Road Rage - It's not just young men anymore...

kellyj00 · 06-20-2007, 09:09 AM

After spending a few hours renewing my tags this morning, I was running late for work.

I followed my usual route and turned right at a red. I swear there was nobody in my nearest lane (no excuse for being in a hurry, I know) so I went ahead and turned. Next thing I hear is a *Honk*... then I look up and a mercury mountaineer is swerving hard to the left in my rearview mirror. I had been turned for at least a few seconds, and was going in a straight line for about 100 feet before I hear this honking.

So, I'm thinking "Ok, someone I know?" Not like I know everyone here, but Wichita is only about 300,000 people. So I look over into this small SUV and see a fairly attractive, young female. Big mistake, I guess, to make eye contact with a road rager. She just lays on the horn, and we get to another stoplight and I'm mouthing "Who are you?!" and she's yelling something through her closed window at me. then the light turns green, I start going and she starts going, then she floors it...all the while flipping me off. I'm thinking "whoever that was, I guess they weren't too happy with me." so, rather than worry about this for the next few hours of "who could that of been?" I motioning at this young woman to roll down the window.

This is where it gets fun. "You just cut me off you &*(*%&#!" "oh, that's what this is all about. Thought you knew me or something!" she's trying to pay attention to the road in front of her and yell at me the whole time, I'm yelling "sorry if I cut you off!" and she's still mouthing off the explicatives and telling me "you &*#(%# with trucks think you just own the road..." and she's shaking like a leaf and trying to avoid eye contact, so there was something obviously very wrong here... she's pointing and trying to grab her sunglasses and trying to drive at the same time. And I'm saying "calm down. Have a good day." then I speed up a bit (traffic behind me) then she speeds up a bit... still with the window down and yelling even more stuff like "i'll have my husband kick your %*$ you *&%&#" so I roll up the window.

Couldn't speed up, nowhere to turn off, too much traffic to slow down too much. So I'm just going along and she swerves in front of me, slams on the brakes and comes to an almost complete stop in a 45 mph 4 lane road. so...what else to say now but "Crazy *****!". I'm a CCW holder, and had a 9mm XD in my console, but didn't even think about touching that unless a bunch of ninjas jumped out of her SUV. So, we're going about 10 mph and she slams on the brakes again, then speeds up to 10mph or so..brakes it again, traffic is going around us in the left lane and people are starting to pile up behind me.

That's when I realized that my truck is bigger than hers, so I hopped the curb and went through an insurance company's parking lot and through an alley before finding a side street. Don't know whether she tried to follow me or not. Didn't get the tag number, didn't call the police becuase I really never felt threatened (I'm 6'1" and 250lbs, she was like 5'8" and maybe 100lbs), just a bit surprised.... especially because I'm 99% certain I didn't cut anyone off...but what does that matter anyhow? She was nuts.

I've been known to flip off a few folks in my time because they're inconsiderate while driving. but, I rarely honk... and I've never done anything like swerve in front of them and slam on the brakes. Wonder what was so wrong in her life that she felt like she had to do that? Maybe this is what that buckcherry song was describing.

**Blackbeauty** · 06-20-2007, 09:15 AM

Heh heh... I met someone similar yesterday. Followed me for about 2 miles feigning that he was gonna rearend me whenever I stopped. I have no idea what his problem was either, but I don't think anybody in a Ford Fiesta is even the slightest bit threatening to my truck!

And don't worry. They're everywhere..... Just keep it cool with the heat and smile at them. It pisses them off more.

Gunner22 · 06-20-2007, 09:20 AM

Wow. I'd say nut case for that one. Its unbelievable that people will actually try to use their vehicles to hurt someone else over a stupid "you cut me off" incident. I get the occasional tailgater, but I have never had someone come after me like that. Makes me glad I live in a town of 600 and work in a town of 2000. Psycho drivers are fewer and farther between that way.

**Helinut1970** · 06-20-2007, 09:21 AM

Yea I have had a biker chick get on my truck (semi, when I used to drive) at a light and pound on the window trying to get to me because I moved in the fast lane to pass someone (in the city). 5 sec. later I had her husband trying to break my passenger window. I started shaken but I knew (they didnt) that if the window broke and the bar he had in his hand had broken the window the Kimber 45 I always carry would have spent a few shells. Instead I started running through the gears and they held on until about 10 or 15 miles an hour. Then she jumped off and rolled on the pavement. I didnt see what her husband/boyfriend did, but he followed me for quite some time. He was an absolute fool. He had no idea how close to death he came that day. I am so glad I didnt have to use my gun. I would have played that senerio over for the rest of my life trying to see if there was an alternate way I could have done it. That is the reason I carry bear spray in the side door as a first defence and then the 45 is next.

**Blackbeauty** · 06-20-2007, 09:24 AM

Well, probably just pointing it at him, loaded or not, would have done the trick.... And no guilt later.

**Helinut1970** · 06-20-2007, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty

Well, probably just pointing it at him, loaded or not, would have done the trick.... And no guilt later.

No bb you go to jail for pointing a gun at someone. I didnt want him to know I had it unless I had to use it. If I pointed it at him and my life wasnt threatend its 3 years here.

**Blackbeauty** · 06-20-2007, 09:30 AM

Hmmmm... Interesting. Maybe that's why I try to make it a point not to tick off any bikers.....

TexTheTitan · 06-20-2007, 09:53 AM

My friend had some psycho chick flip out on him in traffic. When they stopped she pulled up next to him, rolled down her window and began screaming. So he rolled down his window and chucked a handful of Starbursts at her. He drilled her in the face with 2 or 3 of them....that sent her over the edge so he just took off!

**Helinut1970** · 06-20-2007, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexTheTitan

My friend had some psycho chick flip out on him in traffic. When they stopped she pulled up next to him, rolled down her window and began screaming. So he rolled down his window and chucked a handful of Starbursts at her. He drilled her in the face with 2 or 3 of them....that sent her over the edge so he just took off!

LOL I need to try that. Might be a good way to solve your sweet tooth in a pinch!

4wheelpeel · 06-20-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helinut1970

No bb you go to jail for pointing a gun at someone. I didnt want him to know I had it unless I had to use it. If I pointed it at him and my life wasnt threatend its 3 years here.

Kinda seems that if someone is trying to break yor window and get in to harm you that you can claim its life threatining.

Clancy · 06-20-2007, 10:46 AM

Whenever something like that happens, I call and report them as a possible drunk. Despite the lip-service, drunk driving is still treated way more seriously than road rage.

It doesn't matter that they may not be drunk - I just a dumb citizen, how am I supposed to know???

ZeroPt99 · 06-20-2007, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clancy

Whenever something like that happens, I call and report them as a possible drunk. Despite the lip-service, drunk driving is still treated way more seriously than road rage.

It doesn't matter that they may not be drunk - I just a dumb citizen, how am I supposed to know???

I've done that before. I had a car full of rowdy teenagers screech to a stop beside me at a light and start yelling things at me. They were bowing up like they were gonna start trouble with me. I kept my windows up, and when the light turned green I tailed them while I called the local PD and gave them their description and plate number, saying I thought it was drunk drivers. When the guys realized I was following them they slowed down to 5 under the speed limit and kept changing directions. After a couple minutes I saw two local cop cars sitting on opposite sides of the road in parking lots, and when the kids passed them they lit them up and pulled them over. I just turned around and went home.

It's easier than arguing with crazy people.

kellyj00 · 06-20-2007, 11:14 AM

the starburst thing is kinda funny!
Reminds of me of when I was a kid working at a Wendy's. Some fella got pissed in the drive thru and spun his tires at the speaker (that is really annoying to fast food people and guarantees a little 'secret sauce' in your burger) so the manager comes up to the drive thru window and says "hey, buddy, don't do that it's really annoying to us" and he starts running off at the mouth right back at the manager.... so a young employee who happens to be friends with the young manager who just got the backtak gives the guy his food at the second window, then spits on HIM. And said "my manager beat me to it on your burger." then slams the window in his face and runs for the walk in cooler. I'm just standing there trying not to laugh at this guy who's completely P.O'd and banging on the drivethru window. I tell him "dude, I didn't have anything to do with it.... that sucks" he yells "I'll kill that little mother f*&#$er" I just tell him "hey, call the cops." seriously, he hadn't realized yet that we had a lobby, but if he did he probably would have come inside and it could have gotten worse.

So, the cops come. In this small town, the cops are TOUGH on folks who are passing through, like this guy. And they're pretty much ok with locals, especially the one's who they see every night because we gave them a 50% discount on food. This fellas very very angry, and he's yelling up a storm in our parking lot...at the cops now, for not getting there sooner. He said it was totally unprovoked and blah blah blah... then they came in, talked to the manager and the employee...and the employee said "I flipped the guy off as he went by, I didn't say anything and I definitely didn't spit on him...that's probably why he's lying, because he called you for something that wasn't even illegal." The police then asked me, the only real witness to a "battery" of spitting... I just said "I was taking the next car's order." they didn't ask anything or say anything, just left it at that...so I didn't even have to lie.

We did, however, give the man a refund for his order and threw out his spitty burger. We lost more repeat business that way... ;-)

**P's Titan** · 06-20-2007, 11:42 AM

road rage is happening by all kinds.. young males/females even the old granny types

**Helinut1970** · 06-20-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4wheelpeel

Kinda seems that if someone is trying to break yor window and get in to harm you that you can claim its life threatining.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellyj00

He said it was totally unprovoked and blah blah blah... then they came in, talked to the manager and the employee...and the employee said "I flipped the guy off as he went by, I didn't say anything and I definitely didn't spit on him...that's probably why he's lying, because he called you for something that wasn't even illegal." The police then asked me, the only real witness to a "battery" of spitting... I just said "I was taking the next car's order." they didn't ask anything or say anything, just left it at that...so I didn't even have to lie.

We did, however, give the man a refund for his order and threw out his spitty burger. We lost more repeat business that way... ;-)

And this is exactly why I couldnt point a gun at them for just being on my truck. It would be my word aginst theirs but if he broke the window and got in then that would be a diff. story.