A woman, LEGAL CCW holder, pulls gun while driving, to protect herself from a crazy trucker. State Troopers stop HER (she made a cell phone call to them for help), and confiscate her weapon, DESPITE the CCW.

The trucker was not stopped or questioned.

You gotta read THIS folks....

CLICK HERE

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), March 07, 2000

Answers

And of course you've got to believe the woman's rather self serving unverified story. Which can basically be summarized as follows -- I was driving along minding my own business, when for no apparent reason a truck came up behind be, followed to closely and attempted to pass, so I threatened him with my .38, and the cops got all excited just because I was driving down the road waving my gun at other drivers.

-- E. H. Porter (E.H. Porter@just wondering.about it), March 07, 2000.

Well, lessee here....

She has held a CCW for 10 years, and her husband for 18. CCW requires proof of training and competence (at lest in the state she lives in). And why was the trucker not stopped?

Sooooo.... yes, I DO believe her. Sorry....

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), March 07, 2000.

This same story is already posted here. I'm a little leary of her story as well. It's not clear to me that she couldn't have pulled off the road at some point and let this truck pass. How much of a threat the truck was to her is open to supposition based on her story but driving with a gun clearly visible in one hand is a threat not open to much doubt. It makes me wonder, if the truck had continued to tailgate her, what she thinks her next step would have been.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 07, 2000.

Not everyone who owns a gun is a reasonable person, Dennis. Just because the woman and her husband both have CCWs doesn't mean that the woman can drive. It also doesn't mean that either of them are honest people, either- in other words, how do we even know there WAS a truck? All a CCW does is prove that you know how to shoot a gun and that you haven't been convicted of a crime involving firearms.

-- Vietnam Vet (vienamvet@classof6869.com), March 07, 2000.

Actually, Dennis, you've kind of got to admire the restraint the police exhibited. Basically, this woman started waiving a .38 around because someone tailgated her. And she thinks this is perfectly all right.

I'm just glad she doesn't live anywhere around me.

As to why they didn't stop the trucker. In most states, police can't stop someone for offenses such as tailgating unless they witness it happen. Good thing, too, IMHO.

-- E. H. Porter (E.H. Porter@just wondering.about it), March 07, 2000.

And, from further down in this story....

Linda Hamilton's husband, Russ, has the following to say about her actions:

"My wife, Linda is neither a hothead nor a coward. I support her actions 100 percent. We all know the risks we face if we use our guns in self-defense, not so much from the bad guys as from the tragically ignorant, we-really-wish-they-were-"good" guys. When I said, "Next time, kill him," Linda said, "Who? The cops?"

I meant the trucker, of course..."

Russ Hamilton.

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She may not be a hothead but I wouldn't like to be tailgating old Russ :^)

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 07, 2000.

How many of y'all have ever had an 18-wheeler get about 12 inches off your rear bumper at 60MPH and STAY THERE? I've had it happen twice in my life and both times I was not a happy camper. Big rigs are death to passenger cars and I have never understood why anyone who drives one for a living would essentially threaten someone else by tailgating them.

However, if I had some nitwit playing games like that, I would do my best to get out of their way. Failing that, I'd call 911 on the cellphone and let them handle it. Would not draw a weapon unless I was going to put 2 rounds through the moron's windshield (or center mass.)

Come to think of it, there was also a time when a speeding logtruck nearly turned me and my car into a chrome pancake, but the poor old driver had lost his brakes on a long downgrade, so I was much more understanding (once I got my pulse back down from 200 beats per minute, of course.)

-- DeeEmBee (macbeth1@pacbell.net), March 07, 2000.

"He don't sound very sorry, does he?"

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), March 07, 2000.

Suppose the story was a little different...say it was the truckdriver who had a cow about some "crazed" woman waving a gun. Would you all believe the trucker's story? Would he be believable as the "innocent" one in this situation?

-- TM (mercier7@pdnt.com), March 07, 2000.

i have seen truckers do some very crazy things. saw two cars in two separate incidents RUN OFF the road in the SLOW lanes.

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), March 07, 2000.

What would Thelma and Louise do?

-- Sifting (through@the.rubble), March 07, 2000.

I don't have a well formed opinion of this Hamilton lady's problem, but I do have one on the truckers and car drivers.

I drive 4-5 times a year to Quebec from Pennsylvania, for the past 20 years. I haven't yet found a route not clogged with 18 wheelers. Compared to 20 years ago, they have taken over the roads in numbers. At some times of the day, they are in larger numbers than the car drivers.

I've had my share of scares by truck drivers. I've had them pull stunts at me just like this Hamilton woman is describing. Fact of the matter is truck drivers are people driving cars too on their days off. Some of them are taking advantage of their big 18 wheelers to bully their way on the highways. They have deadlines, they get tired and have to put up with some very moron drivers that should not be on the road to begin with. I've learned to drive on today's highways the hard way. It is not a simple matter of knowing road signs and operate your car. Most truckers I find very patient and good drivers, but there are some who's license should be taken away, no doubt about it.

I've felt for a long time that this just can't continue escalating. JIT transport system and motorists should not be sharing the same roads anymore. There should be highways designated for motorist, and others designated for truckers, and/or expanding highways with trucks only lanes and car only lanes, as some states already have.

-- Chris (!@#$@pond.com), March 07, 2000.

perhaps she did not react properly, perhaps she did, but did anyone file a charge against her? if not then why did her weapon become property of the state?

-- (kreiger9@hotmail.com), March 08, 2000.

You've all seen "Duel", life imitates art and vice versa, all truckers are lunatic drivers its obvious.

Whjy not just put your foot down see them disappear in the rear view mirror.

-- Sir Richard (richard.dale@unum.co.uk), March 08, 2000.

I gave up on her after reading this bit:

I also believe in God and am a Christian. (We all know what a terrible crime THAT is nowadays!)

Yawn, yawn, yawn...

-- Richard Dymond (omicron@zoom.co.uk), March 08, 2000.

"Whjy not just put your foot down see them disappear in the rear view mirror."

Richard, you must be careful with what you're saying. Think of the blonds reading this forum. You must specify which pedal you mean when you say "just put your foot down" ;-)

-- Chris (!@#$@pond.com), March 08, 2000.

Chris -

Awright, now it is ON!

Q.: What's brown, black, and blue and can be found in a ditch?

A.: A brunette who's told one too many blond jokes.

8-}

-- DeeEmBee (macbeth1@pacbell.net), March 08, 2000.