People confuse me sometimes

Tonight on the way home from the store, I passed a man who was doing about 15 in a 30. As I easily passed him on my motorcycle, he blared his horn and flipped me off. I didn't return any gestures or even shake my head. As I pulled into my apartment complex, he again blared his horn.

While I was talking to my wife in the parking lot, he pulls up. This man has followed me home and is yelling obscenities at me. I tell him I'm not interested then ignore him. He doesn't live in the apartment complex, he just wanted to come by and tell me how much of an asshole I am. Thankfully he never left his car and didn't make any sudden moves, otherwise the outcome might have been different.

I would never dream of doing that to anyone, even the many people who have come close to killing me. You don't know what this person has and how sane they are. I could've been a nutter with a gun for all he knew.

What do you guys think about this?

I think you did the right thing...i would have gotten his license plate number, however.

Mac

I was going to, but he drove away too fast. I didn't want to approach him while he was stopped because all I had on me was a knife and I didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

Quick, you did the right thing. However, in the state of Colorado that is known as Road Rage and if you did get the license plate number you could have notified the police and he would have been cited.

thats right get the guy cited after he knows where you and the wife live! I don't think that's to wise a move.

I keep *CSP on speed dial in my cell phone, and when i encounter road rage I call the colorado state patrol and report him/her. You did the right thing by ignoring him. I'm sorry you had to come across this in my great state. All these friggen Californians that moved in have really changed the drivers on the highways.

Good job on keeping your cool. Glad you made it home safe at least. Those situations can go bad really fast.

No worries. Thus far both us and our vehicles are safe. It's just so confusing what people do sometimes and this has been the most confusing yet.

Some people are just stupid and let the rage take over their common sense. My common sense says you did the right thing.

Good job keeping your cool.

I'm a hothead, I probably would have been going for a ride in a police cruiser -.-

It's scary how you reasoned, "I only have a knife, and he may have a gun. He may shoot and kill me."

IMO you did the right thing by just letting it go.:)

Good thing for you not to get provoked when some idiot tries to provoke.
Specially with the motorcycle that is a healthy attitude.
Propably the man had just forgotten to take his morning medication.

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Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

It's scary how you reasoned, "I only have a knife, and he may have a gun. He may shoot and kill me."

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If someone is deranged enough to follow me home and yell obscenities at me in front of my neighbors, he's deranged enough to pull a gun on me. I'll risk hand to hand if that's how it's going to be, but I'm not going to try a crazy guy with a gun.

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Originally Posted by Quick Orange

If someone is deranged enough to follow me home and yell obscenities at me in front of my neighbors, he's deranged enough to pull a gun on me. I'll risk hand to hand if that's how it's going to be, but I'm not going to try a crazy guy with a gun.

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You're right. I was just thinking how it's crazy that crazies like him are legally able to carry a gun in Colorado if they choose. (You can carry in your state, right?)

Ahhh fond memories of riding a bike.
I bet that won't be the only time you meet someone like that.
Always keep your head & a position of safety.

I'm glad to see others who have good perspective on issues like this. I used to be really bad about that kind of stuff. By bad, I mean that when things like that happened, I usually pushed the issue.

I'm lucky never had a gun pulled on me. These days, it takes quite a bit to get me riled up. It's just easier to let it roll off. Truth be told, it's just not worth it. Of course, I still have "hot button" issues that I'll blow up over, but those are very few.

A very similar thing happened to me on my way to work a few years back. We were in heavy traffic on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. I had no idea what I did to infuriate the dude in the big seven hundred something BMW but he felt it was appropriate to pull up alongside me on my motorcycle and start screaming threats. I asked him repeatedly what I did but he insisted I knew and he was going to punch me in the face. I pointed out that I was wearing a full face helmet and he'd probably hurt his little hand. He continued his verbal assault but he never got out of his car.

While it seems amusing someone would go out of their way to instigate what would in all liklihood become an act of self destruction, I remind myself of those Albert DeSalvos and Dennis Raders that are wandering out there looking for their next party.

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Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

You're right. I was just thinking how it's crazy that crazies like him are legally able to carry a gun in Colorado if they choose. (You can carry in your state, right?)

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Yup, you can carry here. The rules are strict though. For instance, had he pulled a gun, it would have been brandishing (since I threatened him in no way), and he would've been in deep ****.

Many years ago I was on interstate 8 out of san Diego and I was traveling towards El Centro Ca around 3 in the morning. I was in a Gov't vehicle and the headlights were probably not aimed the way they should however this car about a half mile in front of me slows down and gets behind me with his brights on probably five feet behind me and we're doing 70mph mind you. This guy wouldn't quit. After about 20 minutes of this I just slowed to 30 mph and he finally left.

What he didn't know is he was doing it to a federal law Enforcement guy and I alread had my 12 gauge across my lap just in case.

Earlier this year a guy tailed me like a SOB in heavy rain then dangerously over took me. I follwed him home, he was an old guy and we had a bit of a chat about it. When I got there, I was pretty much thinking 'this is a really bad idea' but I think I did the right thing, we didn't argue, I just told him that what he did was extremely dangerous.

Had it happen to me as well, but that guy was just crazy, fortunately I'd just gone to the house of a friend of mine who is just over 6ft and built like a barn lol.

There are 2 types of people
Happy and unhappy, you did the right thing and let the as#hole get on with his unhappy life

you cannot reason with unreasonable people

I've had a guy come after me with a tire iron because I honked at him when he damn near took my front bumper off carelessly merging into my lane on an empty two lane, city street. He shot out of his pickup and rushed me... Luckily, due to having carried a side arm for 5 years in the military, I now feel naked without one. I was carrying a springfield 1911 45 semi-auto. As soon as it came into his line of sight, he dropped the tire iron, did a 180 and bee lined toward his truck. As he sped off (55+ in a 30) a cop pulled him over for speeding. I pulled up behind (a few meters behind the police cruiser) called 911 and reported the jerk for road rage. The officer was notified and approached my vehicle. I made him aware of my weapon and gave him my CCL he searched me and took my weapon ( for safety I'm sure ). The jerk got arrested for speeding ( anything over 25mph over the limit gets you arrested in Dallas) and cited.

My dear Quick Orange,

I often use little stories from the world of the great composers to illustrate a point. Permit me:

The eccentric French composer Eric Satie once said, "When I was young, people used to say to me wait until you're fifty, you'll see. I am fifty," he added, "I still haven't seen anything" (from "Obie's Opus" by Obie Yadgar).

Ozone commandos who wear the label of people are themselves confused. In trying to analyze the driver who verbally attacked you, I don't believe his anger was so much directed at you for your perceived driving method that failed to meet his mastery behind the wheel; rather, it was directed at himself for the misery eating at his insides.

Either way, you did the smart and grownup thing by refusing to crawl in the gutter with him. That, sir, sets apart the ozone commando from the gentleman.

Regards,

Obie

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Originally Posted by Obie

My dear Quick Orange,

I often use little stories from the world of the great composers to illustrate a point. Permit me:

The eccentric French composer Eric Satie once said, "When I was young, people used to say to me wait until you're fifty, you'll see. I am fifty," he added, "I still haven't seen anything" (from "Obie's Opus" by Obie Yadgar).

Ozone commandos who wear the label of people are themselves confused. In trying to analyze the driver who verbally attacked you, I don't believe his anger was so much directed at you for your perceived driving method that failed to meet his mastery behind the wheel; rather, it was directed at himself for the misery eating at his insides.

Either way, you did the smart and grownup thing by refusing to crawl in the gutter with him. That, sir, sets apart the ozone commando from the gentleman.

Regards,

Obie

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Great analogy and even better advice. I've come to learn that most things can be avoiced by stepping aside and walking away, though every once and when there comes the insane individual who will persue you until they feel their brand of justice has been done.