Brake-checked while hauling yesterday - Careful out there

[beowulf]

Yesterday I was part of a multiple-vehicle brigade bringing a pony home from a function. I had a truck in front of me who was I was following in my truck and trailer, and someone driving my car, following me. We’re in the right hand lane on the highway when the truck I’m folllowing merges to the left hand lane to pass a vehicle going below the speed limit. I look, the lane is open, so I put on my directionals and merge too. There’s a WRX a bit behind me, but plenty of room for myself and the car following me to merge.

The WRX sees I’m merging and speeds up. I was more than halfway done merging when he tried to pass me. He couldn’t, so then he tried to go around me on the right and encounters the car that was going below the speed limit. I pass the slow car, I merge back into my lane, and then the WRX passes, he wedges between my truck and the truck I’m following, and slams on the brakes. I had to merge into a different lane to avoid him - thankfully, that lane was open – but then he followed me into that lane and brake-checked me again.

At this point I pull off onto the breakdown lane, as I’m really worried about the pony and this isn’t safe. He does the same, with his arm out the window and his middle finger up. He must have seen the people behind me were with me (we were all on our way home from an event) and he peeled out. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt - maybe my directionals weren’t working or I didn’t see him - but the car behind me had first-hand witness of it and said not only did my directionals work, but I had plenty of space to merge and he was just a jerk who sped up because he didn’t want to be behind a trailer.

I know it’s the season for trailering with the weather being nicer and shows/events opening out, but be careful out there. I was so lucky I was already letting off the gas, and that the trailer and pony were both light (1 horse trailer and a shetland) - I don’t know if I would have been able to stop in time with a normal load.

The pony is alright and got extra ginger snaps when we got home. I just wish I had this guy’s plate number or some sort of recording, but I was so concerned with not hitting him I didn’t have time to pull out the phone.

So uh, if anyone knows someone with a dark green/black beat up 2000-2003s year WRX that looks like it’s seen better days, registered in MA, give me a PM. I just want to talk (to the police ).

[Laverne77]

OMG! I’m glad you and the pony and your equipment escaped unscathed. I am so sick of the asshats out there doing this kind of thing. A few years ago I was driving along on a city street, minding my own business and a prick in a big white Mountaineer SUV roared past me then slammed on his brakes as soon as he cut back in front of me. My German shepherd was thrown forward and cracked the windshield (she was ok, just a little scrape on her head) when I slammed on my brakes. As soon as I came to a stop the driver of the SUV stuck both hands out his side window and clapped, then he took off. The entire incident was obviously intentional. Like you, I didn’t have time to get his license plate number or a photo. There is a special place in hell for assholes like them.

[cayuse]

These are the reasons I just hired someone to take my mini to Tufts. He left 30 minutes ago. We only haul locally now and even that is dicey. People are extremely aggressive lately.
Sorry you both had to go through that crap. My BP went up reading your posts. Now I’m biting my nails til I hear mini arrived in one piece!

[NaturallyHappy]

It’s absolutely abhorrent how people drive today, and it seems to be widespread. @beowulf, I’m very glad you are all ok. We have roundabouts everywhere around here. I may be done going places given how people gun through those.

[luvmyhackney]

That is horrendous.

Driver is lucky you are experienced and avoided hitting him.

[EmilyM]

they call them Massholes for a reason.

I’m about to make my migration north from Florida. I typically drive stright through (18 ish hours depending on traffic and stops for the pooch) with the four horse trailer full of equipment… It’s always exhausting because you have to be on high alert for bad driving. I ship the horses professionally because I can’t imagine the stress of that.

[LCDR]

Spend some money and get a dash cam. It will pay for itself if you are ever in such a situation again and don’'t manage to stop in time.

[2DogsFarm]

I was hauling with a friend (her horse & cart) yesterday.
She’d noticed her brake controller was NQR, so drove very cautiously.
At the limit, but just.
We all know how Nobody Wants to Follow a Trailer, and were passed repeatedly.
TG, no one made the a-hole statement of brakechecking, but I held my breath Every.Time.
And this was on backroad, 2-lane highways.

I drive solo annually to the Ntl Drive.
A mostly highway, 3h haul.
That unfortunately includes a leg passing through Indianapolis on I65.
4 lanes of potential Asshats @ 65mph minimum, makes for a Whiteknuckle drive.

[RMJacobs]

Wow, just wow. I don’t believe in hell, but I would still love for people like that to end up in a hell run by horsewomen.

Rebecca

[Edre]

Drivers seem to be getting more and more aggressive, and more and more impatient… So sorry that you had this experience. I’m super glad he peeled off when he realized the entourage was pulling up as well. Road rage (or even just jerks being jerks) honestly cause me so much concern, it’s ridiculous…

When I was moving my mare last fall, my trainer was driving the rig and I was in the SUV following. A school bus of all things wedged itself between us (super aggressive mood) and then was tail gaiting like a lunatic. I called the safety number on the back of the bus (“how’s my driving!”) and the dispatcher got a (reasonably polite - I know it’s not her fault) earful on how this was absolutely unacceptable. I’m sure the bus driver was running late to a route but there’s no excuse for tail gaiting, aggressive manuevers, etc.

Really wish people would take a deep breath, wave away 15 seconds lost (especially in your instance, OP - it sounds as if he had ample opportunity to easily move around you and carry on with his day) and move on with their lives…
UGH.

[Bonnie2]

Glad everyone is ok! A double cautionary tale for those folks who tow the maximum trailer with the minimum truck.

[beowulf]

@Bonnie2

Glad everyone is ok! A double cautionary tale for those folks who tow the maximum trailer with the minimum truck.

No kidding! My truck is a F350 7.3, and the trailer is an older Gore single horse. It just can’t stop like a 2,500lb sports car can.

So sorry to read of everyone’s similar instances. I agree completely that driving in the last couple of years has really changed.

@LCDR I was just talking to SO about this because it is time. Any recs?

[lazaret]

I have a Vantrue N4.

ETA: I picked it because it can legibly record a license plate at 25 feet both front and rear.

[Jealoushe]

This is awful I’m sorry it happened. This is exactly why we got a dash cam for our truck! Too many unstable psychos out there. I work in trucking insurance and the amount of incidents like this I see is crazy. Transport drivers have been cleared on many accounts due to the dash cam footage showing another driver caused the accident due to road rage or being careless. Truck drivers always get the first blame though, that footage can be priceless.

[Vyce]

People are crazy aggressive lately. Just the other day on my way to work I was behind a school bus. So we’re not going fast. At all. Some arsehole tailgates me on a single lane road then tries to go around me and the bus by crossing the double yellow lines. And almost smashes head first into oncoming traffic.

OP glad you and pony are ok! And I third/ fourth/ fifth the dash cam recommendation!

[dacasodivine]

I have a dash cam in my truck and car. People out there are crazy. I also gifted them to my children for their vehicles. Fortunately I’ve never needed to use it but know people who have and it saved them from being held responsible for an accident.

I know one case where someone road raged on a co-worker’s daughter and flashed a gun. Then that person tried to play the victim to the police. Co-worker’s daughter showed police her dash cam and the other person got arrested.

They are very reasonably priced these days.

[Jealoushe]

funny not funny story…at my old job my co worker was followed and tail gated, then brake checked and it turned out to be our somewhat new receptionist at the time who was doing it! She didn’t realize who she was harassing and that he worked in our office (and had for a long time). He got out of his car and was like, don’t you work in my office???

She wasn’t employed much longer. LOL

[MunchingonHay]

I am so glad you were able to react safely Beowolf. And I am doubly happy you had other cars carvaning with you. I can’t believe that guy pulled over too.

I don’t understand people’s needs to go 90+ mph and drive like they are playing Grand Thief Auto, and I like driving fast!

[RMJacobs]

Something I heard in traffic school (to get speeding ticket points off my driving record) always stuck with me: once you get in the car, you can no longer affect your arrival time. I thought that was a great way to think about it–if you don’t leave on time or run into traffic, tough. Just suck it up and be late if necessary. And if it’s important to be there on time, leave early.

I’m still a speed demon, but that was never about trying to get somewhere faster. Even on a long drive, going faster doesn’t make that much difference on travel time. I just like driving fast, but I don’t weave in and out, I don’t tail gate, and I keep my speed reasonable in traffic. But give me an empty road at 2 am, yeah, I’m going to find out how fast my car can go. I’m immature that way.

Rebecca

[lorilu]

In Ocala, 60th is the street with all the feed and tack stores. It’s also part of a good direct route from the WEC area to the Florida Horse Park area. It has 4 lanes. At one point I have to drive in the left lane to get in a turn lane to turn left.
Hauling home from a clinic one day, I had a woman in a mercedes tailgate and try to get me to speed over the posted limit. Nope, sorry. She passed me on the right, swung over, and SLAMMED on her brakes. Luckily I avoided her but I swear my horse left skid marks in the shavings.
Then she swung across both lanes and pulled into a church.
I drive a 350 Diesel Dually and tow a 2 horse gooseneck. I would have gone right over her.
Some days I think I would just slow as much as I can without injuring the horse and let Newton take over.