Got the blood pumping today!

[duff]

A bit under the weather all week, looking forward to a relaxing weekend. So far so good, ran to town today to return a movie and pick up some bare esentials from the grocery and gas up the van. Wife was feeling a bit ill to so she took the back roads for a nice easy Sunday drive. It worked until almost in the small town we live in a guy comes flying up the bumper of the truck, then went to pass. Like I said we were poking along with both kids just enjoying the senery and actually just on the edge of town. My wife gets caught by suprise by him just outside her drivers side window and lays on the horn. The guy swerves over at us and slams on the brakes. I am unbuckeled by this time and out the door as soon as I see his door opening up. Imediately I think, this sucks and wheres my gun! He starts cussing us out and acting like he is going to actually do something about it. I was ticked, but didn't let it get the best of me. I told him to get out of here and leave it at that. He continues to approach our vehicle and I was swelling up like a prize fighter every step he took. I think we both thought the best of it and we went our separate ways (every bit of 30 seconds I bet!), but my wife was steamed! Then she told me I shouldn't have got out of the van....

I live in a sleepy rural area, this guy looked like every other good guy around must have been having a bad day. Glad it didn't get any worse for both of us...Wost thing both my kids where there to see it happen.

I am pretty laid back but man, when you come after my family I told my wife to not honk at a person as they are passing us only if they don't see you. You never know what the other person is going through...or capable of doing! I am just glad it was only a couple of harsh words.

[Decatur]

Sounds like a close call. Good thing you were there, if the guy was a bully, he could have scared your family pretty bad.

[duff]

I agree!

[hunter480]

Lot`s of angry, crazy people out there today, you just don`t know what someone is capable of doing, or will do anymore.

I lose my temper still, but try to restrain myself from responding to the idiots, unless, and until they cross a certain line.

As best you can control it, it`s better to let most of it go, no matter how hard it is, and save the war for the times it`s really needed.

[Sasquatch]

Sounds like you handled it well. Like you said, it could have just been a guy having a bad day.
Cool heads prevailed.

[DEERTRACKS]

Good for you. I do not think I could have maintained my composure...

[fftce67]

Man oh man you did alot better than I would have.

[duff]

I wasn't about to let him get close to my family but I wasn't going to be the one who pushed it any further. It really wasn't about restraint, it was all about my family. I have to protect them as well as provide for them. If I were dead, or in jail I couldn't do either. Really an easy decision for me. But I was ready to go there if needed.

[swilk]

If I am reading this correctly .... your wife was driving slowly. A man in a car decided to pass her. She gets startled because she didnt realize there was a car behind her and she "lays on the horn". In response to getting honked the guy pulls over in front of you .......

Perhaps you should do the driving from now on?

The other guy could be portraying this story on another message board as we speak ... "there was this lady driving 20mph in a 40mph zone not paying any attention to what was going on around her. I go to pass her and she lays on the horn like I was doing something wrong. I pull over to ask her what her problem is and her husband gets out of the car like he is wanting to start a fight. Luckily we both decided to turn around and walk away."

[duff]

Very possible, however we were at the edge of town in a 30 mph on very narrow residental road. It wasn't like he just slowly pulled over to see what is going on either. He cut the wheel into the lane and slammed on the brakes to attempt to block our path. Either way I see your point and after we both calmed down I did tell my wife to not honk the horn unless the person is pulling out in front of us or is not aware of us.

I used to commute from Anderson to Indy on I-69 and experienced all types of agressive road rage situations. Never figured see anything worse than those days, but this was by far the worst.

[swilk]

Regardless of who was right and who was wrong I, like you, would have done whatever necessary to protect my kids.

Luckily just a little steam was let off and nothing serious happened.

[Ahawkeye]

I agree with swilk however let's look at another part of this situation, I'm not condeming you nor am I condeming any one who has a permit to do so but what if you did have your gun what if he was carrying a gun as well? Do you think things would have gone the same? At what point would you have drawn? If you would have waited to see his it might have been too late. My father and I went through something like this last duck season. Dad may have been in the wrong lane to turn and may have cut this guy off I wasn't sure, but this guy was honking and jawing something so dad just gave him a honk like "what's your problem?" the guy pulls in front, blocks the path and get's out. Mind you it's 3:00 am and I'm not sure what he's doing out, but if he's not coming home from a long night at work or going into an early shift this isn't good. Anyway he's cussin' and yellin' and he walks up to the truck and I guess sees 2 guys in camo and starts to quiet down a little, still mad, tells my dad he cut him off when dad turned left from the straight lane, dad says no it was a turn lane, the guy say no it's a straight lane, dad said well if you're right I'm sorry. I guess my point is he could have had a gun and we did have a gun (long gun unloded) it really could have gotten ugly. I shot my first goose in a LOOOONG time that day and we may have never even seen the lake had things gone worse. It's not worth the hassle to get that mad at people for honest mistakes for him to cut you guys off was not smart nor very understanding I'm sure we've all had a time or two when we looked like a fool on the road, you just got to remember nobody's perfect.

[duff]

I agree. There are many things in life that are worth a whole lot more then someone passing you in a dangerous manner or honking at you. As well there is a whole lot more to life then to actually think you will fight someone because they honked at you. As for the gun, it's not if I would have used it or not. It's the fact in a situation that it could have been used it was not available. The way the guy pulled us over I really was not sure what he had in mind. He could have come out with a gun or baseball bat himself, I didn't really know. all I had was myself and a cup of mountain dew, a little backup would have been nice if needed. Funny thing is I have never found myself in this type of situation.

I am not saying my wife was right in honking, but this guy could have just kept driving like he was and only my wife would have been cussing him. Instead he decided to threatened us by stopping us in the road.

Glad your incident ended in a simular way, but as you know from experience when a person is bold enough to stop a complete stranger due to a honk and expect to teach you a lesson it is a tight spot. I am sure when it happened to you and your dad you didn't know what was going to happen next. If you had your wife and two kids 3 and under in your vehicle would you have responded the same?

[Ahawkeye]

Very good point.