Traffic Altercations

[Fulit]

So I was driving past an elementary school, going about 5 miles too fast, when this truck comes barreling up behind me and gets on my bumper. I had about 50 feet to go until I was turning left, so I ignored him and began to make my turn. He revved up closer to me and flipped me off before turning the other way. I stopped in the intersection and turned behind him, intent on getting his plate number since I didn't feel that his proximity to a school was agreeable for such rude, not to mention dangerous, behavior.
The guy is stopped at a stop sign when I pull up behind him. He sees me, jumps out of his truck and runs back to my car, screaming the entire time, the first thing he says is "Do you want a piece of me?" I say, "You flipped me off, I haven't done anything." He screams about how he's going to kick my *** and all this other stuff, and I just sat for a secod, staring at him, because I could not comprehend why he was acting this way. Then I see a look in his eye I don't like, and he has a fist in one hand and the other is reaching for my door handle. I pulled away just in time, with him beating on the car and grabbing at the handle. Before I drive past his car, I look over at his license plate. It starts with DV followed by 4 digits I won't reveal here. For anyone who doesn't know DV means Disabled Veteran. The only way this guy was disabled was mentally, don't you think?

While driving around after that, I see his truck parked at a house on the other side of our neighborhood I usually don't go to. It's his house.

2 questions, has this happened to you, and what would you do were you me?

[Dr Zoltar]

Wow Fulit! Tough luck. People like that give 99% of the rest of the driving population a bad name.

I had a similar incident in the mid 90's. I had just left a club with my girl friend at the time. We were turning left to get on the freeway. This guy and his 3 friends pull up beside us on the right and as I'm turning left, he does as well from the wrong lane, cutting me off. Then he slams on his brakes and comes out of his car screaming at me. His obviously less drunk buddies grabbed him and shoved him in the passenger side and drove off. I was stunned enough that I didn't get his license number, but wish I did. To this day I now carry a mag light that holds 4 D batteries. Good for if I ever break down at night and also makes a good club.

I’d report your guy to the police. No only did he threaten you (aggravated assault) he put children’s lives at risk by speeding in a school zone. It doesn’t matter that he’s a vet or could be mental impaired, he’s putting other lives at risk.

[dr_evazan22]

I've had similar problems before and what I've learned is that unless I plan to get out and start a fight its better to let it go, for your own safety. I've heard too many stories on the news about someone getting killed over road rage.

But, now that you know where the guy lives I would report him to the police. Chances are they might not follow up, but at least there would be a complaint on file if something like this happens again.

[Deoxyribonucleic]

OMG, here in So. Cal that crap is an everyday occurrence hundreds of times each day! :crazed:

I would definitely file a complaint with the local police, but remember, something may not come of it, but at least he will have a complaint filed on him and if he does it again to someone else, the behavioral pattern has been established and documented!

I'm real sorry that happened to you fulit, but definitely don't let it go unreported! Good luck!!!

My story:

I was driving through the parking lot on the street that goes through it, I had just found Smither's action figure for retail so I was real happy and this guy rams me out of no where so we get out of our cars and he says "not bad not bad I go I go!" And I said "no, we need to exchange DL and insurance" He says "no no no not bad, not bad, I go I go" and after countless times trying to get his information I finally say, "look, I'll just call the police and they can decide what we need to do." And then he says "FU FU FU FU FU about 20 times, NO exageration, jumps in his car, rams on the gas and had I not jumped and flown out of the way, he would have ran ME over. And I thought who the MF does this guy think he is, you are messing with the wrong person and I got his full license plate number, model and make of his car. So I turn it into the police and then a few months go by and the DA calls me and asks my story, I tell him the same thing as on the report and he told me then that the guy lied at first said he wasn't there, then said he was, then said he didn't know if there was damage because he didn't get out of his care (BS) Then a month goes by and his defense attorney calls me to "make a deal" and I said, "I'm sorry, I have finals right now, I don't have time for your client right now." I wanted this guy to have to go through as many court hearings as possible so he knows he can't do crap like that and get away with it, and sure enough his attorney called me two more times and I rejected each time and then finally the DA called right before they were going to prosecute him for felony hit and run and I said, OK, I'll take money and drop the charges! AHAHHAHHA! Then I saw that jerk in the courtroom and he wouldn't even look at me! I have been hit and run down here SO many times (once on a motorcycle of which my foot and leg were broken) that this WAS the final STRAW! And darnit, I got that jerk GOOD! Hopefully, I just HOPE, that if he runs into someone again, he thinks twice about taking responsibility for his actions. But the world may never know. :)

[Kidhuman]

I could tell you a number of stories about driving in NYC.

One that comes to mind:

My wife and I brought the kids to NYC for the first time. We were leaving to come back home to Va. I was driving down Woodhaven Blvd. and there was a cab on my left. I was about to turn into the gas station when this cabbie made a right turn in front of me and almost hit me. He pulls into the gas station and gives me a dirty look. I got out of my car and started cursing him out. My wife was scared. SHe thought I was gonna beat him down. I wanted to. I mean this guy turns right from the left lane in front of me. And on top of it I have 2 kids in the car. Careless driving. The guy pulled out of the gas station and drove away. That guy irked me so bad. I am cringing thinking about it.

[Fulit]

Update: I called the police and they were pretty helpful. They actually asked me if I wanted a warrant for his arrest issued for attempted assault, and I said I didn't want that trouble, as he would just lie anyway, and the cop agreed. But what he did do was say he was going over to "scare" the guy, and he even called us back later to tell us what the guy said. Get this:

The guy told him that we provoked him, and that's why he flipped us of and tailgated. How could I have provoked him when I didn;t even see him until 5 seconds before he flipped me off?
Then he said when we got behind him and he saw "that we were young, and decided to scare us", and claims he was "putting on a show" by screaming and yelling. Right. How young I am, 25.
Then he claimed that we tried to run over him, which could have actually happened, since he had grabbed onto my car, and I was driving away to get away from him. Whose fault would it have been if I had ran him over?

So he admitted to the cop that it "was a dumb thing to do", and etc. but he lied his *** off about what happened. Amazing that a forty something year old veteran can't act more grown up than I, a 25 year old "kid".

It scared the crap out of him that I know where he lives, tho. :)

[Deoxyribonucleic]

now maybe he'll think twice about doing that crap again!

Good on you Fulit, for following up! :)

[kool-aid killer]

Nobody messes with the kool-aid KILLER. Once i give people the evil eye and lower my unibrow, they skidaddle like no other. But really i have yet to encounter anything like that. I hope i would be able to control myself as you were able to. Im glad to hear that you got him back and scared the crap out of him though.

[Darth Jax]

i read the small locality people every week where i live just to keep up with the police blotter. every week there are several stories similar to yours Fulit. if you know the plate number all you have to do is inform the police and they'll issue a citation.
the next person terrorized might not get the chance to drive off.

[Kidhuman]

Well you did the right thing Fulit. Didn't lose your composure and do something you would end up regretting.

[bobafrett]

I've had several "road rage" incidents happen to me, the scariest was when this guy pulls up on my tail with his brights on. I pressed on my brakes a little hoping this guy would pass me. We were on a stretch of road that was three lanes in both directions. I was in the far left lane, and this guy pulls out from behind me and I see him swerve over to the far right lane. The guy is looking at me and starts making all these gestures, then comes flying back over and cuts in front of me, then swerves back over and does this pattern three or four times. Finally I''m approoaching the light, and a set of left hand turn lanes. I proceed to get into the left hand turn lane, when this guy turns his car right in front of mine. I'm looking at the side of this guys car. I look over my right shoulder, and I see no traffic, I made a right across all the lanes and pull into a Burger King parking lot. I'm getting out of my car to go call the police and this jerk pulls up behind my car, and at this point I'm pinned inbetween the building annd this guys car. He jumps out of his car and produces a gun. He asks why I put my brakes on, I told him, that he had his brights on, and I couldn't see if I could clear out of his lane. My legs are shaking at this point, because I know this guy has a gun. He says to me, and I'll never forget this "It's all right, it's all right, I was going to kill you, but it's all right". Then he puts his gun back in his coat, and gets back in his car and drives off in almost hitting another car as he leaves the lot. I could smell alcohol on his breath, and his car was so messed up, he probably wouldn't have cared if he ran me off the road. I didn't see a plate, but he left in such a hurry, I was just glad to be alive.

Be careful out there, it sounds like there are jerk drivers no matter where you go.

[Deoxyribonucleic]

DANG! Man, bobabrett, I can't even imagine what that was like. I'm sooooo glad you are alright!

It took me awhile to get used to how crazy and out of control people are down here in So. Cal because I came from Seattle and most everyone just drove la tee da up there, I'll get there when I get there type attitude. Don't know if it's still like that but it was a while back :)

[bobafrett]

Originally posted by Deoxyribonucleic
DANG! Man, bobabrett, I can't even imagine what that was like. I'm sooooo glad you are alright!

Thanks Deoxyribonucleic, So am I, so am I! I do a lot of driving with my evening job, so I just try to be careful, and not let any of these bad drivers out there get the better of me. Speaking of which, I was thinking about taking a drive out to Meijer tonight. It's similar to Wal-Mart, but much cleaner and larger.

[plasticfetish]

Deoxy, I have a hard time believing that you're really used to the drivers here ... there is no getting used to how rude and impatient most people are in Southern California. Sorry to hear about your bike accident, I rode for years and dreaded having that happen.

bobafrett, that's pretty hairy ... I've had some close ones but never involving a gun. That's crazy ... sheesh.

Fulit, it's good and important that you reported this guy. At the very least, the police will keep an eye on him and it just may be the thing that keeps him from flipping out on someone else.

Here's a good Southern California story, the most current one that comes to mind. I drive a big, old car ... I tend to stick to the speed limit not so much because my car is "slow" (fact is if I hit the gas I'll go 100 mph), but because gas is something like $20 a gallon now and I'm not racing anyway. So, here's me driving along, then pulling into the Wal-Mart parking lot ... nice and easy. Behind me is a guy in a little white car and he's riding too close and winding out his motor. He pushes, pushes, pushes and then does a cute little passing thing that puts him about an inch from my fender. He cuts me off, waves at me and then zips off. A minute later, I pull up next to him as he gets out of his car and I ask him ... "What was that all about?" Him: "You gotta learn how to drive." Me: "What is it that I need to learn? How to drive like a jerk?" At this point I notice he's wearing a blue vest and sprinting away from me into the Wal-Mart. Great, I figure he works there and so I walk in ask the manager ... the manager doesn't know the guy so I figure he works someplace else. I go grab the batteries or Pringles or cat food or whatever I came in for and get in line ... right behind the guy with the little white car. So, lines can be pretty slow at Wal-Mart huh? That one was really slow for this guy because we spend the whole time talking about "being a good driver." The conversation ends with us walking out of the store (together) and me yelling, "OK, let me see some more of that great driving zippy" as he takes off. Moral of the story ... not everybody with a blue vest works at Wal-Mart, rude/crazy drivers will probably end up paying for it in the long run and don't tailgate my Merc because I will hold a grudge for-ever. (I figured that the guy worked at the Costco a few hundred yards away ... which I imagined was punishment enough.)

[Dr Zoltar]

Originally posted by Deoxyribonucleic
It took me awhile to get used to how crazy and out of control people are down here in So. Cal because I came from Seattle and most everyone just drove la tee da up there, I'll get there when I get there type attitude. Don't know if it's still like that but it was a while back :)

Interesting. My story did take place in So. Cal while I was there for grad school. I now live in Seattle and while there are some crazy drivers, there are nowhere near the number that I hear about in So. Cal. Here mostly are just teenagers speeding or racing on the freeway. There's usually a death every 3-4 months due to this. Of course we've had the odd shooting on I-5 every so often.

We also have the reverse here now -- People going 50 mph or slower in the left lane. Must be because they are used to our traffic now. Third worst in the nation!

[JediTricks]

My mom's ex-boyfriend had a similar situation where he saw the guy's truck on the street right afterwards, so a few days later he drove up to the truck late at night and using his compound bow he shot the dude's radiator with a metal arrow that had a special tip to rip up the radiator upon removal and some cryptic words written on the tails. Not the most mature way to deal with it, but interesting AND the dude didn't know who did it.

[Tonysmo]

wow - great stories, and certainly glad your all alright..

It's kinda weird when you think back to your younger punk kid days though, when you were doing the same kinda things.. just driving reckless in general.. I'm certainly guilty. Never to the point of threating anyone though.. I've had my share on the other foot as well..
Driving off a main street onto a side street I had a guy and his buddy pull up behind me and ride my bumper. The posted limit was 35 and I was in no hurry, as my son was in my truck with me and we had just stopped through Mcy D's for some lunch... I proceeded to drive the speed limit, of course only to upset the guy behind me even more, and as they pulled the whole weaving thing behind me there were a few times when it looked as if he was going to try to pass me.. well, the street opened up back to two lanes a few blocks later, and they did indeed pull up next to me. While they were shouting at me for driving so slow I rolled down my window and asked them nicely that I didnt have time, and that now wasnt good for me cause my son was with me. I dont recall what was said next, but I do remember taking my full Dr. Pepper and giving it to the passenger. With that I think they were surprised enough to drive off and leave me be.. besides, they had quite a mess to clean up. I certainly was upset enough at that point to be able to whoop both of them, but I was glad they drove off.. I didnt want my son seeing any of that. Kind of a bummer, and I felt bad enough afterwards to apologize to him ( my son ) that I took that kinda action.

regardless, I think certain people lose brain cells while driving..

[kool-aid killer]

I think a concealed gun law in Nebraska is working on being passed and i was thinking about this thread as i went to sleep and i honestly think its a bad idea. With hearing stories about how some people act i think this could lead to a lot more deaths. I dont know maybe im just bothered by the thought that every chump with a gun will think that they are the law.

[Kidhuman]

Man there are sure some crazy drivers out there. JT, thanks now I know who shot my Dad's radiator..............:crazed: