Mental institution escapee on freeway on way home from work

[Guaranteed]

Tonight I came up behind a truck on I-74 that had "NO SPIN ZONE" in huge letters made from what looked like red duct tape on his back window. The sign complemented the five or so stickers with the American flag he had plastered on the back and sides of the truck. There were also a couple of other weird looking decorations on the side that I couldn't get a close look at because I ended up passing him at a relative ten or fifteen miles per hour in my effort to keep myself from ramming him.

Totally deranged.

[rocktivity]

1. Can't you get a ticket for having your rear window obstructed?

rocknation

[ThomWV]

4. Hope Not! Mine Says "Impeach Bush" In Red Duct tape

If ya think it, say it.

[jody]

2. The truck owner may be "Totally deranged" but his/her vote counts just as

much as yours.

We don't make progress by calling opponents names but by trying to get them to discuss key issues like health care, education, a failing economy, a failed foreign policy, etc.

There is no guarantee that we Dems will change the opinion of voters like the truck driver through discussion but we are guaranteed to fail if we refuse to discuss issues with them.

[Guaranteed]

3. You shoulda been there.

This wasn't the kind of guy you reason with. He looked as if he had a rather unhealthy obsession with all things fascist. He was insane.

[jody]

5. Understand, but sometimes appearances are deceiving. My point was

that his/her vote counts just as much as yours.

If you are more intelligent and well read than the driver, then that may place a special burden on you to at least talk with people like that and understand what makes them vote.

I've tried that and been amazed at how misinformed they are. After some time of cultivating their friendship and trust, some of those with whom I've talked are now predisposed to listen as I lay out the reasons why we Dems support a particular position.

We Dems can recapture control of our government only by treating each independent voter as a very important person. Of course that's just my opinion.

[Guaranteed]

6. As intelligent as I am, that's a difficult thing to do at 80 miles per

hour.

In any case, I'm not sure where you're coming from, or why you brought up talking to Republicans to win them over.

This particular Republican was crazy. I posted this because I was struck by how preoccupied some of them are with their fascist thoughts and TV news network.

If you're looking for sympathy for this driver from me, you're not going to find much. Some Bush voters are victims of a negligent, corporatized mass media, but others go looking for bullshit to put in their brains. This guy was one of the latter. He was fucked-up in the head. Talk from anyone other than Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity was not going to do him any good.

Again, you should have been there.

[jody]

12. Your OP said "Mental institution escapee", a disparaging term if

you were not able to effectively judge the person at "80 miles per hour".

How do you know the person was a Republican and not an independent or heaven forbid a Democrat with views different from yours?

[Guaranteed]

13. Oh, I could judge him- he clearly WANTED that- I just

couldn't talk with him.

As far as his political affilliation, it's an educated guess.

And while I might have been "disparaging" him, I don't throw the term around loosely at all. I don't use mental illness as an empty insult. I said it because he WAS- IS- a fucking nutcase, and the particular psychosis that he's engaging in is disgusting. His thought process, acquired from Fox News or otherwise, was quite noteworthy.

[jody]

14. Now, now, no reason to get angry. Unless you can change the beliefs

of people like that, then his/her vote cancels yours.

[dweller]

15. or it could be

he just canceled yours ...

there's enough to go around.
dp

[Batgirl]

7. maybe he was just "eccentric"

I once saw a guy who'd emblazoned the rear window of his pickup with gigantic orange hand-lettering that spelled out "BIG HUGE FAT GUY". I, too, instinctively knew to speed past. When you see this kind of proclamation, which is both heartfelt and handcrafted, you just know the person who put that kind of time and passion into conveying their message isn't going to change their mind, no matter how hard you try to cultivate their friendship and trust.

[Guaranteed]

10. You got it.

I imagine these people planning out their sign- their "message" to the world- and it only disturbs me. They feel compelled to spread it, for some reason- they MUST! The world is counting on them. Then there's the pride I suspect they feel, the obsession, the "dedication." And, of course, there's the wholly ridiculous, ignorant message itself, fed to them by their corporate, marketing masters.

All I could say when I saw it was, "What the FUCK??"

It blows my mind.

It's not often that I recognize that I have feelings of true disdain for people, but this was definitely one of those times.

[bahrbearian]

8. Thats Bill O'Reilly's Truck

I see him on I-74 a couple of times.

[area51]

16. But if it were Dild O'Reilly's truck...

... wouldn't it say, "No SPINE zone"?

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. I'll bet he was related to this guy I saw on Monday night

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Guaranteed]

11. Yup.

Yup. I feel your pain.

Surreal.