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Well, had me one of those Road Rage incidents this morning on the way to work.

Dude in an Impala SS comes blazing up behind me in a 40 zone, doing around 60-65. Just as I try to change lanes, he tries to shoot around me onto the on ramp. So I end up "cutting him off", and so it begins! He stops on the on ramp, blocks me and all the traffic behind me, and gets out to do the swearing and cussing routine. I wind down my window to shout back (yeah, not a great idea but reflex I suppose), but he doesn't approach me or go far from his open door.

I don't have my CHL yet (in progress) and I didn't have my gun in my car, even though I know I can already. But my mind flashes back to some of the accounts I've read on here and elsewhere about folks who have their gun with them and how they responded. He was taunting me to get out of my Jeep, and maybe 6 months ago I would have (before all this thought, reasoning and training on a CHL). 20% of me still wanted to get out, but I didn't. It would have made for an interesting bout, since I'm 6'4" and 235lbs and in reasonably good shape. After about 3 minutes, he got back in and drove off.

All this really reinforced to me about the great responsibility of having a CHL and carrying a gun, this could have easily escalated into a life-and-death situation that pops out of nowhere at 8:30am Friday morning on the way to work....

first lesson of CHL, de-escalation of incident including traffic related rage.

I had virtually the same thing happen to me one night.

3 main differences though. 1) I was exiting the I-10 and doing about 50 (going from a 60 to a 40) and the guy flies up behind me and starts flashing his lights and riding me really close. 2) As we got onto the frontage road he flies around me and cuts me off. 3) He didn't stop until we came up to a stoplight.

Now, there are two reasons that I didn't just hit the gas in my Ram and zoom past him and cut him off. 1) Wouldn't have done any good and 2) I knew the light was coming up and I wanted to keep him in front of me in case he decided to do something stupid like get out of his car and confront me. Which he did Problem is that I have nowhere to go as people have now come up behind me, to the right of me and there was a concrete wall on my left (I did NOT want to pull up beside him and felt more comfortable keeping him in front of me so I could see him). Macho man then starts to yell all kinds of nice things to me and play that big man role. I rolled down my window and looked at him and simply told him to get back in his car because what he was doing was really stupid and he really didn't want this to go any further. Apparently he believed me because he gave that tough guy "whatever" and got back in.

I had my 1911 on me at the time but there was no need or justification for it.

It would behoove us to remember the first CHL involved shooting in Texas was a road rage incident.

Dragonfighter wrote:It would behoove us to remember the first CHL involved shooting in Texas was a road rage incident.

I hear ya. Getting a CHL is definitely a behavior-changing event in your life, if you are inclined to act before you think of all the consequences. I am well aware of my responsibilities once I'm carrying, to de-escalate a situation and avoid confrontation if at all possible. I'm working on having that mindset now.

I guess Peter Parker's uncle was right.

Dragonfighter wrote:It would behoove us to remember the first CHL involved shooting in Texas was a road rage incident.

And he lost the case.

Quote: "It would behoove us to remember the first CHL involved shooting in Texas was a road rage incident."

Actually, no if referring to the Hale/Tavai road rage incident on Mockingbird in March of '96 that did get a great deal of media attention. There was another much less known about CHL shooting a month or two prior in a mom and pop jewelry store in Richarson that also resulted in one deceased aggressor.

Yeah, that's the kind of stuff I remember reading about, that was flashing through my mind:

viewtopic.php?p=19086

All in all, scary stuff.

Keith B wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:It would behoove us to remember the first CHL involved shooting in Texas was a road rage incident.

And he lost the case.

No he didn't. He was no billed.

It was the shooting of the Samoan fellow who got out of his vehicle and started beating the other fellow through the window. Samoan was pushing 400# and the CHL holder was around 150#. The Samoan had a long list of assaults on his record.

BTW, the one shot CM that stopped the attack is why I settled on .40 S&W.

Beiruty wrote:first lesson of CHL, de-escalation of incident including traffic related rage.

I think a lot of instructors don't really teach that 1/4 of the course. They teach the test answers but not the actual subject.

For example, PAC was on the test. Maybe it still is. It's easy to see the C mentality but the P mentality is just as bad. We see it even on this forum when members (who aren't moderators) try to squelch discussion about topics they think have gone on too long. Even though people are following forum rules, the P mentality says others should only talk about subjects the P likes, instead of allowing the As to exercise free speech.

Dragonfighter wrote:

Keith B wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:It would behoove us to remember the first CHL involved shooting in Texas was a road rage incident.

And he lost the case.

No he didn't. He was no billed.

It was the shooting of the Samoan fellow who got out of his vehicle and started beating the other fellow through the window. Samoan was pushing 400# and the CHL holder was around 150#. The Samoan had a long list of assaults on his record.

BTW, the one shot CM that stopped the attack is why I settled on .40 S&W.

Sorry, didn't read your post right. Was thinking of the McDermott case viewtopic.php?t=1262" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Keith B wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:

Keith B wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:It would behoove us to remember the first CHL involved shooting in Texas was a road rage incident.

And he lost the case.

No he didn't. He was no billed.

It was the shooting of the Samoan fellow who got out of his vehicle and started beating the other fellow through the window. Samoan was pushing 400# and the CHL holder was around 150#. The Samoan had a long list of assaults on his record.

BTW, the one shot CM that stopped the attack is why I settled on .40 S&W.

Sorry, didn't read your post right. Was thinking of the McDermott case viewtopic.php?t=1262" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah, he didn't fare as well.

I find my tinted truck windows highly effective. If some numbskull wants to cut me off, cut in front of me, etc.....I keep my eyes focused forward, and act like I don't see them. I believe that it's eye contact that escalates situations.

Coming home today I had an aggressive driver appear in my rear view mirror and begin to try to cut into line as the freeways merged, starting several cars back, and trying to work his way forward despite the fact that many of us had been "in line" for the merge for several minutes. It's terribly typical at this interchange. Not being seen in my truck and keeping my eyes facing forward allows me...to....well, exercise my right to keep my place in line, and act like I don't see him/her and their antics.

Now, if it comes to a bumper-to-bumper competition, I'll gladly back off, as I know I've got the age/wisdom/patience and net worth contest contest won....and quietly go home to my family.

Hoping push NEVER comes to shove. Hoping I never go beyond code yellow.

But, knowing if it does.......wow, what a scary thought.

Peace.

I travel quite a bit for work and am finding alot more people with rude driving skills...
it is funny to me that when I have a weapon with me that I become the cool collected dude....and just pretty much let everything roll off....
but when I am without I tend to go back to the old school - cussin, flippin people off, etc .....
I drive a company car so most times am without a weapon, but am starting to remember to be an adult even when I am not carrying.....

A technique I have found to be highly effective for de-escalating potential traffic related "issues" is the employment of the "Hand of forgiveness"TM. Simply raise a hand as if to wave and hold in place long enough for them to see it, and then go about your business.

This non-verbal form of communication, used in conjunction with a stoic expression, seems to have a calming effect on other drivers in that it apparently signals either A.) "Yes, I acknowledge that you dorked that up, however, I forgive your indiscretion." OR B.) "Yes, I acknowledge that I dorked that up, forgive my indiscretion."

IMO, this simple act is effective because it acknowledges the situation without challenging the driver, or making a scene. Similar to an adult that doesn't lose their temper and simply acknowledges a child who just spilled a drink all over the table.

Everybody dorks something up on the road from time to time, and IMO, it's best to just put it aside and go about your business. Life is too short to stress out over silly stuff.