I almost shot someone.....

The problem with this strategy is when you have a line of traffic in front of you, beside you and some idiot behind you is driving erratic flashing his lights at you. There are people on the highways that race for pride or money or whatever and if you're in their way, they may take out their loss on you. Like the OP pointed out, it isn't always about some guy who is frustrated driver; there could be a lot more going on.
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So, if you think there is more going on, why wouldn't you get out of the way? If someone is driving crazy and I pull over to the side of the road to let them pass and they choose, for whatever reason, not to keep going, but instead bother me, then I will deal with that. In a car to car contact the rear car often has the advantage. It is much easier to flip a car in front of you than to disable a car behind you in a car.

I've completely pulled over to the side of the road because of a driver behind me twice. Once several years ago and once several months ago. If you want to make sure your gun is accessible before pulling over, then go ahead. Be prepared for the other person to not just drive by, but if you continue to play their game then expect me to say you were justified you aren't going to get it.
There are so many ways to avoid this nonsense with other drivers that don't involve acting like a 16 year old leaving a HS parking lot.
 
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Glad you're ok. Just some gentle advice. Next time use you cell phone for the Police. They don't like maniacs on the street anymore than we do.
We were on our way to Atlanta from Nashville and along the interstate a maniac truck driver was driving very aggressively and was cutting people off.
We called the State Police and told them the type of truck the guy was driving, where we were, what we were driving and appox mile marker. They thanked us and 6 minutes down the interstate he was pulled over by the SPs.
We, wife and I, were armed but had zero inclination to persue or confront.
Again, glad you're ok.
Doc
 
Couple of things:

1) I understand your frustration which may have led you to flip on your dome light and give the other driver the International 1 finger salute..I get it. I've never done the dome light, but when i was a little bit younger (I'm 35) i've been guilty of giving the salute many times. And each time afterwards, I end up regretting it. But when everything is happening at once and you're trying to maintain control of the car on a highway, some jackass is doing what you described, sometimes its hard to control your immediate emotions although i do think you did a great job controlling them during the physical confrontation.

2) I am familiar with what "speed racing" is. It is more common than folks think. When you see a pack of cars (usually 2-4 at most) all driving closely together and making similar maneuvers in and out of lanes at high rates of speed, and it prolongs for more than a few seconds, this is a clue that's what they're doing, racing. They often use their brights and even their hazards, to signal the other racers. Another clue is the vehicles they're in, most of you know what a fast performance car is, and what a regular car is. That doesnt mean idiots dont do it in regular sedans or family cars either, but its less common. Everyone should steer clear of these antics and try to maintain a safe distance depending on road conditions, traffic, etc.

3) Other then not calling the police, I thought you did the right thing once you both were stopped and you were blocked in (verbal confrontation and getting your gun ready etc). Again, as some others have stated, calling the police might have led to you getting in trouble as well, or more trouble than the fool in the other car. Simply because you didnt exactly de-escalate the situation during the highway drive and following each other to a stopping area etc where the confrontation escalated. Perhaps you knew that or maybe you didnt. As far as once you both stopped and he exited his vehicle approaching you, i thought you did a remarkable job at that point with everything including your ability to reasonably calm down the situation using words, not bullets.


All in all, I think there's a few things you wish you did differently, particularly during the drive.. But overall, You're ok and you didnt have to shoot anyone because at that intense moment, you had enough sense and control to try to de-escalate it. I know many others who would've pulled that trigger once he approached you and showed his firearm.. You didnt do that, you reasoned with the guy and you both went home safe..
 
We also have a home in South Fl. and see this on 95 all the time.

I'm doing 70-74 MPH. and out of nowhere I see 2 or 3 cars coming up behind me going like a Bat out of you know where. They weave in and out of all 4 lanes regardless of traffic and I try to stay in the 2nd lane from the left. I figure this is the least dangerous place to be.

Most of these cars are Hot Cars like souped up BMW's.
Chevy Cameros, Dodge Chargers and even Jags and Rolls.
Sometimes the SP's get them and some times they don't.
Nobody thinks that my Prius is part of this garbage and I like it like that.

Yes I'm always carrying and like it was said before me this does help to calm me down. Losing my temper holding is not a good idea.
Doc
 
So, if you think there is more going on, why wouldn't you get out of the way?
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I dint go back and read my thread, it was awhile ago and honestly forgot about it. I DID get out of his way, several times during the drive. I was NOT aware that he thought we were teammates helping each other haul down the highway. My beat-up 2001 Civic 4-door should have made that clear, but he was driving(IIRC) a beat-up 2000-something Ford compact, so I guess designer labels are not important to an enthused street-racer. I have seen several posts that simply say, why didn't you let him pass? I did, and sometimes I just tried and he would hang back on my right and flash me. It was late, I just left a 20 hour shift and I was driving quickly, I was not hogging the fast lane, I was using it when it was the fastest lane.

not saying it wasn't my fault in many ways, just trying to clear up the situation if I didn't express it clearly. it's a pretty heavily populated area with medium traffic even late at night, I didn't expect him to get off of the same exit. when he did, I could have taken the next one, but I thought backing off would be fine and I didn't want to add another ten minutes to my commute, since work tomorrow was only 4 hours away. seems silly now just to save ten minutes, but I couldn't see the future. most of my road-rage/anger/hostility incidents are confined to the car and don't lead to melee. I know I wouldn't get out of my car, but I need to know better than to think others are thinking like I am.
 
It should be. The point of this kind of discussion is to do an after-action analysis so that everyone can learn the lessons involved.
 
I also put a Toyota hatchback until thinking on it. I usually drive my car to work, but my wife's is also driven on occasion, I would assume the firstbis correct, since I wrote it pretty fresh. Like ivsaid, I thought it was awhile back.
 
Details like the make and model of the cars, and the barrel length and caliber of the guns seem to be crucial to some folks when these discussions arise. Lucky for you this wasn't posted on Facebook or similar, you'd have been torn to pieces for having a gun in the first place, especially if it held more than three rounds, or if you were born in a mobile home south of the Mason-Dixon line.
 
You mention dark and rainy--I too had a "rage encounter" last week (though I was not carrying) during a dark and rainy evening. Something about the reduced visibility which I think increases the odds of something like this happening. Wasn't me--some crazy guy who was on the side of the road with his lights off decided I was being impolite when I proceeded through an intersection after waiting for him to drive through--but he didn't. He followed me honking and flashing his brights while tail-gating. I pulled over right in front of the local police station and got out to see what was wrong--he came right at me with his pick-up truck and stopped mere inches from hitting me. Vehicles are many people's way of venting their anger on the world. For this reason I never carry loaded in a vehicle except when in exceptionally bad neighborhoods. That's just me--I'm not saying others shouldn't (except if it's illegal, of course).
 
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most of my road-rage/anger/hostility incidents are confined to the car and don't lead to melee.
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This isn't an isolated incident?
This thread is a prosecutors wet dream.

I just left a 20 hour shift and I was driving quickly
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work tomorrow was only 4 hours away
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I worked some consecutive 20+ hour days when I was in my early 20's and survived, but it had effects on my personality and efficacy in many situations.
I recently went close to a year working 12s and I found it much more difficult a decade older. Negatively affected my life to a much greater extent than the money was positive. Something to consider.
 
johnwiliamson062 said:
I worked some consecutive 20+ hour days when I was in my early 20's and survived, but it had effects on my personality and efficacy in many situations.
I recently went close to a year working 12s and I found it much more difficult a decade older. Negatively affected my life to a much greater extent than the money was positive. Something to consider.
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I put in a minimum of 60 hours a week in my thirties and forties but now in my fifties by the end of a 12 hour shift my brain is just running in circles
 
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