South Austin road rage victim wants aggressive driver to face charges (Atlanta: legally, vehicle)

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by love roses

I can't believe that some of the replies to that story sided with the aggressor.

Every time the "news media" (especially TV) reports on a story that I'm personally familiar .....they get a portion of it wrong. (All 6-7 times). Sometimes wildly wrong....sometimes just a little bit....but everytime they get something wrong.

I don't know what the facts are. Maybe "the aggressor" rammed the guy 4 times, maybe not. Maybe the parent allowed his child to cross a busy street while he was busy screaming at the doofus parked in his truck....maybe not. (The aggressor "rammed" him 4 times & then pulled over to the side of the road when asked to....or possibly to help?? huh??)

The only guy i see "siding with the aggressor" (in the story) is a guy who (supposedly) was driving by & is saying that the victim was loony toons. He's not saying that he is supporting "the aggressor"....he's saying that he didn't see the collisions, but that the victim was acting irrational & was not being a good parent (his read).

Looking forward to hearing what really happened....hopefully in the papers since local TV s*cks (always has).

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by hound 109

Every time the "news media" (especially TV) reports on a story that I'm personally familiar .....they get a portion of it wrong. (All 6-7 times). Sometimes wildly wrong....sometimes just a little bit....but everytime they get something wrong.

I have had the same experience. I have personally known about or been involved with a story several times, and have seen first hand that the press generally is more interesting in a good story that grabs headlines rather than getting the facts of the story right. (A couple of times, I have actually said to a reporter "No, that's not correct. The facts are....." , but the story that came out still had the incorrect "facts". ) That is why, when a story has two sides, or a "right" and "wrong" factor, it is always best not to make a judgment, because the public really doesn't know the facts. There are so, so many political stories where the press has picked up the most inflammatory thing said and run with that, rather than helping the public by stating all sides of an issue so that people can make truly informed judgments. The same thing about using stories in the press to "judge" whether someone who is being tried for a crime is guilty or not; unless you are in that courtroom hearing all the evidence, forming an opinion seems pretty much futile to me.

[Jennibc]

I read the comments and I think the guy that is criticizing the victim is way off base. I think I'd seem a little crazy too after being rammed several times by a big truck like that. I might be standing in the street screaming for help with my kid still in the car. In the moments after an accident sometimes people lose their heads. What kind of a mean spirited person sits and casts that kind of judgment over someone that has just been victimized. If he were screaming like that a day later, well then, maybe it would be fair to question his mental health, but right at the time of the crime?

[nomore07]

Originally Posted by tongpa-nyi

It's actually very easy to practice these things. And you'll be surprised by how much better you'll feel. That's the true reward of kindness --- it brings you the blessing of inner serenity.

What is recommended for the person who gets hit?

[orbius]

Happens all the time. A car in an Accord was trying to cut me off and squeeze in front of me where there was little space on 2222. So I sped up to stop from being cut off. Next thing I know the guy tries to crash into me, and I know what an aggressive pretend maneouver is and this wasnt it. I was all the way onto the shoulder in a pure reflex move to avoid crashing.
He was gesticulating wildly after that but thought better of it after I held up my cell phone. He behaved like a puddy cat after his pea brain realized the fact he could get hauled in for what he did.
I was tempted to call the police but ultimately if theres no accident its his word versus yours and if the cop takes a dislike to you, you could end up being hauled in just as easily as he could.

[brubaker]

This whole episode is indeed rather odd considering how laid back Austin is.

[Trainwreck20]

My first thought was maybe it was a Toyota and the accelerator stuck, causing him to ram several times .

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

My first thought was maybe it was a Toyota and the accelerator stuck, causing him to ram several times .

The bozo who ran over the bus stop is looking for an excuse...let's not give HIM one!

[10scoachrick]

Actually, given the rate at which Texas is issuing CHLs and the number of Texans who already carry guns, I'm a bit surprised that one of these incidents hasn't ended differently. Of course, road-rage is nothing new and a few years ago a road rage incident in Atlanta DID end with the victim using a gun in self defense. I'm not making a suggestion, just an observation. Let's be careful out there!

[capcat]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Of course, road-rage is nothing new...

Did you read that actor Fess Parker suffered a knife wound in an almost-fatal road rage incident in 1946 or so? I didn't realize its history went back that far.