Someone tried to kill me this morning

[unperson]

So, I'm on my way to work this morning, minding my own and basically trying to go with the flow..

I merge into the #1 lane, in a bit of a tight spot (about 4 carlengths, travelling at ~70mph), which is normal for this bit of the freeway during the morning commute - I didn't think anything of it, because the car behind me was maintaining his speed and traffic was moving along briskly.

Apparently, this guy felt I'd cut him off (which, in retrospect, I can see), so he started to tailgate me - I, having already been through my road rage phase and gotten past it, ignored this and kept on moving.. no sudden braking, no middle finger, nada.. just driving.

At the first opportunity, this driver decides to whip around me in the #2 lane (fine by me), comes up past me to the point where his rear axle and my front axle are about matched up, hits his signal and merges INTO ME.

I'm not talking about squeezing into a space in revenge here - the driver was looking over his shoulder RIGHT AT ME when his car came into contact with mine, and tried to shove me into the center divider!

Luckily, I've been driving in this truck long enough that I know how it reacts in most situations, so I was able to back off the gas and correct my steering to maintain my lane position - and the little douche just motors along in the lane in front of me!

I've made a report to 911 / CHP and am waiting for the inevitable callback with his side of the story (sure to be "he cut me off, I passed him, and merged back in traffic"), which will be backed up by the lack of major damage to my vehicle - fortunate and unfortunate at the same time, because I would gladly have taken some damage on my truck if it would get this jerk off the road before he succeeds in killing someone for the sake of lane position.

Vicodin and flexeril are my friends right now (stress-induced back spasms are fun)

Word to the wise, folks - it's not worth killing someone to get to work that TINY bit faster. I'll be driving in the slow lane for the near future, regardless of where I'm going or how fast I need to be there.

Drive safely.

[Andara Bledin]

I hope they nail that douche to the wall for hit and run.

Oh, and don't forget to mention the medical issues in your report!

^-.-^

[Shalom]

At the first opportunity, this driver decides to whip around me in the #2 lane (fine by me), comes up past me to the point where his rear axle and my front axle are about matched up, hits his signal and merges INTO ME.

Sounds like this moron put himself into perfect position for a PIT manoeuver. He's lucky you didn't twist the wheel on him, he'd have spun right out and hit the divider himself. Shame there were so many other cars on the road at the time.

[unperson]

Sounds like this moron put himself into perfect position for a PIT manoeuver. He's lucky you didn't twist the wheel on him, he'd have spun right out and hit the divider himself. Shame there were so many other cars on the road at the time.

I know, right? Luckily for him, I applied just enough pressure to the wheel to stay in control and maintain a little lane position, but the thought occurred to me that if I'd turned just a *little* sharper without thinking.. could have been SO SO bad. Of course, if it *had* gone down like that, I'd probably be the one in jail, for a "road rage" incident, because I didn't just pull into the center breakdown lane. Sigh.

The cop basically didn't believe my story, simply based on his expectation of how a PIT would have affected the other guy, but it was essentially a "smearing" action due to me getting off the gas so quickly.

As far as I'm concerned, though, I'm glad that I've got nothing significant that hurts (back pain is a way of life for me), and that we both made it out of there alive.

I'm also really, REALLY glad that I got help for the anger issues I had/have and was able to keep a cool head. Unfortunately, there was a time when something like that (someone deliberately trying to hurt/maim/kill me) would have inspired me to escalate the issue.

All I'm really hoping for at this time is that the cops talked to him and (even though I'm *certain* he won't admit what he's done) he'll think twice before putting his own and another's life at risk.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Sounds like this moron put himself into perfect position for a PIT manoeuver. He's lucky you didn't twist the wheel on him, he'd have spun right out and hit the divider himself. Shame there were so many other cars on the road at the time.

My thoughts exactly. If somebody's going to be so road-ragey that they're actually going to wreck my car like that, I'd be very tempted to spin them out into the center divider. Or the grassy median, where they'd flip several times if they were going fast enough.

And if I needed to, I'd explain it away by saying I panicked at the car merging across my front end and threw the wheel the wrong way.

[ditchdj]

Sounds like you could use a good dash cam.

The camera NEVER lies.

[unperson]

Sounds like you could use a good dash cam.

The camera NEVER lies.

This thought, exactly, is what occurred to me after the discussion with the CHP officer - anyone know of a good (pre-made) solution? I could try to kludge something together, but god knows how long that'd take

[underemployeed]

Sounds like this moron put himself into perfect position for a PIT manoeuver. He's lucky you didn't twist the wheel on him, he'd have spun right out and hit the divider himself. Shame there were so many other cars on the road at the time.

Shalom,
You stole the words out of my mouth.

unperson, glad to hear your ok. I was half expecting that he cut you off in return and slammed the brakes, different twist to actually hit you in such a stupid maner.

DB, Well if he somehow reads this fourm. your very lucky unperson isn't my father, you would have got the pit maneuver, then a guy with a badge and gun knocking on your window to tell you it in your best interest to surrender and wait for a marked car to haul your ass away, because It sounds like vehicular assault.
Also, what ever happened to people moving over to the left lane so it easier to merge onto the freeway????


I guess this is why I really try to avoid giving the finger anymore, people are nuts and go basaltic of the littlest shit. Of course I "followed" idiot highschool kids off the highway because they were going the same way I was after they tailgated me when I was doing 10 over in the right lane, at which point made me do 10 under, they matched that then too and when someone tried to pass they jumped out the left lane to block them. To bad the highway patrol wasn't able to catch up to us before they turned off on a road that I wasn't about to follow them down. I can only hope the accurate description of plate and car at least prompted them to contact the parents, since that behavior is likely to get them injured/killed if pulled against the wrong person, like the DB in this story.

[Andara Bledin]

This thought, exactly, is what occurred to me after the discussion with the CHP officer - anyone know of a good (pre-made) solution? I could try to kludge something together, but god knows how long that'd take

Well, just plugging the terms into Google sent me to this site, which seems like a great investment for less then $100 and ready to go.

^-.-^

[Jetfire]

I think I've seen some articles recently about insurance companies giving discounts for people who get dash cams in their vehicles too.

Hearing these sorts of stories makes me glad I live out here. While we have bad drivers (Canada's Worst Driver is coming out here to recruit), we don't really have any road ragers. And people do tend to move over to the left when traffic has a merge lane.

[mikoyan29]

Sorry...but what is the PIT maneuver?

Anyways, yeah it seems like people are going off on the littlest things these days.

[dendawg]

what is the PIT maneuver?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIT_maneuver

[unperson]

Well, just plugging the terms into Google sent me to this site, which seems like a great investment for less then $100 and ready to go.

^-.-^

Foiled by Google-Fu!

Thanks, I'm looking into this now

[blas]

I'd only want a dash cam purely for posting the idiocy in my morning/nightly commutes online.

[Chromatix]

I've heard of a system (introduced by an insurance company I suspect) which records video continuously, but only saves a short clip around the time of a sharp manoeuvre. I believe the aim was to give feedback to young drivers about incidents they could have avoided, and which could get them into trouble if they don't improve.