Have you ever been involved in a tailgating or road rage incident? We have. My wife and I travel and we enjoy taking several road trips across America every year. One thing that we’ve noticed the past 2 years is the increase of road rage and tailgating incidents that we’ve personally experienced. Drivers are not only risking their lives but they’re risking the lives of those around them when they misbehave out on the roads.
Here’s what I’m talking about.
* Road Rage – Cussing, Shooting the Finger and Getting Out of the Vehicle to Confront Other Drivers.
* Swerving – Deliberately Swerving and Trying to Cut-Off Vehicles You’re Ticked At.
* Tailgating – Riding the Bumper of the Vehicle in Front of You.
* Speeding – Going too Fast! Going Well OVER the Speed Limit.
* Passing – Passing Vehicles in Non-Passing Zones.
* Tossing – Throwing Stuff at a Vehicle That You’re Irked with the Driver.
* Brakes Jamming – Jamming on Your Brakes to Just Piss Off the Driver Behind You is Dumb and Dangerous!
Last week we were coming down a 2 lane exit ramp and a car sped up and tried to cut us off. I had to jam on my breaks. The driver then jumped in front of us almost hitting the front of our SUV. I had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him. We then proceed up to the red light. The next thing I know he gets out of his vehicle at the red light and approaches the driver’s side of our vehicle. Cussing, shotting his finger, waving his hands all around and yelling verbal threats.
This particular driver was being agressive. He was in the wrong. Instead he projected his faults and anger onto us. I said nothing and didn’t roll my window down. He felt that I should of slowed down and left him over on the 2 lane exit ramp. I was only going 20 MPH on the ramp and was in the left lane. I couldn’t move to the right because we were making a left-hand turn at the red light. This guy was clearly unstable.
Other vehicles behind us started honking their horns and he finally got back inside his vehicle. We all made the left hand turn. At the next light the idiot refused to go through it while it was green. Instead…he sat there with us and 3 other vehicles behind him. He was deliberately holding up traffic and shooting the finger out of his window. This guy was one scary idiot. After the traffic light went through 2 full cycles he finally went through the intersection. That’s when I decided to make a left-hand turn so that we would no longer be behind him.
My wife had snapped a photograph of his vehicle along with his license plate. After we got to a safe place she called the police and reported him. We gave them his license plate number, a description of his vehicle and what had transpired on the highway and exit ramp. They told us they would send out an office immediately to try to find him. (Make sure you give them plenty of info about the incident, the vehicle plate numbers and the direction they’re traveling in).
Late that night we got a phone call from a police officer thanking us for reporting the incident. They got up to him and guess what? He was arrested. He was apparently driving under the influence. They got him for that and for the road rage incident and threats that he made. He has a court date in his very near future.
When these type’s of incidents happen…stay in your vehicle, drive to a public safe place and report it!!! Don’t say anything back to the driver! Don’t get out of your vehicle. Document the incident, report it and let the authorities handle it. I’m glad that we didn’t let him get away with it. DUI is a serious thing and who knows what could of happened if he was left driving around on the roads while jacked up on alcohol and drugs. He could of killed someone that day.
