I just don't get it sometimes. At least once every month or two on average, while out, randomly, someone will try and mess with me. I'm not quite sure what about me prompts this
It happened again while filling up with gas. I had about 1/2 of a tank, and wanted to fill up, as I start my work "week" tomorrow.
I was turning around in the parking lot to pull up to a gas pump with my fuel door on the right side. My car was pulling through, after turning around when some kid in a small sportscar came zooming off the street into the gas station, stopping about an inch from the front of my car.
[the following exchange has been cleaned up for adherance to the 10 year old daughter guideline. Profanity was used by the other person.]
Him: "Hey man that's *MY* gas pump. Back out or I'll mess you up!"
Me: "Ok man, it's yours."
I back up, and pull into a recently vacated pump right nearby. About halfway into fueling, he continues.
Him: "You know man, you're lucky I don't mess you up. Most times I don't give warnings."
Me: (Under my breath) "You don't say"
Him: "If you were smart, you'd be afraid right now, dog.
[At this point, I decide that I'm done filling up, and getting ready to leave. I'm not responding to him anymore, and this makes him even angrier.]
Him: I'm serious, I've popped a cap in people for less than this. Don't disrespect me dog.
At that point, I put the gas hose away, jump into my car, lock the door, and get out ASAP. I'm stuck behind a traffic light about 1/4 of a mile away when I see the kid's car behind me, flashing his brights and honking. I make note of his license plate.
I floor the gas pedal, cross 3 lanes of traffic and make an illegal uturn, which the kid behind me follows, nearly hitting a car. The kid is now tailgaiting me. I floor the accelerator again, running a red light. He gives chase again. At the next intersection, I perform a nearly textbook bootlegger turn at about 65, about 10 seconds before traffic starts flowing the other way. I zoom ahead as fast as I feel is safe, turning into the first neighborhood I find, finally losing the kid.
I call 911 and give the license plate number of the kid. The dispacher requests I meet an officer a few miles away at Firewheel. Apparently Garland's finest has had numerous calls about this car and kid in the past.
So I give an officer my story, and that's pretty much it.
No guns were drawn, or anything like that, though I was afraid it was quickly coming to that point.
This kind of thing happens to me far more often lately than I think it happens to others. For some reason, I feel I've become some kind of bad behavior magnet. I struggle to try and figure out if I'm doing something to attract these people, or if I'm just extremely unlucky. I honestly don't think I'm goading people, but who knows? I don't think I look like some kind of "bad ..." person but again, I'm just at a loss here. With this guy, I basically gave up what he wanted, "his gas pump" without argument, but he seemed to really want some kind of altercation no matter what.
Other places I've lived, I've had your random road rager angry with me that I'm not going 85 in a 60mph zone, or that I don't deny people the ability to merge. In fact, in my youth, I was far more agressive of a driver than I am now, and for whatever reason, I seem to notice MORE inidents, not less.
BTW, what I came out of this experience with:
1) The performance driving class I took a few years ago for fun gave me skills I never thought I'd use.
2) Sometimes people just are looking for a fight. Not giving it to them seems to make them angrier or something.
In other words, I just don't get people.
Thats probably caused by allergies and having a full nose many times.