I am not a lawyer. In fact, none of us are lawyers. I think you should go to a lawyer and describe what happened and get advice from him, not from us.
In mnay cases, what you descibed would not be subject to criminal prosecution. You could clean his clock in civil court, though. You were assaulted.
If the assault was witnessed, you could sue him and win.
What about making threats? That’s the part that really scares me. Some pissed off guy on the road is neither here nor there. But when he starts saying things like, “I’m going to come and find you and then the fun will begin,” that sounds like a serious physical threat, which I’m sure is:
a) completely illegal, and
b) seriously scary
Especially if he’s persistent about it.
That idiot is going to run into a driver with a gun in his glove compartment one of these days.
-L
Actually, some of us might be lawyers, but we most certainly are not TiffZTell’s attorneys.
Tiff should certainly seek out an attorney should he/she wish to pursue a civil suit. I’m not sure what the damages are, though.
Tiff ought not need to incur personal legal expenses to swear out a criminal complaint against this asshole. I have never been to Maine and know nothing about its laws, but I would be surprised if the activity described did not violate a number of traffic, criminal assault, and civil rights laws. So Tiff should feel free to approach the local police and strenuously inquire why this repeated activity does not wrrant their attention. He/she can also pose similar inquiry to the local state’s attorney, as well as appropriate departments in state government such as the attorney general’s office.
And if none of these folk sound interested, well, this sounds to me like the type of thing a local newspaper or newscast would have a field day with.
Of course, this approach could have unpleasant consequences. But weighed against being a hostage in your house …
As Dinsdale intimated, it sounds like criminal assault was committed, along with all the other traffic offenses mentioned. You would have to check the Criminal Code in Maine, but I’d be surprised if there was not a crime committed.
Also, as pointed out, it sounds like that sob is somehow connected with the local police.
The easiest way is just forget about it for now, but be prepared to collect evidence (tape recorder, etc.) in case it happens again. You’re not making a mountain out of a mole hill. I’d be damn pissed too.
That sob is a real MANiac. 
For what it’s worth, I looked up NY law regarding road rage, and the bottom line was:
If the cops don’t see it, there is nothing you can do about it. (From a road rage point of view). If this guy is still harassing you and they know who he is (through the first police report), I would certainly call the police about any subsequent harassment. (particularly because he’s made racist statements and threats)
Zette
I don’t know Maine, but most states have their own police departments. Forget the local guys (maybe his brother is on the force or something) go to the state police and explain the whole situation to them, including the run around by the local police.
Warning: This ** will not ** endear you to the local guys, but then again anything you get done to a guy they’re covering for will do the same.
This is my advice. If you talked to the town police, call the sheriff next time. If the sheriff doesn’t help, call the Maine State Troopers.
In the meantime, contact the Maine State Attorney General. His phone number is 626-8844, and his website is http://www.state.me.us/ag/homepage.htm
Please do this. I don’t want to see you end up as another James Byrd Jr.
Wow, if what this guy has done is not illegal, that is pretty scary. He sounds like an all-out a-hole. Could be racism; could be road rage. Whatever it is, it isn’t right. He’s just a punk who may pull into a gas station one day with some guy who won’t take any of his *^(#@ and fill him up with a premium unleaded fist to the jaw. I’d love to be there to see it.
I was involved in two hit-and-run crashes in two cities a decade apart in time and 700 miles in distance.
In each case, the hit-and-run driver was the son of the police chief, and in each case the cops had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do their jobs. In each case I had the plate number, make and model of car and witnesses.
Years later, by the way, the second city’s police force was involved in a scandal involving a laundry list of crooked-cop charges against it, and the chief was fired. The court cases went on for years. I don’t know whether he and any of his cops went to jail.
So take your complaint to a higher level. This nutbar might be the brother, nephew or son of a cop.
Tiff, this is very scary.
I second most of the advice given here already–contact the state police, talk to an attorney. If you can, get a cell phone so you can call 911 if this nut does this again.
See if you can get a restraining order against this person. I don’t care what the local police say about him; his behavior is not normal. He’s NOT just blowing off steam. Normal people may get irritated with other drivers; they may flip them the bird or even honk their horns. But they do NOT follow them and threaten to hunt them down and kill them. He is stalking and harassing you, and God only knows what kind of fixation he may be dealing with.
When I worked at a shelter for battered women, I was appalled at the number of calls we got from women who were being actively stalked by total strangers. Having been stalked myself, I am all too aware of the fact that there is NO WAY we can predict what someone else is thinking.
Please take good care. This guy is dangerous.
~k
If he keeps bothering you, it may fall under stalking…
Thanks Guys! I am going to do just what you all said…I have decided to take it to a higher level because the locals don’t care. Thanks for all the info
Definitely illegal! But, you need a witness and evidence. Try to have someone with you in the car and have a video recorder to get pictures of this guy in the act of his perversion.
This might be useful, even necessary, but I sincerely hope not. The advice seems to be based on a common concern that a case of ‘your word against his’ holds no water. Quite often that concern would be unfounded, since a perceptive magistrate/judge/prosecutor can fairly easily find inconsistencies in fabricated testimony. A defence counsel (if this went to trial) would have to show reasonable grounds that TiffTZell was deluded or biased enough to bring a charge against someone he had not met before. A typical ploy would be to allege TiffTZell of travelling well below the speed limit and overreacting to a warning press of the other driver’s truck horn. TiffTZell could bring circumstancial evidence to show that that would be out of character. He could also present a consistent account of his version of events that would stand up to cross examination far better than any account given by the accused.
None of this is to suggest that I think solving this problem would be easy, but I wish TiffTZell the best of luck.
Another problem occurred to me. Perhaps ‘black people’ are more conspicuous in Maine, so TiffTZell is more likely to be noticed by this moron, particularly as it is a small community. Sorry, no brilliant suggestion here. If you feel like getting a different car, that might help. But that sounds like the glib advice that many stalker victims receive: ‘Why don’t you just move somewher else?’ – as if it doesn’t matter that the innocent person has to go to the financial and emotional expense of relocation. (Relocation is often not fail-safe anyway, although here I think it would be, since TiffTZell is not being pursued by an obsessed lover or the like.)
It’s not illegal to be racist. It is however, illegal to threaten someone. It’s up to the alleged victim to provide proof.
It is very rude, however, to drive in the fast lane unless you’re passing someone.
There is no fast lane where we live…Its a highway…one side going one way one side going the other…I think its called a two lane highway. Every thing is very rural here…the nearest interstate is an hour and a half away. I will be moving soon, I can’t wait either. Not that I don’t like maine, but i don’t LOL Seriously We will be moving back somewhere urban soon and far away from this guy