jordanmills
TGT Addict
A few weeks ago, I was driving around 610 and inadvertently angered one of my fellow motorists by not realizing that he intended to use the shoulder to drive around congested traffic and merge into my lane in the place my car occupied at the time. There wasn't much I could have done - slamming on the brakes or swerving into another lane were not options due to the congested traffic he was trying to beat. Apparently unhappy that I forced him to stop in the shoulder instead of hitting a construction barrier artfully hidden behind orange barrels and warning signs, he managed to catch up with me and ride about four inches off my bumper. It looked like he was trying to get beside me, but that pesky congested traffic inconsiderate drivers occupying the place he was trying to inject his car prevented that for a while. I did my best to ignore the fool and drive like someone interested in not being involved in a wreck.
After some time, traffic opened up and the aggressive guy was able to drive up next to my drivers side. He did the good old cholo fake swerve to try to run me off the road, but it didn't work. He fell back for a bit, then appeared on my passenger side. I was still ignoring him hoping he'd give up and go away, but out of the corner of my eye I saw his window going down. I reached down to my belt to draw and I remember thinking... I was already riding the brakes when I heard a loud thump from that side of the car.
So what do you guys think? Stop the threat? I think the other drivers actions had passed any reasonable line to consider them assault well before that point.
I was going to be cute and leave the account unfinished, but the fact that you didn't hear about me on the evening news is probably a giveaway for my choice of action. What I remember thinking was "WTF are you going to do, genius, take a few poorly aimed shots at this fool into the large backstop of merging traffic and parking lot full of tailgaters?" After a quick check to make sure that I wasn't hit and didn't see any damage at a glace, I tried to follow him while calling the popo. He took off swerving between cars and almost caused a couple more wrecks. I couldn't safely keep up, so I would up giving the dispatcher a description and partial plate and I'm sure nothing came of it. There was no damage to the car, so I am guessing he threw a water bottle. I can't think of anything else I could have reasonably done, and after thinking about it, I still not shoot in that situation even if he had been shooting at me.
After some time, traffic opened up and the aggressive guy was able to drive up next to my drivers side. He did the good old cholo fake swerve to try to run me off the road, but it didn't work. He fell back for a bit, then appeared on my passenger side. I was still ignoring him hoping he'd give up and go away, but out of the corner of my eye I saw his window going down. I reached down to my belt to draw and I remember thinking... I was already riding the brakes when I heard a loud thump from that side of the car.
So what do you guys think? Stop the threat? I think the other drivers actions had passed any reasonable line to consider them assault well before that point.
I was going to be cute and leave the account unfinished, but the fact that you didn't hear about me on the evening news is probably a giveaway for my choice of action. What I remember thinking was "WTF are you going to do, genius, take a few poorly aimed shots at this fool into the large backstop of merging traffic and parking lot full of tailgaters?" After a quick check to make sure that I wasn't hit and didn't see any damage at a glace, I tried to follow him while calling the popo. He took off swerving between cars and almost caused a couple more wrecks. I couldn't safely keep up, so I would up giving the dispatcher a description and partial plate and I'm sure nothing came of it. There was no damage to the car, so I am guessing he threw a water bottle. I can't think of anything else I could have reasonably done, and after thinking about it, I still not shoot in that situation even if he had been shooting at me.