Called the police yesterday

[GojuBrian]

on a guy in Wal-Mart parking lot.

As I was leaving wally world a guy came ripping through driving a car. Now he was not driving moderately fast, he was driving insanely fast and nearly hit me. He was also driving through the parking spaces close to the store. When he turned he fishtailed and almost hit the front of my car as I was leaving. I honked and slammed on my brakes. He flipped me off and yelled something. I backed up to where he parked and dialed the police. He said, "CALL THE POLICE, I DON'T GIVE A F***!!!" Then he came toward my window as his girlfriend tried to pull him back. My door was shut and I rolled my window up and pulled forward a little each time he advanced three times. He was yelling and screaming explitives as he was pulling his girlfriend around.
When he went inside I was talking to the police and gave them his license plate # and description, 6' 4' 230lbs, a little bigger than me.
He came back out of the store in a hurry so I got back in my car, pepperspray in hand and told the officer what was going on. He got into his car and sped off in a hurry while staring at me. Friggin hothead moron!

What made this guy go off? Why did he not care if he killed someone or even someone's child? What the heck is wrong with people?

They have my name and phone number, but I don't know if they caught up to him or not.

 

[scottaschultz]

Yeah OK, the guy was a first class jerk, but other than cursing at you, did he threaten you? Did he say he was going to kick you a**? Did he point a gun at you?

Sure, it is a scary situation, but that is when I would decide that I really didn't need to go to Wal-Mart at that exact moment. Besides, we all know they don't have any handgun ammo anyway!

Hopefully the police caught him later that day. It is unlikely this was an isolated incident.

Scott

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Well they have his license so can just drive to his house and issue the citation.

Yeah, that's one out of control driver. Not cool. You did the right thing.

 

[scottaschultz]

Well they have his license so can just drive to his house and issue the citation.

For what? He screamed at a guy on private property.

Scott

 

[DHJenkins]

Did he buy anything?

 

[zombienerd]

For what? He screamed at a guy on private property.

he was driving insanely fast and nearly hit me. He was also driving through the parking spaces close to the store. When he turned he fishtailed and almost hit the front of my car as I was leaving. I honked and slammed on my brakes.

Sounds like reckless driving to me, and should warrant a suspended license.

 

[DHJenkins]

Sounds like reckless driving to me, and should warrant a suspended license.

I don't think that applies on private property - the police can't site you for 'speeding' or running the stop signs in a parking lot, so I doubt they'd have much recourse to do anything other than follow him and wait for him to screw up.

He probably left in a hurry because he was either drunk or had drugs on him.

 

[scottaschultz]

Did he buy anything?

Since he was at Wal-Mart, we know for sure he didn't buy any handgun ammo!

Scott

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I dunno DHJenkins re: the private property thing. I saw some guy blast through a parking lot and swerve around, and the cop who happened to be right there flipped his lights on and pulled him over. So obviously it gives them PC enough...

I think "private property" only applies to residential. Wal-Mart's a public business that 100% of the public can enter, so I think the laws can still apply, especially for C&I (Careless & Imprudent driving).

 

[scottaschultz]

Yeah, but you don't know what happened after the cop stopped the guy. It was probably just a "stern warning" and advised him to be more careful.

And yes, a Wal-Mart parking lot is private property. When was the last time you saw a city snow plow clear the lot of a shopping mall?

Some time ago someone backed into my car in a parking lot so I called the police.

"Was anybody injured?"

"No"

"Call your insurance company!"

Scott

 

[AirForceShooter]

If the LEO didn't see it, it didn't happen.
You can tell the LEO exactly what happened and he's helpless to issue a citation.

AFS

 

[Rodeo4joe]

The whole private property issue really depends on alot of different things. A few months back I had a stalker / harrasser. It got to the point that if this CRAZY person even came around we would call the police. Good thing cause now she is in prison for Agrivated Mailicous Wounding and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony thank god it wasnt my wife or my child she shot Too bad it was my wife's Grandfather. well what I learned early in the situation in my area the police force can only enforce certain laws such as tresspassing or traffic violations if the bussiness or landowners sign a waiver allowing them to do so. And yes you can ask them to enforce traffic violations such as in an appartment comlex where the streets are private property. The waiver would then allow the police to enfoce the law without a complaint from the owner. But as I am sure that all places have there own laws and policies that govern what the police can and can not do on private property. But you did handle the situation correctly. stay away and keep safe until you are forced to act on the situation. Just my .02 cents.

 

[GojuBrian]

Yes, during all the yelling he did threaten to "kick my a$$" several times.

I think he got in wal mart and thought better of it and wanted to leave in a hurry. He was in there all of two minutes max.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

If the LEO didn't see it, it didn't happen.
You can tell the LEO exactly what happened and he's helpless to issue a citation.

AFS

Wonder if they could pull the Wal-Mart security cameras...they're all over the parking lot.

 

[71Commander]

Sounds like reckless driving to me, and should warrant a suspended license.

Prove it.

It'll take more than your word.

 

[Yo Mama]

I don't get what it is in a Walmart parkinglot that makes people drive like idiots. IF I don't have my daughter with me, I'll stare them down, and make strong eye contact. The one's near me have security that is able to pull drivers over, and they call LEO to complete the transaction.

You need strength in numbers. When the guy got out of the car, what if a bunch of people told him their feelings on his driving? I'm sure it would be different.

 

[scottaschultz]

Wonder if they could pull the Wal-Mart security cameras...they're all over the parking lot.

It is still private property and like they say, "A stop sign on a mall parking lot is just a suggestion!"

Now if you were the victim of a "smash & grab", or an actual assault, that would be a reason to review the tapes.

When the guy got out of the car, what if a bunch of people told him their feelings on his driving? I'm sure it would be different.

Not if the guy was drunk, high or just your average everyday moron!

Scott

 

[Guns and more]

It was his 5th Wal*Mart without any ammo.

 

[Sam1911]

Brian, from your description I think notifying the police was a perfectly reasonable action. It's not like they would come and stomp on his freedom of expression, but perhaps they would be present should he decide to physically act in a manner to match his speech.

Folks, a man may have all the rights in the world to act like a fool, but that doesn't diminish our right or responsibility to take note of WARNING SIGNS and prepare to act on them. A man screaming obsceneties and advancing towards me is giving off some pretty significant warning signs. Notifying the police that they may soon have to stretch some tape (for whomever he acts on -- or for him if he pics the wrong victim) might be wise.

HOWEVER, Brian, I think that moving your car towards his parking place, making yourself visible to him, and doing anything at all to increase your interaction with him is a huge mistake. Even if you choose to remain close by to report (or even to act in defense of others if you feel you can/must), honking, parking near him, telling/showing him that you're calling the cops, trading glares across the parking lot, and even remaining too visibly present all may escalate his anger and focus it on you.

That's a screw-up. (Not having been there, myself, of course,) You could have made your reasonable response just as well from a safe distance, without any intereaction with him beyond that initial horn honk (which I understand was reflexive and reasonable).

-Sam

 

[B yond]

My car was hit in a fast food parking lot. The guy who hit me was uncooperative to say the least. I called the police and they said they wouldn't do anything since it was private property. They wouldn't even send a car out.

A week later I saw a LEO busting some high school kids for smoking pot in that same parking lot. I guess they get to pick and choose what laws they'll enforce on private property.

 

[DHJenkins]

My car was hit in a fast food parking lot. The guy who hit me was uncooperative to say the least. I called the police and they said they wouldn't do anything since it was private property. They wouldn't even send a car out.

A week later I saw a LEO busting some high school kids for smoking pot in that same parking lot. I guess they get to pick and choose what laws they'll enforce on private property.

Had the same thing happen to a friend of mine. Someone turned right in front of him into a space, he caved in the side of their car, and the police said the same thing about the 'accident'. They said they couldn't even file a police report. Of course, he was driving an F-350 w/ a 600 lb concrete filled custom bumper on the front, so it only scratched things up a bit.

As to the pot issue, it's illegal everywhere (except where it's medically OK), regardless of whether you're on private property or not. It's illegal to smoke/possess even in the privacy of your own home.

 

[rbernie]

I have to wonder how much this situation became what it was because it was escalated by following the aggressive driver:

I backed up to where he parked and dialed the police.

This situation teeters on that knife edge of not wanting to reward bad behavior in public while also not wanting to escalate a minor contretemps into a full-scale armed confrontation. At some point, intervention for the purposes of 'correcting' another's behavior (honking, yelling, gesturing, or other) simply adds fuel to the scenario and can take a situation that might have otherwise been diffused and escalate it dangerously.

My decision tree looks like this: if I encounter somebody who is overly aggressive but not specifically picking on somebody then I usually give them a wide berth and presume that all they need is space to settle down, but I will not tolerate their bad behavior if they begin specifically targeting someone.

Since there is no indication that he intended to target you until you 'intervened', had that been me I would likely have simply driven off.

 

[Seenterman]

I don't think that applies on private property - the police can't site you for 'speeding' or running the stop signs in a parking lot, so I doubt they'd have much recourse to do anything other than follow him and wait for him to screw up.

Dudez! Yes!! Now I have a place to practice doing donuts, J turns, and tactical 360's while going 70mph's and no one can stop me. Ha ha the best buy parking lot is now mine!!!

Dude that "reckless driver" was totally in the right, he was just practicing his tactical driving! You shouldn't mess with other peoples training.

 

[scottaschultz]

My car was hit in a fast food parking lot. The guy who hit me was uncooperative to say the least. I called the police and they said they wouldn't do anything since it was private property. They wouldn't even send a car out.

A week later I saw a LEO busting some high school kids for smoking pot in that same parking lot. I guess they get to pick and choose what laws they'll enforce on private property.

I am not a lawyer (and I don't play one on TV) and there is no possible way I can know the laws in your jurisdiction, but what law did the guy break when he hit your car?

And like DHJenkins said, marijuana is illegal from what I understand. (Not from personal experience of course!)

Scott

 

[primer]

So...It's perfectly legal to hit someones car on private property? I see these idiots all the time. I stepped infront of one while walking to the front door of wal-mart before. The guy was headed straight for my wife and kids. He stopped in time and my family continued into wal-mart. I gave him the look and followed after them into the store. I think the only time the police will get involved is if the hit your car and then attempt to leave without providing information. They are legally liable for the damage to your property even if they are on private property. Now if they hit YOU, you can sue their butts off and probably wal-marts too. I would think that reckless endangerment would come into play if someone was speeding through a parking lot and seriously injured someone.