A little bit of Road Rage...
By walijo2008
@walijo2008 (4644)
United States
July 24, 2008 3:36pm CST
Yesterday I had to go to a doctor appt. when I was done, I took off, and as I was driving I had to stop at a stop light. Well I wasn't thinking anything of it, I was sitting there waiting for the light to turn green, and this man behind me started honking at me. I looked in my rearview mirror, to see what was going on, the light was still red, but for some reason he was wanting me to go. I just sat there and waited till it turned green then I took off. Well he followed me all the way through town, and at the end of town theres a 4 lane bridge, and the speed limit is 45 all across there, and I have been stopped there for speeding once, so I know you better do the speed limit..lol. Well as we got across the bridge, there is construction work going on all the way to the next town which is where I live, its a 20 mile road, they are repaving it, well as you all know whenever there is construction going on, there is a speed limit, and if you don't obey it, you get stopped and the fine is doubled. Well I was driving along, doing the speed limit, mind you, and that same car is still behind me, well pretty soon he revs up his car and comes speeding around me, and its not even in a passing zone, its a 4 lane road but there are only two lanes open. I look at him, and as he's passing me, he's throwing rocks at my car, I couldn't believe it, what could I do? I was hoping there would of been a highway patrol somewhere, that would catch him speeding. I thought about catching up to him, and throwing rocks at him, but that probably would of gotten me in more trouble and possibly beaten up..lol. When I got back to town I went by where my husband works and told him what happened, he got mad, and wondered why that didn't happen when he was in the car, which wouldn't of been good either because my husband can get a temper, and I probably would of ended up having to get him out of jail..haha. He told me I should of gotten the guys tag number and called it in, I thought about it, I remember looking at his tag number, but I was so mad, I didn't know what I should do. What would you have done in this situation? Have you ever had to deal with road rage or been a victim? What do you think I should have done? Thanks for listening....Have a good day
5 people like this
9 responses
@cipher2004 (1183)
• United States
25 Jul 08
What a strange person you have encountered to have rocks in his car.I had a similar situation.But this guy kept following me everywhere I went.So after 15 minutes of him following me I pulled into the police station. I started blowing the horn until he fled away.I too didn't think to get his tag. I was too scared.
These kind of people make me nervous.You are lucky you weren't hurt.I try to ignore people like this to avoid a confrontation.It could have been alot worse.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Yes, there are some strange people in this world. Its a good thing you didn't get hurt either, no telling what he might of tried to do to you, that was smart to pull into a police station. I'm being very careful from now on..Thanks
1 person likes this
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
25 Jul 08
Road rage is a terrible thing and to have rocks thrown at you is really way bad. It's a good thing nothing happened to you, a blessing really that it was you and not some other male who might be tempted to fight back. I often get annoyed when I drive but I try to calm myself down and make it home without any incident.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Road rage is a bad thing, and I admit I have a little bit of it too, but to where I want to throw rocks at anyone. It shocked me, then it made me mad...I finally got calmed down when I got back into town and went and told my husband what happened. Yeah, like you said, if it was a male things would of been different, they would of fought back. Thanks for responding...have a good day
@smacksman (6053)
•
25 Jul 08
I love it!
You said '... as he's passing me, he's throwing rocks at my car, I couldn't believe it, what could I do? I was hoping there would of been a highway patrol somewhere, that would catch him speeding. I thought about catching up to him, and throwing rocks at him, but...'
I mean, is the standard thing in your part of the world to have a stockpile of rocks in your cars ready to lob at anyone? haha
I remember walking in the street by some traffic lights which had turned green and the guy behind bellowed to the lady in front (who was checking her nails), 'Hey lady, don't you like the shade of green?' haha
Anyway, enough jokes. Poor you. It is not nice to be on the receiving end of road rage. It can be quite frightening.
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Yes, it can be frightening...you never know who's out there these days. I didn't feel that scared at first, I was just mad, and ready to go after him, but that probably would of been a mistake on my part..lol. Thanks for responding..have a good day.
@SheliaLee (2736)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Bless your heart!! If you had thought to write down his tag number and called it in that would have been terrific but as it was I think you did the right thing. I'm so glad you weren't hurt!!
The person didn't follow me, but I was sitting in town one time waiting for a light to turn green. One second it was red and I looked down at something just for a second and then I heard this honking behind me. When I looked up the light was green so I started moving at the correct rate of speed too. This person, and this really made me mad, was wanting to turn right at the light we had just gone under!! He was mad because he had to wait a whole two seconds, maybe three, to get to turn right!! It made me so mad I just said out loud "Oh shut up!!" My kids were in the car and I felt bad about saying it in front of them but I couldn't take my words back after I said them.
Hope you never have an experience like that again. There are really some crazy drivers out on the road today!!
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Yes, there are some crazy drivers out on the road today, and I just happened to find one of them..lol. I don't know why some people just have to be in such a hurry, like sitting at a stop light, its not like you can make it change when you want to...its silly...Thanks for responding...have a good day
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
25 Jul 08
People are jerks, thats all there is to it. A few years back I had a similar thing happen. It pissed me off so much I flipped the guy off. Big mistake. Before you know it he was trying to run me off the road. I finally managed to escape him by taking a last minute turn. Now I've learned to just ignore such things as much as I can because you never know if they will shoot you for no reason or something.
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Jul 08
I know people can be jerks...you don't know what they might do to you. First of all they're already driving the most deadly weapon on the road, their vehicle, especially if their using it to run you off the road. Thanks...
@Kittykarina25 (247)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Road rage can be a scary thing. I just wrote a post about my husband being held up at gunpoint because he honked at a guy at a stop sign that would not move. You have to be really careful about the people out there nowadays. You did nothing wrong. I would have been so scared, I probably wouldn't have gotten his number either. I hope everythings better now for you.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Yes road rage is scarey, you never know what kind of people are out on the road these days. Thats what my mom told me, theres no telling what he might of done if you went after him, I don't know what I would of done either, but I was mad..lol. I was telling someone else on here, that a couple years ago, a man got shot and killed because of road rage, the man who killed him followed him to the post office, got out of his truck, walked up to him and shot him. I couldn't believe that when I heard about it. I'm alright now, luckily nothing happened to my car. Thanks for responding..Have a good day
@tarachand (3895)
• India
6 Aug 08
Quite like you, I too was honked at while waiting for the red light to turn green so that I could take a turn. Well there was this auto rickshaw (a three wheeled taxi) right behind my car and I could see from the timer above the signal lights that there were still around 45 seconds left for the light to turn green. This guy kept on tooting, but I didn't budge. He started yelling at me in his local lingo and though, if he'd wanted to, he could have gone around me and broken the signal, he didn't. When the light turned green, I took my turning and let him pass me, and then this guy zooms in from of my car, almost bangs into me and then stops right in front of my car. he got out of his three-wheeler and started abusing me and made threatening moves towards me as if he wanted to beat me. From his gait, i could sense that he was quite drunk. My car windows were rolled up since I had the air conditioning on, and when the guy realized this, he started to pick up a stone, when we heard sirens and this guy took off like a rocket.
This happened close to a hospital and the sirens were by an ambulance that was bringing in a sick person. My youngest son who was then just eight was with me in the car, and he was really frightened at what was probably was a narrow escape from damage to our car as well as ourselves, because stones can shatter wind screens and glass shards cut you up badly.
I took down the fellows tag number, but didn't report the matter to the cops simply because these three wheeled taxis have very strong unions and some of my family members - especially my children use them for traveling around the city, I didn't want these people to target them, I guess you could call me a coward, I feel I am one in this particular case for not going to the cops.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
6 Aug 08
Whoa..that was pretty close for you. I'm glad that you and your son didn't get hurt, because the way you described this guy, he could of done some serious damage to your car not to mention he could of hurt the both of you. I don't know why people have to be that way when they are driving, just because they may be having a bad day, doesn't mean they should take it out on innocent people. He shouldn't of even been driving if he was drunk, its a good think you all stopped in front of that hospital, and heard the sirens at the time, it probably saved you from getting hurt bad. Its good you took the man's tag number down, which is what I should of done. You should of went ahead and reported, I think you can do it anonymously, they wouldn't of figured out who called him in, besides if he was drunk, how could he remember who you were. Your not a coward, you just wanted to protect your family....Have a good day..thanks
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
24 Jul 08
No, it's not a good idea to do anything back to an obvious nut behind the wheel of a vehicle, just let him go. My daughter, who posts on here, shared a road rage incident that happened to her family the DAY BEFORE their youngest child was to be born and their assailant turned out to be an off duty police officer who displayed his weapon at them while riding next to their truck. This whole incident started because this evil man thought my son-in-law and his brother were mexican and he started out yelling insults at them, which they responded to nicely at first and then they got more angry. They were very fortunate that no one was hurt and even more fortunate that we live in such a small rural area that the Sheriff's dept. was able to pick this guy up and he was charged. But, he could have just as easily killed or hurt five innocent people. It's never worth it to risk your life over something minor.
@redkathy (3374)
• United States
24 Jul 08
You were right not to chase the car and had every right to be outraged! After the horn honking act, I would have gone 5 miles or more under the speed limit until he passed me or got the message which this person obviously won't have gotten it. Upon the first rock, I would have picked up my cell and dialed 911, while repeating the tag number aloud so as not to forget it. That is really dangerous and I think warrants an emergency call.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Jul 08
Actually thats what I did, I slowed down, I thought if he's in a hurry then he can pass me, I don't want him behind me. Yes, I know I should of called the police anyway, thats what my husband told me. If that ever happens again, I sure will get the tag number..Thanks for responding
