On May 26, 2006, a two young men had an altercation in Bel Air, MD, a bustling suburb town center about 20 minutes north east of Baltimore. It resulted in one of them being fatally stabbed, the other pleading guilty and receiving 30 years. The convicted is now seeking a re-trial for a reduced sentence.
Some have claimed that this wasn't actually road rage per se, it was a young punk (Simmons, the stabber) trying to act "hard" in front of his buddies who were also in the car.
So a scenario:
You (a civilian) unintentionally anger another motorist. They follow you, or you are stopped at a light, and they approach your car/motorcycle. A, they have a weapon out. B, they do not. Assuming you can't drive away (which is ALWAYS the best option, even (in my opinion) if it means jumping the curb, blowing a red light, whatever), what is the best way to diffuse this situation?
If they have a firearm out, you're at a huge disadvantage. Pulling your 4oz, 1/2 MOA, 30-round snubnose loaded with Insta-stop .308 will almost certainly lead to an exchange of gunfire. Not exactly ideal, especially if your wife and kids are in the car.
If they have a knife out, you're at a huge disadvantage being in the car, assuming they break your window (not so tough with many 'tactical' folding knives equipped with a glass breaker/impact point on the base.
Some people might say "close your windows and ignore the person." Which might work, but some people will just be enraged even more if you ignore them. Are you going to continue to ignore them as they kick in your door panels, key the length of your car, or slash your tire?
First step might be to lock the doors. Have your wife get her cell out and pre-dial 9-1-1, ready to hit "call" if needed. Crack your window, and firmly apologize. "Hey, buddy, I'm sorry but it was a mistake, I wasn't looking."
Thoughts?
Sources:
(1) http://www.exploreharford.com/news/4737/sculpture-memorialize-stabbing-victim/
(2) http://www.examiner.com/a-758053~Murder_trial_may_be_revisited.html
Patrick John Walker, of the 800 block of Benjamin Road, was 23 when he was stabbed to death in a case of road rage on May 26, 2006, while on his way to work at Harford Mall. Michael Razzio Simmons was sentenced to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder in the case, which happened in the middle of the afternoon in an alley behind the Harford County Health Department after, according to Simmons, Mr. Walker cut him off in traffic.
Mr. Walker graduated in 2001 from C. Milton Wright High School and in 2005 from Towson University, where he majored in sports management and business administration. He was the assistant manager of the GNC store at Harford Mall and had moved in with his girlfriend of two years and her 6-year-old son only a month before his death. (1)
Simmons had maintained that Walker exited his vehicle and confronted him in the parking lot after Walker cut him off on the road. He claimed Walker fell onto the knife that Simmons carried for protection.
But employees of the health department and one of Simmons’ passengers told police Walker never left the car; Simmons had leaned in the window and apparently stabbed him in the neck, witnesses said. (2)
Some have claimed that this wasn't actually road rage per se, it was a young punk (Simmons, the stabber) trying to act "hard" in front of his buddies who were also in the car.
So a scenario:
You (a civilian) unintentionally anger another motorist. They follow you, or you are stopped at a light, and they approach your car/motorcycle. A, they have a weapon out. B, they do not. Assuming you can't drive away (which is ALWAYS the best option, even (in my opinion) if it means jumping the curb, blowing a red light, whatever), what is the best way to diffuse this situation?
If they have a firearm out, you're at a huge disadvantage. Pulling your 4oz, 1/2 MOA, 30-round snubnose loaded with Insta-stop .308 will almost certainly lead to an exchange of gunfire. Not exactly ideal, especially if your wife and kids are in the car.
If they have a knife out, you're at a huge disadvantage being in the car, assuming they break your window (not so tough with many 'tactical' folding knives equipped with a glass breaker/impact point on the base.
Some people might say "close your windows and ignore the person." Which might work, but some people will just be enraged even more if you ignore them. Are you going to continue to ignore them as they kick in your door panels, key the length of your car, or slash your tire?
First step might be to lock the doors. Have your wife get her cell out and pre-dial 9-1-1, ready to hit "call" if needed. Crack your window, and firmly apologize. "Hey, buddy, I'm sorry but it was a mistake, I wasn't looking."
Thoughts?
Sources:
(1) http://www.exploreharford.com/news/4737/sculpture-memorialize-stabbing-victim/
(2) http://www.examiner.com/a-758053~Murder_trial_may_be_revisited.html
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