A Road Rage Story from the POV of an FA owner

No video, just a story about an incident a while back

Note: I wrote this while everything was still fresh in my mind, but at the time of publishing, the events here would have happened quite a while back. No need for names. Just a recounting of an incident.

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There I was, patiently waiting at the head of a line to enter a road; one of those old narrow streets that only allow for one four-wheeled vehicle to pass through at any given time. Anyone who has ever had to traverse such a road knows that there's usually an istambay (colloquial for standby, or an unemployed local) that “manages” the flow of traffic for a few coins. This is usually an uneventful thing, until someone in a car decided to cut the line. And I'm not talking about just a part of it. This dude wanted to cut the whole line.

Yes, he tried to get in front of me, trying to squeeze in, never mind that there was a big truck coming out with only inches to spare. I was having none of it, and decided to squeeze back and nudge ahead. When the outgoing traffic from the road finally cleared, the driver of the car tried to go around even more, but again, I was having none of it and drove into the road.

The driver honked his horn profusely, clearly agitated and unstable over and concept of a proper line. I let him by when the road widened a bit. But instead of going on his merry way, he decided he wanted to unleash the rage inside the machine, cut me off and stop.

Here we go.

“Hindi mo ba ako kilala? Hindi mo ba alam kung sino binabangga mo? Kami may ari ng lahat nito!”

It was like being stuck in a bad telenovela and I've got a front row seat to this dude’s tirade.

“Papatayin kita! Uubusin ko lahi mo!”

Roughly translated, this dude in sunglasses and shorts just said he was going to kill me and finish off my, uh, bloodline. Or gene pool. Thankfully he walked back to his car and drove off, and I thought that was the end of it. Alas, it wasn't over.

He pulled up to the gate of what looked like his company (or his father's), got out again, and decided to continue the drama. This time, he was holding something black in his hands.

“Gusto mo palabasin ko mga tao ko mula sa loob? Papatayin ka nila para sa akin!” (Tagalog: You want me to call my guys from inside? They'll kill you for me!)

Now many of you would recognize that there's a criminal offense here. It's called grave threats. When you threaten someone with words such as those (i.e. I will kill you) the act is very much punishable by law under the RPC, or Revised Penal Code. Proving it will be a trickier matter. I do have witnesses, but how I wish I was driving my personal truck (with a dashcam) and not a test car that was only with me for a week.

Thankfully, he didn't try to kick the car or break the window in his fit of rage. The first is because it's not mine; it's a test car like most that we review here. The second is more serious: that would have escalated the situation, and I would have felt that I was in real and substantial danger.

I was just quiet the whole time and didn't say a word or engage him in any way. I was just listening and observing what was happening for one simple reason: I carry.

Like many of you who have lined up at Camp Crame (or regional equivalent) to get one, I have the Philippine equivalent of a concealed carry permit, otherwise known as a Permit To Carry Firearm Outside of Residence or PTCFOR. Like you who have the same, I exercise that privilege to be able to do so such as getting all those requirements, paying the fees, and lining up to get one, including the requirements for the LTOPF or License To Own and Possess Firearms. Owning a firearm here is a privilege you apply for and earn, not a right like the Second Amendment across the Pacific.  So when you do get one, you cherish it because you had to go through quite a few hoops to get it.

So I carry a firearm. I'm no war freak nor am I a violent person; I just enjoy guns and I find that going to the range is somewhat relaxing when time permits. The gun I have is just for protection because I feel I need some kind of personal protection as I handle a variety of cars (especially expensive ones) that could potentially make me a target. Fun as my job is, being responsible for multi-million peso cars, up to an including 30-million peso supercar attracts unwanted attention. Even the security guards in my humble village joke that I’m some kind of smuggler.

So, back to that incident: a lot of things go through your mind in a short amount of time in a situation like this. There are rules and legalities that strictly state when you can draw a firearm, and it’s only when you are in actual danger of physical harm. You do not draw your firearm to scare someone away if they yell at you or even verbally threaten you. You can only draw to defend yourself (or others) from getting hurt, and even then there are nuances you must know that we won’t get into here.

When I looked closer at what he held in his hand, it looked like a baton or flashlight. If he had used it to smash in my window, that will escalate it. But he didn’t. So there was no need to prolong it any further. I just drove off while his tantrum raged. I would not even want to think of what could have been had he smashed in my window or tried to hit me.

There are a few lessons that I've picked up here. The first is I really should have a more portable dashcam on a suction mount that I can move from one vehicle to another more easily. It’s always better to have photographic or video evidence, just in case.

Secondly, if you're carrying and encounter a road rage situation such as this, you'll have to have extremely high levels patience and tolerance, and the ability to go well beyond if need be. It's not easy to go against the temptation to engage in the heat of the moment, especially when your blood is boiling too.  But it's what we have to do as law-abiding gun owners and carry permit holders. 

The third (and probably the best and simplest of all) is that if you can drive off quickly and safely, do so. Pick flight over fight every time if you can.  If you stay, you'll end up prolonging the matter or worse, allow it to escalate further. That's what I wanted to do but I didn't want to turn my back on him in case he had something that also fired bullets.

Your ego should never be the one behind the wheel, and that was what I did wrong. Idiotic as his maneuver was, I should have checked my ego and let the guy through at the start. He was triggered, and so was I, but so long as no one reaches for an actual trigger, we should be all fine.

People on a rage rampage will yell things like “Duwag!” (Coward!) or “Ba**a Ka!” as you drive away to avoid, but ignore it. It's much better to just yell back as you drive away: “Oo B***a, Eh Ano Ngayon?".

Sorry if that may offend some, but we’re making a point here: Drive or run away regardless if you’re armed with a gun, a knife, a baton, or harsh language. The stress of prolonging and escalating is just not worth it. It’s better to share stories over a beer and go home to your own bed in your house with your family than to sit at a precinct to explain and sleep in a cell full of regrets over nothing.

As for karma, don’t worry: sooner or later, a person like that will run into someone who won't back down. It’s just better if that person they run into is not you.