Need strategy help - how to handle crazy motorist trying to kill me?

[BennettBrauer]

Okay, this happened about 2 years ago when I was 30-31. I have no idea the best way to react if this happened again, or to anyone else.

Driving in a northern state on an expressway. Lots of traffic. I drive fast so I'm in the fast line, doing 75-80 or so, basically the max you could go without risking an accident. Slow lane is totally jammed.

Hick, rundown-looking guy and his gf are in little red car behind me, constantly tailgating me, I have a normal 6-cyl sedan. I occasionally slow down a bit so he backs off my bumper, but 5 secs later he is, I'd say, maybe 3' at most behind me.

Eventually I exit to another expressway, he follows - we're going the same way, fine. The exit ramp is 25mph, so I slow down, of course. He starts tailgating me to about 6" and honking at me. WTF??

So we get to the tollbooth and I have EZ-pass, he does not. He pulls up to the booth next to me and I wave and smile at him, like the airline stewardesses do when you get off the plane. I don't yell at him, mouth curse words, or do anything remotely resembling flipping him off.

So I cruise through onto the new 2-lane expressway, forgetting all about him as he's stuck paying with change at the booth. I'm doing 60, 70, I see the guy in the rear-view mirror going really fast. I'm going 80-85 now as there's less traffic, but still a moderate stream of cars in each lane. He' catching up really fast in the other lane, doing at least 100mph. I'm passing other cars but he's coming up fast.

I slow down a bit in the fast lane, waiting for him to go flying past. He immediately cuts me off and slams on the brakes really hard.

I was worried about this, so I had started braking earlier and switching into the slow lane.
He swerves into the slow lane and slams brakes again right in front of me. WTF??

I keep braking and switch lanes again, he does the same. Now we might get hit by upcoming cars doing 70-80mph behind us.

I dial 911, and pull into slow lane again, he does as well. He is going to come to a complete stop so I pull onto the small shoulder [very small, and not complete along that road] and stop. He stops ahead of me. I am panicked at this point, I'm not ashamed to admit. Is he on meth?

I pull back my car about 20' more. He gets out of his car and approaches me. [The 911 operator is some kind of moron, because I have to explain the situation and give him directions to where we are 4x - even though I give him the exact road, location, direction, distance from city I'm traveling to, and mile marker.]

I back up a bit more and the Crazy Dude sees me on with 911. I am now mouthing 'Cops' at him and signalling '9-1-1'. He stops, starts to talk which I obviously can't hear, steps back, stops and starts coming again while talking.

Now, I'dve pulled out and kept going but I can't just merge onto the expressway into traffic from zero, it's too dangerous, and he's blocked the shoulder ahead of me. Finally there's a tiny break in the flow and I pull out at like 10mph, forcing people coming around the bend I am parked on to hit the brakes to avoid me.

He thankfully did not follow. But what if he kept doing this? He came very, VERY close to causing a fatal, multi-car accident, as the shoulder has big ditches and trees, and the median has a big dip in it where you would roll over 100% of the time if you swerved fast into it.
I've been through 2 head-on collisions [one driving, one passenger] and this was much scarier.


What would be the optimal play in this situation? Keep pulling over and racing off? I couldn't stay in front of him due to traffic and not wanting to go around turns at 125mph+. I don't want to exit because I don't know where I am - I think I can assume that would be worse, getting lost or getting totally trapped by him somewhere [and possibly his friends if really unlucky].

[otnemem]

Didn't someone start a thread yesterday about 911 stories?

[BennettBrauer]

if they did, I missed it. This was more of a strat question I guess.

[casey_brick]

[ QUOTE ]
So we get to the tollbooth and I have EZ-pass, he does not. He pulls up to the booth next to me and I wave and smile at him, like the airline stewardesses do when you get off the plane. I don't yell at him, mouth curse words, or do anything remotely resembling flipping him off.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you don't do this none of the rest or your story happens.

[MediaPA]

Don't mess with people on the road. There are a lot of crazy people out there. You brought this on yourself by being a prick at the tollbooth.

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]

He pulls up to the booth next to me and I wave and smile at him, like the airline stewardesses do when you get off the plane.



[/ QUOTE ]

Probably don't do this. Otherwise, shrug.

[dsm]

[ QUOTE ]
What would be the optimal play ..

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't put yourself in this position again by antagonizing tailgating psychos.

[bobman0330]

Handled perfectly, I think. Except the part where you were a dick and brought this on yourself, but you already know that.

[BennettBrauer]

[ QUOTE ]
Handled perfectly, I think. Except the part where you were a dick and brought this on yourself, but you already know that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think waving at someone is being a dick, and the guy was antagonizing me to begin with, not the other way around. Do you think anyone who waves at you is a prick who needs to be killed? I didn't mean I did some exaggerated comedy routine with a simple hand-wave, I was just trying to emphasize it was a harmless gesture. Not Eff You, not flipping him off.

No one else has ever made any kind of motion with any part of their body while driving to/at someone tailgating them or who had cut them off? Sure you haven't. God forbid I had honked back at him -- then I'm really asking to be run off the road amirite??

If it makes you feel better, pretend I had my hands locked at 10 and 2 on the wheel and was nodding along to my music, and the guy took it the wrong way. Play it the same?

[NajdorfDefense]

I probably would have reacted similarly to anyone jumping on the brake. Pull over, go in reverse down shoulder or median, call for backup. If he keeps coming or threatens you, run his ass over.

Of course, I'dve honked at him back at the exit so what do I know.

Second thought, pull over, then run him over if he doesn't get out of the way. Self-defense.