Road Rage

[model70hunter]

The worst case was when I was young, I was making a left hand turn with the signal on, bright red jacket, bright ret helmut, A guy locked up his brakes behind me and started sliding, without thought I revved it to the best acceleration RPN and redlined it in 1st, hearing him sliding behind me. I pulled over, knees were like water, he pulled in behind me, I thought to say sorry, I walked towards his car, an old man I knew, he then pulled out and stopped in front of me. I walked up to him and he spun gravel leaving. The water in the knees turned to fire in the brain.

I jumped on the bike and took after him. He had 2 middle aged guys in the car, one was the older brother of a guy I grew up with.

He flew up the raod and around corners and came to a screeching halt in front of a highway patrolmans house. I've had 2 tickets, he gave m both when I was in the learning mode. He also was my Dad's friend and reloading buddy.

I went to the drivers window and started chewing him out, the patrolman came out heard what was going on and went back into his abode.

My friends brother said buddy you can get as mad as you want, but if I had not screamed stop to him you would now be dead. I left.

A few days later a guy was yakking to his buddies and almost smacked me as he merged into my lane. Heavy traffic, I had to ride the yello line. I slapped his window with the palm of my hand, hard, I wanted it to break so I could pull him out.

2 days later I traded it for a Jeep. Been pretty calm ever since.

 

[steelslaver]

I have had my occasions, but, never let it get going. I have gotten pretty laid back and around here everyone is polite and in no big hurry.

A long time ago when working highway construction and was driving the limit through the work zone and a guy got on my rear and started honking, so I slowed down. He laid on the horn. I stopped, got out of the truck and went back and asked what the problem was. I think the 6'3" 260# guy walking up to his door must have fixed the problem because he quietly said "nothing"

My funniest construction road rage story.
We were repairing concrete interstate and had one lane blocked off with traffic cones. Traffic was going slow and after this guy went past us he pulled over through the cones into the construction lane and took off like a rocket. When he hit the spot a couple hundred yards up the road where we had removed the complete 8" deep slab it was really funny. Completely tore the bottom out from under his car and he came to a pretty abrupt halt setting in a totally trashed car. We were all laughing hard and he got no mercy from the HP that was keeping an eye on the job.

 

[chud333]

Oh Yes back in my younger, foolhardy days i have given
the one finger salute or a horn, or a loud shout.

But that was long ago. Not today folks !!
Not wise and no good can come out of it.

Chuck

 

[billwill]

One time almost 40 years ago I was in a "parallel parking" spot. A guy left a spot for me to merge into traffic so I went. Guy goes nuts, honking and gesturing. I turn off into a neighborhood, guy follows. Goes on until I get out on Rt 46. I stop for a red light and the guy runs up, pounds on my driver' window then jumps on the hood of my big Buick "lead sled." Light goes green and I punch it, get up to about 35mph and lock up the brakes. Guy takes off like an F18 off a carrier deck. Didn't stop to see what happened and went about my day. Joe

I would have paid good money to see that one!

 

[JayFramer]

Some moons ago, when I was a younger man, I had "the ragings of the roads" as it were.

But alas, I eventually realized that there are some people out there that jut can't drive worth a whoop and a holler. They just are REALLY bad at it, and no use in getting all mad about it none! I just keep my distance or pass 'em now.

 

[Boudiepitbull]

Living in New York City, not only do we have road rage, we have parking rage. People come to blows with each other over this stuff. I got into a good one trying to stop somebody from knocking over a motorcycle. I thought the driverdidn't see the bike, when in reality he just didn't care and was using his SUV as a bulldozer. When I yelled at him to stop backing up he asked if it was my bike and then jumped out of the car and started screaming at me to mind my own business. Then he started shoving. I'm walking my two pitbulls on short leads and they are both being absolutely worthless, wagging their tails, and thinking Daddy just made a new friend. In reality, holding a leash in each hand I realize I can't even raise my own hands to protect myself if I had to...so...I did what your supposed to do...I walked away. I got to my door and looked down the block and he was backing into the motorcycle again. I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm a motorcyclist and I just got enraged at him for giving himself permission to knock over this bike. I hung the dog's leashes on the fence in front of our house and walked back to try and stop him. Again, he jumps out of the car and is up in my face. This time I notice that he is holding something in his hand inside his jacket pocket that he is not showing. It seems he has his hand wrapped around a little bit of false courage.

I trained in a variety of martial arts for 16 years and taught women's and children's self defense seminars. He just had no idea. Once again, I did the right thing and tried to walk away only this time I backpedaled to his advance, which I believe he mistook as retreat. We ended up back in front of my door with him screaming and yelling. Somehow we disengage, he runs back towards his SUV and I turn my attention to the dog's to try and get them inside. And out of the corner of my eye, what do I see? He's backing into the bike again. Now I tell him if he's going to go ahead and back over that bike I'm taking a picture of him and his license plate and I'm going to make damn sure that the owner of the bike gets it. He goes ballistic jumps back out of the car and bum rushes me. I backpedal and we end up back in front of my door. The precident has already been set so that he expects me to disengage right around this point again and just before we break he throws a sucker punch. It wasn't a very good one, but it was a punch nonetheless, all along I was half expecting to get pepper sprayed and not hit. Now it's on. I remember a very quick flurry and a palm strike under his chin that leaves him staggering back, he trips backward over a crack in the sidewalk, and hits his head on the concrete with a sickening sound. Now he's laying there flailing around on his back waving his arms in the air and I see in his hand that he wasn't holding pepper spray. It's a cheezy Tijuana switchblade and his thumb is on the button. I know I can't let him get up with that knife in his hand. I dropped a knee onto his stomach and went to work on his fingers to disarm him. Step by step I announced what I was doing to the crowd that had gathered around us and showed the knife so that when the police finally arrived (only minutes away when seconds matter) all the witnesses told pretty much the same story and it completely aligned with mine including the fact that I had tried to walk away three times but the clown keep following me back to my door escalating and instigating. He got arrested for menacing, assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of the switchblade which they take very seriously in New York City. Turns out the guy lives in the building across the street. Even his own doorman ratted him out. The hipster who owned the bike snuck away after the police arrived.

 

[Texas Star]

My son was almost hit by a creep who tried to cut in front and run him off the road. He had to stop on the entry ramp.

The other driver was a person of another ethnicity that I guess I can't mention here, but that alone would set the stage for many to react negatively toward him. And he had a pistol in his hand!

My son initially thought this was an armed robbery attempt. He drew a Colt .45 auto and ordered the man to drop the gun. He was a half second from shooting, but a small voice said to try not to. He has shot many men, and developed a sense of when it's needed. He is also a literal genius, based on tests. He's supposedly right on Brooke Shields's results/IQ. Maybe that helps. I think it's a cross between high intelligence, a quick mind, and a lot of experience and street smarts.

The guy dropped his gun and the son called police. A DPS officer or sheriff's deputy (I forgot which) responded and established that this was a road rage case, not an armed robbery. The officer told off the other guy pretty plainly, noting that it was a miracle that he wasn't dead. I don't think he was arrested, and he did have a CC permit, or was legal to carry in the car without license, under current Texas law.

The incident ended with no shots fired, but I bet that turkey learned that it may not be the height of wisdom to mess with a car that has a Combat Infantryman decal on the back window...especially in a state where guns in cars are rather common.

I asked my son why he didn't shoot. He said it just didn't feel quite right, although certainly legal. And he was just tired of killing, after three combat tours in Iraq.

That other driver was VERY lucky. I've seen my heir shoot, and he has the will to kill, demonstrated many times in battle. I'm glad that he has also developed that sense of when not to kill, even where a court would say it was warranted.

BTW, the son has shot pistols for years. He was coached in using a .45 auto by Jo Anne Hall when he wasn't even yet in jr. high school. Some of you may have read my article about Jo Anne in the Colt Handgunning Annual when she was world champion ladies IPSC shooter. She was also a good coach.

Anyway, I'm glad that this ended as well as it did. My son never saw the man until he was run off the road by him. Certainly didn't do anything to upset him. I think the jerk was just looking to scare someone with a pistol and maybe express some racial rage. I hope he learned a vital lesson.

 

[Art Doc]

Never done anything really stupid, but have expressed displeasure at others a few times.

One night in 1975 on a deserted stretch of highway a moron in a pick up truck forced me off the road and jumped out waving a tire iron as he cursed at me. Apparently I was driving too slowly in his way. He never saw the M29 I was holding behind my leg as I stood next to my car. He advanced three steps towards me and then returned to his truck and drove off. I had decided that if he took four I would shoot him. He never knew how close he came.

 

[Longhorn1986]

I learned how to drive on the Katy Freeway in Houston. I think, like parallel parking, road rage was part of our DPS driving exam!!!

 

[BearBio]

I will admit to having it and receiving it. In all justification, much was just before I was diagnosed as diabetic (erratic due to high blood sugar=often a symptom indicating diabetes).

I will also admit two things really get my goat==motor homes/trailers and truckers, especially when they back up traffic. Just got back from Alaska and one motor home had a COUNTED 25 cars backed up. The Sterling Highway has slow vehicle turnouts every couple of miles but this idiot wouldn't use it. We got behind another idiot who wouldn't pull out (and sped up at the passing lanes!) for at least 20 miles. Kept doing 50-55 mph in a 65 zone!

Gotta go=my BP is rising!

 

[mike from st pete]

Side Walk Rage?

I went down town to pick up a ticket to see Claire Lynch at the Paladium. I was parked on the street across from the theater buying my ticket when an older woman attempt to parallel park in front of my car. As I came up to my car she is trying to push it out of her way.
Now how much space does a Miata take up? I hollered at her to stop hitting my car and was told she wasn't? Well I am standing here watching. She then says I should have left her more room to park and walks off.
No I didn't kick her sideview mirror off, but was tempted. From the way she parked I would doubt she'd have noticed.