Oh man, its been a day removed so I'm not so angry but here's my tale. I have yet to vent to anybody, you guys are the first (long post ahead)...


So I'm driving on 280 (San Mateo County), exit the freeway, down the offramp, stop at a stop sign after a Honda had done the same. I look left, see a black Lexus/Infiniti (LX/GV?) SUV of some sort about 100 yards away, and proceed to turn right, following said Honda.

So after my turn I glance in my rear mirror to see a large black figure. Apparently the SUV driver saw me dare pull out in front of him after my stop and decided the best thing to do would be to accelerate as quickly as possible so I could be impressed by the size of his vehicle.

I guess he figured he didn't get my attention so he pulls up to the left of me, his SUV now halfway in the oncoming lane, trying to inch his way in front of me while ALSO trying to inch me off the road and into the dirt on my right. I'm lookin' to my left thinking, "WTF???!" There was just enough dirt for my car to the right of the Honda so I downshift, zip around the Honda (illegally - doh!) and get in front figuring I'd be done with Mr. Meathead of the Universe.

Well, heaven forbid this SUV does not get in front of me - this must mean war! He immediately goes over the double yellow line into oncoming traffic, passes the Honda and again is on my ***. So I roll down window, give him the middle finger and just hold in there. Waving it in circles, back and forth, up/down, side to side, etc. - I forget what I was listening to but it was all in rhythm. I also do my best impression of rolling and flicking boogers at his SUV.

Now he's accelerating right at me, getting insanely close, pulling up to the left and right. Tried to pass me but I wouldn't let him, I give him the "thou shall not pass - get in the back of the line, moron" thumb-gesture.

Now I'm pissed. And he wont get off my ***. Its actually ridiculous. Automotive stalking. So I throw a plastic water bottle out the window (I resisted using a large handful of change), it hits the car, he swerves and the bottle (plastic) somehow manages to go inside through his driver's side window.

Now he's pissed! Making lots of racket, swervin' around, doing some "pull over m**her f***er" signals. After driving fairly peppy to lose the idiot, which only had him driving more recklessly behind me, I decide, "what the hay", just to change it up I'll drive under the speed limit, wave to him in a friendly manner and try to ignore him.

About a mile or so, he's STILL following me! I'm with my Chihuahua, who is very, very, very important to me - at this point I've decided this guy is a threat to my dear dog AND my car. I have never been so angry in all my life. I'm no fighter but I'm friggin' pissed, I pull over and figure if he walks at me, just focus on the nose, eyeballs and throat and keep punching hard until one of us passes out. He speeds past me. Lucky him (or me!)

And now for the finale. I understand this was lame and I probably shouldn't have instigated anything in the first place:

I get back in my car, still quite angry, chase him down, he pulls over (I'm to his left, leaning towards my passenger window, I scream "a**hole!" he screams "what's your ****ing problem?!" and I hock a glorious loogie out right on his absolutely shocked and dumbfounded face and zoom away into the hills...


I'm an immature dork, I know. But all my years of frustration with a-hole, bumper-riding SUVs, this moron getting all up on my ***, I guess I lost it. I'm disappointed that I reacted in such a way, I should have given him a 3-second middle finger, holstered it, flipped my rear-view to dim and drove on my merry way. But I needed to vent. If any of you think I'm a jerk/idiot for doing what I did, I understand. I guess the spitting thing is kind of weak. Though, I was so pissed, if I could puke on command I probably would've showered the dude...

I guess I shouldn't have: 1) used the side of the road to pass, 2) tossed the water bottle, 3) chased him down after he had finally moved on, and 4) hocked the loogie - but he shouldn't have: 1) tailed my butt in the first place, 2) tried to nudge me off the road, 3) illegally passed a car to tail my butt more.

I'm sick of people driving like morons around me!!! I'm wondering if this is a WRX thing, a me being too aggressive of a driver thing or a ***** SUV driver thing. A part of me wants to get a Camry and just camouflage myself into the concrete never to zoom through the roads again.

For now I'm gonna get a little Buddha for my car and try to keep a low profile. Any stories, suggestions or anecdotes are greatly appreciated.

If I broke some sort of unspoken rules of the Subaru brotherhood, please let me know. I'm 38 so I'm not a punk kid. I guess something about a big, black SUV getting all up on my butt while I'm with my dog triggered something.
But what would you do? What would Jesus do? What should I have done? I'm sure the more physically able of you are gonna think I'm a wuss for the spitting and the more mature and calm of you are going to think I'm a road rageaholic and I respect both positions. And for any negativity to the WRX karma pool, I apologize.

 

man. my best advice is avoid these situations like the plague.
i was driving with my buddy and watched him get shot at for provoking some asshat on the road. luckly for you and him everyone ended up okay, minus the bullet holes in his car- but its not worth it.

niceley wave and let them drive by you and let it be at that.

glad youre ok.

 

I gotta say... that's a great story... Now that I drive a minivan my road rage days are over... but there is always someone out there looking to start some s**t... I think it is still pretty awesome that you got the bottle into the SUV and that you hit the guy with the loogie...

 

whatever the reason, let these clowns go. Most of them have the IQs of dirt and are not worth wasting your time on. Glad nothing serious happened.

 

****ing idiots man

 

You should really be careful about that. People do carry guns and if they're as angry as this guy might be inclined to use one. It's just not worth it to push the issue any further.

 

someone on another thread said that after he was cutoff in traffic, he was going to look into Subaru's 50 caliber machine gun option :-0

 

I had an experience with a stupid Prius owner trying to yell at a bicyclist that was legally in the road way and the guy was blocking the lane so I couldn't go. I almost got out of the car to beat this dude's ***. Until I suddenly realized I was in the car with my mom. So I floored it and went around the guy.

 

Yeah, just stay back and avoid conflict. If you guys start going at it and driving aggressive, there's a chance one of you could be involved in a crash that may also cause other accidents. Then you will be partially responsible...

 

Seriousily you are lucky. Maybe because you are in San Mateo County or something.. IN oakland, you would have had your *** shot. People often feel they are the ****z when they are in the car. So do I. When I see *** hats I tail gate, honk and pull the ultimate finger, but if you were an on looker and when you see people do the same you will just shake your head.

There are so much low lifes out there who just don't give a f#Ck. He can shot you down.

I find that the safest way when you come across these situation is to give the kind sorry hand gesture. Typcially they back off feeling like an idiot.

 

damn crazy *** story man! but ya ppl ARE crazy.. i had two friends that were in a road rage situation. after it was "over" they went to a drive thru to pick up some food. the other car followed, pulled my two friend out of their car and stabbed them both.. one didnt even know he had been stabbe and my other friend was in critical condition and had a few surgeries, but they are both as good as new, minus the nice scars.

 

I'd say keeping the Buddha, or a picture of someone you love on the dash is a good idea. You haven't broken any sort of "rule", and I completely understand the rage. Nothing pisses me off more than a tail gating SUV. But like everyone else is saying, your safest course of action is to let the pencil dick pass you and be done with it. Maybe the poor schmuck just found out his wife was boning his best friend? Or maybe he just lost his job? Probably neither, but if you imagine something crappy like that happened then it will be easier to let the incident roll off your shoulders.

 

+1

When keeping it real goes wrong...

 

I wasn't there so I don't really know what the situation was but have you considered that maybe you cut him off first? setting off the rest of this unfortunate incident?
From your description, he was about 100 yards away while you were stopped at the stop sign but as soon as you turned on to the street he was on your ***? That sounds to me like maybe he was closer(or driving faster) than you thought and maybe you should have waited until he passed before you turned. What if the situation was reversed and you were going straight while he was the one stopped at the stop sign and turned in front of you?
Regardless though, I think both of you are to blame for escalating the situation but you definitely should not have thrown anything at the other car or spit in the other guys face. You ever hear the story about this lady in Atlanta or somewhere that threw a cup of coke into another vehicle due to some road rage incident. She got charged with launching a projectile into another vehicle and causing an accident. I think she got sentenced to 1 or 2 years in jail.

 

Next time pull over and just let them go....life is too short, and sometimes things just aren't worth giving a damn about.

I get folks in my neighborhood tailgating me (residential), I just pull over and let them go by....later down the road, I catch up to them driving at my safe legal pace.