This happened about 5 km's from my house. Considering there are extremely tough gun laws here it just means the Criminal element are the only ones armed. Please don't use this thread as a gun laws debate !!

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...001021,00.html

Lets hope they don't like crossfires <g> Or do like Crossfires.... damn... does anyone know if our cars are bullet proof?

 

Sounds like one of those one-in-a-million a$$holes.

Of course, at current world population, that means he has 6000 total wack job brothers.

While our cars are not bulletproof, or even deer proof, we can probably out drive most of our problems.

 

Wow that is ridiculous. I had a older man follow me and my two friends back to my house once. He was awfuly pissed over something and kept trying to fight us..

the three of us would have totally ruined his day, and knowing this we just told him to **** off and leave.

road rage is some serious business, let me tell you!

 

All too true... It seems to be on the increase here. Most people give you a wave when they are merging and you let them in, or they are coming out of a servo and you leave them a gap to get through, though for some reason people are really on the edge and the waiving is on the decrease ant tempers rising.

Asside from road rage there are also the element here here that are cruising around looking for trouble and targetting nice cars. Lately there are those that bump into the back of the car in front and when the driver gets out of their car they are jumped and the car is stolen, dumped and burnt.

They used to just steal cars though now with the imobilisers compulsory on al post 2001 cars, if someone wants your car they usually assault the driver and take it that way. I know which option I prefer.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...16/2218263.htm

http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/...ney_carjacking

http://www.villagevoice.com.au/artic...acking+attempt

 

Come to Miami Fl. I believe it is the #1 city in the US for road rage. It must be a latin thing. They talk with their hands so much, I think people get the wrong idea. LOL

 

So I guess that taking everyones guns away didn't work? The teens are lucky the jerk wasn't a better shot. It's widely known that road rage in Florida is terrible but it rarely escalates into gun play. The reason for that is, people are allowed to carry firearms in thier cars. It also got 2 German visitors killed a few years back when they were stopped along the side of the road reading a map, the car had a huge sticker from a rental company. The 2 were killed because it was advertised that they were unarmed. Since that incident took place, the rental companies no longer make it obvious that it's a rental car.
This is not an issue of gun control but rather criminal control. Once the firearms were taken away from those who complied, it left the criminals with all they wanted. They are criminals because they don't pay attention to laws, they scoff at them and the rest of society. It's also why crime in Austrailia and the UK has risen by 400% or more.
Criminals simply don't abide by laws.
Sorry for hijacking your thread but I am a believer in the 2nd amendment.

 

No Problem, I understand both sides of the coin. A lot of people are asking the question about gun laws here and guns being in the hands of the mentally unstable and/or criminal minds. Case in point from yesterday.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...4-1702,00.html

He had 3 automatic pistols. I have rifles for hunting and the hoops I have to go through to keep them and even use them (I have to have a reason to be transporting them to our property in the bush) Handguns on the other hand are bascially out for anyone who doesn't need them for other than their work or involved with a club. We have banned carrying knives as well BTW.

Saying that our crime stats are due to us not having the right to bear arms is a huge stretch and I don't belive the increase of 400% is correct in Aus anyway. More the problem is the lack of police here.

Damn I just realised you pulled me into the debate... enough from me on the subject. For more views on the Australian tack with regards to Gun Laws please see.

http://www.guncontrol.org.au/

 

That's ok OZ, we Americans are gun nuts, you know that...but as for road rage, just use the pedal to the rt unless you are rt hand drive, then it would be to your left, push down all the way, and, if in a roadster, lift rt hand, up high now, extend middle finger...that should do the trick...Doc

 

[quote=Crossfire Trail]So I guess that taking everyones guns away didn't work? The teens are lucky the jerk wasn't a better shot. It's widely known that road rage in Florida is terrible but it rarely escalates into gun play. The reason for that is, people are allowed to carry firearms in thier cars. It also got 2 German visitors killed a few years back when they were stopped along the side of the road reading a map, the car had a huge sticker from a rental company. The 2 were killed because it was advertised that they were unarmed. Since that incident took place, the rental companies no longer make it obvious that it's a rental car.

That is why the German's don't come to Miami any longer. They go to Ft. Myers. By the way CT those 2 Germans were killed 6 or 7 years ago. Time flies when you get old. LOL

 

LOL... that sounds like a plan. I usually just smile or wave. Although here is another story where provocation can cause problems with road rage by aggravating the situation.

A prelim. to this one. The Roads and Traffic Authority, not sure of your state equievelant, ran an add campaign to try and curb Provisional drivers driving erratically after several cases of innocent bystanders being killed when they lost control. Quite an interesting tack to take and I think it had quite a good impact. to see the actaul add there is a youtube clip at the bottom of the story.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22679374-2,00.html

 

I did say it was a few years ago and the point was that it happened and WHY it happened. I'm not a "gun nut" and I really dont like that reference at all. I drive a Crossfire and I am respected and repectable. I happen to like firearms and they have saved my life and helped me save the lives of many innocent people. What does my age have to do with it?
I guess that respect is the only thing missing from this equation. You see that with respect, we wouldn't need firearms to defend ourselves from the jerks that have none for themselves or anyone else.
Whenever there is something said about anything that isn't true, I feel it is my duty to speak up.
Gun nut? Car nut? Just plain nuts. All may apply but my heart is in the right place and it's right here defending our collective rights.
Now I'll get off my soap box.
Thanks for your indulgence.

 

In every post in this thread that refers to mis-use of firearm. The butt hole that used them should not have had a firearm to begin with. Gun laws only take rights away from those that are responsible gun owners. Criminal don't care. A 12 year old can buy a gun on a street corner yet responsible citizens are subluect to numerous checks and licenses.

Go after the criminals and let law-abiding citizens protect theirselves.

 

I think Nightrider summed it all up quite well. I can remember a time here when my old man bought his shotgun a Kmart and I used to be able to buy ammunition at the Shell servo in Mudgee. I can't say that gun crime has reduced that much from a layman’s position. It would be interesting to see the stats.

The way we are going here, and I assume there, is that we are going to get pulled over and be held up by the criminal element demanding "Give me all your fuel"

To bring this thread back to road rage. I would prefer the road rage which makes me laugh how people get riled up over nothing. I see the stats on Coffee consumption here in Oz show that consumption has doubled in the last 30 years which I think is in line with Road Rage.

I hope the boffins don't see the trend or I will need a license to buy coffee after a psychological test and a letter from employer saying that it is safe for me to consume on his premises. I will need to do a safe consumption of coffee course. You will still be able to buy coffee without a license from a street corner though. Maybe we need a referendum to put the "right to drink coffee" in our constitution before its too late. We can reduce Road Rage by safe driving under the influence of caffeine courses, tied in with anger management. I jest though how many things do we need to have licenses for now. Fishing, Dogs, and the latest they are toying with is Push Bikes..... crazy stuff.

Damn I got off road rage again... too much coffee.... see....

 

Back to the road rage. It seems to me that there are many people, all over the world, that think they all know the proper way to drive. If someone veers from that form of driving or does something stupid (we've all been there) you become irritated at what just happened to you. The idiots that run red lights and stop signs are just plain ignorant. People are in too much of a hurry, they drive while consuming food, smoking cigaretts, reading the newspaper and talking on thier cell phones, all at the same time.
When I used to be on the road for hours, going from one store to another, I used to see it all. People reading the newspaper drove me crazy. I actually saw a guy today, with his left foot on the dashboard while driving. If he wrecked, he'd loose his leg.
Folks just don't think and it goes beyond that. People that have thier kids in the car, blowing through those stop signs and lights are sending a message to those kids, that message is, don't obey the traffic laws, they are for everyone else.
The point is, I could go on and on. There are so many people doing stupid things that are not being caught by the police that it boggles the mind.
Once again, the law abiding citizenry has to deal with those that shun the law.
Crossfire Trail

 

I agree with CrossfireTrail. People think they know how to drive, or they just don't care. I think that the BIGGEST part of this problem is that we continually dumb it down for people. Every year, there are more stop signs, more traffic lights, lower speed limits, more waiting, slower moving traffic, and it just keeps getting worse.

The trouble is that we are busier and busier everyday. We have more places to be and more things we have to do. So what does our beloved Department of Transportation do? They slow us down even more. So we spend MORE time in our cars. People's natural response to this is that they multi-task. They do several things at once - drive, read, talk, eat, drink... whatever. OR: they get bored and simply don't pay attention.

The problem is epidemic and every effort that is made to make driving "safer" is only exacerbating the real problem.

Can anyone tell me why in my county (which has had constant population shrinkage for 30 years) it keeps taking longer to get anywhere? Less people + less cars does not equal slower traffic.

I know it's not the answer, but out of frustration I have to say we should consider making driving MORE dangerous, which MIGHT influence people to actually pay attention. Of course, we would have to survive the "weeding out" period - and a lot of people would die before the rest would "get it."

As it is, it will only get worse, until we develop some form of automatic driving where the car drives and delivers you to your destination. Either that or MUCH better mass transit.

 

Rage is here too, our 17 yr old daughter is driving the Mom van home from work, used the blinker, go into the next lane to turn onto a side street. It is likely as a new/young driver she did cut too close, "cut this guy off" but he follows her, races ahead, slams his brakes on, backs up to block her and jumps out yelling fowl /swear words at her. She is sitting there window half down stunned, asking him to not call her "those things". An adult man yelling at a girl filthy things and then he SPITS on her face! She comes home in tears sobing. She said she wanted to get back at him somehow, so she got his plate number and a good description of him. I called the police who came over and we made a report. The house the plates were registered too didn't have a car there as of then. Tomorrow I will call on the report and see what is going on. What an ***, bully, he is more than a jerk, he assulted her, a minor. Our family is not very forgiving about things like this.

 

WOW... Rapp thats pretty bad. I hope the guy gets a follow up and your daughter feels some sort of closure on it somehow. My wife and my brother have had similar incidents seperately where my wife was abused through her open window by a business dressed woman and my brother had a guy come up from behind and stick his hand around my brothers throat through a couple of inch gap in the window. (winding up the window till he let go and speeding off was enough to diffuse that one.

It seems we have a world wide phenominon. I don't know what the answer is.....

There have been a few times when I have yelled at my steering wheel, coz the window was up . I may do a little research to see wat the phsyco boffins say about road rage.

From the way it looks your daughter did the right thing. A word of advice if you are being followed by a rager go to a police station and lean on the horn or a service station as they have camera's and are well lit.

Keep us posted on the outcome Rapp.

 

What a jerk !

I do hope that you get closure on this, Rapp.
This goes beyond road rage to assaulting & traumatizing a minor.
People like that should have there license revoked, and then some.

 

Rapp & family,

I know exactly how you feel. This happened to my son about 2 months ago in Selma, AL. The guy took offense to a perceived on-road insult (signaled lane change) and followed Austin to a Taco Bell. He pulled in behind Austin to prevent his leaving the parking space and started yelling vile things.
Austin exited his car (NOT smart), and the man abruptly left.
Austin is 6'3", weighs 310 and benches 425. Right tackle for UWA.
I hope your daughter is ok, and doesn't in the future do anything "brave" like my idiot son. He got a good talkin' to from me and then, poor bugger, his mom started in on him. He's big, but that makes him a great target. Too many people are armed these days, and for the wrong reasons.

My best, Max

 

Rapp, keep on the police abuot this. It is way down on the list of priorities for them. You are correct in that it is an assault, but if you don't keep on it, it will get dropped by the wayside. the squeeky wheel gets the grease.