A different take on vandalism

[Bunnykid68]

You give two examples, one was a chase down the other you would have gone after but your shirt was on fire. Then YOU ASK opinions, then you say "don't read too much into what I wrote?"

So I guess -on a message board- I should read what you didn't write? #confused

I read it as it was something that happened to him some time in the past and he would not go after someone other than to try and get their plate number today.

 

[Hoosier8]

If you get "egged" by a passing car don't use your windshield wipers. The voice of experience.

LOL, I can imagine.

 

[churchmouse]

That's just not right. A FULL beer? That's alcohol abuse!!! Take their beer privileges! Seriously, that ain't right.

Yup....a full Budweiser long neck on the hood on my 1964 Chevell S/S.
Never considered the Alcohol abuse angle.......

 

[Indy 1911]

I believe in the "PAY IT BACKWARD" stance. Pay it back 3 times as bad as you got it.

 

[shibumiseeker]

You give two examples, one was a chase down the other you would have gone after but your shirt was on fire. Then YOU ASK opinions, then you say "don't read too much into what I wrote?"

So I guess -on a message board- I should read what you didn't write? #confused

No, I am not asking opinions on my actions, I am asking opinions on what people think about the whole concept of appropriate responses. In general. How would *you* react? What would *you* do? What is justice in those situations?

The second example happened when I was much younger, the first example is an example of what I am more likely to do now. Even younger though it took a lot to provoke me. Obviously you don't know me, so both your opinion of me can only be based on what I write and I apologize if I am not clear in my intentions with this thread.

 

[jsharmon7]

People throwing their lit cigarettes out the window is a huge pet peeve of mine. The world is not your trashcan, and I don't want your burning garbage flying back toward my vehicle. I believe the ticket for throwing burning material from a vehicle is pretty steep too. I'd hate to have to pay it because I was too lazy and selfish to properly dispose of it.

 

[MCgrease08]

I just want to point out that both these stories involve acts of littering, not necessarily vandalism. They seem more like carelessness than malicious. That being said, seeing people throwing fast food bags, trash, out the window really drives me nuts. Never been run off the road by it though.

 

[actaeon277]

 

[SkullDaddy.45]

 

[churchmouse]

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I don't want to derail the other thread, but I did want to open up a topic of discussion regarding people and the consequences of the actions of their vandalism.

2 true stories, post your thoughts on either or both.

Story number 1:

A few years ago on a nice spring day I was driving down a 2 lane state road when an oncoming car threw what turned out to be the remnants of a Big Mac at my car.

Simple juvenile act of vandalism you think? Sure. Except my window was down and it hit me in the face and I damn near went off the road into a 20' stream with 6-7' of water in the bottom. In short, I could have easily been killed. By a simple act of vandalism.

I got control of the vehicle, did a u-turn, and ran after them. Chased them through the back roads, my primary intent to try to get their license plate, which I finally did at a T intersection where they stopped for traffic. Then they sat there. I could see there was two young men in the vehicle, and yes, I was armed, but I had a dilemma. I was not going to get out of the vehicle and confront them, because if things went south, *I* was the aggressor. Plus, the moment I opened the door I figured they'd take off.

After they took off I phone in a complaint to the sheriff department and the response I got was basically, "so what?" I mean, these two young men had just damn near killed me doing something stupid and the reaction by the authorities was "so what?" I won't post what I did with the information from their plates, but let's suffice it to say I was satisfied I had extracted my revenge and the owner of the vehicle knew it was because of the Big Mac, and any statute of limitations on my actions has long since run out anyway. No one was physically harmed by my actions. As far as I am concerned, if they had run off the road and killed themselves running from me, I wouldn't have lost any sleep. I'd have felt really bad if they'd hurt someone innocent doing so. I tried to drive very carefully as I followed them, but I was going to get their plate number.

Story number two, happened a couple decades ago:

Some thoughtless idiot tossed a lit cigarette out the window. I was in the next lane a little back (edited to add, on my motorcycle) and caught it in the opening of my jacket. I saw them do it and I know they didn't do it on purpose to target *me*, they just did what they probably do with every bit of litter countless thoughtless jackasses do: make it someone else's problem.

*I*, on the other hand, realized I had caught the cigarette and that it was in fact burning me and my shirt was now on fire. I damn near wrecked pulling off the road to get my jacket off and put out my shirt. I had second degree burns on my chest (still have a scar). Again, thoughtless idiot damn near killed me. The ONLY reason I am not in jail right now for murder is because I had to stop to put the fire out. If not I would have tracked the idiot down and shot him right then. I've matured since then, my response now would probably be to file a civil suit against him and harass him to the ends of the earth when the authorities, once again, decline to consider it a serious matter, as they did back then (of course I didn't have the plate number, but it was a local vehicle and rather unique).


So, two stories, both times the vandal/idiot gets off scott free in spite of damn near killing me. Given that the authorities won't do anything about it other than maybe take a report, what do we, as normally peaceable, law abiding citizens do? If said vandals had suffered severe injury or death as a result of their actions endangering my life, would that be something you would mourn their loss (leaving out the whole issue of whether or not it was by my hand or in running away from me, and whether I was justified or not, I know the law says I am not justified).

I didn't want to post this in the other thread because that guy clearly had no sense of his own life being in danger at any point and I didn't want to sidetrack that thread.


There's no right or wrong answers, I want to see other people's thoughts.

LEO perspective. I had some juveniles paintball a guy's windshield as he drove by, totally obstructing his view. I wanted them charged with criminal recklessness. Juvenile prosecutor said no. If someone tossed a sandwich out the window, littering ticket is probably the best you're going to get.

I wrote the "throwing burning material" ticket as often as I could, and for the very reason you describe. Every biker out there has been pelted with debris at some point on the road. Flaming debris crosses the line. Again, though, just a ticket.

However, I think all of us did stupid things as kids. We were kids, we didn't have much in the way of forethought. A lesson can be taught without a hanging.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

No, I am not asking opinions on my actions, I am asking opinions on what people think about the whole concept of appropriate responses. In general. How would *you* react? What would *you* do? What is justice in those situations?

The second example happened when I was much younger, the first example is an example of what I am more likely to do now. Even younger though it took a lot to provoke me. Obviously you don't know me, so both your opinion of me can only be based on what I write and I apologize if I am not clear in my intentions with this thread.

I know, intellectually, it may have ****** you off to have stuff hit you and in that other incident ****** near catch you on fire but we really don't have the right to put others in danger by pursuing the offending ********. I know that intellectually but in actuality, I cannot be the one to cast the first stone. I've found myself in similar situations and had I ran over some little kid while chasing the person down or if the people being chased had, I would not be able to live with myself. Had the perps ran off the road and hurt or killed themselves--in the heat of the moment, I would have felt they got what they deserved. But I know, later...I would have been disgusted with myself. In fact, in almost every event I ever did something like the events you described, I later regretted my behavior.