I am the queen of scary experiences!

So yesterday I was the victim of road rage, and it could have potentially gone over really badly.

Let me preface this whole thing by saying that sometimes, I am really stupid. Since my parents raised me "right", sometimes my instinct to be polite and respectful to adults overrides my instinct for self-preservation - so I will let myself get into situations where I may potentially get yelled at or hurt because it would be rude to ignore someone, etc. Very seldom do I engage in confrontation, and then it is usually only after I have been abused for quite some time.

I dropped mom off at the corner of the HSBC building in Fredericton and edged up to King Street. It was a red light, but I saw nothing coming and made a legal right on red. Out of nowhere, somebody starts laying on their horn and does for pretty much the length of the block. I got to the next light, feeling properly chastised, even though I was quite sure I had done nothing wrong, and it was red. I sat there for a minute when I heard someone try my door handle. I have never been so thankful in my life for doors that auto-lock when you drive. I look to my left and a man in his 40's or so, in a pea coat has tried to open my door. He signaled for me to roll down my window. This is the part where I should have ignored him and then driven away but I didn't because of that war of instincts, right?

So I edged my window down a teeny bit and he says, angrily "Do you realize you just burned at a red light?" (I still don't know what that means?) - I said "Um... I made a legal right turn at a red light."... he said "No, you BURNED." and since I had no idea what he was talking about and had nothing else to say to him, I just rolled up my window and drove away since the light had changed. I sincerely hope that someone blasted him with their horn because he was holding up traffic at the green light.

Shay says I should have dialed 911 into my phone and held it up to the window with my finger on talk and seen if he would go away. I should have taken his license plate number. I am justified.

Why?

Because my mom witnessed the pulling out and she said that she didn't think he even had to touch his brakes, nevermind slam them on to avoid hitting me. He just got mad that I pulled out in front of him, I guess. My theory is that he was trying to rush a yellow light instead of stopping like he should have and got pissed because I might have held him up a little bit.

I was so scared and ANGRY, I was shaking until I got Shay to the dentist and had some time to calm down and breathe. I don't know if I was more angry at him or at myself for even rolling down the window. What if he had had a gun? Or a knife? Or pepper spray? To hell with being polite. I know I won't be doing that again! I like to think that if the door hadn't been locked, I would have pushed it out quickly and hit him with it and then driven away, but I can't guarantee that would have been my response, because I always think of the best things to do after the situation has already passed. Eek!