Holiday ROAD RAGE!

Just thought I'd relate a driving story from this weekend. First off, I'll be the first to admit I tend to drive my turbo fast, but I'm also always attentive and careful. I do consider the occasional quick avoidance manuver or hard braking event part of the price you pay for "moving through traffic" when some bonehead doesn't expect you to be there. This incident was the result of a high speed highway entrance by me on to the right lane which divided off after a short distance. Lane was clear, although a Lexus just ahead of me (and moving about 30mph slower) signaled to merge into the right lane as the driver looked over his shoulder and right at me. He then swerved in front of me requiring a quick brake stab to match his speed. Not a problem yet but what he did immediately next was amazing. He looked at me in his rear view, just off his bumper due to the cut off, and slams on his brakes! I have to admit, I was caught off guard and it took my turbo's full braking into ABS to keep the nose out from under his bumper. Well, he took off as the lane merged onto a multi-lane adjacent highway and I was left now going about 35 bewildered that someone would try to wreck me and my pristine turbo for no apparent wrong doing on my part. So I did what any holiday road rager would do and took off after him! Reeled him in after a few moments and pulled alongside on the right to checkout this moran (just looked at him with a quizical look, no finger waving). He looked over at me and proceeded to swerve into me forcing me on the shoulder to avoid a collision. I was done with him at that point, downshifted and blew his doors off. Here's the scariest part - when I checked him out I expected to see some kind of lunatic, but he looked just like me - driving a newer Lexus no less. Just a reminder that you never know someone elses frame of mind - let's be careful out there!

*&#@%$#&%*#^!^@&$*@$^!#%!#^$&$

you should have dropped back to a safe distance and called in his plates...people like him should be spun into a ditch, arrested, slapped around and forced to pull rickshaw's for transport never to be let near the wheel of a car again....bunch of *insert epithets of varying degree here* that aside, glad to here that you are ok...did he ding up ur car?

^%(*&%R%#*^&(*)(^ People like that dont deserve a drivers license.... They should just be shot on the side of the road....

Thats when you need the Mach 5 from Speed Racer, you could have had the dsills come out of your tires and cut him and his car in half! No more problem!!!

A guy like that is worth the cost of a Pepper (he probably wouldn't do that) & if he did - you could take his doors off (forget about blowing them off). Am I harsh - you bet. I'm still in therapy as a result of some idiot running me into a pole & trashing my BMW on Memorial Day. It's incredible that some people disrespect small size. As a biker I can attest to that.

Potty mouth!

Man, I hear what you are saying, but what you did by going after him was just plain studpid--just as stupid as what he did--call the plates and tell the cops you think he is drunk or something...but never go after somebody with your car..you could get killed or God forbid, kill somebody with your car. Cool heads must prevail...just my opinion... Jim

Jim is right, you've got the maximum driving machine, you've got to control it. Don't get me wrong, I drive mine plenty hard on the street. However, I never take chances around alot of other cars, I never street race(take it to the track instead), most importantly don't get into a dangerous confrontation with an a-hole. What if you trashed your car or his, would it be worth it? What would you tell the judge? It ain't worth it my friend, avoid severe road rage.

I keep a disposable camera in my car in case I need photos to document an accident, etc. While I think pulling up next to him was risky and not advisable, it would have been great if you had taken his picture (with a flash making sure he noticed) and then dropped back and taken a pic of his plate as well (with flash of course). Even if you do nothing with the pics or if the camera was empty, he will be paranoid for the next 2 mos. On another board a guy kep an empty camera in his car...whenever someone tailgated him, his girlfriend turned around and snapped a pic (actually no pic, just the flash). He said the tailgater would react by slinking off and staying far away.

WHY TAKE OFF AFTER HIM ?

Wait............ You were overtaking him at ~30MPH in an acceleration lane? Had he possibly picked his "spot" for merging into traffic and had to assume you were intending to take it? Personally if it were me ahead of you I would dodge to the shoulder, assuming space available, under the circumstances I describe above but maybe he panicked... But then many years ago I spotted a car approaching me from the rear at a very inappropriate high speed and almost dodged to the right, at just about the time he whipped right to pass me on the shoulder. Insofar as the "afterwards" you were both IDIOTS of the highest magnitude.

I deal with dumbasses like that all the time around the washington metropolitan area. In my mind they are just dumb or stupid but never let them get the best of you. _An incident like that happened around here some months ago and the 996 driver was followed, dragged out of his car and beaten by some hooligans. Be careful out there guys, we have the faster car, just downshift and leave em' in the dust.

Vove is right. It is too dangerous. (They carry guns out here in CA.) and they shoot. When the adrenaline flows, it is hard to keep cool - but take a few breaths and consider that your life is better than theirs (you are happier) and just move on.

Although I have to agree that the "camera in the car" idea is pretty slick, I agree with Tse-Tse too. My experience has been coming from the East coast, giving someone the one finger salute or tooting your horn was considered business as usual. Out here in "mellow" CA, I'm thinking that after your camera flashes, you'd better be prepared for the other "nut" to possibly send a flash your way, but it might be the last thing you ever see. Just take a deep breath and move on. Two hours later you'll never remember the "nut with the holiday road rage". If you get shot, you'll never forget him/her. ;-o Cheers and have a safe and happy holiday season.

A couple of years ago I made a right turn at a red light in front of someone in my '87 911. She was coming, but I was able to accelerate fast enough that there was no danger of her rear-ending me, and she never had to brake (at least I never saw her front end dive). So farther up the road she pulls out from behind, passes me with a dirty look, gets back in front, and SLAMS on her brakes. I saw it all coming, realized there were no parked cars, so the second she hit the brakes, I went right, and passed her on the shoulder as she was braking. Never even touched the brakes. I looked at her passenger as I went by and he had a somewhat surprised look on his face. I accelerated up the road and never saw her again. My wife didn't think it was the smartest thing I'd ever done. She was right. But it WAS better than slamming into the back of her car, and going left wasn't an option.

You gotta love Virginia -- NRA country!

Dija ever notice that everyone who drives more conservative than we do is a "moron", and everyone who drives more agressive than we do is a "crazy SOB"? There are way to many self-appointed-police on the roads though....prolly cut down on road rage events by 90% if they would just mind their own freekin business....... BTW, chasing down an "offender" moves you from "victim-of-*******" status to "*******" status....... Just sayin'

A lot of people don't like P/car's and P/car drivers. In many respects the way people drive them on the freeways or on surface streets fosters this dislike. I have seen porsche drivers doing, not brisk driving, but exceptionally fast and reckless driving on surface streets and freeways, hard braking and aggressive conering all over the place. Those p/car owners that try to observe traffic laws and traffic flows, and only use the track for such aggressive driving, unfortunately sometimes get singled out by other drivers, like WCE spoke about in the initial post. I would suspect that it was more the car he was driving rather than the method of his driving when the initial event occurred. While going the speed limit I think many of us have been tailgated, forced out of lanes, been given the finger, not to mention the dirty looks. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we drive what we drive and a lot of people think because we drive a Porsche not an SUV or a pickup we're s***. That's OK, I just move over and let them go by knowing full well, I have the personal and automotive capability to shift down and blow by them like a bullet if I ever had to. Best to all...and stay kool for the holidays... Jim

damn...america sounds nuts... i mean.. yeah there's the occasional person who doesn't see you and accidentally merges into you sure...but i don't think i've ever had anyone try to run me off the road up here...

That is 'cause you are in Ontario....try the crazy Quebecers.......Nuts I tell you, Nuts. Hell, they make Boston drivers look polite...... Truth is, there are wackos everywhere. And I agree with the poster that said driving a P car is sometimes an invitation to trouble.......sometimes these cars are ******* magnets.......

Hey, I have a disposable camera and I just got it out of the closet. A friend of mine recently got himself in a bit of trouble in a similiar road rage incident. I think he was in his truck and a woman was on his butt. He likely did something stupid like step on his brakes to shake her off. They exchanged fingers, but she called the cops on her cell phone. They were there in 1 minute. He is Italian and a bit loud and hot tempered. He insisted to the cop it was her fault, but ends up with a ticket. He later calls the Police station to report the stupid cop who pulled him over and would not listen to his side of the story. After several minutes of this discussion he discovers the cop at the station is the same cop who pulled him over. Now he gets a second ticket and immediate loss of license. The woman was driving with her husband in a second car. 2 against one? She works at the same court he had to go to in order to get his license back. A friend of the magistrate. In order to get his license back he needs to pay $500 and admit he was at fault. In the US it is crushing to lose your license. He only lost it for a few days, but it really put him into a bad negotiating postition as he could not get to work without a car.

Sweeeeeet. The full-auto also doubles as a windscreen. Sweeeeet. Take the high road, bro. Save yourself some stress next time and let that idiot go about his merry way. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!

The snow started to settle and the highway was amess because the snow plows had not been out yet......as many Marylanders know, the state doesn't know how to handle snow, nor do the drivers have a good grip on things in the snow........There was 3 inches on the ground and it was still snowing when a Jeep Cherokee tried to race me on the snowy highway.....I was just going 45 in the middle lane of a 3 lane highway, minding my own business and he caught up once he saw the p-car and pulled even. I didn't want any of this, so I sped up to about 55, pulled over to the far right lane (with long signal) to get away from this maniac who was driving irradically and probably sliding....... and then proceeded to watch him try to catch me.....which was ill advised on his part as he spun out and went into the ditch.........I guess he wanted to show me that his car purchase for the snow was smarter than mine without looking at the 4S badging.............just amazing.........failed to mention that I had just put on my Pirelli 240 snows the night before...............PS - He was uninjured, as I stopped and watched him get out of his car........a police officer just happened to be at the next light and I advised him to go check on the 4 wheeler..........

Who is really at fault here? Passing on the right is never the smart thing Then you take up a chase Stupid stuff

Most idiotic road rage I have ever seen. 18 wheeler is in the far right lane and the lane end, going from three lanes to two lanes. Honda Accord sits on the left side of the truck even after the truck puts on its directional to move to the left. The truck pulls slightly ahead of the Honda, in what appears to be the Honda driver giving up and letting the truck in. Well, the truck with no time or space to spare as the lane disappears, pulls in front of the Honda followed by the Honda driver flipping out, blinking the lights, etc... Then, get this, the Honda driver floors its up to the front of the semi and cuts the semi off at about 65 -70 mph, forcing the semi to lock them up!!! I couldn't believe it, I don't think this guy did real well in physics. Personally, I wish he just went through the Honda for being so $@#@ stupid! Its funny that I could see that something was not right, backing off as the altercation ensued.

This is not exactly on topic, but: My entirely sensible 86 year old Mom just called to say a neighbour was HAMMERING on her front door and SHOUTING thru the door in a threatening tone that the roadside tree had a branch which banged his head whilst walking past. This is obviously a city tree and being a neighbour he would logically know this. I am tempted to cut the branch and offer to place in an anatomically safer area which will avoid future tree head injury but Mom wants me to just leave it be. This is sound advice but boy am I pissed! Holiday Rage?

I agree with Joe. I used to get so mad when the dude on the right would merge into me when his lane would end. No signal, 2 inches clearance. "Just take a deep breath and move on. Two hours later you'll never remember the "nut with the holiday road rage". If you get shot, you'll never forget him/her. ;-o" -Joe This sums up how I deal with it. I tell myself "What is really important here?" My wife, my kids, my sanity. Next time you get cut off tell youself: "It's not worth it. In 5 minutes I'll be home, and this a-hole will still be an a-hole and he will be home to. No possible confrontation. Road Rage kills. Peace on Earth, Darren

Hey Darren, thanks for the ack! I have a lot of empathy for the gun totin' population here (long ago former NRA member) but sometimes protecting what I've got means realizing what's really important and just letting the a-hole go. Disagree or agree with me, I'm still done my Christmas shopping! Ha! ha! ;-)

Similar story, different ending.... I'm in the left lane as two lanes are being reduced to one. Driver comes up on my right, passing me just as the lanes go down to one forcing me into the "suicide" center turning lane. I saw it comming and was prepared for it. As I pulled behind the driver, imagine his surprise as I turned on my emergncy lights and pulled him over. (I'm a cop and was driving my unmarked take home car) He told me that he did nothing wrong, that he was in the passing lane (not!!!!!). I asked him to tell that same story to the judge as I handed him a $287.00 ticket......sometimes there is a cop around when you need one.....LOL

Dave - by far, hands down, the best story yet!

I know how your mother's neighbor feels, because when I go jogging those dam trees attack me all the time.

Like the "Hemi" commercial says: "Shweeeeeeeet"........

Dave, you're a cop, I know you have a more exciting story to tell us than that one.

Dave, Great story...I think you guys are the best...underpaid, underappreciated etc.... Any chance you can send me a PBA card? Barry

It'll cost you.......

Interesting thing about a--holes: Wherever they go, there's an a--hole right there. However fast (or slow) they go, there is an a--hole right there. It's about them, not about you or me. Pitty them, then move away. Look! the a--hole is gone. Sometimes, if one does get to me, I pretend to be "Minister of Instant Justice" and wish four small air leaks upon their tires -- slowly and safely disabling them. (Second best thing to being a cop.)

Priceless..

What is this thread, like 7 months old? We really gotta stop reviving ancient threads with nothing new to add.

The pocket camera idea is great. I was thinking a brick out the window at first but you all have talked some sense into me when and if this ever happens to me. Gotta get a pocket camera.

Your living in a free world, don't read the thread if you don't want to.

Has nothing to do with not reading it, it has to do with reviving an ancient thread with NOTHING to add. But I guess in a "free world", you are free to be as you are with nothing to add. Thanks for the great contribution.

i like moonpies

Who made you editor-in-charge......? I enjoyed reading the thread again..... Have a better day, grumpy....

Editor? That makes no sense. What does make sense is asking why somebody revives a thread with nothing at all to add of worth. If you enjoy reading, mark it, and then go back to it when you would like to read it again. Go back and re-read my post. All I said was we really gotta stop reviving these ancient threads without anything to of worth to add......I didn't say anything like WHY DID YOU POST THAT A**HOLE. You jerks that come on here and snap back with childish posts like "it's a free world" and "have a better day grumpy" really need get a life. The talking down to people must really make you feel good inside. Sadistic isn't it? Cheers, Grumpy

I'm new enough to the board that I missed this thread the first time around. Prior to buying my Porsche, I always gave considerable deference to P-cars on the road out of sheer respect for the brand. When a Porsche passed me in a spirited fashion and disappeared into the horizon, I celebrated. Apparently, not all people share the same love for the car. BTW, where does one get a gun rack for a 996?

Sorry if you didn't like what I wrote, sorry if it upsets you, sorry if you think this boards becomes a lesser place for that post and sorry if I somehow made a personal insult. My point was very simple, you obviously didn't like it, I have no intention to try to make you like it and you do not have to read it. However, there is no point getting upset. The thread is not your property and neither mine. It's a public thread and I do not see what I have added that would not follow the rules for posting in threads. It might not be contributing in your point of view and I presume there are plenty of other posts that don't follow up to your standards. I also presume you do not tell other people that they should follow your rules in front of the forums rules. Just as I do not tell anyone to follow any other rules. I do have a life, I did enjoy reading the thread, I wanted to put a comment to it. I could very easily say that what you wrote fills up with your last comment, I have no interest in doing that. I'm not in for a pie throwing contest and you're welcome to have your opinion just as everyone else and I respect that.

Hey, I thought this kind of bickering was reserved for the O.T. section...

Yeah, well I suppose pissing matches can get sloppy and "spill" over to the rest of the day....someone musta pissed on dell's wheaties this morning..... Public forum, sombody's comments don't meet your high falutin' standards of content.....boo frickin hoooooooo......... I think reinvigoration interesting old threads is good stuff......

ok, i know this is an old thread but i gotta relate my story. My friend and i are our local freeway (hwy 17 for you bay area folk). We are in his great big lifted 4x4 ramcharger. Its pouring rain and my bro is following me in his repainted and mstly restored 65 or 67 mustang. ALng comes this stupid ##&(&(% and cuts my bro off and speeds up to the *** end of us. We were not going slow, it was heavy rain. Well my good friend decides he had enough of this broad riding his ***. Slams his brakes, just to shake her up. She swerves around us, but my brother sees the truck start skidding, the lady swerve out of the way, and he hits the brakes. Hard. Fishtails out of control and goes head on into the concrete center divider. I watched the entire thing out the back window of the truck. The cops that showed up wanted to arrest my friend (rightly so) and he was ticketed. Brother was ok, car was totalled. We are no longer friends as you can imagine after that. Be carefull, lives are at stake.

My opinion on the old thread thing is: "an old thread is like a bad burrito. Both are gonna come back to get noticed sooner or later" As to the reason for the thread, I've had several experiences with bad drivers cutting me off or moving into my lane without paying attention. Most have been old ladies who could barely see over the dashboard of their car. The worst time was when an old lady decided she needed to be in my lane and didn't look to see if anyone was there. Because of that I ended up doing a 360 degree slide n' turn into the oncoming lanes of traffic on a 4 lane + center highway. Ahh the good ol' days of driving a 2+ ton American 2 door coupe with drum brakes. (77 Tbird I drove through my college years) Luckily no one was hurt and no damage done other than knocking a few years off my life from sheer fright. - Richard

I almost died last night. Seriously. I was driving through Georgetown approaching one of the few intersection that has a traffic light (most are four-way stop signs). I had the green and was approaching at speed (approx 35 mph) when a woman on the cross street enters the intersection from the right without even lifting or tapping the brakes. How could someone blow through a red light at full speed? Three guesses. She was talking on her cell phone. The worst part of it? SHE NEVER REALIZED IT EVEN AFTER SHE DID IT. Thank God for DEs and Track training because my awareness is pretty good. I saw it coming and used every bit of that great Porsche braking to stop about 2 feet away from T-boning her. Despite the fact that I was on the horn and yelling, she never even glanced in my direction . . . I was so scared/angry that I almost chased her down. Then I thought . . . why bother? She will not change, and I will only look like a raving idiot ***** in a Porsche. I went home and hugged my wife and kids instead.

I took a friend out to learn to drive a manual transmission (my GT3) in advance of a DE next month. Twice within a half hour we were stationary at a stop sign thinking about how to shift when another vehicle motored through another stop sign on a cross street without a glance in our direction or hesitation. One driver was an old guy but the other was much younger. Amazing.