I am one of those nutso people that just doesn't understand road rage, especially from people who choose to live in more populated parts of the world.
Now you could say, and you would be correct, that a lot of people don't have a choice because the cities are where the good jobs are and that is why people have to go there. I understand that, but one would think that given that these people have lived in those areas for so long that bad traffic shouldn't be such a huge surprise to them nor one that really gets them so worked up. I can understand some frustration, but to take it out on other drivers to the point where you would assault them and even KILL them, is something else entirely. What has this world come to?
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I briefly lived in Richmond, Virginia... this isn't exactly New York City as far as the traffic is concerned, but it is significantly larger than New Bern, North Carolina, where i have called home for a very long portion of my life. While I was there I had to commute for about 45 minutes to and from work every day. This was not a scenic drive though a national park either. I knew this was not going to be my favorite part of the day so I devised one of two plans. Either I would wake up early and go and have a nice calm breakfast near where my work was, or I would get a big coffee for the car, allow more time than I needed, and get what at that time was XM radio cued up on a show that I enjoy and just accept that "it is what it is" as far as the traffic was concerned.
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I don't see what benefit getting all aggressive and anxious in a situation like this does for anyone. If you bob and weave and cut people off you are going to get through what? Like two minutes faster than the others? It all seems so pointless to me and this was back when I was in my late 20's as well, possibly the most aggressive I have ever been in my life.
Enter Terrell Giddens, a 75 year old man who one day had some I guess really intense road rage and he got out of his car to square off against another driver and during all of that Giddens shot and killed the other driver. He also fired shots at the other driver's car which had 3 young children in it. Giddens then fled the scene at a normal pace (according to people who witnessed it) and then drove home, changed clothes and took the gun and the clothes he was wearing out on a kayak and then disposed of them in the sea.
All of this was witnessed by others to some degree and it was quite easy to pin it back on him and he later confessed to having done what he did.
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None of this is understandable to me. I can't imagine getting so angry at someone that I do not know because of something related to our vehicles that would encourage me to shoot and kill them. If there was some sort of threat that the other driver was posing, well that all went out the window once Terrell fled the scene. North Carolina has "Castle Doctrine" laws which enable you to defend your life and property with lethal force, but if you flee the scene afterwards leaving a body on the ground and then try to dispose of the evidence, you are not at all innocent here.
I don't know the details of what went down before shots were fired, and I don't have to. I carry at least a side arm with me at all times in my vehicles and if I ever had to use one of them, I would definitely stay at the scene until the police arrive. If you run away, it is basically and admission of guilt and your shady lawyers are going to have a very difficult time convincing a judge and jury otherwise, especially when you were the only one that was armed at the scene.
What makes me angry about this entire fiasco, other than the obvious stupid nature of killing someone over a traffic dispute, is the fact that Terrell and his family are pleading with the public to release him on bond because he is a "pillar of the community" and a war veteran. What makes me even more upset is that both sides of this equation are seeking money from a gofundme and people are actually donating to them.
This gofund me thing is out of control and the only people that are really winning with this kind of thing are the blood-sucking lawyers.
Terrell Giddens is charged with first degree murder and 3 counts of attempted murder for firing at the car AFTER he shot and killed the father.
I find it absolutely ludicrous that Terrell thinks that any court would listen to his appeal to be released on bond simply because he served in the military. I know a lot of people that were in the military and a few that still are. All of them feel as though his service in those positions should have no bearing on whether or not he is held in prison. He has already proven he is a flight risk by trying to get rid of the evidence after the fact. Witnesses had his license plate number for crissakes, what did he think was going to happen?
But that's just my opinion.... what do you think?
