TexasCHLforum.com

Thanks for the feedback and honesty you all. Looks like I could have handled it another way. I don't think I carry around a toy and my intention was to get me out of a dangerous situation. All I can do is learn from this on the event I am faced with a similar situation.

This is my first post, however I have used the board for about 3 years and have been a chl holder for about 2. Tonight a friend of mine and I were driving around Austin at 9 pm, when I encountered a dangerous driver filled with Road Rage. I turned off of a dark street onto another, and pulled in front of a tanned Tahoe, whose headlights were off. The vehicle thought i intentionally cut him off and sped up. The gentleman honked his horn, even though it was his fault I didn't see him. He then pulled up next to me and started yelling, flipping me off, and throwing his hands around. This was not my first time to encounter this as I think we all have seen this behavior before. I brushed it off and kept driving.

The driver switched lanes in front of me and slowed down, then started to pull to the right as if he was going to turn or pull over into the bike lane/shoulder. Instead of passing him in the right lane I moved to the left in order to give myself more distance. He then swerved his vehicle at mine and attempted to side swipe me, and he was pointing his finger at me as if it was a firearm and motioned that he was shooting. Not knowing what he was doing I reached into my glove box and explained to my friend that I was going to draw my sidearm. I had my Kel-tec pf9 in a holster and pointed the gun at the filing of my car and not at th driver. My intention was to let him know that I was armed but I didn't feel that I should point at the driver. I sped up to flee away however he came up beside me again and swerved at me a second time, This time I held my gun up and waived it, still not pointing it at him, hoping that he would see it this time, he continued to mimick firing a gun at me with his hands, until he either saw that I was holding a gun or decided to wise up.
He turned off to another street.

I apologized to my friend for having to see that and assured him that I did not want do that and I had never had to before. I genuinely felt threatened and as I said I tried to avoid confrontation. I was driving a 4 door sedan and the Tahoe or surbuban was probably twice the size mine. I felt that my safety was at risk and that the driver of the other vehicle crossed the fine line of Road Rage to Assault, when he tried to side swipe me. Was I right to draw my gun? What would you all have done?