mek42
Member
Situation: There are two shopping centers across the street from each other and they share a common traffic light as an entrance / exit. I am on my way back to work after lunch (1st shift, middle of the day) and am unarmed (work policy, no weapons, not even in parking area). I am approaching the traffic light at around 10 mph, the light is green, so I go ahead and make the right turn needed to go back to work.
Across the street in the other shopping area is an SUV type vehicle carrying 3 or 4 late teen / early twenties white males, with the front passenger seat occupant standing up through a sunroof. That vehicle is approaching the traffic light to make a left.
We both approached the traffic light from opposite sides of the street at approximately the same time. Since my light was green and I was making a right turn, I had the right of way. I think that the SUV driver may not have been going to yield right of way since it seemed like he spiked his brakes in the middle of his left turn (this was from my peripheral vision, as my main focus was to the front while making my right turn).
The next thing I know, the SUV is behind me (very, very close - close enough that a hard downshift might have induced a rear end incident) with the driver and occupants yelling and delivering obscene gestures in my general direction.
I didn't want these yahoos following me back to work and my threat meter was starting to ping. I opened my cell phone, entered the digits for 911 and had my thumb on the dial button while holding the phone so it was clearly visible through the back glass of the vehicle.
Meanwhile I was trying to decide what to tell the 911 operator if I decided a call needed to be made (i.e. if I got 1/3 to 1/2 way to work and they were still behind me). What I had decided on was "Hello, this is <my name> and my NY Pistol Permit number is <blah>. I am being followed by a vehicle containing several belligerent young men and am becoming quite nervous. Could I please receive some assistance?"
Thankfully, they turned into a fast-food establishment literally seconds before my "make the call" decision point.
What could or should I have done differently? If I did end up feeling the need to call 911, was my planned introduction to the situation acceptable?
(For the record, this incident happened late last summer - I was reading another thread here and was reminded of this event.)
Thank you!
Across the street in the other shopping area is an SUV type vehicle carrying 3 or 4 late teen / early twenties white males, with the front passenger seat occupant standing up through a sunroof. That vehicle is approaching the traffic light to make a left.
We both approached the traffic light from opposite sides of the street at approximately the same time. Since my light was green and I was making a right turn, I had the right of way. I think that the SUV driver may not have been going to yield right of way since it seemed like he spiked his brakes in the middle of his left turn (this was from my peripheral vision, as my main focus was to the front while making my right turn).
The next thing I know, the SUV is behind me (very, very close - close enough that a hard downshift might have induced a rear end incident) with the driver and occupants yelling and delivering obscene gestures in my general direction.
I didn't want these yahoos following me back to work and my threat meter was starting to ping. I opened my cell phone, entered the digits for 911 and had my thumb on the dial button while holding the phone so it was clearly visible through the back glass of the vehicle.
Meanwhile I was trying to decide what to tell the 911 operator if I decided a call needed to be made (i.e. if I got 1/3 to 1/2 way to work and they were still behind me). What I had decided on was "Hello, this is <my name> and my NY Pistol Permit number is <blah>. I am being followed by a vehicle containing several belligerent young men and am becoming quite nervous. Could I please receive some assistance?"
Thankfully, they turned into a fast-food establishment literally seconds before my "make the call" decision point.
What could or should I have done differently? If I did end up feeling the need to call 911, was my planned introduction to the situation acceptable?
(For the record, this incident happened late last summer - I was reading another thread here and was reminded of this event.)
Thank you!
), and in the just last 3 years have called 911 more than in the 12 preceding. 
