This is a discussion on Road Rage / Brandishing within the In the News: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly forums, part of the The Back Porch category; I have seen "Road Rage" incidents such as described come to an end merely by displaying a cell phone and dialing. For all the other ...
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I have seen "Road Rage" incidents such as described come to an end merely by displaying a cell phone and dialing. For all the other driver knew I could have been calling my girlfriend, much less the police.
The mere threat that I might be reporting his sorry butt made something in his head go click and then either back off or race on ahead. Yeah! I usually have them shout the sum total of their knowlege in four letter words and give me the "freeway salute" but that's all.
""If I shoot all the ammo I am carrying, I either won't need more or, more won't help me.""
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This is one of the reasons that I made sure that my wife and I both have On-Star in our vehicles. I am not making a pitch for Chevy, but the On_Star came through really well for my wife when she had an accident and it also helped me when some idiot was running cars off the road on I-10. I just hit the red button and told the contact what was happening and read the license number to her. By the next exit, the police were on him.
The best thing is that it was all "hands-free" after I hit the red button, so that I could keep both hands on the wheel.
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I don't think you would ever convince a judge what you did was justifiable. You stated his actions were "potentially" deadly, not "imminently" deadly. Big difference in self-defense.
Driving is potentially deadly itself.
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In Colorado having a visible firearm in the car is perfectly legal. Check your local laws, of course.
Setting it up on the dash would have worked just fine here... but I would have called in the @sshat's plates to the state patrol. They have a special cellphone number here for drunk and agressive drivers: *CSP.
Your mistake, IMO, is that you felt threatened enough to display a gun, but not threatened enough to dial 911. Always call it in, CYA.
Glad it worked out OK in the end.
Sorry, but that's just silly. Even shooting at someone is only "POTENTIALLY" deadly. If someone was driving in a fashion to intentionally cause an accident, I would assume my life was in danger and act accordingly. Since I drive a big diesel pickup he would have had to be driving a semi for me to think he was serious, but if I did....Originally Posted by stevetim
+1 My wife has a similar system in her Mercedes. Combined with MB's free lifetime roadside assistance for the life of the car it makes me feel better about her being out and about.The best thing is that it was all "hands-free" after I hit the red button, so that I could keep both hands on the wheel.
Last edited by tanksoldier; August 30th, 2006 at 05:13 AM.
"I am a Soldier. I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight." GEN George S. Patton, Jr.
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[QUOTE=tanksoldier;187486]
Sorry, but that's just silly. Even shooting at someone is only "POTENTIALLY" deadly. If someone was driving in a fashion to intentionally cause an accident, I would assume my life was in danger and act accordingly. Since I drive a big diesel pickup he would have had to be driving a semi for me to think he was serious, but if I did....
QUOTE]
The point of my post is try to prove it to a judge. The guy's defense attorney will own you. Even if he has a public defender, he'll own you.
While the poster was stopped in traffic, he felt his life was in such danger, so he....kept driving? Didn't exit the highway and call 911? This is just the simple defense strategy.
Sure, I agree, it's silly...but you need to think a lot more before you pull your gun out on a crowded highway.
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your in a one ton vehicle traveling at 55+miles per hour (more kinetic energy then any handgun ever) probably with a cell phone close by the the first thing you think of doing is brandishing your weapon? there's something wrong with that. the first thing you should be trying to do is defuse the situation. then calling 911. if you can't do that and can't get out of the area, then its time to think about clearing leather.
the gun is not to intimidate or deescalate the situation. what if he had called your bluff and pulled his own gun and started shooting at you. now your either have a car full of bullet holes or you are full of bullet holes or you are forced to shoot someone, when you could have just drove away and called 911 and given them a description of the car and driver and left it up to the LEO's.
now you are arrested, your gun confiscated, and face months and $$$$ of a legal battle a head of you because you just didn't drive away.
and for the record i run into these type of drivers all the time in Houston.
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Don't want to be a wet blanket but what about the anti cell phone use in moving vehicles laws. JK It probably would be over looked in these situations. also what if you don't have a cell ( it could happen). pull over and find the nearest phone. probably the best bet is just get lin # and take the nearest exit or stop and be ready to take off again.
-Diplomacy: The art of saying nice dogie until you can find a rock.
-The truth is a three edged sword.
-Your brain is your primary weapon everything else is just a tool.
-When the only tool you have is a hammer then everything starts to look like a nail.
I know the feeling one may have when dealing with some crazy on the road. I say smile, wave that you are SORRY...eat some crow if you must...but never raise that weapon! Only bad things can happen to you for the display of a weapon.
Have peace of mind that you have it...if you REALLY need it!
ret
"That I cannot do."
"Give this to, uh, Clemenza. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks."
***********************************
Certified Glock Armorer
NRA Life Member
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Is everyone through beating it yet?
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Had a similar experience....
Guy was stupid enough to pick a day when I had just left the range and had 3 Glocks in the vehicle, one loaded and in my holster attached to the console, good thing we didnt wreck (imagine the EMT's cleaning up all the brass, LOL)....
I did not draw weapon but did however get behind him and called in his tag # to 911.....
What an idiot.....
What caused him to lose it was a "W" sticker on the back of my jeep (Looney Leftist)...
"Ray Nagin is a colossal disappointment" - NRA/ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox.
"...be water, my friend."
I am tempted to agree Bryan - and unless anyone wants soon to add something original extra - we can let this fade away or close it.
Chris - P95
NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member.
"To own a gun and assume that you are armed
is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!."
http://www.rkba-2a.com/ - a portal for 2A links, articles and some videos.
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