By Carl Simons

Let It Go: Tips for Controlling Road Rage

Last night, my partner and I were headed to one of our favorite post workout eateries, and while patiently waiting for someone to back out of their parking space to leave, someone else came in from the opposite direction and grabbed the space we had been waiting for.

Our first reaction was to get out of the car and tell the guy off, but after remembering numerous clients who had been in similar situations and were arrested for their actions (one had punched the person and was arrested for battery; others had keyed the person's car and were arrested for vandalism; while others exchanged nasty words, the individual then contacted the police and told them he was physically threatened), we decided to calm down and let the matter go.

I have witnessed and represented people accused of some pretty extreme behavior in order to retaliate for another's lack of courtesy. My advice is that if someone does something you feel was unwarranted—simply let it go. It’s not easy, but the consequences can be deadly.

Recently, one of my favorite clients told me about his recent road rage incident. Mark, who is heterosexual, was driving with his gay uncle on Melrose Avenue when he was cut off a few times by three young guys in a truck. Each time they cut off Mark, they yelled, "faggot" out the window at both Mark and his uncle. Eventually this became too much for Mark, and he began following them. When they pulled into a parking lot, he trapped them with his car and got out of his car and punched the driver in the mouth.

The individuals then copied down Mark's license plate number, contacted LAPD, and Mark was arrested a few hours later. Luckily for Mark, after working with the district attorney's office and brokering a settlement, the matter was eventually dropped and Mark went on to become a firefighter with LAFD—a longtime dream of his that could have been jeopardized by a conviction.

Mark also told me what had occurred the night before: While driving on the 110 Freeway, he forgot to signal while making a lane change. The individual he had cut off changed lanes, pulled next to him, and fired three shots into his car, narrowly missing his head and hitting the headrest in his car. He asked me if there was anything he could do to make sure these guys were prosecuted, and I explained to him as a victim of a crime, the best thing to do to ensure prosecution was to constantly be in touch with the district attorney’s office and to go to the hearings in the case and make sure the judge knew he was the victim.

The individual who shot at Mark simply explained that he shot at him because “Mark had really pissed him off." This individual is now being charged with attempted murder and will likely go to jail for a very long time.

If you are involved in a road rage situation, my advice is to count to 10 and while counting, think of all the things that you could lose by your actions and reactions. Is it wrong that people can be so discourteous and selfish while driving? Yes, it is. But you have no idea how the other person will react to your reaction and in this day and age of such unpredictable behavior, it’s best to just walk away.

If you have questions about this or any other legal matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (310) 749-4LAW. Additionally, I have posted most of my previous articles at freelegalinfo4u.blogspot.com.