So, I'm driving home from the airport last night after vacation. It's 1:00 in the morning, and no one is on the road. I come up on some guy that is literally ALL OVER the road. He's swerving through both lanes, riding in the shoulder, making very drastic swerves, etc. He also can't maintain his speed. He'd get up to 60 and then break down to 30. I watched this go on, as I followed, afraid to pass the guy, for about three miles before I called the cops. So, I'm following the guy, on the phone with the cops, on a stretch of road I don't know too well. I gave them mile markers, etc. as much as I could. They send a trooper, and I'm trying to direct them to this car, with me behind. The trooper pulls out too soon. (Rip Swoly) So I tell them this, and try to get the trooper to slow down. They end up telling me to put on my four ways. So I do, and follow the guy for a mile or so, with about ten cars behind us. Finally, this person catches wind, and starts slamming on his brakes even more. Eventually, he pulls over and shuts his car off, and turns on an interior light. In my ear, the cops are telling me to stay behind him. I told them I didn't feel comfortable because he had pulled over. Told them I was going to exit half a mile ahead to get gas, and where I'd be if they needed me. So I exited, and here comes this nutbag right behind me. So I'm telling the cops this, and I flipped out, and was like, "if he's coming up behind me, I'm running this red light!" (lol). So he did, and I did, and the cops said that was okay. So I pulled out right behind a car, and he pulls out behind me. I think he got me confused with the other car because he followed them, going the other way on the interstate (West... We were going East.) So I met with two troopers at the gas station, told them this, and they sped off on the highway to find the guy. I had already given his license plate number and a vehicle description. He also had a headlight out. Would you have called this guy in? I don't mess around in those situations...
Sounds like a weird situation all around. Honestly, I would've just given the cops a license plate# and sped off away from the guy. Shouldn't have to put your life at risk to help the cops do their job. He had to either be drunk or be impaired in some way to be driving erratically like the way you described. Hopefully they found the guy.
you shouldn't have put yourself in danger. Rookie mistake Call the cops and then get the hell away -- stop for a bathroom break or something.
I've been behind drunk drivers, but this guy was the worst. I was waiting for him to literally drive off the road or kill someone else in front of me. My wife was screaming as 18 wheelers were passing the guy.
People that dont value their own lives should not risk the lives of others...you did right by calling the cops.
Let me just say that Houston drivers REALLY TRULY HONESTLY SUCK. Driving in houston every day, I get enough of the: well, this guy is doing the speed limit so let's get right on his ass to make sure he knows he needs to speed up. Driving two way streets at 70 miles an hour like they are freeways. Honking at you if you actually have to turn into off the street because you've reached your destination. Honking at you if you are on the phone while they are crossing 3 lanes of highway and tailgating a guy to make him get out of your way. Speeding up rather than breaking. Speeding up rather than breaking. Houston drivers have never ever heard of a break and that's the truth.
I'm all for gun control, but if that were me in your shoes I would've been locked and loaded. But I also wouldn't have been following him either. "Babe **** my gun and set it in my lap."
you should have rolled up on him like zimmerman! get up in his personal space. F that guy !! citizens arrest for the win!
I wouldn't have called the police. Mainly because I ain't no snitch. I most likely would have recorded a video to later post on WSHH.
ThAt is pathetic they couldn't get an officer there if you were telling dispatch mile markers & exit no.'s etc. He should have entered the freeway erring on the side of starting way far behind you, then speed to catch up, instead of taking a chance of getting on too far ahead. And what really screwed everything up was them telling you to put your hazards on- blinking lights tend to activate them, is what set his paranoid then aggressive behavior off. Cool story though.
Personally I think people should just let go of their unnecessary pride for 2 seconds and get out of the way. The struggle between slow drivers and tailgaters is an eternal part of nature. Both sides have moral ground, both have practical reasons for being upset at the other driver.
You did the right thing calling the cops OP. However, as soon as the guy started to pick up on what's going on, that gets weird. I would have bailed sooner than that.
Maybe they want those speed limit drivers to stop holding up traffic too. Move to the right. Always pass the vehicles in the lane to your right, or yield. Such a simple rule.
What morale ground could tailgaters possibly have? - don't give me this bull**** that it is safer to maintain cruising speed, especially when for me to get up to "cruising speed" it would require me to do 90mph in 65 (70) zone. also, it is NOT an enternal part of nature. I lived in memphis tennessee and rarely were their aggressive tailgaters on the road. in houston, 99 percent of drivers do 70 miles per hour over the speed limit while switching 3 lanes of traffic. It's downright scary to see some of the things I see on the freeway in houston.
