So, today's return trek from New Orleans included two camaro's trying to taunt me into a race. Naaah...not cool...kept a constant 79.

But in the last two hours of the 8 hour trip, I was keeping my pace at 79mph and a jacked up redneck truck with lots of lights and racks on it pulled in behind to tailgate and chase me. Lost him at about 110.

Then, after stopping to get gas and forgetting about him, I passed him again without noticing in the dusk. He does it again but more persistently. I hit 150 before he gave up. Something was not right on this one...It was a "banjos in the woods" feeling.

I figured I had a full tank and a fast car, and if he pursued, I'd welcome a cop pulling me over. Generally, My philosophy is that as long as I'm in the front, I have options. But once someone like that is in front, they are the ones in control. I'm rethinking that now.

What would you have done??

 

An important fact. There was NO traffic the second time. Almost isolated

 

You can always call a 911 dispatch and if there is a patrol in the area they will send a vehicle to "investigate"

Not sure I would have done triple digits on a public road.

 

I wish I could disagree...

 

Not sure what I'd have done, to be honest. Particularly if the road was deserted. Calling 911 crosses my mind. Otherwise I suppose I'd have kept a normal rate of speed and figure that the baboon would tire of his game.

Going that fast as the sun sets has to be way more dangerous than a hillbilly following you. Road debris, pothole, any number of things could have you spinning out and barrel rolling off the highway.

 

+1 with my rational mind.

However, I've been in your situation, and ironically, it was late at night on I-10 on the Alabama Gulf Coast. I pretty much did what you did, and with the erratic way he was driving, I was expecting to get rammed. So, I did the triple digits thing and was able to outrun him to the first exit I could find, fortunately in a populated area, and he disappeared. I did get his plate number, and I did report him, but never heard anything subsequently.

Thus, I can sympathize. It's certainly a scary situation to be in. You never know what you're going to do in a stressful situation like that.

 

I probably woulda done what you did Lookout. I'm not perfect but driving too fast and rolling through stop signs are the only laws I break. I don't smoke or do drugs, I don't cheat on my wife, I don't steal, I don't beat my kids. And it's better than doing 150 on 2 wheels, something I often did when I was a REALLY dumb 20-something!

 

I've also been in a similar situation. Dealing with some rednecks who really didn't like the guy on the road who CLEARLY wasn't from around there..

(last time I ever drive a nice car to one of the rural offices...)

I ended up responding as you did. Just sped until they couldn't keep up anymore. If I had to do it over again, hopefully I'd be calm enough to just dial the police. Instead, it was three figure speeds and me being very prepared to put that concealed carry permit to good use.

 

Carry Permit-.45 cal. Kimber with Crimson Trace grips. Remember folks, when seconds count the police are minutes away.

 

All people have a stress cracking point. The points differ person to person. I don't know what I would do under this situation at all. If I was in my 20's, I know precisely what I would do, but being a mature rational man, calling the cops comes to mind. Had a friend who was with his family, and was being hassled on a highway. He did some stupid things, and the car followed him off of the highway in a very populated area. They proceeded to beat him in front of his family, and put him in the hospital for a longgggg time. Not a good thing.

Thank God you are ok, and nothing came bad out of this.

 

Problem is, his arsenal was more than likely a lot bigger than yours.

 

Ha, true. If only he would have agreed to a programming competition!

 

At the risk of sounding "machismo" I would have pulled over in a well lit area, come to a stop and see what his problem/issue was. All while having 911 on the phone.

 

I might have too, but there was no such thing for miles. In my case, it was desolate highway, total darkness, and no traffic. I'm not sure what good having 911 on the phone is while face-to-face w/ a potential whack job.

 

Well... if you do need to defend your actions legally later, it can't hurt to have a recording demonstrating that it was self-defense and you tried to de-escalate the situation...

 

Well, if you're bleeding out on the side of a dark highway, that would be of little use.

 

I think the idea being you drop the phone and then handle the issue. Though I am worried we're (myself included) getting into action hero fantasy land here.

 

Yes, the action hero, winning a gunfight, or stare-down with a redneck thing is silly. The smart thing is to stay in your car and get as far away from the threat as possible.

 

Agreed, assuming you can just stay at a reasonable speed.

 

I once had someone drive into me intentionally with his car while I was on a motorcycle. The moral high ground isn't much consolation at that point. There have been quite a few car to car shootings around here lately too, so don't get too hung up on being in the right. Being somewhere else is preferable.