Reason To Not Exchange Obscene Gestures While Driving

[Eli]

I admit the first time someone brake checked me, it did scare the sh!t out of me... but my first reaction wasn't to swerve wildly, I just hit my brakes really hard. I've only done it to someone once, and that was because they were WAY too close to me, and it was just a very slight blip. They backed off.

 

[JEDIYoda]

double ouch!!

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: RKS

There was a similar incident in Ohio a few years ago. Two ladies 'dueled' each other until one did a brake-check causing the other to drive onto the shoulder and under a stopped semi killing her and her fetus. The other driver was charged with some degree of homocide (not sure if the charge was a double-homocide).

I'd have to see that to believe it. There's no grounds for homicide. Reckless (Deliberate) indifference, sure. But homicide? Doubtful.

* Edit: The above comment is based on the assumption that this was simply a case of road rage gone awry. Should the offender have been intentionally trying to cause harm to the victim, the rules have changed.

Cutting somebody off and slammed on the breaks sounds like intentional harm to me.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Eli
I admit the first time someone brake checked me, it did scare the sh!t out of me... but my first reaction wasn't to swerve wildly, I just hit my brakes really hard. I've only done it to someone once, and that was because they were WAY too close to me, and it was just a very slight blip. They backed off.

I flip my hazards on and off quickly. People usually dont notice the lack of a lit CHMSL and instinctively brake.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Break checking is ridiculous. If you know someone wants to get by, let `em by.

Leave your egos at the door.

 

[DougK62]

Honestly, who swerves when they get brake checked?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: DougK62
Honestly, who swerves when they get brake checked?

women!

:: Runs away ::

 

[daveshel]

Originally posted by: Leros


Cutting somebody off and slammed on the breaks sounds like intentional harm to me.

Depraved indifference.

 

[magnux]

Originally posted by: Leros
I'd have to see that to believe it. There's no grounds for homicide. Reckless (Deliberate) indifference, sure. But homicide? Doubtful.

* Edit: The above comment is based on the assumption that this was simply a case of road rage gone awry. Should the offender have been intentionally trying to cause harm to the victim, the rules have changed.

Cutting somebody off and slammed on the breaks sounds like intentional harm to me.[/quote]

Not exactly.

If I pull out a gun and shoot you in the head. You're going to get hurt, no question about it. Hello (attempted) homicide!

If I cut you off and slam on the brakes, am I to reasonable expect you to plow into the back of me and die, or at the very least, injur yourself? No.

Hence reckless indifference.

Besides, there's too many alternate scenarios. A cat ran infront of the car, I slammed on my brakes and you were too close. My bad! Et al.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: Eli
I admit the first time someone brake checked me, it did scare the sh!t out of me... but my first reaction wasn't to swerve wildly, I just hit my brakes really hard. I've only done it to someone once, and that was because they were WAY too close to me, and it was just a very slight blip. They backed off.

Heh, I don't have the "swerve" reaction either. When something is going to happen, I just keep going straight and brake brake brake! Swerving, IMO, just causes more problems.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Eli
I admit the first time someone brake checked me, it did scare the sh!t out of me... but my first reaction wasn't to swerve wildly, I just hit my brakes really hard. I've only done it to someone once, and that was because they were WAY too close to me, and it was just a very slight blip. They backed off.

I flip my hazards on and off quickly. People usually dont notice the lack of a lit CHMSL and instinctively brake.

THat's a good idea, I'll have to remember that.

 

[jupiter57]

Road Rage is so childish!
99.9% of the time, no one really did anything "wrong". It seems that just getting in front of someone nowadays, by whatever means & however safely, is called "Cutting me off"?
And why, when you are trying to pass another, slower moving vehicle, do they always speed up while you are passing, then want to get right on your tail, and sometimes even pass you? (These are the morons who tend to use the "Hand Gestures"!)
God forbid you may want to drive 5 MPH faster than them!
This crap has gotten Sooo out of hand!

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: Eli
I admit the first time someone brake checked me, it did scare the sh!t out of me... but my first reaction wasn't to swerve wildly, I just hit my brakes really hard. I've only done it to someone once, and that was because they were WAY too close to me, and it was just a very slight blip. They backed off.

Heh, I don't have the "swerve" reaction either. When something is going to happen, I just keep going straight and brake brake brake! Swerving, IMO, just causes more problems.

The one time I have been close to being in an accident like that was when I happened to be way too close to the vehicle in front of me to stop. This was on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, a 2 lane highway with a ~60 foot wide dirt and shrub median. I immediately slammed on the brakes and swerved into the median. If I had not done so I would have hit the car in front of me (and the car behind me would likely have run into me).

So maybe I do have the swerve instinct.

 

[BlancoNino]

This is sort of related, but it was more pedestrian rage. I was working as the night manager at a local restaurant last night and I was walking from my car back into the restaurant when a couple of 18-22 year old guys in a jacked up truck came busting through our parking lot quite fast and taking fast wide-turns on the corners of the parking lot that are blind and there could be a car coming the other way.

When I walked back in they were coming into the door where they were meeting their dad or something and I walked by and said "Excuse me guys, but you need to slow down our parking lot." They were silent so I said "okay? Thank you." and I walked off and I could hear the dad say to the employee that was taking their order "Tell that guy to leave these boys alone, they've had a long day!"

Meh...no wonder they drive that way. :roll:

 

[RKS]

Just to clarify: I spelled homicide incorrectly. Also homicide simply means the death of a human. It doesn't always equate to murder, there are many degrees.

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: magnux

Originally posted by: Leros
I'd have to see that to believe it. There's no grounds for homicide. Reckless (Deliberate) indifference, sure. But homicide? Doubtful.

* Edit: The above comment is based on the assumption that this was simply a case of road rage gone awry. Should the offender have been intentionally trying to cause harm to the victim, the rules have changed.

Cutting somebody off and slammed on the breaks sounds like intentional harm to me.

Not exactly.

If I pull out a gun and shoot you in the head. You're going to get hurt, no question about it. Hello (attempted) homicide!
If I cut you off and slam on the brakes, am I to reasonable expect you to plow into the back of me and die, or at the very least, injur yourself? No.

Hence reckless indifference.

Besides, there's too many alternate scenarios. A cat ran infront of the car, I slammed on my brakes and you were too close. My bad! Et al.[/quote]

no, that's actually attempted murder not homicide.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: jupiter57
Road Rage is so childish!
99.9% of the time, no one really did anything "wrong". It seems that just getting in front of someone nowadays, by whatever means & however safely, is called "Cutting me off"?
And why, when you are trying to pass another, slower moving vehicle, do they always speed up while you are passing, then want to get right on your tail, and sometimes even pass you? (These are the morons who tend to use the "Hand Gestures"!)
God forbid you may want to drive 5 MPH faster than them!
This crap has gotten Sooo out of hand!

If you drive faster than me, you're a maniac. If you drive slower than me, you're a grandpa. The only acceptable speed is the speed I'm going.

I think it's a psychological thing, we always want to be at the front of the line with no impediments on the road. So we pass, and we don't like being passed.

 

[Dacalo]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

The victims were not wearing seatbelts, as required by state law.

Looks like Darwin scored a Daily Double!

- M4H

LMAO! I shouldn't laugh, but that just made me LOL for some reason.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: daveshel

Originally posted by: Leros


Cutting somebody off and slammed on the breaks sounds like intentional harm to me.

Depraved indifference.

And being stupid is still legal?

 

[deerslayer]

Originally posted by: magnux
I stopped issuing obscene gestures once I got my Road Rage Cards. Much more effective, I've found.

Mother of god, I need one of those.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-fatal0411,0,6477616.story?track=rss


Ouch


"An exchange of obscene gestures led to fatal results this morning when a man and a woman in a convertible were cut off by the driver of a pickup truck on Interstate 270 south of Frederick, hit a guardrail and were ejected from their car.

According to the Maryland State Police, witnesses saw the driver and passenger of a Chrysler Sebring and the driver of a green pickup truck trading the gestures shortly after 8 a.m. about three miles south of Frederick on southbound I-270.

First Sgt. Russ Newell, a police spokesman, said that after the exchange, the driver of the pickup truck pulled into the lane in front of the Sebring and hit the brakes. Newell said the driver of the Sebring swerved, hit the guardrail and flipped over -- ejecting the two passengers through the open roof. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Identifications of the victims were not available pending notification of relatives. However, Newell said the car they were driving had out-of-state tags. The victims were not wearing seatbelts, as required by state law, Newell said.

Newell said the pickup truck driver, who was described as a white male wearing a baseball cap, left the scene. The spokesman said police were asking anyone who might have witnessed the events surrounding the crash for further information about the truck and its driver."

Where is that 6000 guy in here, he likes to slam on his brakes and collect insurance money.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-fatal0411,0,6477616.story?track=rss


Ouch


"An exchange of obscene gestures led to fatal results this morning when a man and a woman in a convertible were cut off by the driver of a pickup truck on Interstate 270 south of Frederick, hit a guardrail and were ejected from their car.

According to the Maryland State Police, witnesses saw the driver and passenger of a Chrysler Sebring and the driver of a green pickup truck trading the gestures shortly after 8 a.m. about three miles south of Frederick on southbound I-270.

First Sgt. Russ Newell, a police spokesman, said that after the exchange, the driver of the pickup truck pulled into the lane in front of the Sebring and hit the brakes. Newell said the driver of the Sebring swerved, hit the guardrail and flipped over -- ejecting the two passengers through the open roof. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Identifications of the victims were not available pending notification of relatives. However, Newell said the car they were driving had out-of-state tags. The victims were not wearing seatbelts, as required by state law, Newell said.

Newell said the pickup truck driver, who was described as a white male wearing a baseball cap, left the scene. The spokesman said police were asking anyone who might have witnessed the events surrounding the crash for further information about the truck and its driver."

Where is that 6000 guy in here, he likes to slam on his brakes and collect insurance money.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Where is that 6000 guy in here, he likes to slam on his brakes and collect insurance money.

You mean 6000SUX? Where did he say that? That's insurance fraud.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: mugs
If you drive faster than me, you're a maniac. If you drive slower than me, you're a grandpa. The only acceptable speed is the speed I'm going.

I think it's a psychological thing, we always want to be at the front of the line with no impediments on the road. So we pass, and we don't like being passed.

When the left lane is working as intended, this is very rarely an issue. Someone passes a person they are going faster than, they then get back in the lane if there is someone behind them. There is really very rarely an issue with that setup. The problem usually occurs when someone feels they own rights to the left hand lane regardless of whether they are passing anyone at all. This causes people to pass on the right or pile up behind this one individual. Both scenarios are unwanted.

As for the truck driver. Brakechecking is one thing, it's stupid, but it's one thing. But when you purposefully cut someone off to brakecheck directly in front of them, the only logical conclusion is you had an intent to harm them. Why? Because if you are cutting someone off, by definition they probably do not have the time to stop properly.

 

[yowolabi]

Originally posted by: halik
Inaccurate headline... more like reason why darwin likes people that drive convertibles without seatbelts.

Seriously, who doesn't wear seatbelts anymore? Especially in a convertible.
The pickup truck driver should be charged with something pretty serious, but not homicide.