A pirate attempted to stop my bus in an old caddy

[Greg Roberts]

Last week we made a bus trip from deep South Texas to Eastern Georgia for a wedding. We picked up family in Tyler and drove straight through to our destination with only a couple of rest stops and a fuel stop.

We were just 20 miles from our destination and passing through Sparta Georgia late on Thursday night when an old caddy with no license plates suddenly approached from a side street and sped up behind the bus and started flashing brights attempting to get us to stop. Of course we pressed forward and then the driver sped around us and started pumping his brakes and stopped in the right lane.

I pushed the throttle to the floor and went around the car on the left shoulder. The car then sped back to the rear and started the bright flashing again.

Seconds later he sped around us again and started the brake pumping routine again. I hit the left side of the road and made it around him once again.

He again sped around me (even with me attempting to block him) and proceeded ahead until he reached the bottom of a hill where he slowed and stayed in the right lane. As I approached to go around him on the left, he flipped a Starskey & Hutch sideways move to block passage.

I had to slow the bus and then went around on the far right, just missing the rear of his car. Had he slide the car evenly across the road I would have been forced to a stop or to ram his car.

My choice would have been to stop and take his life in protection of my family and passengers. The good lord was really watching out after us and the person that night because the fellow gave up and turned around and headed back to Sparta.

I was able to avoid killing this guy and also avoid ramming him. This was a very unnerving experience for the occupants of my bus that were awake at the time.

I felt much comfort knowing that I was armed and alert and already had thought through any such issues and survival actions while traveling via bus.

I highly recommend that all of you avoid Sparta Georgia at all costs. Additionally, I highly recommend that you keep a loaded firearm in an electronic safe within reach of your fingertips.

By the way, the person was alone, had no license plates on his car and looked to be a mid-twenties slender black male thug. I am sure glad that I did not have to kill this guy because it would have really put a damper on the wedding.

Have any of you ever experienced such and what did you do? Are you prepared?

[Green-Hornet]

I am sure glad that I did not have to kill this guy because it would have really put a damper on the wedding.

Have any of you ever experienced such and what did you do? Are you prepared?

Quite a wake up call. You should always be prepared to do the work of the Lord. Glad you all are safe, that could have had a horrible ending for you.

[Charles Seaton]

Believe me. if you had been forced to harm (or kill) that dirtbag, I would only have felt badly for the trauma to you and your family.  I have to wonder how many similar incidents we will hear about as the economy worsens.

[Dreamscape]

I haven't owned a gun in over 30 years. Seems like now is the time to start re-thinking that.

I'm sure glad no one was injured. But that joker in the caddy will get his someday.

And yes, things will get worse. The poor economy is the cause in most cases. Some are just envious of what you have and want to take it from you.

Thanks for the warning Greg,

Paul

[Hi yo silver]

Is it just me, or is this story a little hard to take seriously??  I hate to doubt anybody, and I know about modern-day piracy on the high seas involving ships but, on the highway?  This is the first I've heard of anything like this.  Any of the "old stand-by regulars" care to comment here?

Dennis

[tekebird]

Yeah a good yarn but I don;t buy it.  Any self respecting Pirate would not have been doing that alone, as they would not have known how many were on board they would have to deal with.

[buddydawg]

where were you headed?  I used to live 30 miles south of Sparta.  I can attest that it is a rough town.

[Hartley]

Marine Flare gun or rocket flares in the "Road" Safety kit.
( fits nicely out the toll window. )

[Ednj]

Is it just me, or is this story a little hard to take seriously??  I hate to doubt anybody, and I know about modern-day piracy on the high seas involving ships but, on the highway?  This is the first I've heard of anything like this.  Any of the "old stand-by regulars" care to comment here?

Dennis

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When I read this post all I could think about was what happened to me,
please read this and checkout the date= http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/5795.html
I too was ready to kill this guy.

[Sojourner]

Praise the Lord!
That was close call....it could have been worse.

No plate is a possible stolen car and didn't mind car damage from trying to stop you to rob or whatever.

BTW...Sparta. Ga is small village of about 1500. 84% black and 15% white.
http://www.spartageorgia.com/local/cityinfo.html

I would never try to go through a strange town and road after dark if possible.

This is the time to have a very strong bumper on front of bus to be ready in case of blocking.

It going to get worse as economy worsens.

Likewise what other posted have said.

Perhaps we need to thrive on changing our planning goal to take longer time getting to wherever and day time interstate traveling as much as possible.

Have all baggage doors lock as well.

I wonder if using a flash on camera to pretend taking photos of them would ward them off.

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry

[Lin]

Did you call 911 when this was going on?  Whatever it is, it seems it could not hurt to have police in route .

[Sojourner]

About 9-1-1...I was thinking about calling 9-1-1 but what if area's phone number from another state? Link to answer:
Look for heading with  "Locating callers automatically"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9-1-1

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry

[Jeremy]

I don't know whether or not the story is true, but for me the idea that every citizen should have "a loaded firearm.....within reach of your fingertips" is ten thousand times more frightening than the idea of coming across a rogue criminal who wishes me harm. Then claiming that killing said criminal is somehow doing the "work of the Lord" just takes it beyond bizarre.

I guess I'm just lucky that I live in a civilised country.

Jeremy

[ktmossman]

I don't know whether or not the story is true, but for me the idea that every citizen should have "a loaded firearm.....within reach of your fingertips" is ten thousand times more frightening than the idea of coming across a rogue criminal who wishes me harm. Then claiming that killing said criminal is somehow doing the "work of the Lord" just takes it beyond bizarre.

I guess I'm just lucky that I live in a civilised country.

Jeremy

I guess in a "civilized" country only the criminals have guns, but hey, whatever floats your boat.  I prefer for the police to arrive to find me still alive, not to show up and try to figure out who to notify that they are beginning an investigation into my untimely death.

And yes, such things do happen...  I know several friends who have had people jump into the back of their work van at a stop light and grab what they can. 

And it has little to do with a "poor economy."  There are very few people who commit criminal acts because of economic circumstance.  They turn to crime because that is who they are.  There is no difference between the guy who mugs people in an alley and the CEO of Enron except the clothes they are wearing and the attorney they can afford.  They both think they are entitled to other peoples money and that the rules of society don't apply to them.  It is all about a little thing called "character."

[JackConrad]

When it come to protecting my famile "Better To Be Judged By 12 Than Carried By 6".  Jack