Serious Road Rage Encounter
An online encounter this weekend reminded me of the one and only time, many years ago, that I had a serious road rage encounter.
Some guy took a dislike to me for no reason I knew. Started tailgating, pulling up beside me to make threatening gestures, pulling in front of me and slowing down. Serious hassling and I couldn't shake him.
I had the family in the car and so it was concerning.
I finally pulled off onto the shoulder and stopped. He stopped a ways in front of me. He got out of the car and started walking back.
Instead of getting out and bumping chests, at the last possible moment, I just pulled our car back onto the road and took off at a good clip. I took the first exit and drove the back way home. Clean getaway.
Like I said, I have no idea what the guy's provocation was, but a) I'm glad he didn't have any kind of weapon, and b) that kind of thing really leaves a bad taste in the mouth for the rest of the day.
I try to be sympathetic to folks with anger issues - got enough of my own - and errors of perception/negative interpretation of events - I've had lots of experience with that, too, mine and others' - but it's not all that easy to be forgiving when the fam is threatened!