Incident with a crazy guy on the side of the highway

[Spidey2011]

Well, today my Mom and I were heading out to pick up a bale of hay a few miles down the road. A couple minutes after I get on the highway a van with California plates and a broken window pulls in front of me, slams on his brakes, and starts waiving his hands out the window. I was going to just pass him and continue on my way, but decided he might have a legitimate problem, so I pulled off behind him.

He immediately gets out of the van and starts screaming about how I broke his window. He claims that while he was passing me, a chunk of mud flew off my truck and shattered his side window. I told him that I would be glad to take a look and see if we couldn't get it straightened out. I got out and checked my truck, no obvious signs of missing mud (it's so muddy I'd notice a chunk missing). So I went and looked at his window and the glass was in a pile below the window, not scattered throughout the vehicle like it should've been. About that time my Mom had come over and made a comment about not seeing any mud chunks in the vehicle and he went nuts. Yelling and screaming about how he was broke and had back problems and wasn't going to be able to pay for that kind of thing. My Mom decided it was a good idea to yell back at the guy (not quite as calm about that kind of thing as she used to be), so I told her she needed to just go back to the truck and I would handle it. She just gave me the "look". lol. Anyways, throughout his whole spiel he slipped and said he didn't have insurance, which is a nice little ticket in MT, and his vehicle would've been impounded and he probably would've been arrested, since he was an out-of-stater. So when he threatened to call the cops, I said, "Go ahead, I'll go wait in my truck and they can sort it out." His attitude made a 180 degree turn. He started apologizing and saying that if we gave him our phone number we could sort it out later over the phone. So I gave him my insurance info and told him that if he could get them to pay it, more power to him, but I doubt they will.

It turned out OK, but there was a point I thought I was going to have to lay this guy out on the side of the highway. The way he was acting I really had no idea what kind of weapons he might have on him, and judging by his reaction when I told him to call the cops, he might even have warrants out for him or something. I come to find out later that my Mom saw a shoebox full of cash in the back of his van, which is a bit odd to begin with, but especially since he screamed so much about being a broke cripple. Just too many things wrong for me to believe this was a legit deal.

Anyway, I wasn't armed at the time (still got a couple weeks on my CWP), and it could have easily gone another way had he persisted. I think I handled it OK. I never raised my voice and I kept telling him he needed to calm down before I was going to deal with it. How would you guys have handled it while carrying?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[red13]

You know, by nature I'm a Good Sam. Even as a teenager, I would pull over and help stuck folks because I was a good mechanic, always fixing the family cars in those days. I like to help people.

However, these days I have heard numerous stories about people pulling a 'person in distress' scam, trying to lure people just like me into a vulnerable and/or isolated position to do bad things. Here in Albuquerque there were 2 recent incidents of that nature.

Not saying I would leave someone lying beside the road in the desert. In fact a few years ago me and a friend came across that exactly, drunk fella passed out on the side with his head in the road. We called EMS and waited till they showed up. But I am, these days, extremely cautious about getting within arms length.

Because I carry all day everyday, and I have absolutely zero interest in ever drawing my gun. That's not even in my bucket list. There's other, safer ways to deal with most situations than stopping. If I'm going to do it, I will be very careful and look real close.

[Spidey2011]

You know, by nature I'm a Good Sam. Even as a teenager, I would pull over and help stuck folks because I was a good mechanic, always fixing the family cars in those days. I like to help people.

However, these days I have heard numerous stories about people pulling a 'person in distress' scam, trying to lure people just like me into a vulnerable and/or isolated position to do bad things. Here in Albuquerque there were 2 recent incidents of that nature.

Not saying I would leave someone lying beside the road in the desert. In fact a few years ago me and a friend came across that exactly, drunk fella passed out on the side with his head in the road. We called EMS and waited till they showed up. But I am, these days, extremely cautious about getting within arms length.

Because I carry all day everyday, and I have absolutely zero interest in ever drawing my gun. That's not even in my bucket list. There's other, safer ways to deal with most situations than stopping. If I'm going to do it, I will be very careful and look real close.

Ditto, I can't count how many tires I've helped change and I've even made phone calls for a few truckers that were broke down at the rest area. This is the first time I've been in this kind of situation, and it really puts it in perspective. It could have easily been a dangerous situation, but because I payed enough attention I was able to defuse it. Reinforces every reason I have that makes me want to carry, though. If it had gone the wrong way, I was completely unarmed. Kinda scary because I really had no way to know if he had a weapon or not.

[tkruf]

I wouldn't have given him my insurance information. I would have just given him a number I made up on the spot. Told him that was my home number. Call me later, and left. He was trying to scam you big time.

[retsupt99]

The world is full of goofy and dangerous people. I would not have given him the time of day, yet alone stop to 'chat'.
One is not obligated for stones your tires throw up...only if from a load you are carrying.
I'm too old for this kind of crap...if this guy cut me off and then tried to strong arm me...all bets are off, and I'm going home alive.

[Chaplain Scott]

SPIDEY2011: Welcome to the forum from another Big Sky/Treasure State resident. Glad it didn't go south---these days you just never know. I agree w/ tkruf--I would not have given him ANY info. Second, I would have dialed 911 anyway and at least told the dispatch about the incident and that there was something "off" about the guy. Third, I assume you know this, but you do NOT need a permit to carry in your outfit (aka vehicle for you folks outside of MT ). It can be hidden away or in plain sight, whatever you prefer, but MT does NOT have any laws regulating weapons in vehicles........

[Spidey2011]

The world is full of goofy and dangerous people. I would not have given him the time of day, yet alone stop to 'chat'.
One is not obligated for stones your tires throw up...only if from a load you are carrying.
I'm too old for this kind of crap...if this guy cut me off and then tried to strong arm me...all bets are off, and I'm going home alive.

I guarantee you I had no interest in chatting. Once I was out of the truck, I was focused on keeping him as calm as possible. The last thing I wanted to do was get in a fight with the guy, and there was no telling what he would do if I tried to get back in the truck and leave.

SPIDEY2011: Welcome to the forum from another Big Sky/Treasure State resident. Glad it didn't go south---these days you just never know. I agree w/ tkruf--I would not have given him ANY info. Second, I would have dialed 911 anyway and at least told the dispatch about the incident and that there was something "off" about the guy. Third, I assume you know this, but you do NOT need a permit to carry in your outfit (aka vehicle for you folks outside of MT ). It can be hidden away or in plain sight, whatever you prefer, but MT does NOT have any laws regulating weapons in vehicles........

Yup, well aware of that law. I usually keep a gun in the glovebox or center console, but the glovebox hinges on this particular truck broke long ago. Now it's screwed shut and completely useless. It's one of the old 1990 F-150's with bench seats, so there's really nowhere else to have a firearm secured. Didn't bother to strap one on open since I was just going a few miles to get a bale of hay from someone I know pretty well. I'll never make that mistake again.

I'm 99% sure that this guy was trying to scam me, but stranger stuff has happened. Especially to me. lol. I gave him the insurance info on the off chance that it did actually happen. I'm pretty sure the insurance company will tell him to pound salt, though. lol.

I probably should have called 911, if I even had cell service. Wouldn't have done much good though. A couple good Highway Patrolman in the area, but they were probably far enough away that I would've got stuck with one of the useless deputies. I'll talk with a couple guys at the Highway Patrol office tomorrow and see if they heard of anybody else having a similar experience. I wish I would've thought to get his plates, but by the time it ended I was shaking pretty good and just wanted to leave. Live and learn, right?

[Chaplain Scott]

yep--these situations can just come at you out of the blue --any time, any where---as to your outfit--Crossbreed holsters make a kydex holster that is entirely backed with velcro and then they supply the other side as well--super-sticky, you can mount it just about anywhere--here is what I've done with my F-350........Sept 09 029.jpg

[OldVet]

The only roadside stops I make nowadays are for the old and decrepid or women. If an able-bodied male is broke down, he can hike to a call box.

[archer51]

My method of handling would have been quite different. When he pulled in front of me and slammed on his brakes I would have swung around him and driven away, while having mom call the police. I'm not stopping for anyone on the highway except for the police.

[Spidey2011]

That's pretty interesting. I'll have to look into getting a couple of those soon.

The biggest problem though, is that this truck is my daily driver till my Silverado gets fixed, and I cant have a gun in my vehicle where I work (DOT property).

[glockman10mm]

Gotta love fireball moms.

[Harryball]

My method of handling would have been quite different. When he pulled in front of me and slammed on his brakes I would have swung around him and driven away, while having mom call the police. I'm not stopping for anyone on the highway except for the police.

^^^^^^This right here^^^^^^^^^^

[Sledzep01]

I used to stop for stuff like this but now I have a cellphone and just keep driving while I call him some help.

Sled

[dripster]

I would have told him to call the Cops. I am not making my insurance pay for something I didn't do. First off he shouldn't have been on the road to begin with. Secondly there is no way he can prove you car broke his side window, if anything mud flinging off your truck would have busted his windshield simple physics.