- Joined
- Apr 11, 2004
- Messages
- 828
Guys, life is sometimes hard and sometimes, easy. The waters have been tossing around more than usual lately.
I just finished the busy season where I work, so my 12-14 hour days are over. Woo-hoo! Where did Summer go anyway? A couple of weeks ago, I was driving my wife and kids to the bookstore, our usual Sunday afternoon activity. I turned right onto a 4 lane road, some guy cut in front of me, and I didnt think much about it. Apparently, something in that event upset him.
He started trying to wave me over. Folks, Im 37 years old, Ive got small children in the car and Im just not interested. Nevermind the 30+ years in battlefield martial arts and more tussles than I ever wanted in the first place in my youth, it just aint worth getting out of the car to me anymore.
The guy follows me almost a mile. I try to diffuse it. Hand up position, I give up and you win, sorry motion. Didnt work. I try to slow down, he only gets worse. Finally, the guy zips over in front of my car and slams on his breaks. Folks, I got a big ole SUV and hes in an mid-size car. Possible Darwin Award Candidate here. I slammed on my brakes, and I stopped before I hit him. Then, a 80s model conversion van hits us from behind, enough to bend the unibody on my truck.
He looks in his rear view mirror and I can see his reaction as he watches me taking a picture of his license tag with my camera phone, shear disappointment. He pulls up a little bit and stops. He never gets out.
I got out and walked around my car with a cane. Hobbling around, I dont look like much of a threat and Im checking on my kids, not mentally engaging him. The object here is not conflict, but family safety. I felt a weapon with him. I sensed it. By the way, did I mention that the guy has a kid in his car thats around 10-12 years old?
Long story short, the guy behind me saw everything, the idiot was charged with aggressive driving. My wife and I are a little banged up, but we are OK. He hurt my 3 year old boy in the process. I didnt know that at the time of the accident, but I found out the morning after. Lucky guy, good thing I didnt realize that at the time of the accident.
OK, some of you might have caught martial arts, and potential violence here. Most of you already see whats going on, but here it is for the Spring Chickens that still have testosterone flowing out the ears. The last thing that I wanted was for my little children to have the images of violence in their little minds. I have scars from my youth that have haunted me for decades. Not these little children. Not with my watch.
Survival of the family and loved ones supercedes Dirty Harry vendettas and other ego-driven stupidity. Again, I know Im preaching to the choir here. Getting into a combat situation with the idiot would be a no win situation. If I lose, there is no one to protect my family, and legal exposure. If I win, my children would still have to see it. Now if the man-kid in question would have made the effort to get out of his vehicle and come back to mine, with another level of endangerment to my family, who knows how it would have turned out. Im glad he got some level of smarts all of the sudden and stayed put.
Ive got a good attorney by the way. I always thought that financial blows were better than bruises and broken bones any day.
I guess for now, I'm just hoping that my family and myself get to feeling better lately. I feel like I've been hit by a truck these past couple of weeks, errr I mean Conversion Van.
For what it's worth. I'm really not that angry. This whole situation has made me realize the value of strategy, non-violent solutions, and concealed carry permits.
I just finished the busy season where I work, so my 12-14 hour days are over. Woo-hoo! Where did Summer go anyway? A couple of weeks ago, I was driving my wife and kids to the bookstore, our usual Sunday afternoon activity. I turned right onto a 4 lane road, some guy cut in front of me, and I didnt think much about it. Apparently, something in that event upset him.
He started trying to wave me over. Folks, Im 37 years old, Ive got small children in the car and Im just not interested. Nevermind the 30+ years in battlefield martial arts and more tussles than I ever wanted in the first place in my youth, it just aint worth getting out of the car to me anymore.
The guy follows me almost a mile. I try to diffuse it. Hand up position, I give up and you win, sorry motion. Didnt work. I try to slow down, he only gets worse. Finally, the guy zips over in front of my car and slams on his breaks. Folks, I got a big ole SUV and hes in an mid-size car. Possible Darwin Award Candidate here. I slammed on my brakes, and I stopped before I hit him. Then, a 80s model conversion van hits us from behind, enough to bend the unibody on my truck.
He looks in his rear view mirror and I can see his reaction as he watches me taking a picture of his license tag with my camera phone, shear disappointment. He pulls up a little bit and stops. He never gets out.
I got out and walked around my car with a cane. Hobbling around, I dont look like much of a threat and Im checking on my kids, not mentally engaging him. The object here is not conflict, but family safety. I felt a weapon with him. I sensed it. By the way, did I mention that the guy has a kid in his car thats around 10-12 years old?
Long story short, the guy behind me saw everything, the idiot was charged with aggressive driving. My wife and I are a little banged up, but we are OK. He hurt my 3 year old boy in the process. I didnt know that at the time of the accident, but I found out the morning after. Lucky guy, good thing I didnt realize that at the time of the accident.
OK, some of you might have caught martial arts, and potential violence here. Most of you already see whats going on, but here it is for the Spring Chickens that still have testosterone flowing out the ears. The last thing that I wanted was for my little children to have the images of violence in their little minds. I have scars from my youth that have haunted me for decades. Not these little children. Not with my watch.
Survival of the family and loved ones supercedes Dirty Harry vendettas and other ego-driven stupidity. Again, I know Im preaching to the choir here. Getting into a combat situation with the idiot would be a no win situation. If I lose, there is no one to protect my family, and legal exposure. If I win, my children would still have to see it. Now if the man-kid in question would have made the effort to get out of his vehicle and come back to mine, with another level of endangerment to my family, who knows how it would have turned out. Im glad he got some level of smarts all of the sudden and stayed put.
Ive got a good attorney by the way. I always thought that financial blows were better than bruises and broken bones any day.
I guess for now, I'm just hoping that my family and myself get to feeling better lately. I feel like I've been hit by a truck these past couple of weeks, errr I mean Conversion Van.
For what it's worth. I'm really not that angry. This whole situation has made me realize the value of strategy, non-violent solutions, and concealed carry permits.
