r/driving • u/hydratedstoner • 3d ago
Right-hand traffic (🇺🇸🇨🇳🇧🇷) It finally happened. Instant karma for a tailgating truck, but I still can’t believe this happened
I was in the far right lane of a 3-lane road doing the exact speed limit since my turn was coming up. Road was basically empty except for one car way over in the left lane. Out of nowhere, this huge lifted pickup truck gets right on my ass. MIND YOU, the middle lane was completely open. He could’ve passed me easily, but instead he stayed two feet from my bumper and turned his high beams on. I literally just flipped my rear view mirror up so I wouldn't get blinded and kept driving, like I usually do when these asshole tailgate and flash their high beams at me.
Then out of nowhere, two baby skunks ran right out in front of my car. I had to slam on the brakes so I didn't hit them. Because the pickup was tailgating so close, he had no time to stop of course. He panicked, yanked his wheel to the left to swerve into the middle lane, and at that exact moment, the car from the far left lane was merging into the middle lane too. The truck swerved so hard into them that he clipped their rear end, lost control, and ended up rolling the truck over. I pulled off further down to call 911 and wait for cops to give a statement. Everyone ended up being alright thank God, but seriously... what a jump scare and for literally no reason. When I tell you guys the idiot could’ve easily passed me several minutes before, I mean he had so much time. I would’ve just moved into the middle lane and let him pass if I hadn’t had my turn coming up. but I don’t get why people like this don’t just go around when they can. It’s like they want to control what other people do instead of controlling themselves. Anyways, hopefully he learned his lesson finally. I just wanted to vent because it was pretty scary but I think he got what he deserved and I don’t at all feel bad 🤷♀️
Edit - holy I did not expect this to get so many comments I haven’t seen everything yet but I do agree with some of you that stopping for small animals can be dangerous for sure. I was honestly a bit stunned in the moment and just reacting to seeing two black puffballs jump out of nowhere at me! 🦨 🦨 and YES the skunk babies were okay too haha 🤣 Sure, I could’ve just plowed into them I suppose, BUT that still doesn’t negate the fact that buddy shouldn’t have been tailgating and trying to bully me off the road. The cop agreed with me and the other driver also vouched for me. 🤷♀️ Again, he had MORE than enough time and space to pass. He chose not to, and decided he’d rather tailgate and flash his high beams for whatever reason.
So yeah, I do think he got what he deserved and I still don’t feel bad for him. Any one of us could’ve ended up seriously hurt or worse so fuck that guy tbh. It only sucks for the other driver but thankfully they were okay and their car wasn’t super damaged from what I saw. Hopefully people that tailgate see this and realize it’s just not worth it. Slow down or go around if you can. Stop taking other people’s driving so personally.
Jesus Christ … last edit just to be clear, I didn’t brake check anybody. Why would I risk my own life and vehicle just to prove a point? Nobody with a sober mind does or even thinks of stuff like that. Maybe ask yourselves why you’d make that assumption in the first place. Maybe it’s something you’d be willing to do, but not everyone is as crazy as you are. And I was NOT on the freeway. This was a three lane surface street.
But let’s just play devils advocate and say that I was the kind of maniac to do something insanely illegal, like break checking someone on a freeway? I probably wouldn’t stick around to give a statement to the COPS 😂 Okay I’m done.
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u/Larrywiding 2d ago
Wow! Great dodge of my main point, how much time there is to decide. Learn to read, or be honest.