Has this, or something like this, happend to you?

Stay with me here. I promise this story makes its way back to an interesting journalism experience.

So I'm driving to work when a guy stops in the left lane to make an illegal U-turn and almost causes an accident. I honk at him, swerve into saftey and drive on. Looking in my rear view, I saw him swerve back into the left lane and speed right after me. At the next stop light, he cuts in front of me, gets out of his car and starts yelling at me. He even goes so far as to walk up to my door.

Whether it be cowardice or patience, I don't care, but I make the quick decision to just drive on past him, avoid the fight and potential ass-beating, which always leads to a lawsuit anyway, and continue on my day.

Two days later, I pick up a story about a local MMA fighter (You can see where this is going). Drive to the guy's house where he works out, see a familiar car in the driveway and, WHAT DO YOU KNOW, its the asshole that wanted to fight me in the middle of the street. How smart was I to avoid the fight now?

I can see that he recognizes me, so I bite the bullet and tell him where he knows me from. He's embarassed. I'm embarassed. We laugh it off and go on with the interview. But for a second, when I saw who it was, I thought "Dear god I'm walking into an ass-kicking like I've never had."

Has anything like that happend to you?

 

Great story.

I don't think I've been in that situation, but I was in this one: A woman calls the newsroom and complains and complains and complains about something (I can't remember), and I had had enough of her goddamn nonsense, and finally told her to shut up already, then hung up on her. Didn't go over well with the Editor, who took her call 5 minutes later to tell him what I had done. I'd never done that, or haven't since, but sometimes you've just got to tell people to STFU.

 

I hope, considering his potential road rage, the story wasn't glowing.

 

That's a damn funny story.

 

My first instinct was to include the antecdote in the story itself, but I figured all I would be doing was pissing the guy off, and as you can see, he has a short trigger.

He was very apologetic though, saying that he had just had the worst day (girlfriend broke up with him, customers stiffing him) and my car horn happened to be the last straw.

I definitely did not play up the "He's a mild-mannered guy" angle, however.

 

Many years ago, a teenage girl calls the news desk asking a question about geography (or something kinda like that; it's been a while). News desk person tries to answer the question, girl asks more questions, news desker finally tells her to call the library or use the dictionary. A few minutes later, the publisher calls and wants to know who his daughter had been talking to. Good times.....

 

Road rage or 'roid rage?
Not like the stupid son of a bitch might be on steroids or anything...nah, can't be,

 

I accidentally cussed our preacher out one time for turning in front of me. When I realized who it was, I ducked down in my seat quick. Don't need the wrath of God or a hell, fire and brimstone Southern Baptist preacher coming down on me.

Plus, I don;t think he realized what was going on. But I'm always quick to flip the bird to shitty drivers, hasn't bitten me yet.

 

Had some lady act real strange while sitting in the left-turn lane heading out of Wal-Mart a couple of weeks back. She then turns into the left lane of a four-lane road, then promptly starts driving 25 in a 45. I go around to the right, thinking I could easily pass her. Nope. She speeds up to about 65, brandishing the bird as she passes. Had she made the same left turn that I made about a half-mile down the road, I probably would have called the authorities....

 

One time I was at a school to talk to a third-grade class about the wonderful world of community journalism. One of the innocent youngsters asked me the question, "What's the hardest part of your job?" I answered dealing with coaches after they've lost games and recounted a specific instance where I got yelled at by the local coach.

Local coach's daughter was in that class.

 

I'm at a stop sign in the city I lived in before Microville (about 50K big). Some guy in the car in front of me won't go even though there's not another car in sight. So I honk.

He gets out. It's the friggin mayor! He looks pissed and he walks back to my car and says, "What's your problem?"

I said, "Just saying hello."

He says, "I don't know you."

I said, "Yeah, but I'm not the mayor."

Had him dead to rights.

 

Huh? I'm lost on this one.