Is it because I am female?

Now, this has happened twice thus far while driving on 81 in Virginia.  The first time occurred while I was heading back to JMU from DC in the beginning of the school year.  I use cruise control on these long travels, and yes, I am a left lane driver.  However, a man was driving in front of me and would continuously slow down, to the point where I had to tap on my breaks as many times as he slowed down.  Then, when I attempted to pass him, he sped up.  I couldn’t pass this guy for the life of me.  He was taunting me in knowing my car was not fast enough to get around him.  I became so emotional and frustrated.  Finally, after 30 minutes of this taunting, he let me pass.  As I passed him by furious, he gave me a pageant wave and laughed.  I admittedly, then went in front of him and slowed down to 40 mph.  Now, I know not only is it prideful, but incredibly stupid to do on a highway, but by God, he provoked me to the point to demonstrate road rage in my own way.  However, I do note, regardless of the circumstances there is no excuse for my actions.  Anyways, needless to say the man didn’t like my “attack” back and decided to cut me off once again.  Finally, when I tucked myself between two cars in the right lane until my exit.

I will come back to why I acted the way I acted in a second.

As for my second encounter, this was a bit more frightening for me.  Last Friday, as I was driving on 81 to Pennsylvania, two white males were in front of me. As they sped up, I sped up.  As they slowed down, I slowed down.  I thought all along we were both doing this to avoid speed traps.  Was I wrong… I began to notice the car with the two men in front of me beginning to slow down and speed up.  But this time it was different from my last encounter with road rage.  These men purposely would have me be stuck with a car not only in front of me, but also behind and beside me.  Two times these men positioned me next to two separate tractor-tailors.  I was frightened. Now, here me out, this occurred for approximately 15 minutes until they finally allowed me pass.  At the point I passed them, I was in tears.  And, while I passed them they laughed at me.  My fear provoked laughter in these men.

During those 15 minutes, I debated if I should call the police.  But then I thought, is this situation worthy enough to call the police?  Should I get their license plate number?  Ok, I have the first 3 digits.  But for some reason, I stopped memorizing.  I was just so terrified that the police would blow me off, or that for some reason I would get into trouble.  So, I never called the police.

Did these 2 acts of harassment with terrorizing tactics and taunting happen because I was female?

When I reached my family’s farm in Pennsylvania I spoke with my family about what had happened.  Involved in the discussion were my Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt, and Dad.  I asked, did this happen because I was female and alone?  In a small car, young, and an easy target for intimidation?  Do I look this vulnerable while driving?  1 time I can see this as a strange occurrence, but twice now on the same interstate, I didn’t understand.

I fought back the first time because the man was taunting me.  I was thinking I am a feminist so I am going to show him up because it’s a man/woman dichotomy.  No, I said I am not going to allow him to do this so “I’ll show him.”  Well, as you saw, that tactic didn’t work either.

But as for the second circumstance, guys, I was truly frightened for my safety.  Stuck between cars, not allowed to escape in any way, was terrifying.

______Freshman year on 81 I had been in a terrible accident with a tractor-trailer, though my car and I were not harmed.  When driving I still have to speed past tractor-trailers in fear of another accident occurring._____

But, did this happen because I was female?  I’ll finally get to the point of this blog.

When we discuss in Gender courses, racial courses, or justice courses, we continuously discus the hierarchy of man e.g. socioeconomic status, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc., but I have become aware that when someone of a minority group claims that an act is done out of hatred, their claim occasionally is brushed off.  As if they are crying wolf as to why what is happening to them is based on because of who they are.

When a Black individual claims racism.  When a homosexual claims homophobia, or a woman claims sexism, a lot of times, we are denied our claims.

That there must be another reason for why this is happening to us.  There must be something other than this minority-card your pulling out and using.

But are we indeed making our claims up?  Am I wrong to say these men harassed, terrorized me because I was a young female, alone driving?

Or, am I to say that has nothing to do with it.  That because of the color of my car, the way I drive, no yeah, these are why the men did this.  Now, I am not saying these may not be apart of the reason that provoked them, but I am saying, give me the right to claim that my sex was a preliminary factor.

Sometimes, I am going to go ahead and say most times, our gender, sexual orientation, race, class, and health status, political, ideological and religious stances, these have something to do with what happens to us.  They don’t stand on the wayside while you become coerced.

I know this may be old to many of you, but I’ll tell you, when you are frightened to the point of debating if one should call the police due to harassment, taunting, and terrorizing, your viewpoints about all of these critical racial and gender studies come to the forefront.

By the way, when you think you need to call the police, call the police.  Don’t debate it, don’t do what I did.