Brief backstory: I'm not a slow driver. I know the left lane is for passing. I'm not that guy going one mile/hour over the speed limit in the left lane.

This morning I'm in the left lane with about 2 car lengths to maybe one and a half car lengths between me and the car in front of me. There is a long line of cars in the left lane in front of me...we aren't going anywhere.

This dick behind me is all over my bumper. When he gets an opportunity to pass me on the right, he jumps in the right lane and zooms past me. So I return the favor and let him get a good look at my front bumper. Then I hold up hands like, "where was I supposed to go Bub? Do you see there's no where to go?"

Then he flicks me off and points to the right, like I was slower traffic and should have been in the right lane. Keep in mind, we aren't going any faster as the long of cars is still in front of us. Only difference is, he's tailgating the guy in front of him and I'm tailgating him...cause that's smart.

Then he suddenly holds up a pistol in a holster!!! I was kind of shocked. Then, to make sure I knew what he was holding up, he lowers it and takes it out of the holster and holds it up again.

I was pissed and called 911 immediately. I gave a description of his vehicle and license plate. He realized I was on the phone and exited the highway and started trying to get away. He realized he f'ed up. I obviously didn't follow him other than off the exit because I didn't want the scenario to escalate.

I'm sitting here in my office wondering what to do next? Will the police take that call and track him down? Or will they just let it go? LEO members, what usually happens with this stuff?

Should I go down to the PD station and file a report officially and demand follow up?

Should I just let it go? Part of me doesn't want to get a gun owner aka "one of us" in trouble if he just had an epic brain fart of a lifetime, but then again, part of me is like, he's the kind of dipshit who makes us all look bad and shouldn't have a gun.

He had sports stickers in back windows and one of them was of a local school system. So he's a family guy...I dunno, I'm just wondering if he's a good guy who had a really bad moment? Follow up with police and drill his ass? I'm conflicted and looking for input, but I'm leaning towards drill his ass.

quote:

He had sports stickers in back windows and one of them was of a local school system. So he's a family guy...I dunno, I'm just wondering if he's a good guy who had a really bad moment?

Sorry, but yelling at you is a bad moment. Flashing a piece in a holster and then showing it again out of the holster is way beyond a bad moment. This guy needs to be interrogated and charged.

Keep calm and think it through without emotion.
Me- I'd let it go.
You - do what you think best.
Good Luck.

Several years ago I had a guy honk at me for something and I gave him some sign language in return. I get to my destination and about 15 minutes later there's a knock at the door.

Two police officers standing there wanting to know who drives the car parked outside. They received a report of somebody brandishing a firearm. There never was a firearm, and they wanted to look inside the car. Knowing it was completely clean I told the to go ahead.

I had something silver hanging from the rear view mirror. They concluded that's perhaps what the person perceived as a firearm waiving around.

So yes, at least around here they'll check it out.

I don’t wave guns at people, so I’m not part of your “one of us.”

I wouldn't assume he's a legal gun owner, what you know for sure is he's a jerk that shouldn't own a firearm or be behind the wheel of a car because he can't control his emotions. You were foolish for tailgating him after he got in front of you so in a minor way you helped escalate the situation. Your actions still don't rise to the level of him brandishing a firearm. Now that the police are involved you have a responsibility to see this issue through, what if this guy shoots someone in the future? In my mind this guy is a powder keg waiting to explode so it's best to take action now before he has a chance to harm someone.

In your situation I probably wouldn't have moved over either but I wouldn't have tailgated him once he passed me. Normally I'm speeding so very few people actually pass me. If someone wants to get by me I just pull over and let them pass. To many idiots on the road looking for a fight to risk a confrontation.

He went over the top, for sure, but you also escalated it. I am not throwing stones, because I've been there/done that, but you have to ask yourself where the tailgating and responding in-kind to his road rage move got you? Did it make the road safer? Did it adjust his behavior? Or did it make a bad situation worse by multiplying the number of road ragers from one to two?

As far as brandishing, I don't if he's a lunatic or guy with too much stress in his life at that moment, but his actions are dangerous and need to be handled lawfully.

You filed the report. Let the police do their thing, whatever it is, and follow-up if they will let you. But, like me, learn a lesson from the moment. Stay calm and let the road rager go by you next time.



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quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Sorry, but yelling at you is a bad moment. Flashing a piece in a holster and then showing it again out of the holster is way beyond a bad moment. This guy needs to be interrogated and charged.

I agree 100%. If the op saw it others probably also did and not only is it a bad reflection on the rest of us but it’s beyond over the line.

File the report to at least get it on record and let the police do their thing.

He's not "one of us." Fry him. Asshole like that doesn't need to carry a gun.

ETA: Carrying a gun has made me LESS likely to do something assholish, like tailgating, throwing the finger, etc. because I can't afford to get into a confrontation. Not that I don't occasionally do so; I do, and I am prone to the "WTF Hands" when someone does something comprehensively stupid. But waving a gun around is beyond the pale.

I recounted the events exactly as they happened as I felt it's important to the advice. I take responsibility for tailgating him back. I realize it didn't help anything.

And yes, what if he's a powder keg about to explode and someone gets shot? That's what I keep thinking about. But what if he's a good dude who shit the bed and will lose his gun forever because of this? But then again, would a good dude do that, under any circumstance? I sure wouldn't...you see what I'm struggling with.

If the police will take that call and track him down, I guess it's over anyways. I kind of felt like the tone of the gal on the other end of the phone was like, "ok, yep, sure, thanks for calling, buh-bye now." ...and then went back to painting her nails. While I don't mean to insult her work, I just didn't get the sense that they took me seriously. Maybe it's just because on the scale of typical 911 calls, mine wasn't all that emergent. But I left with the feeling that if I didn't file an official complaint "down at the station" nothing would happen...or have I been watching too many movies and it doesn't really work that way?

It’s in LEO’s hands now. I agree that you did right by calling it in, and I hope there are consequences for him.

First: Yeah you fucked up by antagonizing the prick.
Second: Definitely pursue action against him with law enforcement. He’s obviously unstable.

If you gave the police a vehicle description and plate they will take care of it. If they need more from you they will call. If you go down there demanding action you'll look like the aggressive one not the victim.

quote:

Originally posted by Herknav:
I don’t wave guns at people, so I’m not part of your “one of us.”

Yep he's one of them not us

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:
If you go down there demanding action you'll look like the aggressive one not the victim.

didn't think of it that way, but I see your point now that you say it.

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:
Should I just let it go? Part of me doesn't want to get a gun owner aka "one of us" in trouble if he just had an epic brain fart of a lifetime, but then again, part of me is like, he's the kind of dipshit who makes us all look bad and shouldn't have a gun.

He is not "one of us"

This behavior puts responsible gun owners in a bad light - exactly what we don't need

I will also add I have been known to have a really short fuse if I have one at all at times but I have learned sometimes its best to not provoke - it just makes a no win situation worse - if anything, for me its more because I know I can easily lose my s#it - so I try to do the opposite. Anyone who drives has been in that situation with an aggressive driver anymore - so best to just get out of their way

He was not a responsible gun owner at that moment. How many other people has he flashed his gun at.....what does that do for gun owners who are doing it right? Follow through actions have consequences. On the other side of it if it were me I would not have tailgated him back. No sense escalating something that did not need escalation.

quote:

But I left with the feeling that if I didn't file an official complaint "down at the station" nothing would happen...or have I been watching too many movies and it doesn't really work that way?

Not sure they would "do" anything anyway.
At least where I am it gets chalked up as a statistic and perhaps something for the future if something else happen.

Years ago I was stopped at a stop sign in my truck with my wife.
Someone cam around the corner and slid into my truck smashing it pretty good.
I got out of my truck - they took off (hobbled).
I waited for the Po Po and gave a report.
NOTHING ever happened.
Nothing.
My insurance had to pay.
Nothing for hit and run.
Seems that was just as important and holding up a weapon in a holster to me.

Not much to add to the above comments except to say that you could call the police department and ask what action is being taken. Perhaps they need a formal complaint rather than just a 911 call.

I have a tendency to push back against assholes, but when I'm carrying, I tend to turn into a mild-mannered polite guy and just let things go, as I do not want to get into any sort of confrontation.