I drove down the street and through the green light, making my way back home. I heard a horn honking, but it sounded far away — and then I saw the truck drive up up into my rear view mirror, looking for all the world like he was attached to my bumper. It was his horn, still distant sounding, but accompanied by wild gestures to pull over. I looked for some kind of sign of authority, lights, anything; seeing none, I kept going… then got tired of this guy riding my bumper and honking, and began to move a bit to the right on the two-lane road. There was nowhere to pull over, but the guy got tired of waiting and pulled out into oncoming traffic to pass me — then slowed to a crawl, still honking and by now screaming at the top of his lungs something I couldn’t understand. I did understand the middle finger he practically threw out of the cab, and then he turned off the street.
I was stunned. What in the hell was that? What had I done to this guy? All I remember was crossing an intersection on a green light. Was he turning from the other street — and if so, does he not know the right of way laws? There was only one straight-through lane, was he trying to get in front of me from a turn lane?
I know that I did nothing wrong. But the incident was scary and bewildering, and leaves me wondering what this guy thinks I did to slight him. And why it became such a horrible, horrible thing that he risked his — and my — life to express his displeasure.
