The whole "they carry guns down there" thing is kind of a red herring. Car-to-car shootings do happen, and they're big news when they do. But for everybody who takes a pot shot at somebody, there are probably a hundred or more incidents of people threatening to trade sheet metal. Statistically, that's the far greater danger. Plus, most people (myself included) can't hit squat while shooting from from one moving vehicle to another, whereas, when the weapon of choice is the front quarter panel of a Silverado, it's hard to miss.
I've been using a bit of a mantra when things happen on the road. I just say to myself " that person just found out their child has terminal cancer" Makes me give them plenty of room and I feel sorry for them.
This is very real, and those are wise words from Vinny. External factors can make people react badly. My wife is dealing with some personal health issues right now, and more than once lately, I've found myself beating my steering wheel in frustration because the person in front of me took an extra second to leave a light or pulled a little too close in front of me - things I'd usually just ignore. I'm glad that nobody has decided to fight back at the "stupid cager from Texas" because I momentarily let my emotions get the best of me.
I maintain that if somebody either (1) does something dumb or (2) does something seemingly aggressive toward you, the best response about 95% of the time is no response. Cuss under your helmet if you must. Beyond that, look straight ahead, pretend like you either didn't see it or it didn't phase you.
Back to the I-25 incident in Castle Pines - I think I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it has long been established that the incident didn't "just happen." There had been an escalating series of aggressive moves between the HD riders and the pickup. When the riders took off, they made the mistake of thinking that they had gotten the last word, so to speak, so they had won and it was over. They were wrong. I've never heard the final decision on who started it, and it really doesn't matter. Bottom line: both decided to play, both joined in the escalation game, both behaved inexcusably badly, and both lost in their own way. Legally, the pickup driver was at fault and he'll pay the price. From the Dr. Phil how'd-that-work-out-for-you point of view, the riders were responsible for their actions and reactions; it was preventable and they failed to prevent it.