Old Car Road Rage Incident

[Merle Coggins]

Sometimes you just can't win.

Several years ago I was traveling in the right lane of a multi-lane expressway here in Milwaukee. There was a car on my left (center lane) just ahead of me enough that I could see his tail lights out my side window. As we approached an off ramp I saw his right turn signal come on. Trying to be courteous I slowed down to let him go in front of me, since he was already slightly ahead of me anyway. Apparently he had decided to slow down and go in behind me, which is odd since I was driving a rather large service truck. When I noticed that he was also slowing down I got back on the throttle to get ahead of him so he'd have room. That's about when this @$$hole decides to gas it to get in front of me. By now he's missed his off ramp but is ahead of me. He hits his brakes and slows way down, apparently trying to piss me off. I have to get on the brakes pretty hard, but manage to maintain my safety margin. Then he speeds off to the next exit jesturing that I was #1. I guess I was the @$$hole for trying to be nice.

Merle

[PatS....]

Seems like if you are driving a large truck, you are automatically an a$$hole. I used to get cut off 20 30 times a day by fools who would then jam on the brakes to "teach me a lesson" not realizing that 80,000 lbs can't stop in the distance they leave to "teach the lesson".

I'm sure there are several badly stained front seats from guys trying that and realizing that they would be the loser in such a confrontation.

Do they think a fully loaded truck is going slower just to specifically pi$$ them off? How fast do they think 80,000 lbs takes to get moving? Or to stop?

OOPPSS I typed "think". My bad.

[48Dodger]

It's all racing. If someone does something Illegal, let an official take care of it. If a guy is doing faster laps...let him by. If he wants to fight...keep your helmet on, your window net up, then head to your own pit if your ride still moves. You can show respect for a competitor without being compassionate (i.e. Harvick vs. Martin, Daytona 500 2007, or Earnhardt vs. Earnhardt Jr., Iroc 1999). If you gotta rub fenders to get it done, don't be shy. In all, one week your waving "thx" to a guy for letting you pass, then the very next week your drawing a bull’s-eye over the number of his car because of "whatever". Relax and drive your own race. I respect what you did James. You kept your cool and kept your helmet on.

48D

[Plymouthy Adams]

Pat..a lot has changed over the years..the truckers was at one time the most courteous and safety minded driver out there..now you have a bunch of young hot heads behind the wheel of that 80,000 lb missle on the slab of concrete with the attitude that his job is the only reason you have a 4 wheeler to drive. I still however cut them the most repect but when I see one of these types driving in a built up area on the interstate..restricted to the two right lanes, weaving and bobbing in and out of traffic and in the third lane trying to make 80 MPH in a congested area..that man NEEDS a ticket..no less than reckless endangerment..and on the other coin you have 4 wheelers doing the same..equally deserving of a ticket..I just often wonder if some of those truckers actually consider how they may be able to slow down much less come to a stop when fully loaded..I know when I am towing that the braking is greatly diminished...the most courteous bunch I have found bar none when towing an old car is Atlanta traffic..sure beats Chicago..Charlotte to name just a couple.

[Dodgefran]

Have you ever noticed?

The idiots NEVER NEVER road rage on someone who they think can kick their Arrrs. Bullies usually pick on the "weak sister" so they themselves don't get hurt.

[Norm's Coupe]

I think it was Pat S who mentioned always leave a space between you and the car in front of you when you stop. That's about the best advise of all. That way, you can always move around and not be trapped by a car in front and back of you.

I remember some very good advise my dear departed Pappy gave my brother and I when we started driving. If someone is trying to stop you or get in your car, just hit the gas. If they are in the way, too bad, just keep on going. Never forget, your car or truck is a very good weapon to defend yourself.

That advise my father gave us probably saved my life while I was in Korea in 1962/1963. One night I had to run a guy from Seoul, South Korea to Kimpo Air Base so he could come home on emergency leave. Was around 10 or 11 PM when we were about half way there on a two lane highway. That area of highway was well known for trouble with people being killed and robbed by locals at the time. Of course, neither the other guy or myself had any weapons to protect ourself since we were not anywhere near the DMZ. All of a sudden in the distance of my headlights I could see a bunch of people blocking the highway with a human blockade. I informed the guy with me that I was going to slow down, but hold hold on. Slowed enough to put the jeep into second gear, then sort of rolled up to the blockade. As soon as I got close enough a few of the people started coming toward the doors on the jeep. Just as they had their hands on the door handles of the canvas doors, I popped the clutch and took off. I did see a few of them flying but kept the pedal to the metal. Got about 1 or 2 miles down the road and saw a South Korean military jeep sitting on the road and something laying in the center of the road. I looked around and didn't see anyone so slowed down to just barely a crawl. As I got close enough I could see the object in the road was a body. I opened my door and saw a South Korean officer laying there, dead with his head split open. Was still in the bad area so just left him there and drove on to Kimpo and reported it when I got there. On my way back to Seoul several MP vehicles were there. I stopped again. They said it looked like he had stopped and been attacked. So, the key is, leave a space. If someone tries to get in your vehicle, run over them! Then claim "Self Defense". Remember your vehicle is an excellent weapon.

[PatS....]

Norm, it is valid advice. There were several witnesses to the incident I was involved in and try as they may, and the cops really tried, there were no charges laid against me. I did it by the book.

Always leave yourself an out and never hesitate to smash your way to safety.

Of course not getting into it with these fools is the first line of defense, but sometimes, they want to fight.

Stay in your vehicle...never get out...never.

[thedahmer]

And today -- some MORON honked at me when I was backing out of a parking spot they were FLYING through the parking lot- at the stop sign the gave me the California wave and sped off to a stop light-- they ran the light-- and low and behold Smokey the bear was at the light as well--my father always said the "patience is a virtue"-- well I didnot say or wave or honk back just kinda shook my head and went on-- they the red cherries and blue berries were on them I just smiled and motored on-- it is a BEAUTIFUL DAY!!

[D25_Steve]

I guess I'm the only one on this message board that speeds most of the time.

Thats one thing I like about driving the Dodge though, I rarely feel the need to speed.

[Dennis Hemingway]

Your not the only one Steve. I am known to have a lead foot also.

Dennis:rolleyes:

[Guest Gerhard Tieseler]

The only response I give people is a wave when they honk, or blow 'em a kiss if I they flip me off. The guys LOVE that!

I had a road rage incident a few years ago driving the speed limit in my Galaxie when a Subaru passed me on a residential street. The guy was speeding into the night when another oncoming car suddenly performed a U-turn way too close for my comfort. In the middle of the U-turn I noticed it was Johnny Law, and yes, justice had been served.

That guy in the Subaru looked right at me and my girlfriend and saw our smiles.

People never cease to amaze me.

[Dodgefran]

Sometimes, they never "amaze to cease" you. So "beeeeeeeeeee careful out there"

[Plymouthy Adams]

I cease your dollar and raise you five...

[Norm's Coupe]

Good post topic. Maybe reading this thread has had some effect on some of us. I was only about a mile and half from work and had plenty of time so it was more like entertainment watching the fool drive like he was the only on on the road.

Shel, I think you hit it on the head with that statement. You had lots of time and was in no hurry.

Seems like a lot of people today wait until the last minute to leave to go someplace like work. Then if something happens to slow them down, they get mad at the other person who has left lots of time to get where he's going. The guy who left the house late is the one who will have the road rage because now he's going to be late. People just need to give their self time to smell the roses and enjoy the ride by leaving a little earlier.

There is nothing wrong with being early for work. When I was working for another company we had to be in the office by 8 AM and ready to go to work at that time. I was always there about 7:15 or 7:30 AM and working by 7:45 AM. Because of that the people under me were there then too. A couple of them always tried to beat me there, so it's contagious. In fact, many times a couple of us would meet at the corner restaurant for breakfast and still be in the office by 7:30 AM. Even the people in the 6 other offices I handled did the same because they knew I'd be there then. Point is, if one of us did get hung up bad on the way, we still wouldn't be late getting to work.

If these other people would learn to leave earlier it would probably improve their blood pressure too, without medication.

[martybose]

A number of years ago i was driving on the freeway on a sunny afternoon, and the traffic stopped. So I stopped. It moved forward a ways and stopped again, and I did likewise. About the third time the guy in the car in front of me waved his arm, but i didn't think anything of it. A couple more of these move and stop cycles, and he turns around, glares at me and shakes his fist. Maybe he thought I was stopping too close to his car; I have no idea. When the traffic started moving agin, he moved up about 10 feet, then slammed on his brakes. He does this three or four more times, and now there is a gap in front of him that is over a hundred yards long, and traffic is moving. The next time he slammed on the brake I was ready for him; I sidestepped the clutch in low gear and used the next lane to get around him, then just drove away normally. He suddenly developed an urge to take the next exit, which he reached by cutting across 3 lanes of traffic rather perilously.

I never did figure out what his problem was.

Marty