Someone gave me a scare when i was driving home today.

I was just about turning off the ECP at the Marine Parade exit this evening when i noticed that there was this ford about 4 cars length behind me which was moving rather erractically. The driver was making little "jerks" as he was driving. The car swerved shapely to the side and back a couple of times. I remember thinking that perhaps the driver is on the phone or something. Just then, i was slowing down around the bend of the expressway exit when i noticed that ford right behind me. It was so close i could see the driver behind clearly on my rear view mirror. What was harrowing was that traffic was really busy at that time, and i was just slowing down. I was so afraid that the ford will just smack bang right into my car that i did not even dare to slow down anymore. The car was _that_ close behind. I even changed lanes thinking that perhaps the driver is in a hurry but he still followed very closely behind me. It worse worse than tail-gating. I felt like i was being chased. The thing is, he did not flash his headlights at me (perhaps i was in his way?) or honked. He just kept behind me very very closely. I could not have braked without him banging into me. And he did not show any sign that he was slowly down either, but was kinda edging the car nearer and nearer.

Finally i had to stop at the traffic light and he stopped behind (very closely still) and i had a good look at the driver behind from my rear view mirror. And it was really frightening. He was a rather thin bald man, at first i thought it was a rather old man, but i think it is mainly because of his glasses (so i cant see his eyes) and the dark eyebags. And he looked sort of "crazed", which reminded me of norman bates from psycho, but scarier. I don't know how to describe it but he did not look angry-like or neither did he keep a straight face. I have seen expressions like that before and it was usually on psychotic patients or horror movies. And eerily, he began to make strange gestures in his car and for a while he looked like he was shouting to the empty space beside him and gesticulating wildly. Then he started to pretend to be holding a rifle and started "aiming" and "shooting" at things around him. I think he must have saw me glancing at the rear view mirror (i did not dare to turn around to look) and suddenly i realized he was focusing intently at my car and was "shooting" at me. He had a almost manic and diabolique expression on his face. It was horrifying even when recalled it.

When he noticed me, he started gesturing even more frantically, making obscene signs with his middle finger, flapping his hands and making sucking motions with his mouth onto his finger. He kept doing that, and keeping his car closely behind at two traffic lights (both red so we had to stop). I have met jerks on the road before like road bullies that flashes their lights at you to make you give way and drivers who make exsperated signs at you as their drove pass but this is something different. He did not look frustrated or arrogant or angry. He just looked menacing and mad. I mean insane. If he were to bang into me, my first instinct would be to lock my car door. I really felt like this was a psychotic patient more than a person who wanted to harrass others for the fun of it. He was already behaving like so even before he noticed me. If i was able to get a sight of his car plate number i would have called the police. Not for harrassing me but the potential danger he could be. He honestly looked like a psychotic person driving a car recklessly. I was so glad that just as suddenly as he was hounding me, he turned rather widely (and dangerously) into a petrol station and disappeared.

I was still shaking a little when i reached home. I am not one to get scared easily but i felt real danger this evening. It was eerie even. I don't think i can forget the face and that expression. Perhaps LTA should screen drivers periodically with psych assessment so that mentally unstable people would not be driving on the road. I know i am stretching it abit but could you imagined if that driver just go berserke and crash into a school or something during peak hours?

I felt like i was in some horror movie.