Do you really think that was appropriate or safe, even if you think I cut you off?
On Rte 1 North just north of Dover, DE driving back from the beach on July 5th, someone threw a ratchet through my car window while we were traveling about 60-65 mph on a crowded highway.
Apparently, a guy towing jet skis with his truck was upset I merged in front of him off the on ramp. He moved over to the left lane and so did I to get in the fast lane; I signaled and saw him in my mirrors and over my shoulder and he was a few car lengths behind me so I don’t think I cut him off. But…
He switches to and speeds up in the right lane and then starts swerving into the left lane, repeatedly coming with inches of my car like he wanted to force me off the road. There’s no left shoulder and we’re doing highway speed and the road is full off traffic leaving the beaches.
He gives me the finger and so I return it (and I realize this escalated it).
He gets stuck temporarily behind a slower car in the right lane then passes it and comes up again on me in the right lane. The next thing I hear is a loud BOOM! and shattering glass from my rear passenger window.
I think he shot out my window and grab my cell and dial 911. He drops back and takes the next exit. The dispatcher tells me to drive to an upcoming State Police barracks.
After I get there and park, I find a ratchet laying on my backseat amidst the glass.
WTF? This is what you do? What if that ratchet had bounced off my car onto the highway and into the windshield of a car behind me?
You have serious anger management issues.
And no, I didn’t get the license plate (I don’t think he had a front tag and he was behind me the whole time) and after I thought it was a gunshot, I wasn’t interested in a closer look. I gave the ratchet to the police for fingerprints but I’m not holding my breath to hear anything. I guess if I had lost control of my car and crashed, it would be a different story.