High-Speed- Highway Vindication
On my recent trip home from what husband had taken to calling "p-camp", I was driving along on a four lane highway. Noticing the car in front of me was traveling at well below the speed limit, I moved over into the left lane. Apparently, the trucker behind me thought I cut him off or had merged too close to him. Soon after he passed me in the right lane, window rolled down, entire left side his body hanging out of said window, screaming and giving my the bird. I have never seen someone that looked so angry. Now for someone who had been pretty much minding my own business, I was shocked and awed by his illustration of anger. I think I just stared and wondered what I had done to make him that angry.
Well a few miles later, I was not going to tangle with him again. So this time I got way over in the left lane way ahead of the blockade in the right ahead of time. Unfortunately he had not, and he wanted over right as I was driving by him. So he moved over. I had to slam on my breaks and hit the shoulder to avoid being hit. Honda Civic meets semi trailer, well you can guess the ending of that one, if I hadn't moved.
After speeding up and slowing down to stay near me and driving extremely erratically, he tried to run me off the road a second time. I literally could not lose this guy and he was really scary. What had I done? Husband told me to hang up the phone and dial 911. At first, I was scared. I remember asking, "just dial the emergency number?" So finally, I did. I was placed through to the state trooper to whom I dictated exactly where I was, which mile marker I was passing, what the semi was doing, as well as the license plate number and truck number of the semi. The state trooper stayed on the phone with me the entire time while coordinating one of his "troopers" to meet up with us.
Well, old semi driver must have seen me on the phone with license numbers written down next to me on the passenger seat, because he figured out really fast how to drive nicely: right lane, going 65, not even looking at me.
Oops, too late.
A few miles later, I watched in my rear view mirror as the state patrol came up in the left lane, slowed way down and pulled in right behind the semi in the right lane. A few hundred feet later, and the lights went on. Game over.
A sense of pure vindication washed away all my nervous adrenaline. I actually whooped and hollered alone in the car as I saw the semi ease his way over to the shoulder. I have never reported road rage before, but I won't hesitate to again. There are far too many highway accidents that happen because of idiots like that with big trucks trying to teach someone a lesson. And the rest of the way home, I felt much safer knowing he was faced with a nice opportunity to "cool his heels" with the state trooper on the side of the road. I wonder what that conversation was like?
Well a few miles later, I was not going to tangle with him again. So this time I got way over in the left lane way ahead of the blockade in the right ahead of time. Unfortunately he had not, and he wanted over right as I was driving by him. So he moved over. I had to slam on my breaks and hit the shoulder to avoid being hit. Honda Civic meets semi trailer, well you can guess the ending of that one, if I hadn't moved.
After speeding up and slowing down to stay near me and driving extremely erratically, he tried to run me off the road a second time. I literally could not lose this guy and he was really scary. What had I done? Husband told me to hang up the phone and dial 911. At first, I was scared. I remember asking, "just dial the emergency number?" So finally, I did. I was placed through to the state trooper to whom I dictated exactly where I was, which mile marker I was passing, what the semi was doing, as well as the license plate number and truck number of the semi. The state trooper stayed on the phone with me the entire time while coordinating one of his "troopers" to meet up with us.
Well, old semi driver must have seen me on the phone with license numbers written down next to me on the passenger seat, because he figured out really fast how to drive nicely: right lane, going 65, not even looking at me.
Oops, too late.
A few miles later, I watched in my rear view mirror as the state patrol came up in the left lane, slowed way down and pulled in right behind the semi in the right lane. A few hundred feet later, and the lights went on. Game over.
A sense of pure vindication washed away all my nervous adrenaline. I actually whooped and hollered alone in the car as I saw the semi ease his way over to the shoulder. I have never reported road rage before, but I won't hesitate to again. There are far too many highway accidents that happen because of idiots like that with big trucks trying to teach someone a lesson. And the rest of the way home, I felt much safer knowing he was faced with a nice opportunity to "cool his heels" with the state trooper on the side of the road. I wonder what that conversation was like?
posted by KLOU | 11:12 AM
2 Comments:
Klou-
I had a similar experience recently with an older man driving a truck, with a fifth wheel camper, towing a fishing boat. I actually got him to pull over after he unknowingly ran me off Hwy 53. He just thought something was wrong with his rig. When I asked him if he was so arrogant that he thought he do what ever he dammed well pleased he got an inch from my face and said, "yep". I feigned confidence as I speed-walked back to the car and proceeded to call the troopers.I vowed never to take on someone one on one like again. Especially alone, in COTTON, MN. The troupers ran his plates-- none of them (there were 3 total) matched or were current. It was a relief to see them nab him as I came to a stop in Virgina. There is justice, if you can just manage to not get killed getting there!
Yeah, after my little highway incident, I sat down to think about the fact that if they are okay driving that way, that there is nothing that reason can really do. I kept trying to figure out what I had done, before realizing probably nothing, other than looking at him the wrong way.
I am glad that you okay. Alone, in Cotton, MN gave me the creeps.
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