Road Rage Incident.

[one eyed fatman]

The guy was obviously going fast so fast that I couldn't even see him until I switched over. I guess I'm wrong for honking.

Another thing that people love to do is switch lanes in your blind spot.

[Boma]

I did honk to let him know of my position. He was almost going to hit me.

Ok it is my fault for holding the horn down longer than a second. I wasn't plan on pulling the XD unless my life was in danger. I wasn't planning on it waving it around or anything.

Thanks for the comments. I'll keep off the horn next time.

Sure wish someone would yell at that driver giving me that death look.

[longtooth]

Sooner or later someone will. Just won't be one of the even tempered, calm, Texas CHL holders. Have a great evening & a better tomorrow. If you are off get some range time in. I plan too w/ a friend from the board.

[nitrogen]

I see a lot of criticism in this thread.

I would have mostly done the same thing.
Here's how I see the situation:

You almost got into an accident. Yes, possibly the accident might have been your fault, but hey, that's why they call them accidents.

Ok, so the guy gets aggressive. Bad move on his part. You honk at him. Not the smartest thing to have done, but definately not out of an ordinary reaction.

Now, he comes to pass you. He rolls down his window with a hateful look in his eye. He makes some kind of aggressive gesture, and you put your hand on your weapon, getting ready to draw if things get any farther out of hand.

Honestly, what's REALLY wrong with that? Yeah, he shouldn't have honked. If someone honks at me, I can't shoot him; it's not a proper response. Neither was the aggressor's response to the honking.

Not everybody can make the most perfect decisions in the heat of the moment. We're not all paramillitary trained here, folks. We're normal, human beings who are trying to live our lives, and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

In my eyes, Boma didn't really do anything that was a major mistake. He didn't yell or scream at the aggressive driver. He didn't make any obscene gestures at him. The honking was not the best thing to do, but a common and understandable response.

[Thane]

I must respectfully disagree with the folks who want horns removed from cars. While I try to keep it polite, my horn has saved me from getting hit numerous times, and has been used to call attention to dangerous drivers as well.
I live in a city where "unconscious driving" is pretty common - people will get in the car, fix their gaze forwards, and act like anything and everything to the sides and behind them ceases to exist. Very often, this results in them changing lanes into someone's fender, slamming on the brakes for whatever reason and getting hit, or causing someone else to swerve to avoid them and hitting something else. It's a rather dangerous tendency. My horn has been used many times to "wake up" these persons when they attempt to occupy the same space my car is in. A couple taps on the horn usually suffices. These drivers are not malicious, just dumb, and that tap on the horn now may get them to pay attention to driving, just enough to save someone's life later on.
Likewise, I've nearly been hit many times by folks who are just plain "out to get someone." I had a Ford Ranger nearly take the front end off my car once as he ran a stoplight at about 60 miles an hour (speedlimit was 40). I was able to brake just barely in time - he came within 6" of my front bumper. As he was approaching from the driver's side, had I been any further into the intersection, I probably would have been killed. I laid onto that horn as loudly as I could, both to "express my displeasure" and to warn the other drivers around that there was a maniac on the road. If that guy had encountered one of the "unconscious drivers," people would have died in the resulting collision. The horn was a very useful tool.

If someone swoops up on me from behind and nearly hits me as he changes lanes in my blind spot, you bet he's gonna hear my horn. So will everyone else on the road, and they'll start looking for whoever caused a horn to sound. Hopefully, that will alert them enough to notice to whatever the problem was, and maybe convince the offending driver to alter his habits (unlikely, but possible).

A bit of horn ettiquette, though... (The way I use the horn and interpret others' horns, at least)
"Taps"
A tap is a short beep that lasts about half a second or less.
Two or three short "taps" is usually a "polite call for attention." It's often used when you get someone at a green light who is not paying attention and won't go, or for that little old lady who just can't stay awake enough to keep her car between the lines. Be careful, though - three is the limit, and it's more polite to just use two. Four taps or more can be interpreted as driver impatience or "bad language." Long blasts are never polite, and should not be used in these situations.
Three taps is acceptable if someone comes too close to your car through inattention. They nearly hit you, albeit accidentally, and you've a right to be displeased, but keep it within the limits of diplomacy. Five or more taps are excessive, and four is pushing it. Keep it polite.
"Blasts"
A blast is any horn that lasts for more than a second.
Blasts are the "bad words" of horns. Use them sparingly. They are most appropriate, not for careless or "unconscious" drivers, but intentionally reckless and exceeding dangerous drivers. Anyone who through deliberate action nearly hits your vehicle is fair game for this; keep in mind however, that they are not your sole target for the horn. You are also warning the other drivers that there's a loony-toon on the road. The more flagrant the disregard for other drivers' safety, the longer the horn blast. You WANT other drivers to wonder what all the fuss is about.
Avoid a series of blasts, though - while a single blast of any length is often interpreted as a "You nearly hit me!", multiple blasts in a row is more evident of a severely impatient driver, and people will focus on you, not on the danger you are calling attention towards.

Again, these are how I use my horn and interpret others' horn usage. YMMV

[Diode]

Sure wish someone would yell at that driver giving me that death look.

He'll get his. A good friend of mine who is a LEO has been schooling me on how to act once I start carrying and it soulds just like what I am reading here now. You have to take the high road and not fuel a situation that can lead to something bad. People here have been carrying a long time, I take alot of stock in their advice.

[mrvmax]

Very good point indeed. Although in all actuality if I'm a small white boy (which i am) and I have a big angry black dude acting all sorts of crazy, staring me down and waving his fist/finger at me, I'm gonna be a little on edge as well lol.[/quote]

Don't be so paranoid and lose the inferiority complex. Just because they are black and you are white doesn't make them want to kill you.

[mrvmax]

[/quote]

Anxious to use your gun?

Why would you honk, in an abviously offensive manner, at a car behind you?

I have never seen a finger appear as if I was going to be killed. You must of been real angry.[/quote]

Good points and I agree. Don't overreact. I rather let some idiot pass by me (even if he did almost hit me) than to get into a confrontation that ended up landing me in a legal battle. You better think through any reactions well before its time to react. One screw up can cost a lot of money, a lot of time in jail, or both.

[flintknapper]

I live in a city where "unconscious driving" is pretty common - people will get in the car, fix their gaze forwards, and act like anything and everything to the sides and behind them ceases to exist.

I had a Ford Ranger nearly take the front end off my car once as he ran a stoplight at about 60 miles an hour (speedlimit was 40).

Did you happen to look "left and right" before entering the intersection, doesn't sound like it. Before you take offense to this question, let me state the purpose for it.

It occurs to me that a parallel exists in your actions and those of Boma in the previous incident, it involves "avoidance". You seem fixated on determining fault.

If the person in the Ford Ranger had indeed hit you then its a "slam dunk" who's fault it was. After all, you had the green light. Of course, this will mean little to you (outside the courtroom) because you will likely be seriously injured...if not killed, in the resulting wreck. My advice would be to "check" the intersection before entering it. In this way....you control your safety.

Similarly, Boma could have "avoided" the "death look" from the other driver by tapping his horn and then "waving off" the fellow when he had the chance. Additionally, his first thought was to consider his sidearm as a means of protection. Here's a novel idea: RETREAT!

Instead of strapping on that "piece" every morning, like you're ready to enter the octagon, try putting on a little humility, tolerance and respect for your fellow man. Avoid every confrontation that you possibly can. If (God forbid), the time comes when deadly force is immediately necessary then don't hesitate. Just make sure that every time you "carry", you also take along a feeling of increased responsibility. Make that firearm the last layer of your self defense plan.


Thank You, for your contribution, especially your assessment on horn blowing, I think you pretty much nailed it.


Flint.

[longtooth]

+1 on the horn definitions. I like them too.

[Crossfire]

I see a lot of criticism in this thread.

I would have mostly done the same thing.
Here's how I see the situation:

You almost got into an accident. Yes, possibly the accident might have been your fault, but hey, that's why they call them accidents.

Ok, so the guy gets aggressive. Bad move on his part. You honk at him. Not the smartest thing to have done, but definately not out of an ordinary reaction.

Now, he comes to pass you. He rolls down his window with a hateful look in his eye. He makes some kind of aggressive gesture, and you put your hand on your weapon, getting ready to draw if things get any farther out of hand.

Honestly, what's REALLY wrong with that? Yeah, he shouldn't have honked. If someone honks at me, I can't shoot him; it's not a proper response. Neither was the aggressor's response to the honking.

Not everybody can make the most perfect decisions in the heat of the moment. We're not all paramillitary trained here, folks. We're normal, human beings who are trying to live our lives, and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

In my eyes, Boma didn't really do anything that was a major mistake. He didn't yell or scream at the aggressive driver. He didn't make any obscene gestures at him. The honking was not the best thing to do, but a common and understandable response.

That just about sums it up! A big +1

[gigag04]

I see a lot of criticism in this thread.

I would have mostly done the same thing.
Here's how I see the situation:

You almost got into an accident. Yes, possibly the accident might have been your fault, but hey, that's why they call them accidents.

Ok, so the guy gets aggressive. Bad move on his part. You honk at him. Not the smartest thing to have done, but definately not out of an ordinary reaction.

Now, he comes to pass you. He rolls down his window with a hateful look in his eye. He makes some kind of aggressive gesture, and you put your hand on your weapon, getting ready to draw if things get any farther out of hand.

Honestly, what's REALLY wrong with that? Yeah, he shouldn't have honked. If someone honks at me, I can't shoot him; it's not a proper response. Neither was the aggressor's response to the honking.

Not everybody can make the most perfect decisions in the heat of the moment. We're not all paramillitary trained here, folks. We're normal, human beings who are trying to live our lives, and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

In my eyes, Boma didn't really do anything that was a major mistake. He didn't yell or scream at the aggressive driver. He didn't make any obscene gestures at him. The honking was not the best thing to do, but a common and understandable response.

That just about sums it up! A big +1

Another +1. If someone starts passing me and rolls down there window and is pointing anything at me, ill be on the ready and getting outta there.

[jimlongley]

I must respectfully disagree with the folks who want horns removed from cars. While I try to keep it polite, my horn has saved me from getting hit numerous times, and has been used to call attention to dangerous drivers as well.
YMMV

The problem that I see most often is those people, and there are many many of them, who manage to hit their horns before they even react any other way. The horn is blowing before the foot is on the brake, before the wheel is turned, and many of those even wait to see if you will react to the horn before they even think about driving defensively.

Thus my firm conviction that horns should be removed from cars, or be an extra cost option with ticketing for misuse.

[TxFire]

I see very few times that a firearm is needed on the freeway or other open roadway where you have a means of escape. But I also see no foul in placing your hand on it for the ready either. But retreat and avoidance should be your first thought.

One the horn issue, I just wish people would pay as much attention to the Airhorns and Sirens on the Big Red Trucks as they do to their fellow drivers weeney horns honking.

[Thane]

Did you happen to look "left and right" before entering the intersection, doesn't sound like it.
Flint.

Yes, from the brief description, it does sound like I assumed my way was clear. My post already being longer than I wanted, though ( ), I omitted some details; guess I should have included them.
There were cars on the cross-street already stopped at their red light. The was WAS clear, to the best of my visibility. The Ranger came up behind them in the left-hand lane, about three cars back, swooped over two lanes into the right-turn-only lane, and went straight, all around 60 miles an hour, never slowing down. I've seen drunks do similar things, but this was 3 in the afternoon.