work. Time was zero-dark-thirty and way before dawn. We were driving the posted limit (40mph) on a straight piece of road in clear conditions. Suddenly and without warning the car ahead of me slammed on its brakes, coming completely to halt. Even at 40 you chew up the following distance in a hell of a hurry. I had two choices - hit him or dodge him. I chose dodge and shifted to the other lane.
The other driver had one of those cars you see on “Fast & Furious”, lowered with a wing and gaudy graphics. He had slowed (stopped!) due to an overnight street repair that left a rough spot in the roadway. He was afraid that his low-slung car would bottom out.
At this point it should be “no harm - no foul” right? I had avoided an accident that caused no inconvenience to him whatsoever. But that’s not the way it played out.
He stomped on the gas and quickly caught up to my SUV (a dozen year old commuter) and then deliberately drifted over into my lane in an attempt to run me off the road. I braked and he pulled in front of me and brake-checked me like the video in post #11. He was telegraphing his moves so it was easy to avoid him but it was equally obvious that he wanted a mutual-combat confrontation.
I eased my pistol out of the holster so that it would be a quicker grab and avoided two more brake-checks. I grabbed my cellphone and took a picture of his car (I later discovered that the pic was too blurry to discern his license number but the act alone was sufficient to discourage him) and then a picture of him when he pulled up next to me to scream obscenities. That changed his attitude in a hurry and he sped off.
Now I doubt that he did the initial braking as a brake-check - I believe that he was oblivious to me (or anyone) else being there. I don’t think that it started as a road-rage event but it sure turned into one! What set him off I never discovered, thankfully. Some might say that taking his picture is provocative but I have learned that it has a great dampening effect. I have since reconfigured my phone to make taking video easier with a one-click button.
One is on my “to-do” list as well, but it’s a pretty long list.
“She said the driver, described as a black male with dreadlocks and wearing a black sock hat, pointed a gun at her and began shooting, according to the news release.”
It would appear that the day of the Magic Negro, except for the movies and TV shows, is gone.
Reality is that all the city freeways are full of people tailgating. If you leave 2 seconds between you and the car ahead of you there will soon be two more cars in that hole. I avoid cities and city traffic and hate to drive there. When I do have to drive in city traffic we take our F350 4X4 crew cab 4 door. They seem to respect bigger vehicles more and in an accident he with the most lug nuts wins.
I bought this last summer and have enjoyed the drive on the Kentucky twisties every day. 6 speed manual. Took this on the extra 20 acres we bought last year. On that long drive I listen to songs I'm learning in my bands and I've listened to the bible on disc from beginning to end and roughly six times through the NT.
tailgating like a moron is an act in itself that will escalate the situation.
***And here we actually still have “sunday drivers”. I’m one of them***
Reminds me of W C Fields in IF I HAD A MILLION. “Let that be a lesson You road hog!”
***If you can read it, you’re too close.***
Ever get behind a gravel truck with the sign “Stay 200 feet back! Not responsible for gravel damage!”
But you have to get on their bumper to read the sign as t is so small.
She said the driver, described as a black male with dreadlocks and wearing a black sock hat, pointed a gun at her and began shooting... A Valparaiso man was shot and injured heading home from work Wednesday... the shooter was described as a middle-aged black man with short hair.Thanks KeyLargo. Knockout game ping.
Good advice here, but if in slowing and not jamming on the brakes you could be seen to be deferring to them. This is less provocative. What I do in Canada- and yes the bloomin' yahoos are aplenty, is this. I put on my right turn signals and cram over to the right, if I am able. I am thus signalling to the yahoo, I am deferring to his ruddy idiocy. I do not give a rap about such a person, cos' one day he is going to face the wrong hombre (laughs).
The cost and the bureaucracy in Canada( which is an excellent country and civilized) of a fender bender is mind boggling. I would rather pull in for a coffee at Hortons all in one piece.
Excuse the ramble.
WOW! I had to reread, thinking that you said “...the stiffness IN MY jeans...”
That was a bit forward!! ;-)
I have often thought about this, and one solution is to mount a couple 1,000,000 watt lamps in the back aimed to the rear so any tailgater gets extreme illumination in their eyes for tailgating.
That would be especially bad if I were a man...thankfully, I am female.
Often it is the only choice. You can be passive and get shot, or you can use your two ton weapon to the best of your ability. My goal is to severely harm or kill the shooter.
<><><>
Often? This has happened to you often?
Not me personally. It’s happened probably a total of four times in my life. The first in 1970.
DOW!!! ;-)
I tell people I am a member of AA......Always Armed.
Understand in Scary Gary the conditions of the roads. One will often drive on the opposite side of the road to escape potholes or complete warping, gashing in the cement. There is no service to roads in this third world hell hole. With the recent snow, ice, and deep freeze out here, the potholes are most assuredly worse. 25th one wouldn’t drive fast if they want their tires, axles functional. Oh Scary Garyville will be receiving funds from Zero administration for special cities project, despite the fact the place took in millions from gov’t 1970 War on Poverty program and conditions only worsened. A bastion of corruption, filth, and mayhem.
Deploy daisy cutters.
Not defending bangers or tailgate. Merely saying it’s unwise to escalate a dangerous situation by performing a deliberately unsafe act. Your tone suggests you’d escalate. It’s called road rage.
You are correct. And you think that taking the road rage to the next level is the right way to go? Wow! G’luck with that.
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