I think it is time to get my concealed weapons permit.

NightSleeper, as a CCW, the onus is on you to not escalate the problem. If the OP had been carrying, and had chosen to follow the other driver in the manner he describes, it is very likely the police and DA would have viewed him as the architect of the problem, and not its victim. Drawing would have only made things worse.

The OP seems to get that, now.

You might want to get it, too.
 
I'm not saying I'm right, Mleak, but in my mind that is exactly why I would choose to carry CC. The right to stop anything that may escalate to violence.

You are under no obligation to receive a punch to the face or find yourself in a fist fight cause the other guy is having a bad day. As long as you're not the one who started it. That's what the gun is for, to prevent these things.

In my mind, you're assisting the other guy with his temper. You're showing him: Look buddy, I'm not going there with you. We're ending this scenerio now, with no violence.

Again, the police and the courts decisions on my actions are their own. I'm not trying to advocate my position to anyone. That's probably what I would do in that situation. So I don't think the OP was being paranoid at all.

Edit: Ok, I see now that the OP probably should have waited or drove the other way. I missed that fact my first time through. I agree then, pulling a gun in this case may be escalating. My bad! :o
 
NightSleeper, the OP gave the guy the impression he was following him. The other driver thought the OP was road raging. I guarantee you the OP would have been charged, if he'd drawn a gun.

And I guarantee you that you would be charged, if you did anything similar.

The other driver had left the parking lot. There was no problem until the OP gave the impression of being angry, and of following the guy.

Perceptions count, not only yours, but also the other guy's. If you want to carry a weapon, bear that in mind.

Edit: Looks like we are simultaneously typing. I hate when that happens. Looks like we are now in agreement.
 
Mleake
I didnt even think that he maybe thought i was following him (which is very possible) I pulled in behind him at the left turn lane because that is the direction I had to go to go home. Like I stated before even if I was legally carrying I would not have drawn the weapon because like others have stated it probably would have made things much worse, the reason this makes me want to get my ccw is it made me realize how fast things can go bad, and if something similar happens in the future I would like to have that option available if it is needed.
 
EMN89, I'm not trying to pile it on you. You've already conceded the point. I was just pointing out to NightSleeper (who noticed as I was typing - doesn't it always work that way?) that the situation was more complex than he had at first thought.

From the other driver's reaction, it's apparent he did think you were following him, even if (and I'll take you at your word) it was only coincidence.

As you've since figured out, it would have been better to wait a minute or two, and ensure he was clear of your route, if you had any thought that there might be tension. People sometimes project their thoughts onto others, and assume that since they'd react a certain way to an inferred provocation, that you will react that way, too; IE, the person who offends you will assume you will react badly, even if you don't intend to.
 
Gun or no gun...
I would refer to the person under the scientific term used to define the canine of the fairer sex followed by "... You might find that your car is the safest place for your person at this particular moment in time..." and take it from there...

I no longer incite road rage but really see little reason to avoid it... just dang tired of stupid people with anger issues and feel they got away with it long enuff... This is verified when they think I am a good target for their anger, hatred and high velocity saliva.

Brent
 
Drawing a gun in this situation would have been...

VERY BAD!

Why?

In the original post, EMN89 stated that he unfastened his seatbelt and cracked his door open in preparation to defend himself. Any competent prosecutor could easily turn this to:

"The defendant unfastend his seatbelt and opened his door thus consenting to mutual combat with the victim!" :eek:

What is wrong with mutual combat? At that point, you have given up any legal claim of self defense. So, drawing a gun would have been seen as an escalation of the situation and not as self defense (based upon my understand of California Law, YMMV).
 
Any time is a good time to get a concealed carry license... it's a shame that "incidents" like these are often the reason people jump into carrying. I think that from the day every American turns 21 they should start carrying but i'm a little weird.

Also, I would hope that you aren't under the impression that if you would have shot the man who angrily approached your vehicle it would have been justified. People should be at liberty to lose their temper and aggressively confront people without having to worry about being shot. When you carry, you adopt the massive responsibility of having to judge the intentions of those around you. We would have some serious issues on our hands if everyone pulled a gun when an angry father misread YOUR intentions and felt that his kids were threatened.
 
All the things I've said before...

Sitting at a light today behind someone who was obviously in his own little world, I thought about all the things I can no longer say to other drivers, now that I am legally armed.

I can no longer say:

"Why don't you put down the ****ing phone and step on the ****ing gas?"

"Are you gonna turn, change lanes, or are you just gonna let that thing blink all day?"

"Could you just pick a lane and try to stay in it?"

"Boy, when you wanna go, you just go, whether anybody else is in the way or not!"

"You must be a very important person. I guess [the rules of the road, traffic signals, parking signs, crosswalks] apply to everybody else, but not to you!

"How dark does it have to get before you turn your lights on?"

"Are we waiting for something besides the light turning green?"

"Do ya wanna kiss me? You're close enough!"

"What am I, invisible?"

And Oh, there are so many more. But I can't do any of that anymore, because any of those remarks, or just about anything I might say to another driver, would make me, if not the aggressor, at least an instigator. I now have to be the bigger person. But it's a good thing they can't read my mind!
 
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i thought about that afterwards, but the proximity of his vehicle and the speed at which he came at me made me think it would be best not to try and drive away because i could possibly hit him or his vehicle.
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Maybe that is the message, you are taking too long to think. Perhaps a little more training so you simply, "Do", not think.
 
Ringolevio said:
But I can't do any of that anymore, because any of those remarks, or just about anything I might say to another driver, would make me, if not the aggressor, at least an instigator
Click to expand...

You still could, just make sure you have a very quick exit strategy. I.e. say anything on your list, they are that darn funny, and drive away very quickly, laughing maniacally. ;)

But no, as much as it may suck to have to sit there and take crap and stupidity from people that, if unarmed you would call them on, it is what comes with the territory.
 
Dantheman1776
I would not have even thought about shooting this guy even if I was armed, I know that would have been murder.
 
A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
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There is only one "reason" to get a CCW, that's because you want one.

Like the vast majority of scenarios posted here, this one shows that remaining calm and avoiding confrontation is the proper course of action.
 
Proshooter
Thank you any info is a plus. I have been thinking about getting my ccw permit for a while now.
 
Nil illegitimus provokum

EMN89: Don't take this personally; my remarks may have been inspired by your post, but are not directed at you specifically.

Addendum to my post "All the things I've said before":

Another thing I've often been tempted to say to other drivers is "Where'd you get your [driver's] license, in a box of Crackerjacks?" [or "...At Sears-Roebuck?"]

We all need to conduct ourselves in such a manner that nobody ever wonders if that's where we got our CCW licenses.
 
About 20 miutes ago i had just left the gym and had stopped at a local gas station to get a drink, i made my purchase exited the store and got into my truck, as i backed out of my parking spot a ford taurus whipped through the gas station i had to hit my brakes pretty hard to avoid a collision, the guy looked at me like i had done something wrong and kept going. i hit the gas a little harder than i should have and the tires squeeled a little bit, i put the truck in drive and pulled out onto the road where there is a stop light a short distance away as i pulled up behind the vehicle the drivers door swung open and the man started charging towards my truck, at the same time seeing this i unfastened my seat belt and opened the door a crack in case he tried to swing at me(my windows were open) i could slam the door into him. as he got up to my truck he started screaming at me that he had kids in the car and he was gonna mess me up, i kept my cool and did not say a word i just stared at him and watched for any hint he was going to attack after his little tirade he got back in his vehicle and took off. to my memory that is exactly how it happened an the whole confrontation lasted maybe 10-15 seconds.
thoughts and suggestions welcome.
thanks, Eric.
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How would a concealed gun have helped?
 
In this situation it wouldnt have helped, but I have been thinking about getting my ccw for a while now and this incident has made me realize how quickly things can go wrong. This incident has also opened my eyes as to how others may view your actions, therefore I have taken a lot from this and I know how to better handle something like this in the future.
 
Why would you need a gun in this situation? I dealt with situations like this alot of times. Defending yourself with a firearm and getting away with shooting someone just because you have a CHL is not as easy as you think it is because the biggest hassle you would have is defending yourself in court. Now I could understand if he was beating you over the head with his fists but just a charge to the vehicle? Nope
 
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