Almost got into an altercation tonight, dashcam saved me from getting MeToo'd

[Xenom0rph]

Boyos, if you don't have a dashcam, get yourselves one ASAP. Don't be cheap, get yourselves a quality dash cam, it might just save your life.

Okay so I'm out picking up some food. I'm on the city streets, there's 2 lanes. I'm in the left lane driving conservatively because it's a rainy night.

Car in the right lane speeds right by me and does a U-turn right in front of me which almost causes an accident as he speeds off. I honk my horns. He turns his car around, chases me down, parks his car (sideways) in front of me at an intersection and starts mouthing off.

I'm actually in the left turn lane at this point, there's a concrete center divider, and the way he parked his car prevented me from driving off, and I couldn't easily back up.

He gets out of his car and continues mouthing off. At this point, I'm in combat mode, it's on now muthafcccker. I call 911 and give them the street and cross street location.

I get out of the car and stand my ground. His girl gets out and starts mouthing off.

I make sure to tell them I have a dash cam with Front/Rear recording and the entire incident is being recorded right now and that police are on the way.

He and his girl continue mouthing off about 30 more seconds before driving off.

Cops arrive about a minute later and I give them my story and we reviewed the footage. Unfortunately we couldn't get the plate number because it was too rainy and the footage wasn't clear.

I told the officers I didn't care to proceed any further with the incident.

The officers warned me NOT to get out of the car next time. In California, we don't have Stand Your Ground laws, citizens are required to avoid or de-escalate confrontation whenever possible. The only time you can legally fight is when de-escalation or evasion isn't possible. Which means if I threw down then we're both going to jail.

But the moral of the story is this: Simply telling the dude and his girl that I had a dashcam discouraged them from further confrontation.

I'm almost certain that if I didn't have a dashcam, they would have probably fabricated a story about how I was harrassing his girl and that he was defending her....

....so basically I would have been falsely MeToo'd......

Guys, in today's world, don't EVER let yourselves get into a "he said, she said" situation, always have video and audio proof.

 

[Bigpapa]

Man , no offense , you look like a smart guy , but I think that you take life way too serious

and also have this mania of always trying to rationalize things that should not be rationalized

people are more irrational than rational , so trying to rationalize everything will make you go man eventually

 

[AureliusMaximus]

Man , no offense , you look like a smart guy , but I think that you take life way too serious

and also have this mania of always trying to rationalize things that should not be rationalized

people are more irrational than rational , so trying to rationalize everything will make you go man eventually

Well in US people do carry guns in contrast to here in Europe where we're as private citizens are forbidden too own/carry them and only the government is allowed.

So with that in mind; people do really irrational things when they are upset so I don't he is too serious with all the gangbangers in Cali and L.A.

 

[bat soup]

Boyos, if you don't have a dashcam, get yourselves one ASAP. Don't be cheap, get yourselves a quality dash cam, it might just save your life.

Okay so I'm out picking up some food. I'm on the city streets, there's 2 lanes. I'm in the left lane driving conservatively because it's a rainy night.

Car in the right lane speeds right by me and does a U-turn right in front of me which almost causes an accident as he speeds off. I honk my horns. He turns his car around, chases me down, parks his car (sideways) in front of me at an intersection and starts mouthing off.

I'm actually in the left turn lane at this point, there's a concrete center divider, and the way he parked his car prevented me from driving off, and I couldn't easily back up.

He gets out of his car and continues mouthing off. At this point, I'm in combat mode, it's on now muthafcccker. I call 911 and give them the street and cross street location.

I get out of the car and stand my ground. His girl gets out and starts mouthing off.

I make sure to tell them I have a dash cam with Front/Rear recording and the entire incident is being recorded right now and that police are on the way.

He and his girl continue mouthing off about 30 more seconds before driving off.

Cops arrive about a minute later and I give them my story and we reviewed the footage. Unfortunately we couldn't get the plate number because it was too rainy and the footage wasn't clear.

I told the officers I didn't care to proceed any further with the incident.

The officers warned me NOT to get out of the car next time. In California, we don't have Stand Your Ground laws, citizens are required to avoid or de-escalate confrontation whenever possible. The only time you can legally fight is when de-escalation or evasion isn't possible. Which means if I threw down then we're both going to jail.

But the moral of the story is this: Simply telling the dude and his girl that I had a dashcam discouraged them from further confrontation.

I'm almost certain that if I didn't have a dashcam, they would have probably fabricated a story about how I was harrassing his girl and that he was defending her....

....so basically I would have been falsely MeToo'd......

Guys, in today's world, don't EVER let yourselves get into a "he said, she said" situation, always have video and audio proof.

People can get enraged about the smallest things when on the road.

 

[ThisIsSparta]

The officers warned me NOT to get out of the car next time. In California, we don't have Stand Your Ground laws, citizens are required to avoid or de-escalate confrontation whenever possible. The only time you can legally fight is when de-escalation or evasion isn't possible. Which means if I threw down then we're both going to jail.

AND, never get out of your car because you might get stabbed or shot. They still might try doing it while you are in your car but then you have a 2 ton weapon around you and/or can get away faster.

 

[The Duke]

OP- how could this have been prevented? What was it that triggered this guy? You being in The left lane not driving fast enough? Glad nothing bad happened to you.

 

[Bible_Belt]

California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington are two party consent states, meaning both sides must consent to being recorded. You did well to tell them about the dashcam, but in my state (il) the dash cam is still an illegal wiretap. We have strong laws against recording other people because that is how politicians get caught taking bribes. So they make it a bigger crime to record their crime.

 

[Xenom0rph]

Interesting. If it's in public, how can it be considered a wiretap? There's no expectation of privacy on a public road. He could just as easily have been recorded by a traffic light cam or store parking lot cameras. Or you can simply be recording an Instagram story - everyone has cameras. If you're outside and speaking, it's public and it seems like it's fair game.

In Cali, recording footage of the road is fine and legal. Individuals in a public space have no right of privacy. This is so we can record cops harassing people. I am under no obligation to tell anyone that I'm recording them on a public street.

The only time when notice has to be given is when a passenger enters a vehicle that's recording inside the cabin.

The reason why I told them that I was recording and that cops were on the way was to signal to them I'm ready throw down....

I was actually taller than the dude so I did get a little ego boost MOGGing him in front of his girl.

 

[Mike32ct]

I was taught in driving school (back in prehistoric times) not to use the horn at all if you can avoid it.

I still follow this advice. I’ve probably used it twice in 30 years. I forgot my car even has a horn.

People get really pissed off when you use it on them. It’s almost the equivalent of giving them the finger.*

*Not defending the reckless/violent guy at all. Just a side note of caution.

 

[zekko]

Interesting. If it's in public, how can it be considered a wiretap? There's no expectation of privacy on a public road. He could just as easily have been recorded by a traffic light cam or store parking lot cameras. Or you can simply be recording an Instagram story - everyone has cameras. If you're outside and speaking, it's public and it seems like it's fair game.

I have no idea about the legalities, but look at the internet, or even television. As soon as something happens, the first thing people do is pull out their phones and start recording.

 

[2Rocky]

I was taught in driving school (back in prehistoric times) not to use the horn at all if you can avoid it.

I still follow this advice. I’ve probably used it twice in 30 years. I forgot my car even has a horn.

People get really pissed off when you use it on them. It’s almost the equivalent of giving them the finger.*

*Not defending the reckless/violent guy at all. Just a side note of caution.

add me to getting "Hulk - rage triggered " when I get honked at...

 

[FairShake]

But the moral of the story is this: Simply telling the dude and his girl that I had a dashcam discouraged them from further confrontation.

That is not the moral at all.

The officers warned me NOT to get out of the car next time.

That is. Police officers are tired of scooping boyos' brains up after pissing contests like this.

 

[Plinco]

Road rage incidents can turn deadly really fast. Some people are stupid and you cannot avoid them though.

 

[SirBigBell]

California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington are two party consent states, meaning both sides must consent to being recorded. You did well to tell them about the dashcam, but in my state (il) the dash cam is still an illegal wiretap. We have strong laws against recording other people because that is how politicians get caught taking bribes. So they make it a bigger crime to record their crime.

I thought American law clearly states that “there can be no expectation of privacy in public”, meaning photos and video recordings can be legally taken in public without needing to seek consent from anyone.

There are numerous vids on Youtube of citizens conducting First Amendment audits and catching tyrant cops out on this very law. The best videos are from a channel called “Bay Area Transparency”

 

[Bible_Belt]

I thought American law clearly states that “there can be no expectation of privacy in public”, meaning photos and video recordings can be legally taken in public without needing to seek consent from anyone.

There are numerous vids on Youtube of citizens conducting First Amendment audits and catching tyrant cops out on this very law. The best videos are from a channel called “Bay Area Transparency”

My state has a particularly strict law on wiretaps, because the corrupt politicians dont want to be recorded taking a bribe. Up until about ten years ago in illinois, it was a felony to take out your cel phone and film a cop beating someone up on the street.

Cops hate dash cams in my state, too. They will write you a ticket for obstructed view if they see one in your car.

 

[manfrombelow]

Man , no offense , you look like a smart guy , but I think that you take life way too serious

and also have this mania of always trying to rationalize things that should not be rationalized

people are more irrational than rational , so trying to rationalize everything will make you go man eventually

On the contrary, in this crazy age, you can never be too careful ENOUGH. I'm on OP's side this time.

 

[Serenity]

Cops hate dash cams in my state, too. They will write you a ticket for obstructed view if they see one in your car.

They have to hate Tesla then. How do they deal with that? Their cameras aren't exactly optional.

 

[Bible_Belt]

They have to hate Tesla then. How do they deal with that? Their cameras aren't exactly optional.

It looks like teslas cam mounts behind the rear view mirror, so there is no obstruction.

 

[Serenity]

It looks like teslas cam mounts behind the rear view mirror, so there is no obstruction.

They do, but by what you described it's the fact that it's a camera they don't like it, saying it's obstructing the view is just an excuse they use to have it removed. So they gotta hate Teslas since they can't use that excuse, lol.