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Bob in Big D wrote:So I am driving along in a single lane construction zone at the speed limit as a road rager comes roaring up behind right on my tail flashing lights honking horn. Being a curtious old guy I speed up maybe 5 mph but hopefully not enough to attach the attention of any LEO's hanging out. This road rager is going bananas behind me. We come to the end of the construction zone so there are now two lanes. The RR zooms past me as he is giving the one finger salute. I just wave back with all 5 fingers visible. He pulls into my lane and hits the brakes hard, luckily I stop in time. Iam on my cell dialing 911 with his license plate number. He sees me on the phone and pulls over to the side as I go past still on the phone he jumps out of his car with what looks like a baseball bat and makes motions like he wants me to stop. I think I laughed into the phone when I told the 911 operator what was going on. Like there was no way I was stopping even though he would have brought that bat to a gunfight. Yeah I was armed! I told the 911 lady I have a CHL and it would be very good idea if they got an officer out there right away because this guy keeps coming and if he forced me to stop I may not have a lot of options. The RR had gotten back in his car and was trying to catch me. I was doing 75 by then so it took him a few minutes. About the time he caught up with me on my tail there were 3 police cars coming from both directions with lights on. I immediately pulled over while RR kept going until the cops caught up and lite him up. One officer stopped and took a report from me and asked me drive down to where the RR was and identify him. I did. He was trying to say I was the RR but the 911 call said otherwise. He was arrested. Last I heard he pleaded guilty and I didn't have to appear. Don't know what he got. This was last Jan on my Way home to Dallas from Dennison on 75.

Kawabuggy wrote:I see that some of you agree with my earlier statements, and some of you don't. To those of you who disagree, let's talk about that word "de-escalation" that get's bandied about on this web site all the time.

If you go up to a bear in the woods and poke him with a stick and he attacks you, who is at fault? Remember he is just a bear and YOU are not going to change him, or his attitude. Now let's say that the bear is a metaphor for idiot drivers. It's all so clear, unless you let pride, arrogance, or attitude on your part enter the equation. By not removing yourself from the equation when an idiot driver is involved, it could be said that you are intentionally escalating a situation.

Kawabuggy wrote:Let's use another example.. You drive by a Wal-Mart and see a suspected drug deal going down. Do you drive over so that you can observe while allowing them to see you? No you say? But yet, an idiot driver up in your face, causes you to shift mental gears to "self-appointed-road-policeman" in an instant.

Kawabuggy wrote:Those of you attempting to justify your position in regards to why you would not remove yourself from a potentially dangerous, or deadly, situation need to rethink your attitude.

Kawabuggy wrote: You are obviously escalating a situation that you can remove yourself from, if you are intelligent enough to do so. That being the key. Are you smart enough to over-ride that sense of pride, attitude, or arrogance? Some of you by your own admissions clearly are not. Maturity? Yep, I'd say that's a part of it, and a lack of it on your part to de-escalate a situation. Some of you are Billy-Bad-Ass sitting in anonymity behind the wheel of your vehicle with your tinted glass. Good for you.

Kawabuggy wrote:In regards to idiot drivers, I have a beautiful wife & kids at home waiting for me everyday. If I have to pull over a dozen times and wait 5 minutes each time to merge back into traffic to get home safely I'll do it. I can justify the extra few minutes of being a coward (as some of you have intimated) sitting on the side of the road to get home to hugs & kisses from my wife & kids. I don't know, maybe your wife & kids are not that important to some of you. Mine are. Have a great day!

Kawabuggy wrote:I'll post this because I PRACTICE this often.

When you first noticed the person tail-gating you, did you immediately start looking for a turn off so that you could let him go? If you did not, then you are part of the negative equation. Just think how easy it would have been to simply pull off and let him go tail gate, or rear-end, someone else. If you had a chance to change lanes, or pull off, why didn't you?

I know, it's not a "manly" thing to have to sacrifice your driving lane to an idiot that is a danger to himself and others. But you could have. And you should have. The only way to avoid problem people like that idiot is to just get out his way and let him go on and be a problem for someone else. I fear though, that too many of us, myself included at times in the past, allow arrogance, or attitude, to come into play and instead of removing ourselves from the equation, we simply continue on with the "it's my lane so screw you" attitude. Well, if he had hit you, his/your insurance would have probably covered it, but what if you got a broken back, or broken neck, or irreparable damage from something you could have avoided? People often say "you can't fix stupid" but I sure as heck can do my best to avoid it. If someone is tailgating me for ANY reason, I'll gladly surrender that lane by changing to another lane, or pulling off and letting them go if it is a 1 lane road. It's part of defensive driving. I can't change the way stupid people operate their vehicles, but I can often find a way to work around them, or simply get away from them. Think about that next time someone is tailgating you-just signal your intentions to change lanes, or turn off the road, and let them go. You are never going to change their attitude, or driving habits, so just remove yourself from the equation. It's easy.