Truck Driver Maliciously Complies To Letting A Karen Illegally Pass Him In Traffic, She Immediately Crashes Into A Cop Car
InterviewEveryone hates being stuck in traffic. Whether you’re stressed trying to get to work on time, exhausted and ready to be home after a long day, or on a road trip desperate to find a bathroom, wasting time in traffic can be excruciating. But everyone’s in it together. No matter how frustrated you may be, it’s not right to try to circumvent traffic through illegal routes or cutting others off.
However, not everyone seems to understand the rules of the road. 5 days ago, a semi-truck driver shared a story on the Malicious Compliance subreddit about his recent encounter in traffic with a very entitled woman. r/Malicious Compliance has 2 million members and is famous for users sharing stories of “conforming to the letter, but not the spirit, of a request”. Below, you can read the truck driver’s account and our interview with him, as well as responses from readers, and be thankful that you weren’t stuck in that traffic jam.
And if you’re interested in even more Malicious Compliance content from Bored Panda, we suggest you check out this story next.
Last week, a semi-truck driver hopped onto Reddit to share his recent encounter with a Karen in bumper to bumper traffic
Image credits: Amanda Mills (not the actual photo)
The woman demanded that the truck driver let her through to drive on the shoulder
Image credits: rawpixel (not the actual photo)
After reluctantly allowing the woman through, the semi-driver witnessed her crash into a cop car
We reached out to the semi driver, fmintar1 on Reddit, to hear how he was feeling after seeing the woman collide with the cop car. “I felt sorry for the cops,” he told Bored Panda. “But that’s definitely unexpected. I honestly didn’t know that would happen.” We also asked if he witnesses a lot of aggressive driving, considering how many hours he spends driving for his job. “I do not see a lot of road rage actually, less than 1%, which is surprising,” he told us. He does think that the woman learned a lesson that day, though. “Collisions can be very traumatizing.” Lastly, he wanted to add a warning to readers not to block shoulders on the road “unless you really have no other options”. He also wants to “encourage the public to call for emergency even if they’re rushing to an emergency” or if there’s an emergency in their vehicle. “The least they can get is an emergency escort in case of traffic jam.”
We all know what it’s like to be annoyed with traffic, but some people don’t know how to handle their frustrations without becoming aggressive. Road rage is actually a significant issue, being a contributing factor to 54% of all fatal car crashes, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The term road rage was coined in the 90’s, after reckless driving seemed to be on the rise in the United States, and over time legislation has been formed around it. Today, 78% of drivers admit displaying road rage at least once over the past year, with common reactions including tailgating, yelling at other drivers and honking. But road rage can lead to much more dangerous situations.
AAA reports that over the course of seven years, road rage incidents in the US have been the cause of 218 murders and 12,610 injuries. In some states, it’s even common for road rage encounters to involve a firearm, making it much more likely for the situation to become deadly. But there are other factors that make situations on the road more likely to escalate. Studies show that “drivers aged 19 and below are more than four times more likely to be involved in an aggressive driving crash than their older counterparts”. Being out during rush hour also puts drivers at higher risk, with 4pm-7pm being the most common time for road rage incidents to ensue. Thankfully, some states have taken action to reduce frightening road rage encounters. For example, Texas clearly defines reckless driving as “a willful disregard for the safety of persons or property”, with penalties ranging from fines up to $200 to being sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Regardless of how late the Karen in this story was running, she decided to endanger herself and others while driving. It’s scary to realize how road rage can cloud drivers’ judgment, but hopefully this particular woman learned a lesson that day. I would recommend that she listens to meditation music the next time she’s caught in a traffic jam (if the police officer allowed her license to remain valid). Have you ever dealt with a dangerously enraged driver? We’d love to hear in the comments what your best strategy is to keep calm, collected and safe on the roads!
Responses from readers are mixed, some support the truck driver in his malicious compliance while others warn about the dangers of blocking a shoulder
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Share on FacebookI used to care about the laws other people broke while driving around me. Now I just drive to protect myself. If you tailgate me, I will slow down to give plenty of braking time at intersections so you don't run into me. If you have an emergency, go around me in the fast lane. I will slow down to let you go around. If I am doing the speed limit and you want me to go faster, you will be sadly disappointed. And if traffic is bumper to bumper, I will back off to let other cars merge into traffic from side streets and on ramps. I will not rush for anyone, but I will get out of your way if I can legally do so.
Please, do not use the road berm/shoulders as a lane. There's a reason it's illegal, verboten, etc... My hubby, as a teen, witnessed a person using it. They sped by to get to their exit ramp a few minutes early... and died on impact with the rear axle of a semi-tractor trailer stuck on the ramp in the rush-hour traffic. Just. Calm. The. Eff. Down. Please. (edited for stupid error)
I agree...do not use the shoulder or designated bike lane unless it is an emergency. We had two people killed (father and son) on a two lane road because they were cyclists and some impatient A**hole decided the bicycle lane was his personal bypass. Now a mother has to live without her husband and son for the rest of her life because someone couldn't be patient and wait his turn like everyone else.
Load More Replies...Their verbal exchange made his actions OK. She wasn’t in labor, nobody bleeding out in the backseat or running from a violent attacker. Just a straight b***h. If her passenger had a gunshot wound he would’ve let her by and she would still have to explain once she pulled up on the trooper.
I was in the left lane of a three-lane highway, a few years ago, when CHP ran a traffic break 1 car ahead of me. So, there's a motorcycle officer stopped between left and 2nd lane. This jerk in a BMW comes flying down the center divider shoulder, at about 70, and slings out into the empty lane, right in front of the cop. Without hesitation, he hits the lights and siren and bolts after the BMW. I swear, I could hear the cheering from other cars! The difference between a porcupine and a BMW? With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside!
I used to intentionally get in the way of ppl doing unethical things to get around traffic until I came to the same realization as others have pointed out. One or more of those cars could be in the middle of an emergency and since I don't know, I shouldn't get in their way. Although, I've always thought that ppl should use the emergency flashers if it's an emergency but I'm sure many ppl wouldn't think to do that too.
Yea they would be screaming my wife is in labor or have lights on.
Load More Replies...I can't believe how many people are saying not to block the shoulder in a case like this. If someone has an honest emergency they can let the truck driver know or call for a police escort through traffic. Please.
I have the same problem and use my own dash cam. I use double stick tape so I can move from truck to truck
Me, right lane, (Germany). Bumper to bumper jam. Cruiser right behind me checking that my fancy car is not registered as stolen. Karen drives past me on the shoulder. I speed up to get right up behind the Semi in front of me so the cruiser has space to get out easily. Oh joy 400m on when I see her pulled over.
The past year so many people are running stop signs. The most frightening is running the school bus stop sign. Several children have had really close calls.
In my neighborhood in the 1980s, one Karen got tired of the cars in front of her waiting for a school bus with its blinker lights on and the sign out. She speeded up and passed all of the other cars. She passed the school bus just as a seven-year-old boy was crossing the street in front of the bus and killed him instantly. This was more than a close call.
Load More Replies...The argument that people could have an emergency using that lane -- well use your hazards. That's what they're for. To alert other drivers on the road of an emergency of some sort in your vehicle.
I have never blocked the shoulder, but I have lanes. Signs will say in a mile lane end and people are completely selfish in areas I've been. They just zoom and make the open lane stop for them. If we merged before that point we could at least move better. The people I see driving on the grass were not emergency vehicles. The interstate near me has an accident everyday. It looks like the law enforcement had given up giving tickets for reckless driving. Most likely for their safety. I see where people are coming from, to just focus on myself. I cannot be that holy. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of people putting my life and trucker's lives at risk around me. Today I could see that semi would need to get in fast lane due to semi merging onto interstate. So I let them over. What did person behind us do?! Get all stupid. I see crazy people going 90 while looking down at phone passing me. It is really scary these days driving. I've tried staying calm, but eventually my fight or flight kicks in.
The first driver who leapfrogs the queue might have an emergency. But their immediate copycats don't.
Another reason not to block the shoulder: road rage. I had an incident when I was living in Chicago. I had to get to an appointment and the 3 lane Dan Ryan heading into town was being slowed down severely by 3 absolute jackasses going about 40 across the lanes. I got so freaking furious I tried to pass the jackass in the left lane by going on the left shoulder. He moved over to block me. I swear, if I had a gun, I would have been extremely tempted to use it.
Over here, on a two lane road in a traffic jam the drivers on the left are supposed to be creeping on the very left side of it, whereas the drivers on the right are supposed to all creep on the far right, if need be partially on the shoulder. This forms a full way, broad enough even for fire engines, in the middle. If everyone complies, that is.
I think it would be better if there was a rule that everyone merge to the left lane to make way for emergency vehicles to get on and off. It would also be helpful for people to exit or enter safely without fear of getting hit. Max speed limit in those cases should be 20 MPH in the left lane until they clear the accident.....
Load More Replies...I drive at 55 mph because internal combustion engines only burn gas efficiently up to 55 mph. After that, you are blowing unburned petroleum out of your tailpipe. My teenaged son hated that, as all the cars on the road passed us, and one day he said to me, "Mom, why don't you just pick the speed you want to drive and do that?" I thought about it for a minute and then realized that the speed I picked was: 55 mph. So I said to him, "Gee, son, that's what I thought I was doing." He looked disgusted and said, "Oh, mom!"
Not blocking, using it in a traffic jam as they flip you off for their personal gain. I have to be at palates in 15 minutes, f**k you Fred! Make sense?
Load More Replies...I used to care about the laws other people broke while driving around me. Now I just drive to protect myself. If you tailgate me, I will slow down to give plenty of braking time at intersections so you don't run into me. If you have an emergency, go around me in the fast lane. I will slow down to let you go around. If I am doing the speed limit and you want me to go faster, you will be sadly disappointed. And if traffic is bumper to bumper, I will back off to let other cars merge into traffic from side streets and on ramps. I will not rush for anyone, but I will get out of your way if I can legally do so.
Please, do not use the road berm/shoulders as a lane. There's a reason it's illegal, verboten, etc... My hubby, as a teen, witnessed a person using it. They sped by to get to their exit ramp a few minutes early... and died on impact with the rear axle of a semi-tractor trailer stuck on the ramp in the rush-hour traffic. Just. Calm. The. Eff. Down. Please. (edited for stupid error)
I agree...do not use the shoulder or designated bike lane unless it is an emergency. We had two people killed (father and son) on a two lane road because they were cyclists and some impatient A**hole decided the bicycle lane was his personal bypass. Now a mother has to live without her husband and son for the rest of her life because someone couldn't be patient and wait his turn like everyone else.
Load More Replies...Their verbal exchange made his actions OK. She wasn’t in labor, nobody bleeding out in the backseat or running from a violent attacker. Just a straight b***h. If her passenger had a gunshot wound he would’ve let her by and she would still have to explain once she pulled up on the trooper.
I was in the left lane of a three-lane highway, a few years ago, when CHP ran a traffic break 1 car ahead of me. So, there's a motorcycle officer stopped between left and 2nd lane. This jerk in a BMW comes flying down the center divider shoulder, at about 70, and slings out into the empty lane, right in front of the cop. Without hesitation, he hits the lights and siren and bolts after the BMW. I swear, I could hear the cheering from other cars! The difference between a porcupine and a BMW? With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside!
I used to intentionally get in the way of ppl doing unethical things to get around traffic until I came to the same realization as others have pointed out. One or more of those cars could be in the middle of an emergency and since I don't know, I shouldn't get in their way. Although, I've always thought that ppl should use the emergency flashers if it's an emergency but I'm sure many ppl wouldn't think to do that too.
Yea they would be screaming my wife is in labor or have lights on.
Load More Replies...I can't believe how many people are saying not to block the shoulder in a case like this. If someone has an honest emergency they can let the truck driver know or call for a police escort through traffic. Please.
I have the same problem and use my own dash cam. I use double stick tape so I can move from truck to truck
Me, right lane, (Germany). Bumper to bumper jam. Cruiser right behind me checking that my fancy car is not registered as stolen. Karen drives past me on the shoulder. I speed up to get right up behind the Semi in front of me so the cruiser has space to get out easily. Oh joy 400m on when I see her pulled over.
The past year so many people are running stop signs. The most frightening is running the school bus stop sign. Several children have had really close calls.
In my neighborhood in the 1980s, one Karen got tired of the cars in front of her waiting for a school bus with its blinker lights on and the sign out. She speeded up and passed all of the other cars. She passed the school bus just as a seven-year-old boy was crossing the street in front of the bus and killed him instantly. This was more than a close call.
Load More Replies...The argument that people could have an emergency using that lane -- well use your hazards. That's what they're for. To alert other drivers on the road of an emergency of some sort in your vehicle.
I have never blocked the shoulder, but I have lanes. Signs will say in a mile lane end and people are completely selfish in areas I've been. They just zoom and make the open lane stop for them. If we merged before that point we could at least move better. The people I see driving on the grass were not emergency vehicles. The interstate near me has an accident everyday. It looks like the law enforcement had given up giving tickets for reckless driving. Most likely for their safety. I see where people are coming from, to just focus on myself. I cannot be that holy. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of people putting my life and trucker's lives at risk around me. Today I could see that semi would need to get in fast lane due to semi merging onto interstate. So I let them over. What did person behind us do?! Get all stupid. I see crazy people going 90 while looking down at phone passing me. It is really scary these days driving. I've tried staying calm, but eventually my fight or flight kicks in.
The first driver who leapfrogs the queue might have an emergency. But their immediate copycats don't.
Another reason not to block the shoulder: road rage. I had an incident when I was living in Chicago. I had to get to an appointment and the 3 lane Dan Ryan heading into town was being slowed down severely by 3 absolute jackasses going about 40 across the lanes. I got so freaking furious I tried to pass the jackass in the left lane by going on the left shoulder. He moved over to block me. I swear, if I had a gun, I would have been extremely tempted to use it.
Over here, on a two lane road in a traffic jam the drivers on the left are supposed to be creeping on the very left side of it, whereas the drivers on the right are supposed to all creep on the far right, if need be partially on the shoulder. This forms a full way, broad enough even for fire engines, in the middle. If everyone complies, that is.
I think it would be better if there was a rule that everyone merge to the left lane to make way for emergency vehicles to get on and off. It would also be helpful for people to exit or enter safely without fear of getting hit. Max speed limit in those cases should be 20 MPH in the left lane until they clear the accident.....
Load More Replies...I drive at 55 mph because internal combustion engines only burn gas efficiently up to 55 mph. After that, you are blowing unburned petroleum out of your tailpipe. My teenaged son hated that, as all the cars on the road passed us, and one day he said to me, "Mom, why don't you just pick the speed you want to drive and do that?" I thought about it for a minute and then realized that the speed I picked was: 55 mph. So I said to him, "Gee, son, that's what I thought I was doing." He looked disgusted and said, "Oh, mom!"
Not blocking, using it in a traffic jam as they flip you off for their personal gain. I have to be at palates in 15 minutes, f**k you Fred! Make sense?
Load More Replies...
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