Road Rage, Yet Again

federali

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Road rage blamed in fatal shooting of Arkansas toddler

A three-year-old boy, out with his grandmother, was shot and killed in his grandmother's vehicle when another driver became annoyed that the 47-year-old woman stopped too long at a stop sign. He sounded his horn and the woman responded by sounding her own horn. The first driver became enraged, got out of the vehicle, approached the woman's car and fired one shot, killing the boy. Police said that this is the second toddler to be shot and killed in a road rage incident in recent weeks.

My only thought, to follow up on last week's thread on road rage, is that any response at all to an angry, impatient driver, may be enough to push him over the line to homicidal behavior.

Unfortunately, as in most shooting incidents, the aggressor has the advantage because he knows, before you do, that he's about to enter a confrontation, believing he has the advantage because he's armed and assumes you're not. These incidents remind me of all those Celluloid World War II dog fights in which the enemy is directly behind you and you are in his sights. On the road, it is exceedingly difficult for you to achieve a tactical advantage under similar circumstances. You'll have to rely on your driving skills, rather than your CCW, to get the "bogey" off your tail.

I now have toddler grandsons of my own and I will absolutely not respond in any way to an aggressive driver. It's just not worth the risk. I have worked out a number of tactical scenarios that will allow me to level the playing field if an opposing motorist refuses to quit.

While this incident involves road rage, how many CCWs are aware of the additional dangers, under any circumstances, to an armed response when accompanied by loved ones? Your tactical plan should include separating yourself from them so as not to draw fire towards them.
 
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I have separated myself from every road range incident that I have ever been involved with by using my driving skills, even when my weapon was drawn and ready. One thing I make sure of - if I even think there is a road rager after me I do not stop anywhere, I drive, maybe even aimlessly, until the threat is gone.
 
I never make eye contact with any of these idiots out there that may take exception to something I may have done while driving. I agree that you should NEVER stop your vehicle. If you stop you give the idiot the opportunity to get out of their vehicle and confront you and that will not end well. I just ignore them and keep on driving.
 
I learned that people are untrustworthy, unpredictable and BATCRAP CRAZY at a very early age and I learned my lesson well. As a result I avoid unnecessary contact with people I don't know. Really, I avoid unnecessary contact with people outside my immediate circle and I don't make random comments to people I don't know because I've learned that you can NEVER predict how they're going to respond
 
IMO
Incidents such as this are the reason we need two death penalties.
1.) The death penalty
2.) The slow death penalty
There some people I would rather not share the planet with.
 
I never make eye contact with any of these idiots out there that may take exception to something I may have done while driving. I agree that you should NEVER stop your vehicle. If you stop you give the idiot the opportunity to get out of their vehicle and confront you and that will not end well. I just ignore them and keep on driving.

I agree. I had a car follow me one night for probably 30 minutes blinking it's lights. I slowed down several times to allow them to pass, but they'd only slow down as well. They followed me all the way till I pulled into a police station, then they keep on driving. The fact that they wouldn't stop at the police station proved the point that they were up to no good. I was armed but had no desire for any sort of conflict.
 
What do you do when someone is tailgating you dangerously close, on a high speed road. You know they cannot stop in time if there is an emergency, or you have to slow for traffic in front of you. People drive like they are completely crazy now. I drive the speed limit, and everyone passes me. In the above case, if on a multi lane road, I change lanes. On a two lane road, I thank the instructors of the two pursuit driving courses I took. They may just save my life.
 
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Road rage blamed in fatal shooting of Arkansas toddler

A three-year-old boy, out with his grandmother, was shot and killed in his grandmother's vehicle when another driver became annoyed that the 47-year-old woman stopped too long at a stop sign. He sounded his horn and the woman responded by sounding her own horn. The first driver became enraged, got out of the vehicle, approached the woman's car and fired one shot, killing the boy. Police said that this is the second toddler to be shot and killed in a road rage incident in recent weeks.

My only thought, to follow up on last week's thread on road rage, is that any response at all to an angry, impatient driver, may be enough to push him over the line to homicidal behavior.

Unfortunately, as in most shooting incidents, the aggressor has the advantage because he knows, before you do, that he's about to enter a confrontation, believing he has the advantage because he's armed and assumes you're not. These incidents remind me of all those Celluloid World War II dog fights in which the enemy is directly behind you and you are in his sights. On the road, it is exceedingly difficult for you to achieve a tactical advantage under similar circumstances. You'll have to rely on your driving skills, rather than your CCW, to get the "bogey" off your tail.

I now have toddler grandsons of my own and I will absolutely not respond in any way to an aggressive driver. It's just not worth the risk. I have worked out a number of tactical scenarios that will allow me to level the playing field if an opposing motorist refuses to quit.

While this incident involves road rage, how many CCWs are aware of the additional dangers, under any circumstances, to an armed response when accompanied by loved ones? Your tactical plan should include separating yourself from them so as not to draw fire towards them.
Fed, as usual, a thoughtful post from you. Also, you have multiple plans! I am getting more like the sailor in Apacolypes Now who kept repeating..stay on the boat! I try to stay in the gates! Maybe you could share a couple of your plans. We do a lot of shooting from cars here, everybody finds out just how tough it is. Stationary is hard enough because of all the angles involved, but when the vehicle starts moving, everything changes, and for the worse.
 
Due to a recent development, we should expect an uptick in dangerous, aggressive behavior.
Austin, Texas has seen a number of angry displays. I would expect that in and around urban centers, for a little while until "acceptance" kicks in...
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The seven emotional stages of grief are usually understood to be shock or disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance/hope. Symptoms of grief can be emotional, physical, social, or religious in nature.

For some, a puppy just isn't enough.:rolleyes:
 
In Albuquerque NM a few yrs back , gang initiation was for the " wannabe " to go out driving at night , with their lights " OFF " ( this is important ) . When you met an on coming car and they flashed their lights , to remind you that your lights were off . The " wannabe " was to make a u-turn , chase the other car down and shot at it , trying to kill everyone in the victims car . The reason I know this is because I lived/ worked in NM for 10yrs . It was local news at the time .
So if you see someone driving at night with their lights off , is it just someone who innocently forgot to turn on their lights , or a drunk or " gang initiation " ?
As far as road rage . I just let it pass , won't honk my horn back and I try to remove myself from the situation as quickly as I can .
 
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One Tactic

With big-city driving, oftentimes you cannot immediately distance yourself from an unhinged driver---you may both get stopped at the same traffic signal or traffic jam. These incidents tend to happen in heavy traffic because of the added stress of driving 15 MPH or so in a 55 MPH or higher speed limit.

When I have no choice but to be alongside a potentially threatening driver, I stop so that I'm abreast of his rear wheel, whatever side I'm on. This imposes a difficult angle for him to fire a shot while seated behind the wheel. If he were to get out of his vehicle and I can't drive out of the situation because of stopped traffic ahead of me, I'll release my seat belt and twist myself to fire rearward through a partially opened door. Regrettably, this tactic has been used against police officers who thought they were making a routine traffic stop. I'll drive through a steady red signal, if traffic permits, rather than have to engage an irate motorist. A side door has both hard and soft spots where a bullet can achieve 100% penetration. Any cover and concealment is better than none at all. If I see a gun (some motorists may fake removing something from the glove compartment to con you into thinking they're armed) and I'm momentarily trapped, all the elements are now in place, as I understand them, for me to employ deadly force. Employing deadly force against an individual who is actually armed is far more defensible than a situation in which you thought he was armed.
 
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It's one thing to read about this topic in a news article. It's a whole different critter to read all your comments -- makes it sink in and feel real.

Road rage has become a pretty foreign concept to me since I moved back to Wyo 17 years ago. When someone around here raises a finger to another driver it's usually the index finger as a greeting.

I have observed that other finger being raised, but it's really rare and it's usually summertime and the vehicle has out-of-state plates. Not bashing our state's #2 revenue generator (tourism), but I just shake my head and wonder why they didn't leave that attitude at home when they took off for their relaxing vacation.
 
In Albuquerque NM a few yrs back , gang initiation was for the " wannabe " to go out driving at night , with their lights " OFF " ( this is important ) . When you met an on coming car and they flashed their lights , to remind you that your lights were off . The " wannabe " was to make a u-turn , chase the other car down and shot at it , trying to kill everyone in the victims car . The reason I know this is because I lived/ worked in NM for 10yrs . It was local news at the time .
So if you see someone driving at night with their lights off , is it just someone who innocently forgot to turn on their lights , or a drunk or " gang initiation " ?
As far as road rage . I just let it pass , won't honk my horn back and I try to remove myself from the situation as quickly as I can .

Snopes - Gang Initiations

A different Albuquerque rumor, but it references the rumor you claim as fact . . .
 
As of this mornings news, a $40,000.00 reward has been offered for
info leading to the arrest and conviction of the Little Rock road rage
shooter. Probably one of his own will turn him in.
 

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