by Ted Sherman

Created on: April 26, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

We had it happen one time about 25 years ago, and because it was so bizarre, we still talk about it today. We were on an expressway at night, and were caught in heavy traffic behind a slow-moving car. The car was in the middle lane, so I blinked my brights for a quick second to warn the driver that I was swinging around to pass.

As I passed, I heard loud, persistent blares of the driver's horn, and for the next two miles, the car stayed deliberately close to my back bumper with horn blaring. To this day, I don't know what I could have done so wrong to make the driver get overwhelmed by road rage.

When I got to my off-ramp, I signaled and drove down it to the street. I couldn't help noticing that the other driver was still dangerously close to my rear bumper. If I had needed to make a sudden stop, we would have been hit. The close chase continued down the street until I was close to my house. There were members of our family in the car, including small children, and I decided there was enough potential danger for me to avoid going directly into my driveway. I let the rest of the family off quickly a block or two away from home, and with a sigh of relief, proceeded alone.

Then I changed my role from the rabbit to the fox. I slowed down, forcing the road ranger to slow down to keep on my tail. I knew the neighborhood well, but I don't think the driver did. It was a dark night, so I figured a way to lay a trap. I was in a neighborhood watch group that met at the police station once a week and then to go out on our patrols with police call radios in our cars. This was decades before cell phones, but these special radios gave the volunteers two-way access to the police.

Fortunately, I had mine with me on this night. As I drove along, I called the station, identified myself as an off-duty volunteer, and told of the antics of the road rager, who was still close on my tail. I drove to the alley I knew would take me to the back of the station. The other car, not knowing I was setting the trap, followed me right up to the back of the darkened police station.

I parked, got out of the car and walked back toward my tormentor. I heard loud cursing, and the door opened. To my surprise, and with a bit of fear, I saw it was a grey-haired woman with a tire iron in her hand. As she advanced on me, all the bright lights on the back of the police station suddenly caught us both in a brilliant glare. At the same time, six cops came toward us from just a few feet away.

The woman look shocked, and after some gruff commands from one of the officers, she dropped the tire iron. I found out later, she had a long record of drunk driving, petty crime and domestic violence, and in fact, was driving that night with a suspended license.

What should you do when a road rager picks you as the victim of the hour? Today, with cell phones in just about every car, try not to do anything to threaten or challenge the pursuer while you call 911. Stay on the road and keep moving. Identify yourself and location to the emergency operator. When instructed, follow directions to pull over into a police station or other well-lighted area where police help will be waiting.

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