Thread: watch how you drive

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Actuall, I won't have this post deleted, but if the moderators deem it necessary, so be it.

The roasting is good for me. It has allowed me to reflect on my actions.

I was clearly in the wrong.

But one thing.. road rage was mentioned.. at no time was I angry. ( with the truck ) It all happened very quickly.

First.. The guy pulled out in front of me. He has a large powerful vehicle, and he was at a full stop at a red light. It was well within his legal right to make the turn.

had I rear-ended him, it would have been my fault. It is nearly impossible to escape fault when you rear end someone.

Now, obviously my feeling of endangerment was misplaced, regardless of the large chrome step plate bumper with the protruding trailer hitch, right at my eye level. The fact that I easily avoided the collision speaks highly to the fact that it is my responsibility to avoid other drivers, not their responsibility to avoid placing me in danger.

However, the method of my avoidance was plain wrong. First, I made a lane change within 30 feet of an intersection, which is clearly illegal. Legally, I should have locked up the brakes and taken the chance that the window pillars would indeed have stopped the trailer hitch before it took my head off. Second, by passing the truck at a high rate of speed, I endangered HIS feeling of security, superiority, and authority afforded him by his larger, more powerful vehicle.

Furthermore, when he accelerated to beside my vehicle, crossed the white line into my lane, revving his motor aggressively, he was merely asserting his dominance, reminding me that I should not have passed him so rapidly.

That I felt concerned for my safety at this point, was certainly absurd. As pointed out, I should not have felt inclined to defend myself, but should have instead done whatever possibly to leave the situation, showing submission and ensuring his feeling of dominance.

lastly.. flashing the badge.. ( it is NOT a FAKE badge ).. I'll admit, I was willfully impersonating an officer of the law. It was indeed my sole intention that the punk on the rice rocket think I was a cop and chill out. The fact that it worked is irrelevent, the ends cannot justify the means.

It was not my position to attempt to recitfy his reckless driving. Even should his actions have ( immediately ) resulted in a severe collision, possibly causing death to himself or others, it was not my doing, not my fault, and not my position to interfere.

Roast away, but I believe I get the point.

Just because I legally carry a weapon does not justify me to use it in self defense. My only true legal action is to run away, and turn a blind eye to criminal action, as the rest of the sheeple do.

I'm not looking to make any enemies but I have to have my say. I know you said that anger was never an issue. In general if fear caught you by suprise because someone made an illegal lane change....your in some serious trouble. IMO it still borders a form of road rage. Come on....I saw at least a dozen traffic infractions this morning on the way to work at 5 am. I too have gotten upset thinking all the while that everyone should adhere to our nations traffic laws (you know....equal rights for all...yeah right)....and for soo many....they just get away with anything because they either know someone or have the money to get there butts out of a sling. After driving a truck for several years, and then moving into a job that requires I drive a branded vehicle (must keep a polite image to my customers), and riding race bikes and cruisers alike......I've learned to always keep a defensive driving position.....with a 'look the other way' attitude. People will be people. And life has become so multi-tasked that everyone seems in a hurry for the stupidest reasons.

You guys are ALL right.......and you guys are ALL wrong.

There has been many a time I'd like to bust someone up with a tire checker to beat some sense into them. Thats exactly why I quit carring guns unless I head across country. It is my duty to my family to protect myself....they depend on me. But I wont sacrifice that for a possible stretch in prison for something foolish. Man....what would you have done if he provoked or taunted you? Shot him? As I recall...concealled carry means you never brandish your weapon unless you have to use it. Period. No one is suppose to every know that you have one. Hence...concealed. You asked for the bar-b-que by posting that you concidered pulling your weapon. Come on?

I figure its all about patience with fellow man. My patience level has to go up a notch every year it seems.

Dave G

I've got an even bigger gripe. I am absolutely sick of the police handing out 'blue line' stickers to every Joe they know. We have a town of over 12,000 and I bet you a 1/4 of it has a 'blue line' sticker on their vehicle. Stickers everywhere. People everywhere driving 15-20 MPH over speed limit....just because they know a cop. Makes a man feel 'postal' at times. Again....hence, I dont carry a gun anymore.

Stovebolter wrote: I

figure its all about patience with fellow man. My patience level has to go up a notch every year it seems.

Actually my patience level seems to go down every year, maybe even monthly. You seem to get that way when you have to drive 100 miles a day in heavy rush hour traffic. But I don't routinely carry a gun, so there is less likelyhood of my capping someone out of anger and frustration.

I'm confused.... In post #1 it was a kid on a crotch rocket....but in #16 it's a big truck......

Did you badge flash and pull a gun on two different dudes the same day?????

I am Not confused Lot's of Anti-Gun Folks Here

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I'm confused.... In post #1 it was a kid on a crotch rocket....but in #16 it's a big truck......

Did you badge flash and pull a gun on two different dudes the same day?????

Dave, you must not have read all of them, read #7 also!


I Don't have a premit, and I don't carry a gun either! I was making an example on what some one might do on a bike.

But I did have a guy going down the road, and wouldn't let me back in the right lane after I had tried to pass him going about 30 in a 50 zone, he would go faster, and then stop when I would, and I had cars coming at me! I turned right into him! He was driving a nice '68 Skylark, I was in a Toyota pick up! I did get out of the left lane! It was me going to work, and he had 3 with him in his car, we stopped with him in the bush's and my truck against his door, the I told a lady to call the cops, they showed up and told me to leave, they held them, and I don't know what happen after that to them. But he did say they weren't from around there.

Pat

Originally Posted by tango

I am Not confused Lot's of Anti-Gun Folks Here

I'm not anti-gun. I can promise that. I rather enjoy turkey hunting in the Ozarks, a day every couple months shooting clay pigeons with the buds, varmint hunting, and spend several boxes of rounds every year staying proficient with my Glocks and Casuul. I just dont see the need to carry while making routine trips to work or town. Too many people, like myself, with 'Anger Management' issues. I guess I live in a sheltered community where very little crap happens. Has America really gotten that bad. Yeah....If you lived in Compton I could see a mans need to fear trips to the grocery store. Better yet.....perhaps its time to move if its that bad. Let the thugs have the big cities.

For the most part I dont see any need for a conceal carry permitt. Cant go near schools, government buildings, and no one can ever know you carry. While I know there is no such thing as ignorance of the law.....I'd still rather stand in front of a jury without a conceal carry permitt after protecting myself........with the permitt you are drilled with what you can and cant do. There is no excuse.

Really....unless you live in a city that has laws restricting handguns.....display that gun in plain site for all to see. I can still remember 20 years ago it wasnt uncommon to be at WalMart or MagicMart and youd run across someone with a revolver on thier hip....just an average joe...not a police man. Not sure why they felt the need to carry one to the store....must've been an empowerment thing.

I carry when I make trips away from home. I leave the gun in open site (in a pistol rug unless I leave the vehicle. Then....it is concealed. I use to conceal it while driving but a state policeman that I know told me if I had an accident and was rendered unconcious, I was placing myself at the mercy of whatever policeman worked the accident.

This world is soo puzzling at times.

Originally Posted by tango

I am Not confused Lot's of Anti-Gun Folks Here

I think you missed again Tango... I'm not anti-gun, that's a label some on here like to throw at anyone who doesn't see the necessity of everyone and their brother thinking they should carry a concealed weapon..,..

Originally Posted by HemiTCoupe

Dave, you must not have read all of them, read #7 also!


I Don't have a premit, and I don't carry a gun either! I was making an example on what some one might do on a bike.

Pat

Yup, I missed #7.... Didn't realize there were two incidents..... I don't carry a gun either.... and these two episodes are just 2 more reasons a lot of people shouldn't...... A quick temper and pushing an issue until it becomes violent is IMO, just a man made really brave cuz he has a gun with him... Either issue could have easily been resolved by just backing off and letting the fools go on their way....

To the moderator:

People are starting to flame each other over gun opinions. This was never my intent.

time to delete this thread.

All I really wanted to say was watch how you drive. Joe shmoe in the next car might actually be joe concerned citizen, call in your tag, or might be Johnny law. And if you drive recklessly, bullying and intimidating people it might end badly.

I got flamed pretty good, regardless of the results, and It was good for me. But I don't think this continued discussion will be good for this forum.

Please wipe it out.

Thanks

Gotta wonder whatever happend to the old fashioned stuff like "Drive Friendly", Be Courteous when you drive, etc???? Driving used to be fun, people in rural areas always had a small wave whenever they met a car.

These days it seems that few people pay much attention to what they are doing while they drive, or as this and other threads have shown want to use their car to establish some form of dominance over others on the road..... Take a break, go back to enjoying the drive, and ignore the dummies and those using their vehicles to make them some sort of tough guy king of the road type!!!!! Remember how much fun driving was when you were a kid? It can still be that way!!!! Leave the macho road games to those who are using a vehicle to compensate for some form of inadequacy they have.... It ain't worth it!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3G3jq-PJNU COOL

I would like to invite anyone who thinks they will never get pissed off in traffic to go to Miami or Fort Pierce, Florida.
I went down there after a hurrican to try to help out because a bunch of station were totaly out of fuel. I stayed down there about a month, and it was the worst month I have ever endured while driving. These people drive like there are no laws down there.
The company tried to have me go back down to help out the next year, and I told them I would quite driving before I went back down there.
Now since all the hurricans in the last couple of years the people started migrating
from down there to Tampa and driving here is getting worse because of it.
Because of the agressive driving I lost a good friend of over 20 years.
A guy that had just moved from down there up to Tampa got in a hurry and forced
my buddy off a bridge in his fuel tanker. My buddy layed screaming in a burning tanker
for 20 minutes till a old man came to pull him out on fire.
Three days later he died leaving behind a bunch of kids.
You know what happened to the guy that forced him from the bridge not one thing.
At first he acted like he could not speak english, then he tried to lie about what happened untill about 50 people came forward that had seen the whole thing.
And he still got off scott free. So I don't want to hear about people shouldn't get pissed.
Because a car or a truck could be a wepon too. Kurt