So, that HVAC guy who followed someone and called him

[MineralMan]

the N-word? It all started with a lane change on a freeway. Something like that happened to me once:

In St. Paul, MN, there's a left exit off I-94 right in downtown St. Paul. So, I was going into the city and about half a mile from that left exit, I changed into the left lane, so I could take that exit. Speed limit there is 55 mph. I had way plenty of room, when I changed lanes, which is why I change lanes early for that exit.

Anyhow, a guy in a big-ass GM SUV drives up my ass, doing about 75 mph. I didn't speed up, but maintained the 60 mph I had been going all along. I was almost to the exit. So, the guy in the SUV is gesturing angrily, I could see in my mirror. I had my left turn signal on, to let him know that I was going to exit left. There's a big sign right there, too, pointing to the left. The guy pulls right up to my bumper, still flipping me off and yelling silently to himself.

So, I take the exit. Mr. GM SUV follows me, right on my butt. Now, there are two ways you can go on that exit. One leads to Downtown St. Paul, and the other gets on another freeway, heading for points south. What to do? I was going to go fishing on the Mississippi river in downtown St. Paul, but decided on the spot to change my fishing spot, so I took the Hwy 52 turn and got on the freeway.

Angry guy stays with me. Rides my tail. Still pissed, and now he's honking, too. So, I just drive on Southward. I keep going until I get to an exit about 20 miles south of St. Paul, and take another exit. The river's off to the left, so I make the turn and head for my new fishing hole.

Finally, the guy figures it out. The place I'm going is way lonesome and away from everything. It's a great place to catch catfish, though, so I'm not bothered. I've got a couple of tubs of nightcrawlers and have all morning. I pull into a little parking lot, and get out of my old Volvo wagon. Road-rage man seems to think better of his decision. He's 20 miles out of his way, in an isolated parking lot near nothing but a big river. I guess he decided that maybe he'd made a mistake, perhaps.

He abandons his pursuit, turns around and heads out. I hope he was way late for some important meeting. I went fishing. Didn't matter to me...

[LisaM]

1. The last couple of times I've been on the freeway in MSP, I've noticed

some really bad driving and the type of aggressiveness you describe (which was surprising, because I think of Minnesotans as basically non-confrontational).

I have a quick temper, but usually if someone cuts me off, I just make a gesture, and I've even stopped doing that because of guns. I can't imagine letting it get past a shake of the fist or just yelling something as I go by. I would never follow someone for cutting me off.

[MineralMan]

2. I never engage with road-ragers in any way at all.

I never did acknowledge that guy's existence. I just took him for a nice long drive. Apparently, he had second thoughts about addressing his grievance with me after I got out of the car. I'm not a small guy, and have a nice big full beard. No doubt, I was wearing jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt that day.

I'm sort of an unknown quantity, really, and it was a very isolated spot. I think he made a decision at that point not to bother me any further. I was glad. I really had no interest in discussing it with him, anyhow.

[calimary]

3. One of the things that bothers me about this, MM, other than the obvious,

is driving way out to an isolated area. If he had decided to do you harm, who would be around to help you or at least call police or offer to be a witness?

Glad it turned out the way it did.

[MineralMan]

4. Well, I'm sure he wondered the same thing, really.

That was the idea. He didn't know me, either. I wasn't all that worried. I had an 8' catfishing pole and a long gaff hook close at hand. I just wasn't much worried about the issue, really.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. Many men don't think about such things.

[Turbineguy]

6. There are a lot of angry people out there.

and It's likely to get worse.