IMHO America should be like Israel - with one twist. Every person who gets a drivers license should be required to spend at least 6 months on an EMS crew working all the carnage on the streets caused by "drivers" who have no conception of the forces involved in crashing their high speed thrill rides. Stepping in a puddle of...er...bodily fluids leaking from a crushed body and having them flow over into your shoe causes a certain restraint of said foot when pushing the accelerator.
RECIT wrote:Drive OFF! Unless you are blocked in every direction, I would never let anyone approach my car if I have an escape route. If they want to follow then they can follow me to the police station parking lot. If there is no where to go, keep the window up and draw your weapon and keep it at a low ready just like the OP did. You don't have to wave it in his face but have it ready. If he sees it hopefully he is smart and turns around and walks away, if he is not so smart, then make your verbal command or warning, STOP don't come any closer! If it escalates and you feel threatened enough to act the do so. In my eyes there is NEVER any reason for anyone to get out of their car IN TRAFFIC to say anything to me! Only in an accident do I need to speak with any other motorist. Other than that get the heck AWAY from my car! I think you did the right thing in every action except honking. I pretend like my horn doesn't work b/c I don't need the attention or confrontation.
I dated a girl many years ago that had a bad habit of reaching over and honking the horn of the car while I was driving. She did it one time too many and it almost got me in a few bad situations, even after I told her to NEVER do that again she did one more "harmless" time and I dropped her off at her house and told her to meet me where we were going that she was not allowed in my car ANYMORE. Needless to say our relationship was on its way out...
You could have told her to ride in the back seat. If she tried to reach over your shoulder to hit the horn, your right elbow could have accidentally made contact with her nose.
I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do those things to other people and I require the same of them.
Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
Definately a time when being Legally Armed is comforting !
Obviously noone wants to be in this situation, but we can't predict or change the behavior of others on the road.
Ameer wrote:If someone cuts me off and stops, and it's not a red light, one of my first tasks is to call 911.
Are you really going to take your eyes off that person long enough to make that call?
I disagree with the others about the horn. In my opinion, its there for a reason but you don't have to use it all the time.
I feel the same way. I will use the horn if someone make an honest mistake if I think it will prevent them from hitting my vehicle.
As far as running over a curb or possibly hitting someone else's car or person reversing, I don't think I would do that. I have the right to stand my ground and defend myself, thats what I would do. Hopefully all it would be is me telling the person to turn around and lets all go home. Try to defuse the situation calmly as I can. I was told by my CHL instructor that the first CHL shooting in Texas happen in Dallas on Mockingbird lane and it was over road rage. The CHL holder was in his car when the other driver got out and started hitting him through the window. He had no way of defending himself other than his pistol which was on the passenger seat under a news paper, and that s what he did.
Mr.ViperBoa wrote:
I feel the same way. I will use the horn if someone make an honest mistake if I think it will prevent them from hitting my vehicle.
As far as running over a curb or possibly hitting someone else's car or person reversing, I don't think I would do that. I have the right to stand my ground and defend myself, thats what I would do. Hopefully all it would be is me telling the person to turn around and lets all go home. Try to defuse the situation calmly as I can. I was told by my CHL instructor that the first CHL shooting in Texas happen in Dallas on Mockingbird lane and it was over road rage. The CHL holder was in his car when the other driver got out and started hitting him through the window. He had no way of defending himself other than his pistol which was on the passenger seat under a news paper, and that s what he did.
Well sort of. It was a minor vehicle accident that escalated when the shooter wanted to call the police to have a police report filed because he was driving a company vehicle (kudos to his employer), the other party then attacked him. The DA at the time wanted to prosecute but it was eventually no-billed by the grand Jury. God I love Texas!
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.."
-- Ronald Reagan
