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Old 07-24-2011, 11:57 PM   #367 (permalink)
larrybuck
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I have been driving slower than most for yrs. now! I have had many times on freeways, when 18 wheelers come up from behind, turn their lights on, lay on the horn, and just generally make a fool out of themselves.
I have come across mean people in the Boston area, and particular in the Chicago area which was the first time I was passed on the right shoulder of the freeway.

Altogether, passed on the right "off the road" (them) has happened about 6 times so far.

Another time on a freeway, I was traveling to work at about 3 AM. Empty freeway, was driving a '79 Ford Fiesta. An 18 wheeler came flying up, started the honking thing, passed and intentionally cut me off so had I not braked, I would have hit his trailer.
It's the first time that I ever called in on someone. I had a good talk w that companies safety rep. I explained to him that I knew I was only going 45-50mph in a 60mph zone; but w an empty freeway, there was no reason for him to go wacho!
I even brought up the comparison to the movie DUAL w Dennis Weaver. The guy totally agreed w me, and had seen that movie as well.

I guess I might have gotten slightly redneck after that: I had a custom sign made, and mounted behind a '78 Datsun B210 hatchback. It had the golden yellow reflectorized base color like the this lane ends ahead color w black lettering which read: ( first, at the top is a huge black arrow pointing to the left) " PASSING LANE!"

So..... later on, I'm going to work some 20 miles of freeway between 9-10 AM. Two guys in some car start honking, pull up along side, sticking their head out their window trying to get me to pull over. They pass, speed up, then park on the right shoulder waving at me to join them. They did this twice during which I just ignored them.
I was not too comfortable when I saw them follow me down the offramp I needed to go to work, thinking what now! I came within 200 yards of where I worked, turned off to the other side of the street and stopped right by the lobby front entrance of a large motel so other people would be around. I was relieved to find out that they were friendly nuts who just wanted close pictures of how REDNECK my car was.

Soon after that time, a cop gave me a warning saying my sign looked too official, and that I must remove it!

Sorry for long story, but my advice is to ignore when many other people are around. When NOT; when you know the situation is instantly radical; do whatever is needed to rid these ones preferably within the first 10 seconds. It takes alot of mirror driving.

Some of you are in large PU's, so you feel relatively safe to PLAY w the person.

No! Too many wacho's out there! It's not worth the risk.

Vinny; you need to can option 2, and 3. Escalation will not help.

It takes swallowing pride to pull over, stop, whatever to get rid of a creep.


Anything to difuse! 4way flashers, pull to side, lift your hood, pretending something the matter w your darned car!..... get creative!

Though I'm not much of a gun guy; I appreciate your freedom and rights to carry. Most of the time, I can see that as bottomline security.


But what if YOU are the only one w a gun; the WACHO gets your license # , and claims a false story that you are the bad guy, and it's YOU thats terrorizing HIM?????


It can be a very ugly world out there! Inflaming a situation, will just make it worse.

What if you blow up on a guy, and commute wise, he'll be around everyday, somewhere??? Not too pleasant!

There is more discussion of similar matters in the thread: Getting the bird at on ramps!


The economy, and people's (animal?) attitudes are only going to get worse, and worse; so we all need to come up w individual plans of action ready to go for almost any weirdness that comes along.


My favorite car chase defensive move I've seen in movies, is after the creep has bumped the good guy twice hard in the side, and is setting up for the third whack. the good guy brakes hard, as the lateral hit is just about to happen, leaving the creep surprised so that he over corrects, and rolls himself, or at least leaves the roadway out of control over embankments or whatever!!
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