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Originally Posted by pcguru2000
OMG, can we borrow the castle doctrine from you guys? It would be entertaining to see a biker donkeykong a side mirror and that driver that just got assaulted shooting them in the back for it! All of this recorded on my dashcam for youtube!
That might actually cure lane splitting and other shenanigans. Do you guys have the same issues with the bikers?
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That's not really how Castle Doctrine works. As a matter of legal principle it defines your "castle" which is an area of property that defines a line over which if an invader crosses you have a legal right to defend yourself and that property. It's based on the idea that in certain scenarios an invasion or violation of your property implies a direct threat to your own life. You can only ever take a violent action in defense of life or limb in the state of Texas, Castle Doctrine expands that to situations where someone invades your home or vehicle. Kicking your car as they pass by doesn't count, and you can never shoot someone in the back legally.
For the record I get you were joking, I just wanted to clarify since the thread started with Europeans asking about legal matters in the US. My company has many employees in Europe and before they visit our offices here in Texas they already think we live in the Wild West and it's blood in the streets. I've had to put a lot of effort in to help convert people by taking them to the range and showing them that it's actually fun to shoot guns and that the cities here are basically equally as safe as European cities (which I can say with some authority since I lived part of my life in Europe and traveled it extensively).
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On the biker forums, they are proud to confront the "cagers". They brag that they are covered in head to toe with body armor and short of someone pulling a gun on them, they can pretty much beat your @ss with impunity and put it on youtube!
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Yeah, it's a very different story here. Most people on motorcycles are dudes who just got out of basic rolling around shirtless or in a t-shirt on squid bikes or fat old white men on Harleys. Anyone who thinks that they can just start a road rage fight with impunity here will definitely be in for a surprise. You never know what people will do. I saw a video from Dallas I think where some dude in full gear on a sport bike tried to throw down with some good ole boy in a truck, and the truck dude grabbed a wrench from his toolbox and hit the biker in the head hard enough to crack his helmet and put him down.
It's just dumb to road rage on every level, but yeah I would have zero qualms about ending someone's life if they attack me using their vehicle as a deadly weapon, or any equipment they happen to be wearing. I've seen bikers swing helmets for example in fist fights. That would not fly here...