Road Rage

[davsel]

I no longer brake-check tailgaters. I figure they are mad enough already, no need for me to escalate the situation.

As far as drawing on someone who gets out of their car - Absolutely.
If I was standing on the sidewalk, and someone was coming at me in a rage, I would most certainly draw on them; no different if I'm in my car.

They can yell and scream all they want from inside their vehicle, but as soon as they approach, all bets are off, and I am prepared to defend myself and end the confrontation as quickly as possible.

If you go to that level right away, I would recommend including a call to 911 as soon as possible to report having to draw your firearm in defense of yourself, even if you don't shoot it....you want to file a report and press charges (they can be dropped later if you so choose). This puts you in the proactive position and the perp on the defense. Imagine instead that you don't, and someone calls the cops and describes you and your plate number after seeing you point the gun at someone? Big difference in perspective IMO.

Just to clarify:
I try not to do anything to escalate the situation (brake-check, cut off, flip off...).
I try to remove myself safely from the situation (turn off same route, go around the block...)
Only when cornered - unable to leave the situation, would I draw on someone.

I am not about to wait to see if the enraged individual attempts to, or is able to, enter my vehicle. They are going to have to quickly make the decision of whether or not attacking me is worth being shot. I feel I owe them the courtesy of letting them know what they are getting into up front.

Just as we have most likely all seen, heard, and possibly witnessed, the ability of a knife-wielding attacker to close the distance on an individual, I am not going to wait for my windows to break before drawing a weapon and pointing it in the face of an attacker who is within arm's reach of me.

As for calling the cops and filing a report: Possibly
I figure the fact the individual got out of his vehicle and approached mine would determine who the aggressor was. I'm pretty sure I am within my legal right to point a gun in the face of an aggressor. My first duty is to defend myself and my family. 911 will not be my first response.