Road rage???

[madbullram]

It was an another afternoon, I am driving down from my office at 1.15 pm, for a 1.45 pm Scan appointment for my wife. We both work in same place so life is easy. Traffic is regular no jams nothing.

Had popped in Vedic Mantras since it relaxes her. We are in the middle of a nice conversation or rather battle (positive one with loads of laughter) of god/religion/belief etc suddenly I hear a blaring horn and within seconds I see a Hyundai Accent within millimeters to my car on the left squeezing between me and Bolero, trying to overtake us.

My wife literally screaming at the proximity, with her pregnancy elevating her fear, the accent is trying to muscle more. Split second I decide move to the right and may be scrape the median so that the moron does not hit the left side of the car, bcos that would give my wife extreme stress. I steer right and thanks to 10 yrs of driving and my racing skills i manage not to scrap the car same time manage to give enough gap for the maniac to pass through, and I realize the Bolero driver has also done the same and had scrapped the share auto and was pulling to a stop.

What happened next, was something I have not seen after teen years....and this part of my introspection.

My wife, asking me to stop so she can relax, I see her almost pale, almost in tears, My body shifts to perfect focused position, clutch gear in sync, hand switches of the A/C, the speedo is already at 90 KMPH, no traffic in front and clear roads

1 min, I have caught up with the accent, 10 more seconds i overtake him, 5 more seconds move infront of him, 5 more seconds stall brake and force him to stop.

Both vehicles comes down to screeching halt, I slam open the car, got down, went straight to the Accent who was rolling down his side glass with the most local abuses in tamil for cutting him to stop, I move to him, grab his shirt and 3 solid punch on his face...bugger cries of pain, apologizes in crying voice and I drag him down ...and then I realize what I am doing...by this time a Bolero pulls over, 3-4 more cars and all of them get down and grab the driver and starts shouting at him and abussing him, apparently i think he cut and snubbed them all and with his music system blarring party music I am sure he never heard anyone.

I let go of him, I just walk away, and drive my wife to hospital and I just told her, nothing da, just shouted at him royally and all came and started shouting so I left since its time for our appointment. She says serves him right, I am so proud of you.

She goes inside the scan room, I realize my fingers are swollen, I sit there and think:

1, What happened to me? I have never hit anyone (except for school days and boxing competitions). I always pride my self control and boxing had taught me enough of it.
2. Was this rage? Where was this, havent seen it after my school days?
3, What did I do? I actually chased a moron/maniac and taught him a lesson but at what cost? he could have hit my car when I tried stopping him?

I am typing this and fingers still hurt.

My mind says what I did is completely wrong and I should be ashamed

But my heart says "Did you see the fear in your wife's eye? Did you see what would have happened if that guy had actually hit on the left side of the car with your wife sitting ? my heart says "its absolutely right, you did it for your loved one, you did bcos more people will not be harassed by this moron..relax and move on"

Just little lost and confused and still shaken and my mind replays me hitting the driver in the middle of the road with a crowd around. Ya been in good number of boxing matches but I dont remember any but this does not go out of my head but glad to see my wife sleeping peacefully.

Whom do i listen? My mind or heart?
What would you do?

 

[murali_n]

Hai MBR,

It's very unfortunate, for what had happened. What you have done may not be legally right, but the other person had asked for it. At least he will think twice before exceeding the speed limit next time.

I had a similar experience, when on a sunday noon very near to my place at kodambakkam, a black Lancer had hit my car at front left bumper. The street was very narrow and I was turning right when this guy driving at at a breakneck speed , came from the left side , hit my car and fled.

There was no time to catch him when I was left in a shock.

There are a lot of people who drive intoxicated. It is better to avoid driving during nights on Saturdays and sundays, except on mainroads.

Just my 2 cents.

N.Murali

 

[srikarkav]

Hi Ram,

That was scary:sad: It was a miracle that the scumbag didn't crash into your car while overtaking or while you tried to stop him.There are so many idiots on the road who don't give a hoot for others.Yes while the head may say you should have stopped and let your wife relax, i think the guy got what was coming to him.I can perfectly understand your rage having a pregnant wife along side you.Yes i think you should convince yourself that you have done right and move on and pray you are never put in a situation like this again.

cheers,
sri

 

[gobble]

You saved your car, and yourself and misuss from injury. Then you got to show him his place without wasted energy of angry words. You are probably less stressed out now that you hit him, else you would be suffering from anger still. Sometimes a punch on the nose is more effective than words. Period.

I would say chill with a glass of wine or beer, tomorrow is another day ...

cheers

 

[rikhav]

Hi Ram
Kind of people who drive like that you sometimes have to take that step simply because our law does not do much to stop such people

Only thing you have to take care s that your family members or yourself dont become a target of revenge

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I don't have any muscle to hit anyone, and frankly, I am afraid to say that that is probably the only reason I never have.

There was an occasion, though, on which I found myself shouting and screaming at a guy just because his car was blocking the road. I'm ashamed of it to this day, but, even more, I wonder where the abuse came from, because I too, that day, had had a nice day out, was talking happily with wife, and there was no stress in me before the event.

I acted way out of line with no reasonable provocation. The guy would have moved his car in a minute or two --- whatever was wrong with me that I let fly like that? I still don't know.

You, on the other hand, were given every provocation. I don't think you should have hit the guy, but nor do I think you should be ashamed that you did.

Oddly, when a car with four drunk youths in it did drive into mine a few weeks ago, I was perfectly calm --- but I didn't have a pregnant wife in the car.

 

[srinisundar]

Yes, we will be provoked by some incidents like this, but this too scary to have our hubby by side that too pregnant...

Almost daily i am facing some kind of ThadE experience for the past few days, since byside of my apartment school was started which make my sense loose daily when i take the car out on school opening time and closing time.

I have kid too, still could not resist it was the vehicle parked by some of my kinda people in front of my apartment gate without driver which is not allowing me to take the vehicle out or keeping in.. I am happy:sad: to scold the driver once he comes after hear my blaring horn..

 

[gannyboy]

ohh man Ram...im happy u guys are alright.....many of us have gone thru similar road rashes ...but we think twice to react the way u did...and i say...im proud of you.....nothing wrong at all in my perspective..atleast that idiot wont repeat it for sometime... My only concern now is dont ..dont at al free bad or guilty for what happened...just carry on with your good life and stay happy!!!

cheers
ganesh

 

[jayad08]

thankfully the one u boxed was the only guy in the car..and didnt turn to be a maniac with a gun..

 

[tech_king_1]

My honest comments.
1. Start the conversation in a normal tone, telling him the mistake.
2. If he obliges ( u can make out from his words) or accepts this mistake, just let it go ( most of us keep our mind off road when we drive ).
3. If he is a cheap crook, just tell him let us take it to the police station.
Remember "Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous".
I have faced this situation twice and i have made sure that i have a polite conversation and this worked out fine.

By the way in you case, the treatment was necessary.

 

[jaudere]

hmmm,

I think it was right to hit that guy buy wrong to speed up to 90 kmph to catch him up. If there were 4 guys in the car, you would have been in soup.Some how these people learn their lesson sometime or other.

I will tell you an incidence.I was walking by a road, no foot path. I was walking on right side (right thing to do so that you are facing vehicles coming towards you). Suddenly a jeep came from behind, fromm wrong side with with a group of drunk people, it almost grazed me. I shuddered in shock . the guy in the back seat started laughing at me and pointing fingers to me.

The driver probably had done it purposely and he turned to laugh at me and at the same moment lost his control. The jeep straight way went into a ditch filled with mud and it was half sunk in the mud. Now the guys in the jeep were shocked, some how they crawled out and were stunned. It was my time to laugh. Of course i am not Gandhiji. I left them there without any help(though I made sure that there was no one badly bleeding or dead).

 

[BLASTO]

Not everyone is as lucky as you to stay in their home town. I envy you for that matter.

Iam sure if the same happened in Bangalore or Hyderabad, the gathered crowed would have abused YOU instead of the one who deserves it because he is a localite!

I have been in almost same situations earlier in banglaore but the inability to comprehend the situation in local language often gets over and with no time to think, the locals are all over you. And then a policeman walks in and claims that he knows not a single word of english and that I have to pay fine (!?!?).

Nowadays, Even after being exposed to senseless drivers, I have learnt to remain calm for fear of getting abused. I quit the place most of the time.

Seriously, people from TN should learn Hindi. I repent not doing it almost everyday. While I can survive more graciously outside of India in the US, it has been a hard path within our own country outside if TN.

 

[metalmickey]

awsome bro....quite heroic(reminded me of a scene in vinnathaandi varuvaya!!!) sorry for the untimely joke!....anyway knowing/living chennai i feel that kickin that dick head was perfect!....done it a couple of time myself followd by my gangz backin me up rite in time to make a perfect war zone!...anyway that was neat...nothin better to make your wife proud even though she musta got scared initially!....anyway it's good wat you did but dont make it a habit!..with chennai traffic n faggots drivin cars like bikes! !you kindah lose ur kewl right the minute you press the accel in the car!...so try not abusin those knuckles!....ive had a lot of these scenarios way back wen i used to drive to my college in porur!....(these days i prefer some water,cool breeaze! and probably a classic milds! to a fight!)gettin olda so gotta keep da kewl!.....anyway where did this happen anyway?.hows your wifey now?.

 

[partymonger]

You are feeling much better now, had you not done wat u did, it would have been worse..

Such shit holes deserve the treatment..


Same happened when my gf and me were goin in a car, a gal in a civic cut us so bad, if i hadnt controlled we would have been badly injured..luckily she stopped at a signal, i stopped beside her, beffore i cud get my guns blazing ;-),, suddenly my gf gets out, and slaps that bitch, and came and sat..that girl(or lady) didnt say a word..guess she knew it was payback time..

We took her vehicle number and reported to a traffic police man, at the next signal, he went and stopped her, and probably challan'ed her..

 

[sidvee]

I would have done the exact same thing as you did and would have regretted it later, but sometimes we - as law abiding citizens - have to take matters into our own hand - due to the laxity or almost absence of law enforcement - especially on the roads. I know in my lifetime (hopefully natural and not shortened by similar morons like the one you experienced on the road) I am not going to see any improvement in driving habits in any of our metros and am resigned to it. In a sense that also relaxes me and I hardly get worked up any more, but an incident like this probably would have gotten me riled up as well.
Cheers
Sid

 

[goyal.sanchit]

What you did though was risky but was absolutely right. He would remember this for some time to come.

 

[BLASTO]

Just now read the full post. I am surprised everybody thinks it is right.

You put your wife and kid in greater danger than they initially were subjected to by the guy which IMO is stupid. I don't understand how you will justify that. Though collision is prevented in both cases, from the narration, it looks like the second would have had much worse effect than the first if it had happened.

Those are my views. Yours might differ.

 

[svenkateshsmart]

Hi,

Ram, I am sorry to tell you that you had taken a huge risk by chasing the guy and beating him with your family beside you. However, I thank God for keeping you both safe and especially her, God bless!

I hope you took note of the car#, put in a word or two to a cop with whom you have a friendly relationship with and be on the watchout for a while for any trouble from the guy beaten up.

Though I am already convinced what you had done was right with regard to beating the guy, I am still worried how far it is safe while having family on our side. I have witnessed on at least a couple of occasions in mahabalipuram and in theatres during my college days, where the family or couples got into trouble for responding to the "buggers" loitering around.

I honestly dont know what I would have done, probably something worse than what you had and I cannot think of what as of now:
1. Because I am relaxed, sitting in front of a computer.
2. Not on the road, with my family beside!

Even if you were to take it to police, they would have dealt this in the way you dealt more than just filing a case, as we are still waiting for the law on "rash and negligent driving and the death caused by the same" to be amended and the Apex court recently favored the same and we can expect that to be much stringent than the existing one. In your case, that guy is lucky as you had not taken him to the police station, as they would have gotten the pulp out of him.

Cheers!

 

[cooltoad]

Ram, good to know both of you escaped unhurt. That was the most important thing.But beware if you've to deal with a bunch of unruly guys. My friend was in a similar situation and tried to vent his anger by having some words with the guys, but ended up getting his arm fractured as these were people having political connections and knew martial arts too and when my friend took the matter to the commissioner level through some contacts, he was told to forget the incident and move on.

I'm telling this because when you have your wife by your side, all the more reason to have a measured response than impulsive one.

 

[sivakuru]

I did not read what others have said. I just read your post.

While I certainly would want to do something like what you did,
I will never do it. Why?. Several reasons

1) If you want to prove a point (or whatever), race him, overtake him etc, are you
not becoming one like him in the process?. It is quite likely that you are putting
some one else in the position you were in before and the cycle then starts. Trust
me when you start something in rage/anger you will not be able to think and act
as a normal/sane person.

2) What if there were goons in the other car and they start beating/abusing you?.
You are then in danger and putting your family in danger. Dont expect people
to come to rescue. You never know how they will react and which side they
will flock/take.

I read in team-bhp, few months back, there was an similar incident (in Delhi??),
where two guys in Santro were overtaken by a city in a very rash manner, the
santro guy then managed to stop the city guy and when one of the guys from
santro confronted the city driver, the santro guy was dragged by the city guy
for some distance and was then dropped on the road and then fled away. The
guy who got dragged died on spot. AFAIK, the city guy has not been traced.

Anyways, there are some many zombies on road, why become a victim?.

It is difficult to say what you should have done. It is lame to say "be happy
for nothing is done to your car and wife", and at the same time, go to the extent
to say what you have done is correct/right.