Someone may have gotten a picture of my plates... should I worry?

On my way to work this morning someone (female, 40's, brown hair, light blue early 2000's F150) tried to cut me off, riding a turn lane as far as they could and crossing over the triangle of dead space at the end. I didn't let her in... there's plenty of room before there to get over and the other day someone did that on the same spot and almost hit me when I was on my bike (driving the truck today). People that do that shit really piss me off. The idiot behind me let her in, and she pulled up her phone (white iPhone in a blue case) holding it sideways like she was taking a picture. I stopped short and backed up to her bumper and sat there until the traffic in front of me had cleared up to the first opening to a side street and then punched it and took off. She tried to follow but couldn't keep up and was cut off by a Mini Cooper (white with black racing stripes and a roof rack).
I don't know if she was taking a picture of my truck for a visual reference, or of my plates, but she may have gotten a clean shot. How plausible/possible is it that she could find my address off a pate number?

No worry. Unless the pic taker wants to register at one of those secure check places, pay a few $$ for the privilege. She might call the cops saying she has a picture of someone who cut her off. If that's the case it's your word vs hers.

Unless she is in law enforcement, she cannot get your address from a plate. She more than likely will file a complaint and depending on the agency with jurisdiction, they will either investigate to determine if there is enough evidence to write a traffic citation for her to sign against you (unlikely), or just take the report and close the case#. I wouldn't worry about it unless you get a call from a cop about it.

Sounds like she was the victim of road rage. I hope the photo helps her. I'm sure your post above where you admit cutting her off, stopping, backing up to her bumper (threatening her with a one-ton weapon), etc. will help her case.

Yhea, yhea, you were "justified". No, you weren't.

Just calling it as I see it. Modifying and/or deleting your post would be further admission of guilt on your part.

O2

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Originally Posted by mcantar18c

On my way to work this morning someone (female, 40's, brown hair, light blue early 2000's F150) tried to cut me off, riding a turn lane as far as they could and crossing over the triangle of dead space at the end. I didn't let her in... there's plenty of room before there to get over and the other day someone did that on the same spot and almost hit me when I was on my bike (driving the truck today). People that do that shit really piss me off. The idiot behind me let her in, and she pulled up her phone (white iPhone in a blue case) holding it sideways like she was taking a picture. I stopped short and backed up to her bumper and sat there until the traffic in front of me had cleared up to the first opening to a side street and then punched it and took off. She tried to follow but couldn't keep up and was cut off by a Mini Cooper (white with black racing stripes and a roof rack).
I don't know if she was taking a picture of my truck for a visual reference, or of my plates, but she may have gotten a clean shot. How plausible/possible is it that she could find my address off a pate number?

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If she does report it, the cops may call you but most likely won't. They get bullshit calls like this all the time. However if you have been reported previously then they will be more likely to look into it.

Thanks guys, that's kinda what I figured. I don't know why she'd think she has any legal standing here, which is why I think she might have some other intent.

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Originally Posted by O2HeN2

Sounds like she was the victim of road rage. I hope the photo helps her. I'm sure your post above where you admit cutting her off, stopping, backing up to her bumper (threatening her with a one-ton weapon), etc. will help her case.

Yhea, yhea, you were "justified". No, you weren't.

Just calling it as I see it. Modifying and/or deleting your post would be further admission of guilt on your part.

O2

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This was on 285 northbound at the Santa Fe exit. She was speeding and pulled an illegal and potentially dangerous maneuver crossing over the triangle formed by the white lines that mark the curve of the exit and the right lane that continues straight... just like any highway exit... and attempted to cut me off to get back into the flow of traffic. I simply didn't move (slam on my brakes) to let her in... in no way did *I* cut *her* off.
I have no reason or intent to modify my OP to say anything other than originally stated. If you think I'm in the wrong here, you probably drive like a douchebag too.

She was being dumb by waiting to merge until the very end, you were being confrontational and driving recklessly, per your own telling of events.

Why are you concerned that someone was taking a picture of your license plate? It's readily visible to every single person in the world.

I don't let people in when they're too dense to see the "lane merges" sign or drive all the way to the end of the merge lane in hopes of being a couple cars ahead. I don't know why you did the rest of the actions as I gladly sit there after not letting them in and maintain my safe speed. If they don't like me for it, that's their issue, not mine.

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Originally Posted by mcantar18c

I simply didn't move (slam on my brakes) to let her in... in no way did *I* cut *her* off.

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On the board here we always talk about deescalation in encounters whenever possible. That didn't happen here. By not letting her in you escalated. By stopping short you escalated. By backing up to her you escalated. You bringing up the fact that you had a close call on a bike here only drives home the fact that you were emotionally engaged in this situation and out for revenge on someone that was not involved in the previous close call (you know, kinda like anti-gunners blaming all non-involved gun owners for actions of criminals).

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Originally Posted by mcantar18c

If you think I'm in the wrong here, you probably drive like a douchebag too.

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She was wrong, you were wronger. You turned her idiot maneuver into a road rage incident.

That's the thing about road rage. If someone else does it, it's road rage. If you do it it's "justified".

As for your "probably" no, I don't. I drive cooperatively as possible and when situations arise, I deescalate.

O2

Shoulda been a SMACK DOWN. Now there's something to see.

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Originally Posted by Dave_L

I don't let people in when they're too dense to see the "lane merges" sign or drive all the way to the end of the merge lane...

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What you disagree with here is exactly the way to do it. You are not supposed to merge early, you're supposed to drive all the way to when the lane starts to go away and then do a "zipper" merge for maximum safety.

But don't take my word for it, go to just about any DOT site and you can read it for yourself. Minnesota's DOT page comes up first on google (though in this case it's construction specific) so here's their description of a zipper merge:

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/zippermerge/

Of course if you have road ragers not letting you in when you get to the lane going away, that's when problems arise.

O2

The only reason I stopped is because she pulled up a camera. Otherwise I would have gone about my business.
As far as being emotionally involved... hardly. I'm not out for revenge or anything ridiculous like that. My point about the bike is that driving like she does can be extremely dangerous. Had I started accelerating a second sooner, that guy would have hit me.

I'm with 02 on this. Your actions escalated. Ps - it is relatively easy to get info from the dmv


Sent by a free-range electronic weasel, with no sense of personal space.

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Originally Posted by O2HeN2

What you disagree with here is exactly the way to do it. You are not supposed to merge early, you're supposed to drive all the way to when the lane starts to go away and then do a "zipper" merge for maximum safety.

But don't take my word for it, go to just about any DOT site and you can read it for yourself. Minnesota's DOT page comes up first on google (though in this case it's construction specific) so here's their description of a zipper merge:

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/zippermerge/

Of course if you have road ragers not letting you in when you get to the lane going away, that's when problems arise.

O2

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I meant more for stop and go traffic and when construction forces lane closures. Maybe I mis-read the OP. Im speaking more for the obvious "i want to get ahead of everyone" person. I make space for people coming on the highway, whether that's moving over a lane or creating a gap. Like you said, it needs to be a zipper. I think the merger needs to use their brain a little too and look for where a gap is to merge in seamlessly instead of assuming one will magically appear in dense traffic at the end of their merge lane.

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Originally Posted by O2HeN2

Sounds like she was the victim of road rage. I hope the photo helps her. I'm sure your post above where you admit cutting her off, stopping, backing up to her bumper (threatening her with a one-ton weapon), etc. will help her case.

Yhea, yhea, you were "justified". No, you weren't.

Just calling it as I see it. Modifying and/or deleting your post would be further admission of guilt on your part.

O2

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Lol wut?

I would definitely not consider his actions to be "road rage". Clearly you've never driven in Los Angeles... [LOL]
He stopped until traffic in front of him cleared (makes sense to me and seems perfectly reasonable and lawful).
Backed up so that she wouldn't take a picture of his plates, which seems to have been an unfounded concern.
He drove away (probably recklessly, judging by his telling of the story) to escape the perceived threat when she followed him.

Edited: it seems we're not all on the same page about the merging scenario, (I read the OP as stating that the OP was on the highway and didn't make room for entering traffic) so I'll just leave with this:

De-escalating is usually a good thing, but encouraging unsafe behavior is always a bad thing.

So should the OP be working on being Mr. Right, or wait for the perfect woman for a relationship.

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Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo

So should the OP be working on being Mr. Right, or wait for the perfect woman for a relationship.

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None of that would matter if he drove a real truck and did crossfit every day!

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Originally Posted by Dave_L

I meant more for stop and go traffic and when construction forces lane closures. Maybe I mis-read the OP. Im speaking more for the obvious "i want to get ahead of everyone" person. I make space for people coming on the highway, whether that's moving over a lane or creating a gap. Like you said, it needs to be a zipper.

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Yhea, I was unclear/ambiguous. If traffic is moving, as you mention you should merge at your convenience. Stomping on it to get ahead in the lane that's going away is bad form (that MNDOT page does mention the "merge early" exception if traffic is moving at speed).

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Originally Posted by Dave_L

I think the merger needs to use their brain a little too and look for where a gap is to merge in seamlessly instead of assuming one will magically appear in dense traffic at the end of their merge lane.

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I know according to Bloomberg we don't have any paved roads down here, but I see the lack of brain use every day here in Colorado Springs when I get on the I25 southbound on-ramp at Woodmen. It narrows to one lane a concrete wall and a guard rail just before the freeway. About 50% of the time when it's at 1.5 lanes wide someone will shoot past me, get their nose a half an inch in front of me and expect me to yield. Which I typically do. It may be encouraging bad behavior, but it's better than a trip to the body shop and finger pointing when the police arrive.

O2

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Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo

So should the OP be working on being Mr. Right, or wait for the perfect woman for a relationship.

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They say opposites attract, so maybe he should get with the woman of the other car.

This wasn't a merge lane. In that instance, yes, you zipper in. This person was speeding down a clearly marked exit only lane to get around traffic and crossed over a zone you're not supposed to drive in to cut back into traffic. I didn't stop to fuck with her or retaliate or anything like that, which would be road rage. I was trying to prevent her from getting a shot at my plates, as I didn't know why she was trying to get that info.

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Originally Posted by mcantar18c

I didn't stop to fuck with her or retaliate or anything like that, which would be road rage. I was trying to prevent her from getting a shot at my plates, as I didn't know why she was trying to get that info.

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Originally Posted by mcantar18c

I stopped short and backed up to her bumper and sat there until the traffic in front of me had cleared up to the first opening to a side street and then punched it and took off.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by mcantar18c

This wasn't a merge lane. In that instance, yes, you zipper in. This person was speeding down a clearly marked exit only lane to get around traffic and crossed over a zone you're not supposed to drive in to cut back into traffic. I didn't stop to fuck with her or retaliate or anything like that, which would be road rage. I was trying to prevent her from getting a shot at my plates, as I didn't know why she was trying to get that info.

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That sounds similar to what I pictured. You had no obligation to encourage her unsafe and irresponsible behavior by letting her in.

Dash cams are $75

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

Dash cams are $75

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That is why I have the GoPro running on the windshield while driving. They say a pic is worth a thousand words, well a video is worth a million.

I have a cheap little Chinese dash cam for sale if anyone wants it. $20, new in box.

How the hell did I get on Facebook without an account ? [Sarcasm2]

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Originally Posted by mcantar18c

This wasn't a merge lane. In that instance, yes, you zipper in. This person was speeding down a clearly marked exit only lane to get around traffic and crossed over a zone you're not supposed to drive in to cut back into traffic. I didn't stop to fuck with her or retaliate or anything like that, which would be road rage. I was trying to prevent her from getting a shot at my plates, as I didn't know why she was trying to get that info.

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http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/se...date&query=w4m

Civil discourse is good. Use of derogatory slurs will not be tolerated. No one here but the OP knows what he experienced, however, commenting on what the OP posts is part of the discussion. Disagreements are normal and expected. Please keep it civil or this thread gets closed.

Questions?

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I stopped short and backed up to her bumper and sat there until the traffic in front of me had cleared up to the first opening to a side street and then punched it and took off.

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If I had someone do that to me, I'd view that as some serious road rage, and if I had video of it, it would go to the police.

Crossing solid lines to get around traffic is a problem. There are two areas where I live that people do that and it's obvious they are doing it just to get around traffic (i.e. not just lost or weren't paying attention). One of them is a merge onto E470 from Yosemite where drivers on 470 WB will cross the line to get around cars on the right only to push everyone back when they have to cut back into traffic.

It has decreased the ability to zipper merge in that location because everyone is now defensive.

The other location... Surprises me there hasn't been a very serious accident.

I drive 70 miles a day on 25. I'm surprised there isn't more road rage. Roads are getting nuts!

Op, I wouldn't worry about it. I get the finger and picture taken all the time for only driving 5mph over the speed limit. Heaven forbid I'm doing 80 in a 75! Eff me. And don't even get me started on the merge ramps......

I'm just going to say this and bow out before the lock.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

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Originally Posted by ray1970

I'm just going to say this and bow out before the lock.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

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But 3 lefts do!

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Originally Posted by DenverGP

If I had someone do that to me, I'd view that as some serious road rage, and if I had video of it, it would go to the police.

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You would call the police for someone backing up in front of you and delaying you for 10 seconds or so?


I guess when I think road rage I think people brake checking you/throwing things out of their car/pulling over and attempting to pick fights. Not making your license plate out of view of someone trying to photograph it by backing up close to them and delaying acceleration.

I haven't read the thread fully yet. But I do want to tell you that you can go to the Pierce Street MVA, pay $2.20 cents and get the information of any vehicle registered in Colorado, just like that. Sometimes the clerks are diligent and require a specific reason, sometimes they are not. Before you panic, also know that you can go to that MVA and make a request to see who has pulled your plate information in the past year.

I wouldn't worry about the cops doing anything about it, I submitted a quality, clear dashcam footage of a jeep making an illegal U-turn, Thornton PD got back to me and said they have contacted the vehicle owner, but cannot do anything because there is no clear view of the driver.

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Originally Posted by Ranger353

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That is why I have the GoPro running on the windshield while driving. They say a pic is worth a thousand words, well a video is worth a million.

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gopro doesn't do so well in night time and low light, when someone lights up their brakes, your gopro will wash out and no plate numbers will be read.

I don't have a day go by that some jackhole doesn't blow the right turn lane on southbound Tower at Smith and cut me off by swerving into my lane. The right lane is clearly marked "Right Turn Only" both with signage and paint on the pavement. The worst incidences are when the crossing gates are down for the train tracks, and traffic backs up in the left lane(through lane). Invariably, 5 or 6 dipwads will haul ass down the right lane, then go straight across the intersection and expect to be allowed to merge into the left lane. There's been a few times when I've been driving my POS 89 F250 that I've been tempted to find out how committed they are to barging into my lane...

OP, wouldn't worry about it. I try to drive civilly and obey traffic laws but sometimes you have to protect yourself. I dont see anything that you did was wrong or illegal. Had it been a merge lane, different story. Some folks cant be bothered to have to commit to a wrong turn and be delayed a few minutes.

I may or may not have known someone that was called in for street racing via plate numbers. Said person may have had a cop waiting at their house when they arrived home. Cop said "If it was you, slow it down."

Cops have to be there to verify you were the driver. Hence why photo radar tickets don't do anything.

Just tie a douche bag to the bumper hitch, looks way better than the other ornaments I have seen...