"Dude, you're driving that f*king car like a f*king old lady," is what was yelled at me as I was

[louslobbs]

driving on 111 from Palm Desert to Palm Springs, by a young man tailgating me and making rude gestures that I could see in my rear view mirror.

When he was finally able to get into the lane next to me, I just assumed he would angrily pass and the situation would be done, but instead, he slows down to my speed and paces me, while yelling the f*king old lady comment, and ending the comment with calling me an asshole, and then speeding off to the next light up ahead which had just turned red up ahead, I must admit I chuckled knowing that he would have to see me again. So, it was obvious we were going to meet again, and real soon too apparently.

He had already rolled up his passenger side window, so when I got to the light right next to him, I motioned him to put his window down and he did. I suspect, that he was ready for a verbal confrontation from me, and in an angry tone he barked, "Yeah, whatchoo got to say?" I asked if he was a Christian, cause I noticed the rosary and cross hanging from his rear view mirror......He said yeah I'm a Christian, why?...I said because I'm just curious, is that how you were taught that Christians behave?

He said no, so I said, then why are you behaving like that now, he totally backed down and said, "I guess you're right, I'm sorry man. I said no prob, and we both started driving again as the light had turned green. We met up once again at a few lights further down 111 where the young man yelled out in a friendly tone, "really man, I was just pissed off at my girlfriend and I shouldn't be taking it out on people by being in a rage while driving. I said: guess what, you're right, and I think you learned a good lesson here, take care, remember it, and pass it on, think before you act.

At the next light, it looked as if we were going to meet up again, but he turned left off of 111 and I proceeded straight on 111 continuing to my destination in Palm Springs.

I don't know if this was his turn, but 111 is pretty long with lots of lights, so we could have potentially met up at many more lights as we traveled down this thoroughfare and by the last time we interacted, he was a pretty humble bumble.

I'd say he was about 22 years old, so I could understand in a certain respect, his impulse and upset with his girlfriend who was not around, which perhaps caused him to turn his upset on a guy because he wasn't driving a powerful V12 automobile as fast as he would have liked them to be driving it in order to drive the speed he wanted to drive since he couldn't get into the left lane. After all, to a young person, a car like this was made to drive fast, and since I was simply cruising at 5mph above the speed limit which apparently wasn't fast enough for this upset young man and since he was apparently upset already, he just took his upset out on me and my "old lady" driving.

I believe he will think about this incident, and he will think about the potential consequences that could have occurred had this escalated and hope that he will become a better person. I want to believe that. And from this minor road rage episode, I hope that he can maybe, just maybe, become an even better representative of what it means to call yourself a Christian. I wish him well

Lou

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. What do you drive that's a V12?

?

[louslobbs]

3. It's a Mercedes CL600 Bi Turbo n/t

Lou

[ForgoTheConsequence]

8. Nice.

You have classy taste. I love that Mercedes coupe look.

[louslobbs]

11. Same here, I've always loved the look and I said if I can afford one, one day I'm going to get one..

then, one day, I found I could actually buy this dream car and so I did and I have never looked back. It's babied, garaged and covered in the garage as well.
LOu

[sabrina 1]

2. That is a really nice story Lou. You handled it beautifully. And in the end, so did he.

It would be a better world if people, including me sometimes lol, could try to work things out before reacting with anger.

Hope all is well with you. Been thinking of you so it's nice to see you posting

[louslobbs]

6. Oh how nice to see you Sabrina. I think it worked out really well too. I don't think that two

people driving, one who is upset and angry and the other calm and reserved, could get much accomplished if both were angry and both believed that they were right and the other was wrong. I just look to de-escalate situations if I can, and this time it was successful thankfully.
lou

[louslobbs]

10. Been Thinking of you too......when you gonna come visit?

Lou

[sabrina 1]

12. I would love to. Been saying that for what, a year or more now?

Seems like this past year just flew, we've been so busy. I will PM you which I intended to do anyhow.

[louslobbs]

13. Ok, but there is no time limit on this invitation, anytime you're ready let me know.

Lou

[sabrina 1]

15. Okay, check your email tomorrow!

[louslobbs]

16. Will do

I see your name and I smile.
LOu

[arely staircase]

4. was it justin bieber?

nt

[louslobbs]

7. lol, not even close, but I'd love to have a talk with that young man if he'd take two minutes

to listen.
Lou

[quinnox]

5. heh, funny story

and ya know,maybe you should drive just a little faster in such a nice car.

[louslobbs]

9. Well, it is the 111 and you can drive 5mph over the speed limit without cops bothering you, but

anything faster, and you are inviting trouble. I do take the car into LA on occasion, and then I let her stretch her legs a little........just a little though.
Lou

[pinboy3niner]

14. Whatever you do...

...stay away from Pasadena!1!!

[louslobbs]

17. I guess I'll have no choice now, I've been labeled and now the word is out lol

Lou

[awoke_in_2003]

29. That song reminds me of my wife...

she is hell on wheels

[louslobbs]

18. One other thing, you really don't want to put a front plate on this car, but it is the law, so by

driving within the law, I'm less likely to have a cop look at the fact that I'm missing the front plate which when placed on the front bumper, takes away the looks of the front end. Anyway, it's not my daily driver so it mainly stays in the garage in Palm Springs very low mileage and pampered with an air conditioned garage and also under a car cover so that dust doesn't accumulate.
Lou

[quinnox]

21. sounds like a sweet setup

[louslobbs]

23. It is, for both the car and for me. n/t

Lou

[flvegan]

19. Oh, dear.

[louslobbs]

22. I know, but it just cost so much damn money, that I want to keep it nice so that I can have it the

rest of my life. This is the one car I've always wanted and not only does it have looks, but it has power and an interior covered in Nappa Leather with an Alcantara Headliner. Beautiful Burl Walnut wood throughout and one of the most awesome rides with the Active Body Control System that makes dips and bumps just disappear. A work of art on wheels, and that was the only way I could justify paying the hefty price for one car that costs more than some peoples condo's. So in order to feel better about the purchase of this car I've always wanted, I will donate over the next ten years, the cost of the car to animal shelters and food banks all over the valley both in Palm Springs and Los Angeles. Just makes me feel better, and I do. It will be the only car of this caliber that I ever purchase, mean while my boss has 8-10 just like this or double the price of this and he gives noting to no one.
Lou

[flvegan]

32. I could be 50/50 on congratulations and pity at the same time.

[Mnemosyne]

20. Keep spreading your calm, it worked nicely. Cool story, Lou. nt

[louslobbs]

24. Thanks I will. The older I get, the more patient I'm becoming. I don't want to fight people, I

would rather diffuse a situation if I can and not make an already bad situation, worse Part of the solution and not the problem. I believe in conversation which can have a breakthrough, rather than confrontation which usually leaves us breaking down.
Lou

[Mnemosyne]

49. I grew up in a fighting household, spent most of my time at the creek or in the woods to avoid it.

I do not like to argue and my patience seems to be getting less as I get older. So I'm a hermit.

[SouthernDonkey]

25. You shoulda

got out and hit him with your purse!

[louslobbs]

26. I was only carring a small clutch, wouldn't have made a dent. n/t

Lou

[donheld]

27. That's a bad Donkey. Bad. Bad.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

33. Weird.

I mean when you become Catholic as an adult you go through the "Rite of Christian Initiation". Growing up it was drilled into us that we were Christians. Sounds like you had a terrible Priest or you just ignored the Catechism.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. That "Little Old Lady From Pasadena" comes to mind...

The one that used car dealers claimed was the prior owner of the car they happened to be selling.

The claim was that she only drove it to the grocery store and the church on Sunday.

The joke was that considering the condition of the car she must have been a speed demon doing it,....as in treating every light like she was on a drag strip.

[chollybocker]

31. What if

he didn't have an ancient torture device hanging from his rear view mirror?

Whatever would you do?

[darkangel218]

34. You need to "go with the flow"

Drive faster dammit!! Lmao!!

[Tom Ripley]

35. "That's because I want to live to the age of an a old lady" is always my reply

[CJCRANE]

36. Some drivers just want to get past the car in front of them.

They don't look beyond the car in front of them, they just see it as something in their way.

That's happened to me so many times: people driving right up behind me trying to make me go faster, then overtaking me and I catch up with them at the next red light.

Then they zoom off again and I catch up again. Quite often they have to slow down to make a turning and I cruise past them.

I have a friend who drives an ambulance who told me that one of the techniques of advanced driving is to look a quarter of a mile ahead. Look at what traffic signals are coming up, what the traffic's like ahead, if there's any congestion etc.

I also find that if you tailgate the car in front you don't have as much maneuverability (because you might have to brake suddenly) and your field of vision is hampered. It's much better to hang back a little back so you can see what's ahead and have enough space to move out of danger if the car in front slows down suddenly.

[Mopar151]

39. My uncle - a petroleum hauler - taught me about this.

All that stuff right at your bumper - has already happened Events further down the road matter more, because you can do more about them.

[Mopar151]

37. Some people think they own your stuff.....

I have worked with people who got pretty strange about some aspect or other of my car hobby - a large part of it seems to hinge on my actually competing in a legal venue, instead of trying to impress people like them. Why would you not do it their way? In my case, I built the car, truck, and trailer out of junkyard, barn find, and flea market stuff, with a few high-end racing parts - and they have trouble putting air in their tires. I must be doing this wrong, they tell me........
FWIW, I am glad to see that your car is in good hands, well appreciated, and driven & enjoyed.

[Raine]

38. Handled Perfectly! nt

[B Calm]

41. Had a tailgater give me the finger

yesterday. One thing I hate is when someone is tailgating me. I was passing a big truck on the interstate and doing maybe one or two miles over the speed limit. Up behind me comes a young man at high rate of speed and starts tailgating me. Whenever someone does that to me, I shut off the cruise control and coast to the point that the tailgater has to pass me in the slow lane. You'd think they learn. . .lol

[Mnemosyne]

50. I do that too, they really don't like it. I got the finger when a girl passed me recently, then she

turned into the Prince of Peace church.

[tavernier]

42. I appreciate your post.

I read it with some caution thinking that it would be yet another "religious nut" story - lately anyone who mentions Christianity in DU is eye-rolled or pronounced a pathetic loser, so it was nice to read something that turned out to be in the positive column... well, in the end, anyway.

[Are_grits_groceries]

43. Reminds me of this short Youtube clip. Laugh when I even think about it:

TKO!!!
You go woman!

[Brigid]

45. She hit the car so hard it made the airbag deploy!

[MineralMan]

46. And on that particular car, it's going to cost him

about $2500 to get a new airbag installed. Dynamite!

Don't honk at old ladies crossing the street.

[Mnemosyne]

51. I am determined to be her when I grow up!

[tavalon]

44. What a magnificent way to give him a teachable moment

You may well have saved his or someone else's life today. Well done, Sir.

[steve2470]

47. You handled that perfectly. Kudos to you

You kept your calm, you taught him a lesson, you reminded him of his professed religious faith, and just maybe he will become a better person because of it.

More could learn from you.

[csziggy]

48. Then he hasn't seen old ladies driving!

My great aunt lived summers in the mountains of western North Carolina. When we visited, none of us kids ever wanted to ride with that aunt - she drove like a maniac! She'd go roaring around those mountain roads well over the speed limit, never slowing down for blind curves, and it scared the hell out of all of us. She drove her Buick sedan as if it were a race car.

She was a good driver - never had an accident in her life and she drove all over North America and much of Europe. I suspect she really enjoyed the Autobahn....

Her sister, my grandmother, was nearly as aggressive a driver, but she lived in Florida and didn't have the mountains to deal with. Her house was at the end of a very long dirt road and she's take that sandy road at 30-40 mph. Either she was trying to jump over the worst of the holes in the road or she wanted to have enough momentum to not get stuck in the sand - I never figured out which. It was always a relief that the road was straight as an arrow.

The real scary part about that grandmother is that she was never 5 feet tall. Even with a cushion she couldn't see over the steering wheel - she had to look through it. And she liked BIG cars. My "high school" car had been hers - a 1958 Buick four door sedan, one of those huge cars with the big fins.

[elfin]

52. I would say - Yeah, I AM a geezer old lady

"Don't fuck with me" and then peel off.

Forget all the religious references - cut to the heart and have 911 on speed dial.

[ileus]

53. You done a good deed...

I stopped getting upset at other drivers years ago.


People pull out in front of me, cut me off, yell at me...no problem I just wave if I do anything, and that wave is intentionally long so they don't get the wrong idea.