Had my first time to be nervous since I got my CHL

[Scott in Houston]

So, today I'm driving through my neighborhhod down the major boulevard. I'm in a school zone and doing the 20 mph limit. This car is coming up fast behind me. I move over and end up cutting him off. I think he was planning to pass me and we both moved to the same lane. Then I go to move back and so does he.  So, at this point I've cut him off twice.  He's hopping mad. I can see it. I just keep driving though. What else am I gonna do? Anyway he wants to pass still but now there's traffic and a light. (I don't blame him for being mad about being cut off, but he was also speeding about 30 mph over in a school zone so I don't feel "too" bad).

At the light, he's behind me yelling inside his car. He has a woman passenger and he's yelling still.

Then he opens the door to get out.   
I have my Glock 32 on my hip. That's the main reason I was nervous.  I didn't want to be in this situation. 

Tons of thoughts go through my head about how I'm going to react. My main thought was that I was going to apologize and apologize more. Anything to have him settle. I had decided that the Glock stays holstered until/unless I see a weapon and I'm not getting out of my car (will pedal down  when the light turns green). Basically, try to diffuse, then run away if possible. 

Luckily, he got back in his car. He only put one foot out then changed his mind. 

This was the first time I actually thought I might have to use my gun in a worst case scenario. Ugh. Bad feeling.  I sure hope to God that this is the closest I ever get. 

Just thought I'd share. 

[austin-tatious]

So, today I'm driving through my neighborhhod down the major boulevard. I'm in a school zone and doing the 20 mph limit. This car is coming up fast behind me. I move over and end up cutting him off. I think he was planning to pass me and we both moved to the same lane. Then I go to move back and so does he.  So, at this point I've cut him off twice.  He's hopping mad. I can see it. I just keep driving though. What else am I gonna do? Anyway he wants to pass still but now there's traffic and a light. (I don't blame him for being mad about being cut off, but he was also speeding about 30 mph over in a school zone so I don't feel "too" bad).
 

When you both changed lanes, did either or both of you show your intent by using your turn signals? If you did, that should have given each of you opportunity to avoid the "cutting him off" situation. Although, if he was really going 30 mph over (50 mph in a school zone), your signals to change lanes would have been way too late...at least for the first lane change.

[Dragonfighter]

In a senior moment once I started to move in a parking lot without my lights and nearly got hit. He was mad and got out of the car (pretty big fellow too). I was armed but since it was clearly my fault, I apologized. He decided he still was not done and proceeded to resume his tirade, I said, "Yeah it was my fault, sorry, I'm glad no one was hurt." He proceeded to wind up again and this time I said, "You have your apology. I suggest you go back to your vehicle and be on your way." I guess there was something in my face because he shut up, nodded and went back to his car. I never raised my voice, never took a threatening stance and sure didn't present a weapon.

With that it had crossed my mind that I was at a tactical disadvantage and had he gotten violent it would have been a problem. So I guess I am saying this, defuse as you can but be aware of the direction its going. Use of deadly force is irreversible. Perhaps throwing up your hands and looking apologetic while maintaining your SA.

All in all though, this was clearly a hot head and there is no accounting for idiots. You did alright and I second your hope that Lord willing, thats as close as you ever come.

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

had this happen to me the other night. I was coming home and was about to exit the interstate and some jerk comes flying up behind me and gets right on my rear end. Since I am exiting the interstate I start to slow down and apparently this makes this guy mad. Go figure, who in the heck slows down to get off the interstate. Well he proceeds to cut me off and then hit the brakes. I don't want any part of this so I try to slow down and so does he. I stay behind him so I can see him as we pull up to the light. He decides he is gonna be macho man and get outta his car and strut towards my truck. He was calling me every name in the book. I decided to roll my window down and and tell him he needs to get back in his car. I did this because I felt that if I ignored him he would see me as a weakling and get closer. It worked. As soon as I roled my window down he stopped dead in his tracks about 7 yds away. I remained calm and and in a very controlled voice I told him he is not gonna do anything and to get back in his car. He did while calling me everything he could think of and cussing me the whole time back to his car.

There were a few of things that lead to my decision to respond to this individual. The type of car he was driving and the clothes he was wearing did not fit that of a "thug". The way he got out of his car and walked did not seem to fit him as he looked almost awkward. I decided at this point this individual probably had a bad day and was was already ticked off. this probably lead him to driving faster than he usually does which probably made his adrenaline pump a little bit and when he ran into someone that did not share his desire for speed it just made him want to "do something about it".

I know this does not always work and in my case it did. As soon as he got out my sealtbelt was off truck was in park (did not have a safe escape route in vehicle) and my gunwas out from cover (still holstered). Had he approached my vehicle I would have used to door as a barrier and got out and used to appropriate force to de-escalate. I honestly did not think that was going to be the case but I wanted to be prepared...just in case.

[texas1234]

I think you handled the situation very well and I think your thought process was exactly the way a person with a CHL should think. That gun is a right but it is also a priviledge and you handled it responsibly.

[Medic218]

I could be wrong but I seem to remember something from a defensive driving class I took last year about passing and changing lanes in a school zone being illegal.
I'm not 100% on this but for some reason your story reminded me of that lil tid bit if info.
Take it or leave it, I just thought I'd share.

[Scott in Houston]

Thanks for the additional stories and replies.
To answer the signal question, I don't think I used mine because both were quick responses. Especially the second lane change.
It's not illegal to pass or lane change in a school zone, but it's definitely illegal to do 20-40 mph over the speed limit! :) I really don't think I was in the wrong here at all. It was just one of those circumstances, and could have been avoided had he not been trying to fly through there or had I just stayed in my lane and had him go around me. Oh well.
I'm just glad it didn't turn into a confrontation. And the apologies were not going to be an admission of guilt necessarily, but just a "say anything to get him to leave or calm down."
I am pretty sure I'd handle it like the above story... after a few apologies if, he wasn't calm, I'd likely say something about "you had better leave now."

One thing that came out of it also for me was... why in the hell would you get out of your car to confront someone over a circumstance like that!?!?
I'm a normal, law-abiding guy, but was armed for my safety. Just think the odds of approaching a car these days and it having a gun. I'd imagine there are probably as many illegal guns in cars on the roads as legal, and put them together, if you approach a car out of anger... you're not putting yourself in a good situation! People really need to calm down.
I'm guessing that had he been alone, he would have come up to my car. I am betting that having the female in the car with him is what kept him from getting all the way out. The whole thing was way too close for comfort.

[The Annoyed Man]

I think you did what you could, and that was that. Thank God it didn't escalate beyond that.

Road rage is a hard thing to figure, and back in the day, before I learned who my King is, I sometimes walked close to that line myself. I am a different person today, by Grace and through no natural inclination of my own, but it took me a while to make that transition.

Back in California on my way home from work one day, I was stuck in the right lane behind a really slow moving bus. I couldn't get around him because there was a lot of cars whizzing by in the left lane and I couldn't get over to make the pass. There was another guy immediately behind me in the same predicament. Finally, left lane traffic cleared and both of us immediately pulled into the left lane to pass the bus. I guess he thought I cut him off, even though I signaled my intentions and he didn't, but I didn't realize yet that he was mad at me.

Anyway, we got down to the next stop light, and I'm still in the left lane and he's in the right lane, it's a pleasant day and I've got my windows down and the radio playing. He is a young, gangsta looking Asian guy, and I became aware that he was shouting and gesticulating wildly at me. So I turned down my radio a bit to hear what he's saying, and he's cursing me a blue streak, and I said, "excuse me, but is there a problem?"

He calls me six kinds of vile names and accuses me of cutting him off. I said, "I didn't cut you off, you just changed lanes at the same time I did." He continued to rant and rave, so I said, "Look, I'm not going to get into a battle of wits with an unarmed man."

The next thing I know, he has produced a GUN!!! ...and he says, "You think you're a smart guy (not the term he used)? Pull over buddy (not the name he called me)!!!" I couldn't help myself. I said, "I'm not going to pull over and argue with some gentleman (not the term I used) with a gun. You must think I'm crazier than you are." That pretty much wrecked any chance for reconciliation he was willing to offer me.

Fortunately for me, the light then changed to green, and as we both drove forward, he seriously pulled over to the curb, expecting me to do the same. I never said he was smart. I kept going in the left lane, watching him in the rear view mirror get smaller and smaller. By the time he was able to pull back into traffic, I was clear of all cars ahead of me and was able to get away mach schnell. I got away clean and never saw him again. Afterwards, I realized how utterly stupid I had been, and from that day forward, I illegally carried my dad's old 1911 in the car on the way to and from work in case I saw him again. Praise God, I never did.

All of that stuff I did.... ....DON'T DO THAT!!! That was easily one of the dumbest things I ever did. I promise that I would never act in such a foolish fashion today. I think that I must have been having a "bad boss" day myself, and I must have been simmering for a while by the time this fool and his gun came along. He expected to intimidate me, and I was in no mood to be intimidated. It was foolish, foolish, foolish, and because of my underlying anger, I let my ego write a check I was not prepared to cash. It is by the grace of God only that He spared me for other things that day.

[Scott in Houston]

Wow! That is crazy. You were definitely watched over that day.

I am now in the same boat watching for this car each morning when I'm off to work. I figure we may have a similar schedule and could see each other again on that same road.
My car is somewhat distinctive, so he'd definitely recognize me. His was somewhat generic, but I took note of the color, make, and year. Also, he didn't have tinted windows and I remember what he looked like too. (I don't think he ever really saw my face though)

I sure hope I don't see him again, but it's a small world. I would think that if I did, he'd be settled enough now, but who knows. People are crazy.

[android]

The next thing I know, he has produced a GUN!!! ...and he says, "You think you're a smart guy (not the term he used)? Pull over buddy (not the name he called me)!!!" I couldn't help myself. I said, "I'm not going to pull over and argue with some gentleman (not the term I used) with a gun. You must think I'm crazier than you are." That pretty much wrecked any chance for reconciliation he was willing to offer me.

Where'd you go??? I waited like 30 minutes for you!!!

[karder]

You did a good job keeping the situation under control. There are some real nuts out there. I will never understand "road rage". Anyone who get infuriated by someone changing lanes in front of them needs to turn in their license. There are few things in life worth fighting over and traffic disputes sure are not one of them.

The last road rager I had to deal with was last summer. I had gone for a 10 mile bike ride on a weekday morning and I was on my way home at about 6:30am. I ride on roads with virtually no traffic, but when you do encounter vehicles, they tend to be going way too fast. So I am riding along and need to cross the road. I am going downhill at a pretty good clip. As I approach my turn, I check and look for traffic, and see one truck, about 500 yards behind, traveling in the same direction. I zip across the street, and come to a stop in the intersection in the turning lane, as there is traffic coming the other direction that I have to wait for.

Apparently the driver of the truck felt that a bike should not be crossing in front of him, regardless of the fact that he was far back and did not have to slow down. He pulls up along side and actually stops in the middle of the road so that he can cuss me out. I am not carrying at the time. This guy goes off telling me in very colorful language, what an idiot I am and how cyclists should not be on the road. I listen to him for about 10 seconds, and when he stops to take a breath, I tell him "hey bro, "bug" off". They guy looks absolutely shocked, like he could not believe that I would speak to him that way. He stuttered a bit, and really seemed confused about what his response should be, he just stared for about 5 seconds and drove away.

I was laughing to myself about what an idiot he was and as traffic cleared and I started to roll away, I look up and there is a kid, about 8 years old with a backpack, standing there waiting to cross the intersection too, who had hear the whole conversation, including my comment back to the driver. I still feel bad about that and have made a commitment to myself not to get involved in any more profane exchanges. I just let the idiots be idiots. If someone wants to act like a fool, that is their choice, but I will not longer allow them to drag me down the rabbit hole with them.

[cougartex]

Glad no one was hurt in these incidents.

[Fangs]

My friend did something similar once when he, his brother, another friend and I were on our way to the movie theater. He changed lanes to avoid someone, inadvertently cutting them off, then cutting them off again when trying to get out of their way and turn into the theater. The guy followed us in and parked one space over. He was very vocal about his displeasure at my friend's driving ability and halfway out of his car when he realized that he'd made a mistake. My friend's brother is 6' 7" and pretty muscular. The friend who wasn't driving is only about 5' 4", but he's almost as wide as he is tall in the "I've seen him grab a full keg and sprint with it" kind of way. The driver's a Marine with all the tattoo's and meanitude to go with it, and I'm not too shabby at 6' 4" with "sexy arms" (as I've been told )

Anyway, the guy just kinda trailed off mid-sentence, got back in in car, and left. We didn't even say anything, just kinda looked at each other, shook our heads and went inside.

[howdy]

My first CHL scare was when I was out with my 15 year old daughter letting her drive with a restricted license. We stopped at a large gas station and I made her get out and put the gas in. (part of driving a car) Another car pulled up behind us at another pump. A few moments later, my daughter got in our car and said that the guy in the car behind us was staring at her and she wanted me to finish filling the tank. (I was carrying my S&W J Frame .357 mag) I got out on the passenger side with the intention of putting the pump handle up and just driving away, but the guy (looked like he just been released from prison) walked up to her drivers window and said very loudly, "you sure are good lookin", then looked at me and told me to do the impossible. He walked off toward the cashier and I quickly put up the pump handle and we drove off. I "what if" that scenario for months. Situations can arise in a heart beat.....when you are doing everything right and have done nothing to offend the other party. My daughter is now 24 with a CHL and is not one to mess with. She now has that J Frame and shoots it very well.

[marksiwel]

I had a group of kids throw beer bottles at my car, back in the day, I called the cops, and pulled into a parking lot.
Let go back a second, I was 17 or so, Me and my friend were filming a Movie earlier that day, so I had a bunch of Airsoft guns in the Car (Desert Eagle, Berretta m9 , and uzi looking thing)
So I pulled into the Minyards parking lot, the guys followed me (it was a green Jeep), and started to get out of the Car. I panicked, reached into my back seat, pulled out the Desert Eagle Gas Blow Back Airsoft gun, charged the Handle, and they RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN.
Cops showed up a few minutes later, told them everything (Minus the Gun thing) and they wrote it all down.

I think of the mistakes I did that day
I never even THOUGHT of getting thier License Plate. I was only blocks away from the Police Station, I should have just gone there.