quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Are you advocating for a gunfight?

I think we both handled our respective situations poorly and got lucky. Do you disagree?

I think it's far more likely to hit some elderly or learner's permit driver pulling out on that road than you seem willing to acknowledge. I think racing away at the first sign of aggression increases risk of accident to parties completely uninvolved. I don't necessarily have a better answer, but I think that's a bad one to suggest as a first course of action.

I would have driven to the closest police station. And start figuring out which dash cam you are going to purchase and install.

I’m experiencing more and more of this behavior locally. I watched a lady do the same thing as this fuckstick a few weeks ago. She was in a Suburban, and road raged out, big time. Luckily, I just let her cut me off and didn’t retaliate. She did it to the next guy, he retaliated, then she retaliated, I mean she locked up her brakes to a stop in front of this guy. If LE saw this go down she would have been arrested it was that bad.

I will admit I’ve been really stupid with this before. Once in 1999, and I got off work at 11pm that night. A young lady and her simp followed me for 3 highways because I was in the slow lane on the highway. She had hit the service road and punched it to 90 mph, at least, and swerved at me expecting me to move over and I didn’t. I finally had enough at the third highway. I was heading to the Police station I knew by heart, the address, etc. She started escalating so I pulled my pistol and set it on the dash aimed in front of me and not at her. She spotted it, locked up her brakes and exited the highway instantly.

Probably 7 years ago the same. A guy was taunting everyone on the road by going 10-15 mph under the speed limit, purposely trying to get folks angry. I was behind him, and during a turn, he actually opened up his door, leaned out of his truck, turned around and was taunting me. Having enough, same deal. Pulled my pistol and set it on the dash and he split. Really dumb of me. Now, I don’t even honk or do anything because it’s not worth it. No horn, no reaction, the person moves onto an easier target. Just don’t react. People are out there on the streets purposely trying to get a rise out of other motorists in some sick twisted mental problem. Your best defense is to do nothing and have a dash cam recording the bullshit where you can turn the footage over to LE.

quote:

Originally posted by synthplayer:
I never use my horn unless I'm trying to alert someone that they're about to cause an accident. When I was young, many would use their horn to indicate their impatience with another driver, but that's now an invitation to disaster.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
Now, I don’t even honk or do anything because it’s not worth it. No horn, no reaction, the person moves onto an easier target. Just don’t react.

This, all this. I don't take the bait anymore, and the one time I have recently, it was some young clown sitting and playing on his phone at a green turn arrow. Tapped the horn, and the next thing I know, I'm getting brake-checked and he's holding his phone videoing me in the rearview. I responded by driving the speed limit and ignoring him and taking the next turn. My son was in the truck with me, there was no correct action but de-escalation. Racing away would have invited a chase. This was recently, too. People are too reactionary to be honking at as an indicator of anything other than "collision imminent" anymore.

I learned long time ago not to tap the horn and just quietly wait patiently even if waiting for a light change or two. Guess being old and retired (as an LEO) ... I have no desire to worry about these things since they can turn south fast.

Spot on advise here. You can't engage with the road rage people at all...their just another pothole to be avoided on your daily commute.

quote:

Originally posted by bdylan:
Spot on advice here. You can't engage with the road rage people at all...they’re just another pothole to be avoided on your daily commute.

Plus, no matter how scary a title we put on it, in most states rear ending someone is still your fault for failing to be in control of a motor vehicle and failing to yield the right of way. After the first time he brake checks you, it’s either time to back way off, or take the next right.

No amount of dash cam video changes that around here. I’m with old dino, I’ve learned to keep my displeasure of other drivers to myself. Anything different never works out.

I’ve come to the conclusion that, at least for me, I look at these types of interactions through the lens of risk vs reward. I’ve got much more at risk then a simple situation that most time could be easily avoided.

It seems to me that trying to change a persons behavior or to sound my displeasure at their actions by hitting my horn is hardly ever going to be well received by the “offending party.”

Silent