If someone bumps your car from behind, be advised – it might be more than just a fender bender. It could be the prelude to something much worse.
Apparently, there has been an uptick in robberies – and car jackings – that begin as innocent-seeming minor accidents. A car bumps into you, you stop, get out to see what happened – and become a victim of more than just someone else’s poor driving. See here for a recent example.
What to do?
Most of all, pay attention to your gut. If something feels wrong, it may in fact be wrong.
Usually, these things start out as very light “love taps” – just enough to get your attention – and get you to stop/get out of your car. A significant impact is usually just an accident. Thugs want to steal your car, not wreck your car.
These scenarios also don’t usually happen in broad daylight, in the middle of the day, with lots of other cars – and potential witnesses – around. If you get bumped in stop-and-go traffic, it’s probably just what it looks like – another driver who wasn’t paying attention. Probably, it’s ok – except for the hassle and damage to your vehicle.
But if you are out late at night, and the only car on the road – and you find someone tailgating you – who won’t pass, even when you wave them by – be on guard. Especially if the other car contains a group of younger men. 
If, in such a situation, the other driver taps your car with his, it might be a good idea to keep on driving – with your blinkers on, at a reduced speed, thereby clearly conveying your intention to stop… eventually. When it is safe. Call 911. Tell the operator the situation. Explain that you are driving to the nearest police station – or at least, wll-lighted, well-traveled public space – and that you will stop there and wait for the police.
If the other driver is not up to something fishy, he’ll probably just follow you – and you can let the cops sort it out. But if the other driver is up to something, he’ll probably do one of two things: He’ll either cut bait and leave – or he’ll get really aggressive – and possibly try to cut you off or run you off the road. If the other driver gets aggressive, call the police – and do not stop/pull over under any circumstances. Don’t let the other car get in front of you, if possible. Because if he does, he’ll have an easier time of forcing you to stop. Try not to let him get beside you, either – so he can’t run you off the road. Drive as quickly as you feel you can and still maintain control of the car – flashing your lights and honking your horn all the way. Make a scene. Attract attention. If a thug is on your tail, this is the last thing he will want. Get to a populated – and lighted – area. If the guy’s a creep, he’s going to split as soon as you get there.
If he doesn’t – if he’s just angry because you didn’t stop immediately – keep your windows up (automotive glass is pretty hard to shatter) and your engine running – in case you need to make tracks fast – until the cops arrive. Don’t exit your vehicle. Don’t engage the other (angry) driver in conversation – other than telling him (or her) that you’ve called police and they’re on the way.
Then, let them handle it.
General rules –
* Try to avoid driving in unfamiliar places without a full tank of gas – and a map (or cell phone).
* Keep a can of aerosol tire repair/inflator (e.g., Fix-a-Flat) in the car and use it to quickly get back on your way in the event of a flat tire.
* Avoid bad neighborhoods – especially at night – and especially if you’re driving a high-end car. This is the equivalent of a “kick me” – no, “rob me” sign taped to your car’s trunk.
* Carry pepper spray/mace – or (even better) a firearm, if you legally can and you know how to use it and are prepared to use it if you have to.
* Keep a “dummy” billfold or purse – with dead credit cards and maybe $20 or so in small bills. In an emergency, you can hand this over to the thug – instead of your real wallet or purse, with all your real credit cards and large amounts of money.
* When road-tripping, let your spouse, roommate or friend know where you’re headed and – roughly – what time you expect to get there. This way, if something happens along the way, someone will know about it sooner rather than later.
Throw it in the Woods?
i carry a .45 and i’m looking forward to dying.
America has no functioning system of law and order. Defending yourself only enrages the law to further strip you of your property and rights and to make a game out of whether you live or spend your life in a cage.
It’s been over four months since the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin incident in Sanford, Florida occurred. Keeping everyone in unresolved limbo and fear is all a part of their power game.
On February 26th, Trayvon Martin was killed in the community where he lived. George Martin saw Trayvon walking while George was in his private vehicle. If George would have confronted Trayvon while still in his vehicle, the incident would likely have played out a lot differently.
If George had monitored Trayvon’s behavior of walking around and looking about in a suspicious manner while still in his vehicle, he would not have put himself in harm’s way and found himself forced to justify killing to defend himself and his property in a totalitarian kangaroo court system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin
On July 6th, George Zimmerman was released from jail, with strict stipulations that include staying in Seminole County, submitting to electronic monitoring, maintaining a nighttime curfew, and having no personal bank accounts or passport.
I had an interesting experience back in the 1960s. Late one night, alone in my car (I am female), at a red light, I was waiting to turn left. The man in the car on my right looked over at me. I could not see him very well, other than that he was a man. It didn’t look good to me. When the light changed he got in back of me and followed so close I could not see his plate.
I turned onto a side road which fortunately was a circle. I drove as fast as I could, trying to lose him. Then I drove down a few streets, but he was trailing me right behind and I couldn’t shake him.
Finally, I remembered that just up ahead was a Highway Patrol station located on Highway #1. Driving onto Highway #1 I headed for the station, turned in, and saw the man chasing me heading off. I was afraid to go home by myself, thinking he would wait for me to come out, so I went in and told the Patrol officer on duty what had happened and asked if one of them would escort me home. He was reluctant for one of his officers to do so, saying they were busy, but eventually one of them did.
I was just lucky that the streets that I took were laid out the way they were, that there were no dead ends, and also, that the Highway Patrol station was close by.
Dear Annonymouse,
So very glad to hear you got away unscathed, from what were Obviously Very Bad Men.
Now if only the Not So Obviously Very Bad Men who make up “The Government” would get out of our way and allow us to defend ourselves from the Obviously Very Bad Men.
Horror stories abound. Peaceful citizens who defend themselves against violent street criminals end up prosecuted for “illegal firearms possession.” Meanwhile their thuggish assailants walk or even file frivolous lawsuits against them.
Or, consider the tragic experience of Suzanne Hupp.
On Wednesday, October 16, 1991, Hupp and her parents were having lunch at the Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen. She had left her gun in her car to comply with Texas state law at the time, which prohibited carrying a concealed weapon. When George Hennard drove his truck into the cafeteria and opened fire on the patrons, Hupp instinctively reached into her purse for her weapon, but it was in her vehicle. Her father, Al Gratia, tried to rush Hennard and was shot in the chest. As the gunman reloaded, Hupp escaped through a broken window and believed that her mother, Ursula Gratia, was behind her. Hennard put a gun to her mother’s head as she cradled her mortally wounded husband, and pulled the trigger, killing her as well.
Hupp’s mother and father were killed along with twenty-one other persons. Hennard also wounded some twenty others. As a survivor of the Luby’s massacre, Hupp testified across the country in support of concealed-handgun laws. She said that if there had been a second chance to prevent the slaughter, she would have violated the Texas law and carried the handgun inside her purse into the restaurant.
Hupp is a remarkable woman who made the best of a tragic situation. We are all in her debt.
Dear Eric,
The honorific “heroine” is tossed about far too freely these days.
But Suzanna Hupp is an honest to god, bona fide, genuine heroine.
Her famous YouTube testimony on the Luby’s Shooting Incident before Congress was a tour de force display of intellect and eloquence.
Isn’t relying on the police to “handle it” a bit hypocritical?
(I don’t mean that as an insult, it’s a legitimate question.)
Eric, it’s not just enough to call for a lawyer. You have to keep your mouth shut. They will continue to question you over and over and people tend to get gabby out of nerves. Anything you say WILL be used against you. They will of course also use the fact that you clammed up against you if it goes to trial. But that is less damaging. You also have to tell any family members you have to refuse to answer a thing, not one word. Nothing they say will help you in any way shape or form. They will twist every single thing you say or your family says against you. I am not kidding Any statement you make will be written down incorrectly and then used to make you seem like a liar.
Absolutely – agree completely.
In the “A Clover’s Road” video, the bike rider gets written up for crossing the yellow line. Now the cyclist is immediately poorer as well as poorer for years to come. His vehicle is also added to the bad guy list which will ping in every cop car, fusion center database, and who knows what else.
Time and again, for both me and my friends, calling the police only escalates problems and never helps, but of course YMMV, do what Your gut tells You to do.
As you and your wife travel Eric, my wife and I never go anywhere alone, but always travel with our two friends in the car with us: Smith and Wesson.
And we are always aware of our surroundings, and are fully trained and mentally prepared to provide any appropriate required response at any time.
Back in the early 80’s (pre-cellphone days and too young for CCW) my best friend and I went cruising around in her new Camaro and got lost. We ended up in a bad neighborhood not knowing where we were. We were driving slow as to see the street signs. A group of young men began gathering in the middle of the street a few yards up. As we approached we saw they had no intentions of moving aside. My friend slowed… but when they started to approached the car she floored it. Yeah, they moved.
My brother has always told me – what are you afraid of? You’re the one in the 3,000 pound car!
He will lose since I will be holding onto a .44 cal revolver.
Thirty years ago a woman I knew back in grade school was murdered and stuffed in the trunk of her car, which was found in one of my (major east coast) city’s worst neighborhoods. She lived in and was last seen alive in broad daylight around noon in a nice, “safe” suburb. The police theorized she’d been the victim of one of these bump-attacks, and her case has never been solved. Last I heard they said they “knew” who did it, but had no evidence to prosecute. So, yes, be careful out there….
Why not examine ROOT CAUSES of this increasingly dangerous society: anti-Christian, pro-Marxist Leftism (( aka FEMINISM // SOCIALISM // PROGRESSIVISM )). As for the underlying psychology driving this 60-years-and-counting madness (actually, it started with Abraham Lincoln’s madness), study Dr. Oakley’s groundbreaking book:
“Evil Genes__Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Fell, and My Sister Stole My Mother’s Boyfriend.”
Eh-hemm (throat clearing)… that’s FemiNazi… LOL
Thanks for the article. I was rear-ended a few months ago at a stoplight early in the morning. I am female and was alone, with only a few other cars around. I had been stopped for 30 — 45 seconds and the car was nowhere in sight at the time the light changed. Hence, it was probably deliberate. I listened to my gut and refused to get out of the car. I signaled and turned the corner; he took off. My family thought I made a huge mistake, but now I feel better about my decision.
Good call, Jessica –
Always trust your instincts when it comes to stuff like this – they’ll rarely let you down.
Years ago, early 80s, I was taking a woman home from a church group meet. Wasn’t late, but it was dark and no traffic. Came up to a stop sign where there was a pickup truck just sitting there. He just sat there, so I went around him, took a left and went up into the hills. He was immediately on my six, closing at times to within feet. Stayed right there. We hit some pretty good speed going up that road. I was in my highly modified 2002tii and decided enough was enough. Took off and away from him, soon pulled a right onto another road and got turned around and stopped. He was following and pulled about 100′ in front of my headlights and stopped. I got out of the car and walked in front of my headlights, my 9mm held out to my side and totally visible to him. He took off real fast. The woman with me was now a nervous wreck.
This exact thing almost happened to me in the pre-cell phone era.
I had finished a shift at work that ended at 2:00 am and was driving home on a deserted 2 lane country highway. I found a car tailgating me. I slowed down quite a bit – the car didn’t pass.
At the time I had a ’91 5.0 Mustang that I had seriously hot rodded – supercharger, hand ported aluminum heads, the works. I dropped it down into second and shortly was going 105mph, which I did for 5 minutes – lost the car, but 10 minutes later it was on my tail.
So, I turned on the dome light, and got my pistol I kept in the glove compartment. Didn’t point it at the other car – just held it up so they could get a good look at it. They immediately dropped way back.
This has been a problem for some years down here in south FL.
I go nowhere without a .45 & would happily and without compunction use it to deter these vermin (almost, if not all are Blacks)
It’s less an issue here in my rural county – but I never leave home without my little friend. Nor my wife without hers.
I live in a rural area & carry too, but I’m not allowed to carry in my workplace. At work, my “little friend” is locked out of sight in the car. I keep a can of wasp spray in my desk. My colleagues think it’s for wasps.
Hi Alice,
That’s smart!
My attitude on this is: Screw “the law.” I – personally – will not obey some idiotic law denying me the means of self-defense. I won’t make an issue out of it – and who’s going to know, unless a situation arises that makes it necessary to produce the weapon in order to defend oneself? In which case, who cares about “the law”!
I’ll worry about the paperwork later…
Dear Alice,
I second that.
An old gun rights camp saying:
“Better tried by twelve than carried by six.”
Especially if you get someone who knows about Jury Nullification on your jury.
The big problem in saving your life is highlighted in the Zimmerman persecution. Mr. Zimmerman undoubtedly saved the lives of a few good Americans by dispatching a future carjacking killer drug dealer. See what happens to naive white people Murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.
The black power structure is intent on making white people afraid to protect themselves when being robbed, beaten, raped, and murdered by blacks.
Based on the facts I’m aware of Zimmerman was justified in shooting Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman may have been foolish in confronting Martin – asking him questions and so on. But when Martin proceeded to physically attack Zimmerman, Zimmerman – reasonably, as I see it – feared for his life and used his gun in self-defense. There may be other facts which contradict this, so I will reserve final judgment. However, assuming the essential facts are correct, Zimmerman has my sympathy. And if he’d had any brains, he would have done a Houdini as soon as he got out on bail. I suspect that even if he was entirely justified – as the facts seem to indicate – this trail is a witch-hunt, a political prosecution with a foreordained conclusion.
Yep. Zimmerman’s life is over. No matter how long it takes the government, no matter how they do it, they will have him behind bars or dead.
or both. Dead behind bars.
I wouldn’t count on it.
The article is interesting. Sounds alot like the advice we were given when we moved to Chad in Africa. Guess America is really going third world.
I don’t know if it’s true, but I have heard of cars in South Africa being modified to electrify the car bodies or even to have Claymore-style systems in the doors to fend off carjackers.
The family story is that my grandfather used electrify his truck body and have light go on in the house if anyone touched it due to fuel theft and perhaps some other problems. Of course this was back when this was freer country, perhaps even before 1950.
I’ve seen stories of aftermarket anti-carjack kits in South Africa that shoot a wall of flames on both sides of the car. Powered by propane gas.
Can’t state for certain that they are true.
It’s true, we had a girl from S Africa go to our church. People with the money, or the ability did in fact accessorize their cars with flames.
This happened to an older couple driving a Cadillac jot long ago that are my friends.
He showed his gun at his side window and the thugs quickly departed. He said he was prepared to fire a warning shot in the air out of his side window, but the thugs saw the gun and that was enough.
It is worth the time and trouble to get a permit to carry.
There was a time in Decatur, Ill, when carjackings were common–until one night, someone accosted a police officer on his way home from work. He gave the guy a 3rd eye, and that ended carjackings in Decatur. Holding up convenience stores in the middle of the night was kind of common for a while, until a perp picked the wrong store to hold up, and the clerk used his body to finish mopping the floor before she called the cops. Turned out that she had recently been discharged from the Army, as an MP. The perp spent more than just a little time in the hospital. She must have administered a little “non-judicial punishment” to him, along with the bath. Needless to say, being a nighttime clerk in a convenience store is not all that risky anymore, at least here.
“Only stupid white men”, real funny! Who are you going to call when your in trouble? What if you’d said, “Only stupid black men”? Yep, you wouldn’t dare, would you? Well, how about the “stupid black men” who tried to rob the “stupid white men”? I’ve got words for you, but they most likely wouldn’t be printed here!!!
His point was that black and hispanic men would be smart enough to run, while many white men wouldn’t. The white men who remain would be stupid, QED.
I can’t speak for my family and who they would or should call. If I wasn’t robbed $500 a year for public protection I could spend it on better defenses of my own, that’s for sure.
I heard it from a black comedian, and it seems legit to me. “white people hear a loud sound and say, what was that noise, lets go investigate. black people just start running. in my neighborhood, we(black people) see a guy running and we just start running too. It’ll be a long time before one of us takes the time to ask why are we running. sometimes none of us ever learn why, it’s just in case there’s was a reason.”
If it’s just me, I’d sooner call one of those giant tripods in the War of the Worlds for help. Like them, our government seeks total domination, uses us as a power source, and then sprays out our tissue and blood to feed its fields of Red Weeds it calls the Public Sector.
Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning inside a War of the Worlds Tripod.
http://youtu.be/S2fxN2JZ81A
Tor–
Spewed milk on my keyboard, thanks:
Here in Los Angeles I have had enough problems with enraged bikers and road rage filled drivers who wanted to smash me not necessarily my car. But the advice is sound and there are enough areas here where I am on the alert. “Just because your paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”
Eric, I love your website, but what’s with all these white carjackers in your stock photos? Everybody knows that the greatest threat to motorists from carjackers is black males, followed by Hispanics, but what do we see? Yes, just like those Broadview Security ads on TV, it’s evil Whitey breaking the law. However, there is one exception, above, but those bad black men brought along their white friend. I guess they don’t want to encourage accusations of “racism.”
It’s a fair point, Randy.
So, the reason? It’s what was available. I pulled ’em from “stock.”
I just typed “eating watermelon” in google, and it was all white kids and a few white adults. Soon all the non-mainstream stuff will be blurred and censored just like on the Cable TV we pay for. Gotta keep the minds of the taxsheep well fenced.
try and find a copy of Joel Chandler Harris’ book Tales of Uncle Remus… well nigh impossible ,has been for twenty years. The times they are a changin….. for the better? I rather think not.
Keep a can of aerosol tire repair/inflator (e.g., Fix-a-Flat) in the car and use it to quickly get back on your way in the event of a flat tire.
I used one of those years ago and then took the tire in to be repaired. The guy acted like I was trying to kill him. I forget just what he thought the tire repair goop would do: explode? Does this ring a bell with anyone?
Yes you should clearly mark your tire with the sticker they give you. The reason is that it takes so much extra force to break the tire down. In theory they are supposed to use a cage or something like that. In reality people have been caught off guard. My friend Tom was one of the unlucky ones. The tire exploded with enough force to sever his arm at the elbow. They put it back on, but it will never be close to the same. (He isn’t golfing anytime soon)
He was not new to the trade, he just got complacent.
I do carry Fix-a-Flat and have used it. For instance if you get a nail it’s easy enough to simply get home, pull the nail out and use one of the repair kits where you use the glue and rubber. Simple cheap fix but still you really should let them know when you eventually get your tires changed.
Amen to all that – and thanks, guys, for bringing it up!
I should also state that it wasn’t the explosion it was the tire bouncing up that did it. I don’t know the specifics but I do know it can be dangerous breaking down any tire let alone one that has glue sticking the tire to the rim.
Some early formations could explode.
http://autorepair.about.com/od/safetyfirst/a/fixaflat_safe.htm
Plus the goop is known to damage the tire pressure sensors. It’s also a pain to clean up, etc and so on.
I would not use it, but given the context of the article it didn’t seem like the objections would matter to where it was desirable to leave an area quickly.
that stuff is NASTY, dangerous, miserable.. I much prefer a small air compressor, 12 volt… if its a relatively small leak, the sort the green snot will be likely to fix, the compressor will get you quite a ways before needing a refill.
As to some can of something to carry with… I find the Brakleen aerosol is cheap, portable, and VERY painful when gotten into one’s eyes, mouth, nose, sinuses…. it kills yellowjackets on contact, knocking them out of the air. Few would ever perceive a can of this stuff to be a weapon…. but a good spray in the face and your attacker is down, disabled, serioiusly got a hurt on.
“As to some can of something to carry with… I find the Brakleen aerosol is cheap, portable, and VERY painful when gotten into one’s eyes, mouth, nose, sinuses…”
Excellent! Top drawer!
I carry wasp spray in the car for just this reason. Much more effective than pepper spray, and legal in all jurisdictions AFAIK.
General rule #1: use your mirrors! Always have a good mental picture of the traffic around you.
Call the police? Eric, what are you thinking? Engaging armed donut wrangling thugs in what is, without doubt, the penultimate private dispute?
I’m teasing you of course and I mean it as a friendly (though perhaps pointed) jest at your expense. I don’t think it’ll harm you 🙂
Understood – and, point taken!
I don’t know I think having the adrenaline, donut eating police to distribute a little fellow misery on car jackers isn’t too bad an idea. I wouldn’t call to them for a small civil dispute, but they are always looking for a jolt to beat somebody in the head. Why not use evil for a good purpose? I know God says he can use evil for good…and we are in his image…soooo don’t be afraid if you have some small jack thugs to call in even bigger one. Everyone knows the government is jealous of competition.
I think the article is spot on, though I’d argue that its audience is more intended for males. Females on the other hand its possible for the criminally possessed to want the woman over the car and do some grevious damage trying to get the woman to stop. I’d say if some one rear ends you they are liable anyway, so no worries about hit and running. I think the article is a great one to consider, one never knows what to do under these strange circumstances until there. Running scenarios in your head in advance really does work to keep the freeze of critical thinking skils from happening when the time arrives.
Actually, the bible warns us not to try to use evil to do good. My own view of cops is that you have no idea who they will assault once they are on the scene. If you call them and the perps aren’t there, you’re going to be their only target.
Yeah I guess you have a point. I’ve often thought that if I was carrying and some criminal minded person decided to attack me that I’d shoot them. Then look around to see if anyone had seen it. If clear (no eyes peering) then leave their dead corpse there. When the police found them they’d say…Hmmm somebody shot this son of a bitch…it just as well be a billion other random people who gave the deserving Karma back. But there are those times I’m speaking where its inevitable that the cops will be involved whether you like it or not and the only hope is that you get to explain your side of the story alone or first. You are right about the cops being unpredictabale, but even some of them have a desire to believe they are doing the right thing. They too are human and appealing to that say a woman might be helped when being rammed in the middle of night by goons isn’t too bad an idea considering other alternatives that might be available at the time.
The Rules (told to me by a state cop, off the record):
* If you ever need to shoot someone, kill them. Be sure they are dead. You do not want someone contesting your side of the story.
* Say nothing to the cops beyond “I was in fear for my life and I am very shaken; I need to speak with my lawyer now.” Then shut the hell up.
I agree about making sure they are dead Eric.
As far as the religious comment I made earlier I came to realize that indeed I’m like all the religious hacks and evangelicals including most preachers I’ve met, I seem to use my own divine inspiration to interpret in the bible the things that actually make sense and are of use to me.
The better answer for what I was trying to say is from an economics view of risk verus reward. One must always be subjective what the risk is of getting the police involved, but sometimes they can be help (reward). For example, if my wife/mother/sister were driving at night alone (called me by cell phone) and had someone trying to careen her/them off the road, I’d call the police myself especially if I couldn’t get there fast enough. I believe most people would. Does it mean I like lawmen? No..I wish there were a lot fewer of them to none and that their responsibilities were left to citizens including the full chore of shooting a beligerent criminal without consequence. That world unfortunately doesn’t exist yet. So in the end, I agree with the previous poster on the unwieldy nature of getting police involved, but smarts tell us to use all resources available at different times and evaluating the economic risk versus reward in those circumstances. I guess just because I pick up a hammer to put a nail in the wall doesn’t mean that I have to carry the hammer around all day is my best analogy of my opinion and defense of this articles advice of getting the police involved.
penultimate private?
Penultimate: [pi-nuhl-tuh-mit] adjective 1. next to the last: the penultimate scene of the play. 2. of or pertaining to a penult (noun– the next to the last syllable in a word).
The next to last private dispute?
Gunpoint hijacking
Worse thing is the victim returning so quickly with no additional preparation. When the aggressor has lethal force, the game is over, do not continue to play. Only stupid white men continue towards the danger, all other races have the wisdom to run.
If this was me, I would never return in the same vehicle again. Anonymity is a great ally, along with strength in numbers, superior defense, and better weapons.
For me, calling anyone in authority is not going to happen. You end up in Mr. Smith’s Matrix, and you don’t want to have anything in there except a nice Vanilla Credit & Social History.
I had a manager that used a dummy wallet and spare keys as a way to leave the plant and make it look like he was there. He was usually out banging a married co-worker, real classy guy… but here it is a much better application.
Excellent advice, Eric. I had never thought of the dummy wallet idea before, but it makes great sense.
The kind of situation you refer to has been a regular thing on 295 between the beltway (around DC, for those not familiar with the reference) and New York Avenue for many years. I think it was in the 80s when I first read about rear endings along that stretch that resulted in a robbery and stolen car. The authorities were advising people to drive to a well-lit and well-populated place before stopping.
I used to drive New York Avenue every day… at about 4 in the morning… a brand-new press car with out of state plates… I kept a “little friend” with me at all times (regardless of DeeCee’s criminal-enhancement laws).
Yeah, you used to work for the Times. I’ve been past their building on New York Avenue, next to the Arboretum, many times. Did you ever run into a very tall reporter named Rita (don’t want to give a last name for privacy reasons)? I worked with her in later years, after she left the Times, and had many political discussions with her. Unfortunately, she is a conservative, not a libertarian, and my best efforts couldn’t budge her. But her husband has worked with Hernando de Soto, a Peruvian free market economist.
PS: Carrying is a very good idea in that part of town.
NY Avenue at 3 or 4 in the morning is … interesting!
Rita… sounds vaguely familiar. I probably knew of her even if I didn’t know her personally. Assuming we worked there during the same period (1990s). TWT is (was) a pretty small world. It was also a charnel house for all who worked there who weren’t Moonies – and even for them. I learned a great deal about “conservatives” this way. Their core meanness and hypocrisy. Not always, not in every case. But often. TWT was the right-wing version of Pravda. While touting the free market and meritocracy to the outside world, inside, it was a miasma of favoritism and ineptitude unpunished. Also, of typically conservative eat-your-own political correctness. See in this regard what was done to Sam Francis – or Joe Sobran. Or even Pat Buchanan. Wes Pruden is a poltroon – and just a creepy asshole. Tony Blankley? Don’t get me started! The stories I could tell…
I would rather let the guy get in front of me – it is easier to control the situation from behind.
Speed up and let him try to pass (actually let him pass, but just barely) then take out the rear quarter panel with your front quarter panel – this will cause him to spin. Don’t let off the gas and you can flip his car.
Ain’t hard to do – the questions is if you got the balls to do it.