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I admit I wasn't on my best behavior when this guy ticked me off. Prior to this I was minding my own business, but I got ticked because my son was in the vehicle with me and my mother's instinct set in. I was going to rip this drive apart if I could get my hands on him. So to the driver who's out there bragging about how he scared a Little Black Toyota on I-81 ... hope you are telling the whole story, because buddy you are nuts and what you did was uncalled for. Here's the whole story as it really happened.
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Date, Time and place was 3/19/2006 approx. time 8:35 p.m. Interstate #81 approx. area was exit 116. I am traveling North bound with my son in the pick-up truck with me. We are listening to tunes, cruising along. I was traveling a little faster then I should have been estimation 70-73 m.p.h.. I am in the passing lane because ahead of me there are several semi trucks. In the line was Crete, ABF and company I could not read the name on the truck and a lead truck.
What happens next catches me completely off guard. I pass the lead truck just like I passed the rest. Minding my business and not bothering anyone. When I pass the lead truck he shoots out into the passing lane behind me, throws his high beams on me and starts crawling right up on me. My son ask what was wrong because I am not doing anything wrong. I said, wonder what the hell that guys problem is? Why did he shoot out behind me like that and throw his high beams on me? I move to the drive lane and he shoots over behind me, with his light still on high beam. I am trying to get away from him, but he’s hanging right with me. I put the gas to the floor and I go …. He’s still behind me, but a little farther behind because of the speed I needed to get away from him.
My son ask me what is wrong with him? I said, Joey I’m not exactly sure, but this guy is really mad at me for something and I assume he thinks my high beams were on or something. I don’t exactly know. Maybe he’s after a truck just like mine and he’s made a mistake. I honestly don’t know. We couldn’t see a company name because it was dark, but he was driving what appeared to be a Black & White Peterbilt. It may have been another dark color like burgundy, but it was dark and it was hard to tell. He was pulling a box trailer. If I could have gotten his name off the truck I’d turn him in, in a heart beat. I will be traveling with my video recorder from here on. For any driver who does what this guy did to me with my son in the truck, I will take you down. I will have tape to prove it and back me up. This is insane. And I admit what I did wasn’t very smart either, but either he was backing off or he was buying my truck. I didn’t care either way. I had it all worked out in my head before I made my move.
I drive a black Toyota Tacoma. I assume that my headlights might be bright. We’ve had them checked several times and they are adjusted correctly. They are just bright. The reason for having them checked is because many times people will flash me with their high beams or they’ll turn theirs on and leave them on. I do not have my high beams on. My lights are just bright! I can’t help it! But there is no reason to do what this driver did to me with my son in the pick up with me. Had it just been me, I’d of battled him to the end. My little truck against his big truck. I didn’t care. Wonder how he felt when he realized I slowed down from 74 to 45 m.p.h.? I’m sure it must have shocked him greatly. I’m positive it did. I did exactly that. I was moving along to get away from him and he was hanging with me. I let my little truck slow down and told my son hold on Joey because this jerk is in for a big surprise and shock. Shocked I’m sure he was. If you are that guy who was behind me forcing me down the road and off the road (yes off the road), you know exactly who I am, and I am going to be your worst nightmare if I learn who you are.
My move was nuts I admit, but I was not going to be forced by you or anyone else off the road for something I didn’t do. I don’t know what you were so mad about, but you know I did not do anything. Because you threw your high beams on me. I believe it’s because you thought I had my high beams on so I did what I could to let you know this.
You’ll remember me from here on out. I figured if I slowed down you’d go around me. But you didn’t. You stayed right behind me. When I changed lanes, so did you. You were wrong! So when I slowed down, you must have been really surprised when you came barreling up on me at 65-70 m.p.h. only to find me traveling 45-50 m.p.h. I know you were because you whipped out around me, your trailer was rocking and you were mad at me! I do not know how you missed the corner of my truck when you swung out to avoid me. You were that damn close when you realized how slow I was going. At that point I didn't care what happened to you. I was protecting my own. You have a serious problem buddy. There was nothing else that it could of been other than my headlights, which were on low beam. Or you were mad because you had the lead and didn't want some little four-wheeler to have the front door. I believe it was because of my headlights. Other drivers saw what you did. You then proceeded to take your trailer and try to shove me into the guard rails. I then threw my high beams on you because your mirrors were right there. I believe it was then that you realized you made a mistake that I didn't have my highbeams on it was then you allowed me back on the road.
I came out behind your trailer. I did not trust you. I believe you were setting me up to hit your ICC bumper. No way Bud ... I'm not stupid! I've seen these games played way too many times on the road. Guys like you give all truckers a bad name. Instead of remaining behind you I slid to the left hand lane (passing lane) and went past you. My son was so scared it wasn’t even funny. He said, mom what if he tries to hit us. Get away from him mom! I told him calm down. I have four wheel drive Joey. If he pushes me down in there we’ll get out of it and I will chase him down to the state line and beyond if I have to, to get a name off that truck. My son was too afraid to write the number down off that trailer for me. I was too focused on defending myself against his crazy moves and actions to pay attention. I told my son, I promise you Joey we are ok. Calm down sweetie. I made it past this driver (quickly) and continued down the road. He backed way off from me. He became a speck in my mirror and I was only going between 60-65 m.p.h. at this point. He knew I wanted names and numbers and he backed way off. I believe I made him a little gun shy. But I wasn’t going to be beat down and killed by this jerk for something I did not do. If there is a driver out there bragging how he intimidated a black Toyota pick up truck that night, believe me he was more afraid then I was. He did not win or lose. What he did was try to kill us out there tonight. There is nothing to brag about or be proud of.
The only thing I can tell you driver, who ever you are. I wasn’t afraid of you. I’ve been a truckers wife for 26 years and I am very familure with rigs and what they can and can not do. My son was afraid and I was afraid for HIM. But I wasn’t afraid of YOU! By the time you’d of wound that tact out to shift, I’d of had my automatic to the floor to get away from you. You came up on me and I didn’t care if you hit me. It was your fault if you would of because you were a wild man and did not have control of your vehicle and you were not observing your surroundings. Shoving me in to a guard rail or crushing me, I’m not sure what your intentions were to be honest, but either way you’d of been in trouble. Not me. When you put us against that guard rail you scared my son to death because he looked out the window and realized how far down it was. I assured him, I would not let anything happen to him. I held my composure and I was determined no matter what you threw my way I was ready for you. I was mad at you for putting my son in that situation. We were minding our business cruising along and you jumped the gun that my high beams were on. I am sure that’s what you thought. You took a perfect mother and son evening and turned it into a nightmare.
I am writing this tonight. The same night it happened because my little boy does not want to go to sleep. He told his daddy (who has been driving truck for 36 years) how mommy wasn’t afraid of that truck driver and she didn’t yell or get scared at all. My husband said I was nuts to try and challenge a tractor trailer. I wasn’t afraid of you I told him. I couldn’t avoid you, I told him. So I did what I could to keep Joey safe. You Mr. Trucker driver, who ever you are that did that to us tonight. You’d of been better off fighting a wild bear verses a really mad mommy. When you jeopardized my sons life you did not stand a chance against a mad mother. I didn’t even care if you had made me hit the guard rail. I would have chased you down from line to line had you hurt my son.
It’s time for you all to grow up and consider what you are doing. It was night time. This man did not have a single clue who was in my truck. He could not see. I made sure I turned my dome light on so you knew there was a child in that vehicle and it was a woman not some smart ass or idiot trying to wreck your evening. My lights are bright. I sincerely apologize for that. But I can not change it. So don’t assume that I am being a smart ass just because they bother you. I promote safety, education and awareness to the general pubic on how to share the roads with tractor trailers. I am not the enemy. You just never know who might be behind the wheel of the vehicle you chose to attack. I could have been a off duty police officer, I could have been a D.O.T. officer off duty. I could have been a relative or friend who you haven’t seen in a long time and you wouldn’t know what I am driving. Think before you assume someone is purposely trying to wreck your day.
You know your intentions were to harm us. You took a 80,000 pound weapon and you targeted my little pick up truck. But you barked up the wrong tree because this little woman wasn’t afraid of you. I am a truckers wife, I’ve driven truck in the past, I have a non profit organization for truckers and their families and guys like you wreck it for all the great, friendly, kind, honest, loving truck drivers out there.
Sincerely,
Brigette Fry
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Brigette
