So, my first post here. Lurked a while at PDO, decided to try this out. Yesterday was my first day carrying, as I just recieved my CCP about 3 days ago and my college doesn't allow carrying, of course. So there's two firsts for ya.
Anyway, I'm heading to Renton, so I decide to carry. I'm in my car with 2 other people, and we're stuck on Montlake traffic, heading to 520. So we're squeezing along, and we come into a merging intersection, one which is basically a Y-intersection, but converging, not splitting. So I'm in the left lane of the left side, just rolling at a lovely 2mph through the stop light (which was green), when I notice a school bus has decided to finish going through the red light (to be fair, he was far enough past his line, he should have kept going). So I decide I have two options, I can either keep going and try to get in front of him (not too hard), or I can wait and make that decision. So I hold off a while, and notice that the bus driver isn't really making any effort to notice me, so I decide to back off, and pull in behind.
Keep in mind that this bus was at a red light when it decided to go through the light, when you read what happened next.
So I let the bus go, and start to pull in behind it. The guy behind the bus (who had gone through the green light by this time, since we've moving so slow) decides he's not going to let me. We play a little game of chicken, when I finally decide to concede. I'm a little ticked off, of course, and I honk to let him know my displeasure at his maturity. I mean he was stuck at a red light, sees our lane go through, but decides he needs to force me behind him anyway.
He decides, for whatever reason, that I was unjustified, and with his hole arm shaking, tosses me a middle finger. I'm only too happy to return it, still not too worked up over it, just a little frustrated at him. Then he throws his car in park, and continues to flip me off. I think this dude had about 20 years on me too, but that's a different story.
The scenario comes next. After he realizes that he's holding not only me up, but the rest of commuter traffic, he starts to shift his car. His reverse lights come on, and that's where my question comes in.
What if he had decided to hit me in that moment? I was armed, and he would have demonstrated the means to do me harm, have the tools to do me and my passengers harm, as well as attempt to carry out the means.
My first reaction (after I made sure nobody was seriously hurt) was that I was going to draw my weapon and circle to his hood, ordering him out. I would have had one of the other passengers call the police, but until then, I wasn't going to let this guy go. And if he did decide to shift the car into drive, I would have been within my rights to discharge my firearm, I believe, as he would have been intentionally trying to run me over.
But after I thought about it for a while, like another mile or 20 minutes, I don't know if I would have been able to do that, legally. Morally, I feel I would have been justified, but I'm curious as to what anybody else would have done?
And FYI, he didn't do that, after he put the car into reverse for a split second, he shifted into drive and that was the end of that.
Anyway, I'm heading to Renton, so I decide to carry. I'm in my car with 2 other people, and we're stuck on Montlake traffic, heading to 520. So we're squeezing along, and we come into a merging intersection, one which is basically a Y-intersection, but converging, not splitting. So I'm in the left lane of the left side, just rolling at a lovely 2mph through the stop light (which was green), when I notice a school bus has decided to finish going through the red light (to be fair, he was far enough past his line, he should have kept going). So I decide I have two options, I can either keep going and try to get in front of him (not too hard), or I can wait and make that decision. So I hold off a while, and notice that the bus driver isn't really making any effort to notice me, so I decide to back off, and pull in behind.
Keep in mind that this bus was at a red light when it decided to go through the light, when you read what happened next.
So I let the bus go, and start to pull in behind it. The guy behind the bus (who had gone through the green light by this time, since we've moving so slow) decides he's not going to let me. We play a little game of chicken, when I finally decide to concede. I'm a little ticked off, of course, and I honk to let him know my displeasure at his maturity. I mean he was stuck at a red light, sees our lane go through, but decides he needs to force me behind him anyway.
He decides, for whatever reason, that I was unjustified, and with his hole arm shaking, tosses me a middle finger. I'm only too happy to return it, still not too worked up over it, just a little frustrated at him. Then he throws his car in park, and continues to flip me off. I think this dude had about 20 years on me too, but that's a different story.
The scenario comes next. After he realizes that he's holding not only me up, but the rest of commuter traffic, he starts to shift his car. His reverse lights come on, and that's where my question comes in.
What if he had decided to hit me in that moment? I was armed, and he would have demonstrated the means to do me harm, have the tools to do me and my passengers harm, as well as attempt to carry out the means.
My first reaction (after I made sure nobody was seriously hurt) was that I was going to draw my weapon and circle to his hood, ordering him out. I would have had one of the other passengers call the police, but until then, I wasn't going to let this guy go. And if he did decide to shift the car into drive, I would have been within my rights to discharge my firearm, I believe, as he would have been intentionally trying to run me over.
But after I thought about it for a while, like another mile or 20 minutes, I don't know if I would have been able to do that, legally. Morally, I feel I would have been justified, but I'm curious as to what anybody else would have done?
And FYI, he didn't do that, after he put the car into reverse for a split second, he shifted into drive and that was the end of that.