Road/Sidewalk rage incident

[Mark L]

Folks,
I'm interested in your comments on an incident I had last week. What'd I do right, wrong, and how could I have done better?

I work in Kendal Sq, Cambridge. I know there's more of us here that know the area, and even if you don't, I'm interested in your opinions.

I left work around 5 on Friday, having driven in to Cambridge when I normally take the train, to retrieve my truck after an oil change. The intersection between my employer and the auto shop is a four way stop with traffic lights, about 75' between crosswalks. I was on the far side, and started across in the crosswalk a few seconds after the light went yellow. My protagonist hit the light at the other side of the intersection just about when it went red. I was almost halfway across when he passed me at about 30 mph. I displayed the palms up, wtf sign. What I got was F-bombs out the window and the middle finger. I proceeded across and up the sidewalk to settle up for the oil change. The guy was stopped at the next light up, about 150'. He started yapping again, as did I. He stepped halfway out of his vehicle, bitching about how it was yellow, and asking if I was a tough guy. This was directly at the entrance to the shop, with the office staff crowding the door. I bitched right back, about pedestrians in crosswalks etc.

The light changed and he took a hard right to the sidewalk until his tire hit the curb, jumped out and started barking again. This was right in front of the auto shop. He started to move around the back of his vehicle, I took a few steps back to drop my bag against the auto shop, then turned back to him. Maybe that was dumb, but I think I can handle hand to hand pretty well, as I've been practicing for a long time. Fortunately, for the both of us, there was a cop at other side of the intersection. Blue lights, Cambridge cops on the scene. I let the guy bark at the cop for a while, told him my story, and he said he'd handle it. I was on my way ...

Truthfully, I would have enjoyed pounding him, then watching him go to jail. There were at least a half dozen witnesses to the whole thing. By the time I settled with the shop he was just getting on his way, no more barking when I walked out of the shop.

What would you do differently?

 

[Jose]

Ignored him. If he followed and upped the ante he would either get his ass kicked or shot, depending on the size differential.

 

[jenlynn724]

Honestly nothing.. As far as I'm concerned, yellow means hurry up before it trns red.. Why was he flying so fast out of the gate on a green?? Screw him..

 

[Jose]

He must have jumped the red light facing him, because if the lights are correctly timed, red will not shift to green until the crossing light has shifted from yellow to red. In other words, there will not be a green with a crossing yellow. Or there shouldn't be.

 

[Palladin]

in MA you're a pedestrian...he should have stopped and let you cross. You should have emptied the mag at his fleeing vehicle!

 

[Turbocharged]

It really doesn't matter what color the light was. IIRC, Massachusetts law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.

IANAL

 

[JohnFH]

My usual response is to laugh at them, getting pissed just fuels the fire, laughing at them, especially in front of witnesses, makes them look stupid, and pisses them off even more.

 

[newenglandjeff]

Folks,

What would you do differently?

The one way that is sure to get under a narcissists skin is to ignore them. In his mind, you F-ed up and he felt a compulsion to make you understand the transgression you commited against him. I would have ignored him, unless he was going to escalate it into a physical confrontation.

 

[jkelly]

Don't esclate the situation and you will almost always be in the right. Esclating then beating or shooting him will only hurt you in court.


Respectfully,
jkelly

 

[ASHDUMP]

Were you carrying a firearm on you? If so, I wouldn't escalate the conversation and let it be. If you weren't, a good verbal beat down is good for the soul.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Truthfully, I would have enjoyed pounding him, then watching him go to jail.

Enjoyable until his attorney arranges to have assault charges pressed against you at which point you have to cough up a few $K for legal fees, and surrender all your firearms while assault charges are pending. Nobody wins in a road rage confrontation except the lawyers.

 

[qmmo]

I would have ignored him and let Gozer the Traveler handle it. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!

That about covers it...

 

[RKG]

in MA you're a pedestrian...he should have stopped and let you cross. You should have emptied the mag at his fleeing vehicle!

Actually, the so-called cross-walk rule has no application at an intersection with a working traffic light. As a result, the "old" rules apply, in which case traffic signals apply equally to pedestrians as to motor vehicles.

Not that this changes much re: the point of the story, but it is a distinction of which a lot of people are aware.

 

[icyclefar]

I would have ignored him and let Gozer the Traveler handle it. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!

That about covers it...

What he said ................

 

[jkelly]

I would have ignored him and let Gozer the Traveler handle it. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!

That about covers it...

I thought you were Gozer the Traveler.

Respectfully,
jkelly

 

[Palladin]

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/89-11.htm

a motor vehicle is always at fault. you run down the next guy who's jaywalking and see how far you get in court

 

[Harleynut]

Laugh and walk away. I learned a long time ago there are far more A**holes in this world then bullets.

 

[BigAce74]

Ignore him. Guy was a complete a$$hole in the wrong so I wouldn't waste a bit of breath on a POS like that.

 

[matt]

wrong:

I work in Kendal Sq, Cambridge.
...as did I...
...then turned back to him.

right:

I let the guy bark at the cop for a while, told him my story, and he said he'd handle it. I was on my way ...

What did you have to prove and to who? Anyone responding that way to your original gesture is already reved up. You added fuel to his fire.

And turning your back while he rummaged in his car? You might be Bruce Lee, but a bullet in the back still hurts.

MHO, as requested.

 

[Mark L]

wrong:


right:


What did you have to prove and to who? Anyone responding that way to your original gesture is already reved up. You added fuel to his fire.

And turning your back while he rummaged in his car? You might be Bruce Lee, but a bullet in the back still hurts.

MHO, as requested.

He wasn't rummaging in his car, he was walking around the back. I put my bag down, I never turn my back.

Thanks for responding.

 

[matt]

He started to move around the back of his vehicle, I took a few steps back to drop my bag against the auto shop, then turned back to him. Maybe that was dumb, but I think I can handle hand to hand pretty well, as I've been practicing for a long time.

He wasn't rummaging in his car, he was walking around the back. I put my bag down, I never turn my back.

Thanks for responding.

Ahh. I read more into "move around the back of his vehicle" than I should have.

[STRIKE]But you did say you turned your back, or am I mis-reading that as well?[/STRIKE]

never mind... I can't read tonight... duh...

 

[Mark L]

Enjoyable until his attorney arranges to have assault charges pressed against you at which point you have to cough up a few $K for legal fees, and surrender all your firearms while assault charges are pending. Nobody wins in a road rage confrontation except the lawyers.

You mean when the guy in the vehicle stops to assault a pedestrian on the sidewalk in front of a cop and a bunch of witnesses? I know it's MA, but that's not a bad scenario ...

 

[Mark L]

Ahh. I read more into "move around the back of his vehicle" than I should have.

[STRIKE]But you did say you turned your back, or am I mis-reading that as well?[/STRIKE]

never mind... I can't read tonight... duh...

I was on the sidewalk as he moved around the back of his vehicle, I took a few steps back to drop my bag, offering my left side in the process, then returning to full frontal.

 

[K-DUB]

It isn't worth the time or effort to beat up every as*hole that commits a traffic injustice to us everyday.

The lesson to take from this experience is that Cambridge sucks.

 

[Grendel]

I would've walked away, as the others said. No sense in it.

 

[Cur]

If I was carrying I would have just ignored the assclown. Getting into a fist fight while carrying is a good way to lose something, be it your gun, or your life.

As was said, too many a**h***s in the world and we aren't allowed to clean the gene pool on our own. Sadly.

 

[RI_John]

Folks,
I'm interested in your comments on an incident I had last week. What'd I do right, wrong, and how could I have done better?

What would you do differently?

it depends what your goal was.

if your goal was to see how your extensive hand-to-hand practice translated to the street, you didn't go far enough.

if your goal was to avoid a violent confrontation, you went too far.

if you're conflicted about what your actual goal was, ask yourself how you felt when you saw the cops. if you were relieved, you went too far. if you were sad/disappointed, you didn't go far enough.

 

[terraformer]

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/89-11.htm

a motor vehicle is always at fault. you run down the next guy who's jaywalking and see how far you get in court

No, RKG is right. This MGL only applies "When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall...."

 

[JoeyD]

It seems no one here drives through yellow lights like me so I will ask why were you mad at the driver who had the right of way? You were not crossing on a walk light right?
As far as the guy stopping and you two fisting it out, I would have avoided it. Your lic to carry is worth more than seeing if you can throw some hay makers. There is a 50/50 chance the both of you will be araested and charged with something that could end up on your record which may hurt your ability to own guns in the future.

 

[Mark L]

it depends what your goal was.

if your goal was to see how your extensive hand-to-hand practice translated to the street, you didn't go far enough.

if your goal was to avoid a violent confrontation, you went too far.

if you're conflicted about what your actual goal was, ask yourself how you felt when you saw the cops. if you were relieved, you went too far. if you were sad/disappointed, you didn't go far enough.

My goal was to go get my truck from the auto shop, which I did. The a**h*** just happened to be stopped in front of the doorway to the shop.

I included reference to my 'hand-to-hand' experience because it is relevant to my response, in the same manner as to whether I was or was not carrying a firearm is relevant (I was not), since both address my ability to deal with a potentially violent confrontation. Do you think because I practice unarmed fighting I'm looking for a fight to test myself? That'd be like saying because I practice shooting I'm looking for a fight to test myself. There both skills to defend, right?. Silly.

I'm not conflicted at all, to the best of my knowledge the situation would have resolved the exact same way whether the cops showed up or not. Meaning the idiot would have driven away and I would have conducted my business with the auto shop (not withstanding a few more f-bombs). I would do the exact same thing in the exact same situation. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in hearing and considering what you all have to say, and perhaps modifying my responses in the future.