My wife was on the way to work this morning when a pickup travelling at a high rate of speed came up on her from behind. She says that she was going 5 over the speed limit, and he was on her bumper flashing his high beams and honking his horn at her. When he finally passed her, he cut in front of her and then slammed on his brakes in a brake check in an attempt to cause an accident. This is illegal in Florida and is considered to be an act of road rage.
He then took off at a high rate of speed, then did the same thing to one of my wife’s coworkers a mile or so up the road. EDITED TO ADD: I just had lunch with them. The friend said that he was in such a big hurry that he almost ran her off the road when he passed her. She saw him pull into a McDonald’s a mile or so down the road. END EDIT
I have the incident recorded on her dashcam and have both a video of the incident and his plate number. I want to report it, but my wife has pointed out that the cops won’t do anything. After all, she says, I had a guy impersonating a cop that tried to arrest me, causing me to draw on him, and the cops did nothing.
What do my readers think?
41 Comments
TGreen · September 25, 2023 at 11:20 am
At the start, your wife (glad she’s safe) knew she either had an aggressive menace or a panicked driver with some kind of emergency. Either way, I’d recommend Delenn’s Advice: “Be somewhere else.”
Divemedic · September 25, 2023 at 11:23 am
No emergency. He was in a hurry to get to McDonald’s. See my edit.
It's just Boris · September 25, 2023 at 12:23 pm
Well … bathroom? But that’s inconsistent with the brake-checking BS.
TGreen · September 25, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Yup. But when it was time to “be elsewhere” such hadn’t been excluded.
I was recommending a general rule to be applied as early as possible.
Again, glad your wife came out OK.
Dan · September 25, 2023 at 7:12 pm
No, they won’t do anything. They know your political views. And you aren’t on the “right” side. I think the biggest reason that this country hasn’t exploded into civil war at this point, is because our govt weaponized the pension and retirement system. Cops won’t arrest who they should. Border patrol won’t shoot who they should. The feds know what side the bread is buttered on. And politicians have been in on it since the existence of time. Because they forfeit their patriotism for their pensions. So, no, the cops won’t do shit for you. And that is a shame. You know you no longer have a Country when illegals are escorted across the border, and if some citizen harms the illegal, then HE is the one who goes to court. That’s the bigger picture that tells you that we are the enemy.
Noway2 · September 25, 2023 at 12:26 pm
I’m of mixed opinion on filling a complaint. On one hand, I agree that it would likely go nowhere and in the process you bring the cops attention to yourself. I’m a firm believer in the mantra that Hershel Smith of The Captains Journal often reiterates: no situation is so dire that it can’t be made worse by the introduction of cops.
On the other hand, one could make the argument that no matter whether you believe in the current system or not, it is what we have today. Undoubtedly this Jack Wagon will do this to someone else. From a moral standpoint, do you believe filling a complaint is the correct thing to do? If you didn’t and then read that he had killed someone would you feel that you could have done more?
I admit that is a little bit of difficult question, but I think that feeling comes from the disjoint between the values I was raised with compared to what has become of our society.
Dirty Dingus McGee · September 25, 2023 at 11:48 am
Cops won’t do squat. If you were rich and famous they MIGHT do something, but even then doubtful.
Do your research and handle it yourself.
It's just Boris · September 25, 2023 at 12:25 pm
I think, if you don’t report it, then there’s no record of history of behavior when the jackass finally causes a bad accident.
They might not do anything now, but if it can somehow come back to bite him later, it’s a victory. A small and deferred victory, but still a victory.
Big Ruckus D · September 25, 2023 at 12:29 pm
You have the vehicle description and plate, so can positively identify the vehicle.
Find out where the asshole lives, stake him out and follow the car until he parks somewhere in a big lot, like a store. Be disguised when doing so (to foil any CCTV) needless to say. Then rip out 2 or 3 of his valve stems. That’ll force him to slow down for a while, and cost him some money as a penalty, too. Fuck ’em. Oh, and calling the police will be a complete waste of time. That’s why the only possibility of a penalty being incurred, and a lesson taught has to be a DIY project.
Matthew W · September 25, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Report it.
Get it on record
Andy Granatelli · September 25, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Its funny how the oil drain bolt on trucks get lose. The fix is in a TSB but not every owner got the recall notice, unfortunately.
Robert (Not Rob) · September 25, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Waste of time to report this incident to authorities. Unless there was injuries or damage to property, or an assault, or a direct threat with weapons, the police will most likely do nothing at all.
As your other stories have repeatedly pointed out, avoiding contacts with police makes life go better.
Your wife is safe and unharmed. So are you. That is all that is important.
Joe Blow · September 25, 2023 at 12:59 pm
We are pretty much in a post-lawless society at this point.
Firstly, you are not wrong in wanting to seek criminal charges for a variety of reasons, however… that’s not the world we live in. Realistically the risks to the downside outweigh those to the upside, but that’s just my opinion. As pointed out, cops are unlikely to actually prosecute, maybe they post a unit and are ‘on the lookout’ for vehicle. Frankly that’s probably your best-case, they put an undercover unit in and they catch him. Best case.
Worst case can really spiral… but real harm could come into your world. I would just ignore it (for now), and watch out for that guy on the road. No, it’s not right, nor what should happen, but like I started with, we are no longer living in that world, so, adjust, adapt, improvise, and overcome!
Michael · September 25, 2023 at 1:12 pm
The last fellow that road raged me lost a tad over 8 tires over a year before he moved to Boston.
A very sad story.
Big Ruckus D · September 26, 2023 at 2:19 pm
Awfully damned odd how that happens, ain’t it? Almost like karma is paying him a visit on a routine basis. Can’t imagine how that’d happen, but the universe is a mysterious place.
Tom from East Tennessee · September 25, 2023 at 1:22 pm
I don’t think you’d be risking much to report this, but I am skeptical that the cops would do anything. I had something similar happen with my wife in central FL years ago, perhaps worse even as the other driver came close to hitting her head-on and running her onto the side of the road. Then he sped off (fleeing) and disappeared somehow into a gated neighborhood less than a 1/4 mile away. Resident there? I did not have video but did have the details. I was pretty PO’d at how remarkably disinterested the gated neighborhood was in even glancing through their security footage even though I had a vehicle description and time. The FHP couldn’t be bothered with small stuff like this too, and I never got anywhere. Perhaps and hopefully your local cops could show some more give-a-shit than the FHP does.
Wyowanderer · September 25, 2023 at 1:50 pm
You’re wife’s right. Calling the popo is a waste of time, because they work for their betters, not you.
EN2 SS · September 25, 2023 at 3:14 pm
You have his plate number you have a decision to make,
1. Have someone from somewhere else run that number and find out who the idiot is or forget about it.
2. If you find out, then you have a decision to make, let it go or set up a confrontation with said idiot.
3. If you confront said idiot, you have a decision to make, does the idiot live or not.
4. If he dies, you have a decision to make, do you feed the alligators or call 811 to find out where to dig a hole.
Hmmmm, decisions decisions.
Barbarus · September 25, 2023 at 3:48 pm
You say “I want to report it, but my wife has pointed out that the cops won’t do anything.” Is there much of a downside to reporting it anyway? (probably depends on the attitude of your local police to repeat complainers).
Brass · September 25, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Report it. And then send it to the news. Down in Denver they’ve recently been doing a series of road rage reports on the news, maybe the locals news will take a que from them.
Danny · September 25, 2023 at 5:19 pm
I would be glad she wasn’t involved with the fool. It would really piss me off too.
If he was in a hurry why was he brake checking and cutting off other drivers? Just another asshole – and apparently there’s no shortage of them on the roadways.
Sardaukar · September 25, 2023 at 5:35 pm
Glad the Mrs. is ok. I would contact law enforcement as maybe this clown has a record.
Olguy WNTL. · September 25, 2023 at 5:54 pm
Deal with him.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-police-identify-woman-killed-alligator-attack-daughter-describes-unbearable-pain-report
Anonymous · September 25, 2023 at 6:39 pm
Put the word out to the cartels that he’s a narc – reverse swatting
anonymous coward · September 25, 2023 at 7:11 pm
Straight to youtube.
The jerk · September 25, 2023 at 7:35 pm
Burn his truck.
JimmyPx · September 25, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Sadly I think that your wife is right, the cops won’t do a damn thing and be annoyed that you made them write a report.
How much do you want to bet the “road rager” has done this before, probably has multiple DUIs and no drivers license ?
Part of why the cops don’t want to do anything is the bleeding heart judge will let him off with a slap on the wrist, so they are like “why bother”.
joe · September 25, 2023 at 8:05 pm
you already know the police won’t do a damn thing… don’t waste your time
Jon Sr. · September 25, 2023 at 8:12 pm
Nothing good happens when you involve government enforcers.
Unknownsailor · September 25, 2023 at 9:01 pm
I look at my mirrors often enough that I can see drivers like that coming, and can get out of their way. I’ve not had a significant accident since I started driving in 1988, and I don’t intend to start now.
Dick Tickles · September 25, 2023 at 10:01 pm
File a police report, the least you can do is give those lazy cunts more work and when they don’t do shit about it you can send the video to local news affiliates so they can inform drivers to be aware of reckless drivers in pickup trucks that police haven’t been able to investigate because they’re so busy having sex with hookers in their patrol vehicles.
Stealth Spaniel · September 25, 2023 at 11:18 pm
If it is illegal, but the cops will do nothing-then I would contact my local congresscritter and show him the video and demand an answer to why there is a law on the books that is selectively enforced. (My example, had the local Diversity had this same dangerous game pulled on them, you can be oh-so-sure the law would be followed, including the press conference.) This imbecile is just waiting for his chance to kill somebody. And evidently, he doesn’t care who. This is another case of local-local-local. Your wife has a great deal of control. Glad she is safe….and alive!
TCK · September 25, 2023 at 11:26 pm
Unless you have reason to believe the offender is ‘connected’ in a way that will result in retaliation, I’d say go ahead and report it. Even if nothing happens (as is likely) at least it will be on the record for the prosecutor to bring up when this jackass inevitably kills someone.
GC · September 26, 2023 at 2:49 am
There may be no action based on your report. If there are multiple reports (perhaps over time) something may happen. You have dashcam video, so it’s low-hanging fruit if prosecutors want to pick it.
As I say this I’m realizing I had a very similar situation, also caught on dashcam, that I didn’t report. It went on for a couple of miles.
Matthew · September 26, 2023 at 7:02 am
Generally, in the situation, let the f…tard by at the earliest opportunity. Specifically, keep a copy of the video if it had a date/time stamp in it and let it go for now. If pickup boy shows up again, give the fuzz a copy of both video files.
Had a similar nut in a hurry pass me on a blind curve, run an on-coming car off the road and just keep going. I turned around to check on the other car, it turned out to be a woman with 3 kids. She had managed to stay out of the ditch but had stopped to make sure her kids were ok.
After I continued on my way, I saw the vehicle parked at a convenience store. Yeah, I thought about it…
Don W Curton · September 26, 2023 at 7:26 am
The cops will, best case, professionally hear out your complaint, take a few notes, assure you that they will file a report, and then nothing will happen.
Worst case, you have another interaction with a cop who acts like an ass. And still, nothing will happen.
What, you think cops are going bother tracking someone down? My wife was involved in a hit and run from an obviously drunk driver. His car had major front end damage, spewing anti-freeze and oil. He couldn’t have driving more than a mile before the engine locked up. And this in a semi-rural area where there’s not a lot of places to turn or hide. Cops show up 5 minutes later (donut shop around the corner, don’t you know). She and several others on the scene asked if the cops were going go look for the asshole and nope, not going to happen. The cop’s response, “Ma’am, you have insurance. File a claim.”
Elrod · September 26, 2023 at 9:25 am
What to do? For now, absolutely nothing. Farnam’s Four Rules apply.
For later, who knows? That kind of driving – and, probably, the routine, daily behaviour to go with it – is probably his default setting. Keep the vid in a secure location, it might come in handy some day.
In the meantime, stay alert, stay aware, stay alive, stay armed.
Scott Norris · September 26, 2023 at 10:57 am
PITT manuvere is pretty easy to learn.
Steve · September 26, 2023 at 9:12 pm
I’m in the decided minority here, but how’s about getting out of the left lane when someone is coming up behind you? Or isn’t common courtesy a thing anymore?
Divemedic · September 27, 2023 at 9:58 am
It isn’t a multilane road.
Kurtz · September 28, 2023 at 6:07 am
When you touch the police they will touch you back.
Comments are closed.