Extreme road rage witnessed by hubby
By feralwoman
@feralwoman (2199)
Australia
March 15, 2007 12:53pm CST
A few years ago my hubby was driving home from work. It was in the winter and it was dark. He stopped at some red traffic lights and in front of him he noticed a white van. He saw some men pile out of the van armed with an assortment of metal pipes and the next thing he saw was the men dragging a motorist out of his car and severely beating him with the pipes. The man tried to run but somehow ended up on the bonnet of hubby's car, still being beaten by the mob of men. He could see the man's face through the windscreen. He didn't know what to do. Get involved and probably get beaten also, call the police and have the hassle of being a witness with who knows what retribution, or leave it well alone. The lights changed colour while this was all happening and hubby was stuck there watching it all take place in front of him. Eventually the mob decided that the motorist had taken enough beating and returned to their van and drove off. Hubby opened his window as the motorist was staggering past and asked him if he was OK. The motorist just looked at him as if to say "no, but thanks for asking anyway". Hubby drove away well and truly stunned by what he had witnessed. He got home and immediately related this event to me. I thought what would I have done if I had witnessed this going on directly on my bonnet? I would have shouted at them to stop beating the motorist I think. I would have stayed in the car and probably not called the police for fear of retribution.
Can you think what you would have done in these circumstances?
4 people like this
5 responses
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
19 Mar 07
OUCH. That must really have been an OH MY GOD moment. I can not imagine. I would like to think I would have done something anything to have stopped the madness, but that is too easy to say for some one who has not faced such a thing. What I do know is that after the men left I would have taken more action to see if the man was alright and see if he needed medical care and take him to the hospital if needed. Gosh it just hard to say what I would do in the situation. We want so badly to think we are good people but we don't know fear until faced with it.
1 person likes this
@feralwoman (2199)
• Australia
19 Mar 07
Hi there Angelwhispers - how true your comment is about not knowing fear until you are faced with it. Good point about seeing if the man needed taking to hospital. Thank you so much for responding. lol
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
19 May 07
Feral thank you so much for the best response :))
1 person likes this
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
23 May 07
We would all like to think that we would have stopped and taken the man to the hospital, but most people would be too scared to think clearly I suspect. The other thing is that you could not be sure that the men would not return to bash him some more, or even those who had witnessed the event.
As a truck driver I do see some strange things but mostly do not interfere. Late one afternoon only a few months ago, we heard a call over the UHF to say some blokes were beating someone up in a truck stop, and there were a couple of kids there. Luckily it wasn't on a divided road, as a couple of truckies going south pulled in, and at the same time one heading north also pulled in. Luckily for the victim, someone had called the police and they arrived just as I pulled in.
It was out of our hands, but I am not sure that I would have stopped if I hadn't been in the truck. Oh, and the police caught the men but no truckie had witnessed it, so it was up to the victim. He wasn't saying too much at all and we never did hear what happened. All the truckies only pulled in because of the kids.
Your husband did the right thing I reckon, and it is what most of us would actually have done. We think we would have acted in a different way, but the shock would stop that in most cases.
@feralwoman (2199)
• Australia
23 May 07
Hello there Oldboy. How wonderful that you truckies band together via the UHF to help others out - you truly are "Knights of the Road!"
It's difficult to know what to do when faced with something like that - especially as it was so "in your face". Like you said, had hubby got out of the car - he'd probably have been beaten senseless too.
Thank you very much for your response. ;) lol
@SunlightSwoon (1060)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Just thinking about the involvement although extremely minor
that your husband played in this incident gives me the 'willies'.
He could have been beaten or killed just because he was there
when the incident took place. Sometimes you just really don't
know what to do anymore, things have become so complicated. The
fellow that got the whipping, he didn't ask your husband for any
assistance or anything, that sort of leads me to believe there
could have been a history between those involved in the incident.
I am happy your husband wasn't harmed in anyway, and maybe not
acting or reacting to the situation, may have saved his life...SS
1 person likes this
@feralwoman (2199)
• Australia
15 Mar 07
Hello there! Yes I agree that you just don't know what to do for the best. Ignore it and feel guilty or intervene and get injured? My husband had the same thought, that there was something else going on between these men other than just road rage. Who knows? Thanks so much for responding! LOL
1 person likes this
@maribel1218 (3084)
• Philippines
16 Mar 07
Gee! my friend that was one scenario like on the movie and your hubby was the film director.
It was good that he didn't do about it because at the first place he never knew what is the cause of the beating and secondly he might be hurt by those men if he tried to help the motorists.
I think what he did is appropriate because he knew for the fact that he knows nothing about it and he also asked the victim but doesn't asked for help. There was a intention to help the beaten victim but the victim doesn't need any help.
Angels are with your hubby side my friend for he was guided on that event!!
1 person likes this
@feralwoman (2199)
• Australia
19 Mar 07
Yes, just like something out of a movie! Hubby was lucky not to have his windscreen smashed or worse. Thanks for your response maribel. LOL
@Woodpigeon (3710)
• Ireland
21 May 07
Holy crud, I would have been scared silly! I think my instinctive reaction might have been to lock the doors and lay on the horn in hopes someone might intervene. I don't know what would have sparked the beating, but I think, just also out of instinct and training I would have checked to see if the man was ok and filed a report with the police. It seems like one of those incidents unless it was caught on CCTV, they were going to get away with it.
@feralwoman (2199)
• Australia
23 May 07
Hello Woodpigeon - perhaps laying on the horn might have made them smash the car windows - you never know. Certainly I wouldn't have had a clue what to do in that situation. It's truly scary to be faced with something like that happening on 'yer bonnet! Thanks for responding! ;)
