So, I'm about to turn right in a right-turn-only lane when a minivan swerves into it from the left lane.  He parks there diagonally as the light turns yellow and red.  Then he sits there for about 30 seconds, not turning right even though there is no conflicting traffic.  During this time I do not honk, make obscene gestures, etc.  The light turns green again, and he sits there for a couple seconds, brake lights still on, fumbling with something on the floor.  I tap my horn in the most polite way possible, and he goes.  We go onto a 4 lane road, and he takes the left lane.  I take the right lane to turn into a store.  We get to a 4 way stop (two 4-lane roads, a pretty wierd intersection).  I look around, make sure it's my turn, and make my right-hand turn.  Then I seem him cut across the right lane from the left and tear after me.  He follows me through a couple parking lots, and I decide to stop because I don't want to flatten some little old lady evading the guy.  It would have been nice to just leave, but the traffic was so heavy that it wasn't an option.

I park, roll down my driver's window, slip my G19 (Condition 1) under my right leg, and wait.  Sure enough, Mr Dumbfuck pulls up with his window to mine (one space away) and starts asking me if there's anything I want to say to him.  I very politely said "No sir.  Now do you have something to say to me?  If so, please get it off your chest and move on."  That pissed him off even more, unfortunately, and he kept yelling at me to say what I wanted to say.  (I guess he was starting to realize that he was being an unreasonable asshole.)  I kept repeating more or less my first comments, encouraging him to say what he needed to and move on.  Fortunately, he finally did without getting out of the vehicle.

Observations/Questions:

(1)  I was so kicking myself for not having my cell.  If I did, I would have been on 911 in a heartbeat.  I couldn't get his plate without doing dangerous stuff in a lot full of pedestrians, but at least I would have made first contact, and it might have been enough to make him leave.

(2)  What kind of fucking asshole is so insecure that he gets road rage over someone tapping their horn when the light is green?

(3)  I'm glad I didn't have to shoot Mr Dumbfuck in front of his wife....  

(4)  Any suggestions for future encounters?

Just venting.  

Carry the 16oz tank of FOX OC spray. I can tell you first hand that it has AMAZING results

Should have said " No sir, I have nothing to say, but if you keep being such an asshole, my Glock might".

I'd say you handled yourself well.  Staying cool is definitely the right thing to do.  Just bring the cell next time!

ETA: Good job keeping your weapon handy and not presenting it unnecessarily.  Had he gotten out of the vehicle, it would have been time to rock n roll.

Quoted: Should have said " No sir, I have nothing to say, but if you keep being such an asshole, my Glock might".

Quoted: Should have said " No sir, I have nothing to say, but if you keep being such an asshole, my Glock might".

LoL


Ive had a pretty similar encounter -
You handeled it well . . . would be good if you could call him in - But that doesnt accomplish anything anyways . . .

good job at being ready . . . that could have gotten ugly

I know about the putting-the-pistol-under-the-leg trick, but is that safe with a Glock? Seems like the muzzle could be pointed in an unsafe direction and the trigger would be open to manipulation. It would suck to blow your leg off.

There is nothing under my leg that can catch the trigger of my Glock, so I've put it there on occasion.

actually i think pepper spray would have been a BAD decision in your circumstances.  I used fox hottest spray on my friend to test it.  Direct spray in the eyes.  All it did was sting a bit and he continued to be able to do everything just fine.  If he was larger then you he probably could have just knocked you unconcious with your window already down.

My friend became unable to do things about 45 seconds after the 3 sec direct spray.

If he got out of his vehicle I"d start mine and leave if I had to.  but I would NEVER use OC if im cornered someplace.

You should have told him "Yea, your wife moans like a whore while taking it from behind over the hood of my car."

Quoted: Carry the 16oz tank of FOX OC spray. I can tell you first hand that it has AMAZING results

Ooooooh, story time!

consider this....

guy is sick.. goes to doctor, doctor says 'you have (fill in a really bad life ending desease) and you have 6 months to live, the last 3 of which will be on a morphine drip...

or guy goes to the doctor with his wife and doctor tells him something similar about his wife or

guy comes home and his wife has cleaned him out and taken everything he owns or

guy goes to doc and finds out that the hooker he messed with gave him and his wife aids

and so on and so forth..

now the guy has a 44 magnum dirty harry revolver he always has had in the glove compartment and...

he stops and the local bottle shop to pick up a quart of jack daniels and puts about 1/2 of it away on the first gulp cause he no longer gives a damn..

and you cut im off or he cuts you off and you give him the finger..

and you stop for the guy in the parking lot .... or play tag with him or whatever..

now i know its hard to resist 'standing your ground' but the above stuff is something to think about...there was a local 'deacon' of a church around here that got into something like this with some paramedics.. the old guy was pissed for some reason so when the two paramedic guys finally pulled over to ask him what was up he shot one thru the lungs with a hunting crossbow and the guy died a pretty bad death.. the old man 'deacon' was just pissed off about something...

Quoted: Quoted: Carry the 16oz tank of FOX OC spray. I can tell you first hand that it has AMAZING results Ooooooh, story time!

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=394882

Quoted: Carry the 16oz tank of FOX OC spray. I can tell you first hand that it has AMAZING results

This situation may call for an OC grenade.

w4klr, i just read your story.  amazing stuff!

Quoted: I know about the putting-the-pistol-under-the-leg trick, but is that safe with a Glock? Seems like the muzzle could be pointed in an unsafe direction and the trigger would be open to manipulation. It would suck to blow your leg off.

Only the slide was under my leg.  The grip was fully in my hand, and my index finger was riding the slide.  If he'd come to the window, he'd probably have seen my hand on the grip.  I am pretty anal about Condition 1 on a Glock, though.  If it's not in my hand or in a holster, I leave the chamber empty.  The gun was in my center console, and I chambered a round as I parked the car.

I hate that.  At least he didn't take it beyond talking.  I've had to draw down twice due to road raged teens.  

Quoted: I'd say you handled yourself well.  Staying cool is definitely the right thing to do.  Just bring the cell next time! ETA: Good job keeping your weapon handy and not presenting it unnecessarily.  Had he gotten out of the vehicle, it would have been time to rock n roll.

BIG +1.  Proud of you, son!

Quoted: and you cut im off or he cuts you off and you give him the finger..

That's why I was very clear that I did nothing to aggravate the situation.  I tapped my horn a couple seconds after the light turned green.  No finger, no nothing.

and you stop for the guy in the parking lot .... or play tag with him or whatever.. now i know its hard to resist 'standing your ground' but the above stuff is something to think about...

The most passive thing I could think of was to stop the car.  No "tag", no chasing him, nothing.  Traffic was too heavy in strip-mall land to evade without risking a serious collision (hopefully not with a pedestrian).  If you have a better suggestion, I would be glad to hear it (hence this thread), but I still can't see one.

[Drake Sabitch]Move along or Mr. Thunder maker here is going to start barking fire[/Drake Sabitch]

Quoted: Quoted: and you cut im off or he cuts you off and you give him the finger.. That's why I was very clear that I did nothing to aggravate the situation.  I tapped my horn a couple seconds after the light turned green.  No finger, no nothing. and you stop for the guy in the parking lot .... or play tag with him or whatever.. now i know its hard to resist 'standing your ground' but the above stuff is something to think about... The most passive thing I could think of was to stop the car.  No "tag", no chasing him, nothing.  Traffic was too heavy in strip-mall land to evade without risking a serious collision (hopefully not with a pedestrian).  If you have a better suggestion, I would be glad to hear it (hence this thread), but I still can't see one.

not sayin dont do  it.. heck sometimes i cant even follow my own advice here.. just one time had a cop or someone run the scenario by me of the guy who's world has just come crashing down and how he might react. something to think about.