The Road Rager: Self-def. Scenario Disc. 3
Marik_Steele
To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
To make this intro shorter than my <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=73265' target='_blank'>last one</a>: this scenario is partially based on a true experience of a friend of mine.
Scenario: the road rager
You are in your car stopped at a stop light of a suburban intersection. At some point, you feel the force of a vehicle rear-ending yours. (Make up your own timeframe. Could be when you just came to a complete stop, or when you've been there waiting at the red awhile, the point is it's most definitely not your fault).
Before you've left your vehicle, you see (either by looking back or looking in rear-view mirrors) that the driver of the offending vehicle is wearing a suit & tie, and holding a briefcase. Before you've left your own vehicle, he is already using said briefcase to bash -- repeatedly -- the top of your car's trunk. You aren't yet able to assess the damage of either the crash or the bashing.
For people whose first instinct would be to put pedal to the metal: assume that there are cars crossing through the intersection that make running the red needlessly dangerous.
Once again, my own personal priority list:
1. Avoid injury or death.
2. Avoid legal trouble (or if you go to court, at least make sure you're not the defendant)
3. If you're up to the challenge, find a solution that allows you to get money for car repairs from the office rager, insurance, etc.
Scenario: the road rager
You are in your car stopped at a stop light of a suburban intersection. At some point, you feel the force of a vehicle rear-ending yours. (Make up your own timeframe. Could be when you just came to a complete stop, or when you've been there waiting at the red awhile, the point is it's most definitely not your fault).
Before you've left your vehicle, you see (either by looking back or looking in rear-view mirrors) that the driver of the offending vehicle is wearing a suit & tie, and holding a briefcase. Before you've left your own vehicle, he is already using said briefcase to bash -- repeatedly -- the top of your car's trunk. You aren't yet able to assess the damage of either the crash or the bashing.
For people whose first instinct would be to put pedal to the metal: assume that there are cars crossing through the intersection that make running the red needlessly dangerous.
Once again, my own personal priority list:
1. Avoid injury or death.
2. Avoid legal trouble (or if you go to court, at least make sure you're not the defendant)
3. If you're up to the challenge, find a solution that allows you to get money for car repairs from the office rager, insurance, etc.
Comments
Longer answer: suit & tie and still carrying his briefcase, chances are he's not much of a *fighter* -- just angry. If it's too dangerous to stay in the car, get out either by your door or the passenger door and keep the car between you and him. KEEP TALKING to him while you call (or get someone else's attention to call) 911. Even if you can't get to the police directly, chances are a passing motorist will call them for you if he's being crazy belligerent.
Eventually he will calm down no matter what. If the end result is him getting in his car and speeding off, get his plates and call the cops. If the end result is him returning to rationality, get him to wait for the cops to come. Do *not* discuss who's fault anything is - just say "we'll wait till the cops get here." Telling him "you just trashed my car and you're going to pay for it" will likely just set him off again.
although one bit i don't like
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->suit & tie and still carrying his briefcase, chances are he's not much of a *fighter* -- just angry<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
quite a major assumption... one of my kickboxing instructors works in an office with a briefcase - he turns up to the gym every night bashing people around the head with it
not crucial, but just some thing to bear in mind - you can make no judgement of some one's physical capabilities by their look - sumo wrestlers are another prime example
other than that, all good - just keep your distance, keep calm - don't accuse him of any thing... if any thing tell him it's your fault, you're sorry, but get the authorties involved to settle it properly - try to get witnesses to stay nearby and give their opinion on what happened etc.
groovy beans
Now, if the offender had been described as a huge guy in a dirty wife-beater, getting out of his full-sized, jacked-up pickup truck and bashing in your rear window with a tire iron... well, then I'd be worried. But I think my advice would still be the same -- stay in the car if you can, and if not, as long as there's a car between the two of you you're doing pretty well.
Longer answer: suit & tie and still carrying his briefcase, chances are he's not much of a *fighter* -- just angry. If it's too dangerous to stay in the car, get out either by your door or the passenger door and keep the car between you and him. KEEP TALKING to him while you call (or get someone else's attention to call) 911. Even if you can't get to the police directly, chances are a passing motorist will call them for you if he's being crazy belligerent.
Eventually he will calm down no matter what. If the end result is him getting in his car and speeding off, get his plates and call the cops. If the end result is him returning to rationality, get him to wait for the cops to come. Do *not* discuss who's fault anything is - just say "we'll wait till the cops get here." Telling him "you just trashed my car and you're going to pay for it" will likely just set him off again. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pretty much hit the nail on the head there.
Go for a licence plate and don't wait for him to do more damage. If the guy calms down he calms down, if he trys to break your windows, drive away.
Back up the car.
I would do what coil says, along with grabbing the plates.
If I can take the guy and he keeps acting up he might catch a heater or two to the jaw to get him to calm down, but if he get out of his lifted pickup truck with the rifle rack I think I would choose the safer route.
a - lock your car, call the cops (if he looks really ****)
b - call the cops, try to talk the guy down
or c - talk to him, ask him to call the cops (suit + tie + case == cell, right?)
in another life:
a - shift to R, floor it
b - cap him
or c - push the red button
I do have to say though... NEVER tell him that it was your fault. By that, you are accepting fault and the collision *becomes* your fault. Get the plates ASAP, if you can see them. If he doesn't calm down, or starts to go back to his vehicle, ask the police what to do. Inform them that he may be trying to run, or retrieving a weapon. Follow instructions. If it IS a weapon, again... you're on your own. Leave if you can, and let the police pick him up. But TELL THE OFFICER ON THE PHONE that he had a weapon and that you are going to a more safe location, give the location, and ask for an officer to meet you there to take your statement.
1) im not white stupid as it sounds
2) my car
3) the other guys white
4) the cop was racist
5) im goign to have my dads friends *in whom are lawyers* rub this guy into the ground
6) laugh at the hick after
7) drink my arse off afterwards,
8) go cry about the fact that i can't drive my car for 2-3 weeks
so thats about it, i might have missed a few things, but its just that it pisses me off so much seeing that i got blamed for the whole incident.
Also, keep in mind (to quote Spiderman): "With great power comes great responsibility." If you're capable of kicking someone's ***, just because he threw the first punch doesn't mean you should. In fact, it means you *shouldn't*. Keep yourself safe, but do not become an agressor.
Good luck in court, man.
U-turn, if you can, then. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
- - - -
. ^
1||2 . 3
the ^ is the U-turn; ignore the .'s they're just spacers; - - - is traffic
Lane 1 is the opposite direction
Lane 2 is where you are; the dude is bashing in your rear from behind here
Lane 3 is where you dont want to be when this happens. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
If he doesn't look like he's doing much damage or if you just want some backup, just sit in your car and honk your horn, attracting as much attention as you possibly can while staying aware of what:
1- He's doing
2- What others are doing
3- What you should do with the above
After all, if you honk your horn enough times people around you should begin to take notice of you honking your horn... and the dude bashing in your trunk. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
You aren't technically even required to "go" at an intersection. Any time you are rear ended it is the fault of the other driver (at least in canada) unless they can prove that you backed up or you addmitted fault. You should have gotten info from whitnesses, makes a court case like that REAL easy, as of now it will probably end up your word verses his, which doesn't mean your gonna lose, but makes the case alot harder.
Your town sounds creepy, maby its a good time to move away, before you get attacked by zombies or something...
In my town if thier's an accident people gather around for miles and try to comfort everyone who is involved. My town is creepy too <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->, but I don't have to worry about zombies.