Road Rage

[hearno]

Here's my most recent road rage story too add to the thread:

A couple of months ago, driving home on Sunday morning after a weekend vacation to the mountains, I had a guy literally run me off the road. Imagine a traffic intersection like the one in the attached sketch. The road on the other side of the intersection widens to 3 lanes, and before reaching the intersection, the road widens out enough for 3 vehicles to safely stop at the light; however, the lines are not painted for 3 vehicles yet. The light is red, so I pull up on the far right as I'm peacefully chatting with my wife. All of a sudden, I hear this douche bag cussing me to my left. I give him the death stare, look away, and accelerate at a normal rate when the light turns green.

The next thing I know, this guy's right front fender almost hits my door as he swerves over on me. I swerve to the right, over the curb, into the grass, and slam on my brakes, barely missing a mailbox as this guys side mirror hits my own forcibly enough to collapse my mirror. Luckily, my wife and I were both packing. When I caught back up to him at the next red light I flashed my revolver at him, and he decided to stay well behind me the rest of the time that we were on the same road. Needless to say, I've never been more angry about a traffic incident in my life. I just don't understand why some idiot thinks it's his job to be the traffic police in a situation that was putting neither of us at risk in the first place.

(maybe it was because he was in an inferior XTerra)

Quoted for truth

 

[Kmvreter]

No personal arguments intended, just open discussion and free to quote you on the internet.

... I have taken self defense courses...

So I have to ask. Did these involve guns and did you learn anything about self-control?

 

[alaskaman]

No personal arguments intended, just open discussion and free to quote you on the internet.



So I have to ask. Did these involve guns and did you learn anything about self-control?

Just curious how are these laws in Canada?

 

[RandyDaytona]

Alright man. Before you point fingers, understand this guy put my wife's life in danger (and mine) and any gun charges pressed would've fallen in my favor. Second, I have taken self defense courses. Third, I'm not the type of guy to have a personal argument on a forum. Fourth, Feel free to express any opinion you have from now on without me or my quotes as part of the discussion. K, thx

The right thing to do with a road-rager/bad driver is to de-escalate the situation: leave, let him leave, whatever it takes. Then, be a good witness and contact the authorities. That's the wisest and safest course of action.

He may have put your wife's life in danger by doing whatever he did. But after he left, you put her life, yours, and his back in danger by not letting him go, by catching up to him, and then by brandishing your weapon.

I'm not an attorney, but I've spent a lot of time in court. The first thing this guy's lawyer is going to ask you when you're on the witness stand is "granted, my client may drive like a moron, but why did you feel the need to catch up to him after he was no longer a threat and show off your gun to him? Did they teach you that in your 'self-defense' courses?"

Lots of luck with that case.

 

[Kmvreter]

Just curious how are these laws in Canada?

Absolute lock down. No such thing as carrying a gun (long gun or pistol), open or concealed, in public. You need to have a special permit and have it unloaded, trigger locked, locked in a box and in your trunk away from ready access just to take a legal pistol from your home directly to the shooting range. A sport rifle (hunting, farmers) needs to be transported unloaded, trigger locked and again away from ready access. You can have a loaded gun on your own property or property you have permission to be on (ie. while hunting.) Don't even think of having a restricted semi or automatic weapon without red tape. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Canada

 

[alaskaman]

Absolute lock down. No such thing as carrying a gun (long gun or pistol), open or concealed, in public. You need to have a special permit and have it unloaded, trigger locked, locked in a box and in your trunk away from ready access just to take a legal pistol from your home directly to the shooting range. A sport rifle (hunting, farmers) needs to be transported unloaded, trigger locked and again away from ready access. You can have a loaded gun on your own property or property you have permission to be on (ie. while hunting.) Don't even think of having a restricted semi or automatic weapon without red tape. Gun politics in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As everyone in the modern world knows, the horrendous shootings in our country most of us can hardly speak about them without a stomach surge.
Do you have these types of events in Canada or are they contained by your laws?

 

[alaskaman]

The right thing to do with a road-rager/bad driver is to de-escalate the situation: leave, let him leave, whatever it takes. Then, be a good witness and contact the authorities. That's the wisest and safest course of action.

He may have put your wife's life in danger by doing whatever he did. But after he left, you put her life, yours, and his back in danger by not letting him go, by catching up to him, and then by brandishing your weapon.

I'm not an attorney, but I've spent a lot of time in court. The first thing this guy's lawyer is going to ask you when you're on the witness stand is "granted, my client may drive like a moron, but why did you feel the need to catch up to him after he was no longer a threat and show off your gun to him? Did they teach you that in your 'self-defense' courses?"

Lots of luck with that case.

I agree when a man is alone. But when you are with your family a whole new set of hard wired behaviors kicks into auto. It's natural and healthy to protect your loved ones. It takes quite an effort to kick that response down and while prudent a man's first priority is to scare the beast away.