It is also a demographic thing. The tri staters do it so often it is often ignored. I was shocked when visiting the prevalence of it. We had a big wig manager from New York, Armonk or White Plains, he was a medium if not slight build Italian guy. Had an ego that would put my oversized one to shame. So he is out here in the Bay Area, doing ride arounds with managers. My manager, a laid back black guy has his turn. So they are in a not so nice neighborhood, and he is in my bosses car. They get cutoff and pull up side by side next to the car that cut them off. The tri stater then unannounced rolls down his window, flips them off and start f-bombing them to no end. Needless to say my laid back manager just shit. "You are going to get us killed!" He says no problem, we do this all the time back East. Well, it may fly there, but when in Rome...Nothing happened, luckily, but why would you want to provoke some unknown people into actions that could be fatal, after being cutoff? They were not a threat, until he made them one.
Now on the receiving end. I was just leaving the dentist, not in the best of moods. Clearly not thinking straight. I am taking my two oldest kids to get halloween costumes and get off the freeway, and have to get over within one stop to the far left hand lane. This Mexican guy starts flipping me off. And he has kids in his car! I swear I did nothing wrong or to him, but he is just wigging out. The traffic is not moving, and I wish he would just go away. No such luck, he starts throwing cassette tapes at my car. By now I am next to him, in the left hand turn lane. I am still in an ugly mood from the dentist, and this guy just picked a bad time. So like a complete fool, I get out of my car and proceed to walk up to his, at first he was brave, he started to get out. I had him by about 50-60 lbs, and was pretty buff back then. He quickly gets back in his car, and I read him the riot act, in front of his kids, my kids, and all of the stopped traffic. You fucking *****, you try to start a fight and hide in your car. Also added some choice insulting Spanish words. I thought he was going to cry. He speeds off, and I turn to the halloween shop. Maybe 5 minutes in there a guy comes in and asks if anyone has a green Crown Vic. Yes, that be me. Some Mexican just pulled up and threw a board at it. Sure enough, he grabbed a 2 X 4 from a gas station, probably meant for me, but figuring I would take it from him and inflict severe bodily harm he threw it at the trunk lid. That was macho. Needless to say I got the hell out of there, counted my blessings and never, I repeat never acted a fool again. It was just not worth it. The only thing that restrained me from sidekicking his window out and dragging him out of his car and beating him senseless was I had my kids. To this day my kids remind me of that story, and I am actually humbled, a rarity for me, and I am better from it. That one stupid event could have cost me everything I care about. Never, get out of your car, and try not to acknowledge it. I learned my lesson, and a dented trunk lid was a cheap price to pay.
Best Wishes...OF:howdy:
