Infuriating road rage incident this morning

[JB3]

So a little cautionary tale about getting people to back off you by tapping on the brakes. I think ill stop doing that after this little experience-

I was on the highway tooling along in my 50 hp diesel jetta, some cars were getting off an exit, so I checked in my mirrors and over my shoulder, and got into the fast lane (always an exciting experience in that car) and started passing them.

Unbeknownst to me, some guy was coming up at what must have been over 90 in an alero, and parked himself RIGHT on my bumper waving all kinds of hand signals. I tapped on the brakes to get him off, but he was so close he slammed on his brakes and almost hit the center barrier. After that, I guess he decided the gloves come off.

When I moved over to let him by, he came within about 2 inches of sideswiping me, and then when he got in front, he STOPPED on the highway, so of course I rear ended him.

Then we pulled over, and he jumped out and claimed that he was getting off at the exit and why did I hit him.

He was all bluster and screaming until I got out and he discovered I had about 100lbs on him and was literally quivering with rage, at which point he stopped threatening me and demanding cash, saying we should exchange insurance information.

I decided that I was going to call the cops for a third party accident report of the actual damage. (none to my Jetta, a scuff to his alero). The guy started yelling about how I was at fault and that the cop would say so too, which given the circumstances with no other witnesses would be hard to prove.

Cop showed up, was pissed to be called out for the stupid little accident, and told us both we were A-holes, and were wasting his time. (true)

I told him I was willing to let it go, but if we exchanged insurance information, I wanted an actual police report detailing what happened, as this guy was now saying his neck hurt, and telling the cop he was afraid for his life.

Where the guy started to falter was in his lie about getting off the exit. He told the cop he was trying to get to work, and also that he was trying to get off at the exit, and subsequent questioning showed that work for him was about 5 exits further, so he was caught in an obvious lie. Also, when I started taking pictures of his car and him, he started freaking out, and at that point wanted to let it go. Cop told us he didn't believe either of us, and to get the F out of there before he charged us both with wasting his time.

Lesson learned for me is to let these A-holes pass without getting into tapping the brakes, if the guy was a slightly better liar, the cop would have forced us to exchange insurance information, at which point this guy would be claiming I smashed his car and broke his neck.

[MS Fowler]

Having gotten that off your chest--do you feel any better, now?

[rs899]

I feel your pain. What can be done about the tailgating a-holes, then? I already leave home at 5AM trying to avoid them....

[PaulC]

If I'm on a road in which a tailgater can easily pass by me, such as an Interstate, I simply gradually slow down without touching my brakes. The idiot passes me by and we go on with our lives.

[JB3]

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Having gotten that off your chest--do you feel any better, now?

yeah. I was more than a little pissed, now I feel happy, less likely to beat this guy to a bloody pulp if I see him again. I can't stand liars, and his lying made the cop also assume I was lying, which made me even angrier.

[cmbdiesel]

I quit the brake job technique when the asshat tailgating me was apparently not paying attention and bounced off the center divider when he realized I was on my brakes....

Fortunately he kept on truckin' after I moved over...whew
Of course, he was missing a headlamp, corner marker and a fair amount of paint...

Realized though, that as much as it was a gratifying experience, he could very easily have caused a wreck that might have hurt or killed someone completely innocent of any transgressions.
Now I use the Paul C method. Ease off until you can get in the right lane and let the pinhead go aggravate someone else.

[cmbdiesel]

Originally Posted by dropnosky

yeah. I was more than a little pissed, now I feel happy, less likely to beat this guy to a bloody pulp if I see him again. I can't stand liars, and his lying made the cop also assume I was lying, which made me even angrier.

I try to never drive in Rhode Island. More dipshiits per mile than anywhere else I've ever driven...

Present company excluded of course...

[JB3]

Originally Posted by cmbdiesel

I try to never drive in Rhode Island. More dipshiits per mile than anywhere else I've ever driven...

Present company excluded of course...

lol, the real fun part is that its a small state, very very small.

You run into the same people all the time, just this morning before this incident I happened to be right behind my GF's ex on the way to work. That was more than a little awkward, I kept trying to back off, and he kept trying to get away, but the way the lights work, I was parked right behind him at least 5 times.

I will certainly meet this alero guy again on the commute im sure. The funny thing is his plate is 2 numbers off the plate on my other car, so I probably sat next to him at the DMV at one point when we registered our cars

[MS Fowler]

This makes my pet peeve of drivers being ignorant of the differences in lines----dotted lines may be crossed, and solid lines are not to be crossed. We have a dangerous section of I95 around Baltimore, and they are working on the road, so lanes shift. Engineers have figured out when it is dangerous to change lanes and use solid lines to mark those spots. Everyday cars cross the solid lines in front of me.

But it pales in comparison to the OP's story

[rs899]

Everyday cars cross the solid lines in front of me.

Right - they are there for a reason. Such as an intersection coming up and who's going to look both ways before turning right?

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by dropnosky

Lesson learned for me is to let these A-holes pass without getting into tapping the brakes, if the guy was a slightly better liar, the cop would have forced us to exchange insurance information, at which point this guy would be claiming I smashed his car and broke his neck.

I agree. These DB's will cause you untold misery. Always realize that the DB absolutely will retaliate..........and the usual retaliation is to jump in front and SLAM on the brakes. I'm always on top of that. I hit the brakes before they do.

My problem is how to handle the DB's in the HOV lane who tailgate within 5 feet and start flashing headlights. I'm travelling at +7 over the limit............obviously way too slow for them.

I usually slow to about 45 mph..........that gets them off at the next HOV exit. Usually they use the exit to simply pass me and get right back into the HOV lane. Of course, they must do a near sideswipe and a fake cutoff to show who's the boss............nobody can slow down their DB's selves

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

This makes my pet peeve of drivers being ignorant of the differences in lines----dotted lines may be crossed, and solid lines are not to be crossed. We have a dangerous section of I95 around Baltimore, and they are working on the road, so lanes shift. Engineers have figured out when it is dangerous to change lanes and use solid lines to mark those spots. Everyday cars cross the solid lines in front of me.

But it pales in comparison to the OP's story

Yes, the ignorance is striking:

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices published by the U.S.D.O.T. Federal Highway Administration is the authority on this issue. It states (and I am pasting verbatim and as this is a public government manual, it is not subject to copyright.)


A single SOLID white lane line indicates that crossing the line to change lanes is discouraged, for example when a separate turn lane is provided.
A DOUBLE SOLID white lane line indicates that it is prohibited to cross the line to change lanes. This type of line is used, for example, to prohibit lane changes in multi-lane one-way tunnels or on the approach to an obstruction in the roadway between two lanes in the same direction.
A BROKEN (dashed) white lane line indicates that it is permissible to cross the line to change lanes.
A BROKEN (dashed) yellow centerline on the left side of a travel lane indicates passing is allowed in that direction.
A SOLID yellow centerline on the left side of a travel lane indicates passing is prohibited in that direction.

[chilcutt]

Never know what space someones mind is in..whether or not they have a gun..if they are crazy enough to use it.....

I was never a champion of the 'tap the brakes' method.

[engatwork]

I rarely run accross a road rager but when it does happen I like to floor it and dump a bunch of diesel smoke in there face.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by engatwork

I rarely run accross a road rager but when it does happen I like to floor it and dump a bunch of diesel smoke in there face.

You ought to find a good mechanic who can fix that diesel smoke problem for you.................