"Road Rage" article in our weekly newspaper/

[Adam Helmer]

We had a front page article in our weekly newspaper today (Wellsboro, PA Gazette) about a woman who was driving in this rural county with "occasional cell service" who was pursued by a guy in a van. Well the article goes on and on about how the woman finally thought she was safe when the van turned off onto a side road. The "van guy" returned in a different van to her parked position at a store where she did finally make a #911 call to a state police "concerned dispatcher." In the interim, the "van guy" entered the victim's car, cursed her out, returned to his van and then tried to push her car into a drainage ditch. Finally, the state police did appear at her site and the "van guy" was long gone.

I sent a letter to the Editor of the Gazette and pointed out how we are responsible for our own safety and that woman would have been better off holding a S&W than a cell phone and chatting with a "concerned dispatcher" when "van guy" broke into her car. PA is a "shall issue" state and it is long past time people finally realized this is not Disneyworld! I hope my letter sees print.

The newspaper article did not state the length of state police response time. I called them once and the dispatcher told me, "I have no unit to send to your location." I got armed and went back to the armed tresspasser who threatened me on my land. He got the message quick, fast and right away and has not been back. Bottom line: we are responsible for our own safety.

Adam