First time needing to draw…and I had no weapon.

Long time concealed carry user, first time posting. I visited California earlier today for a wedding. Naturally, I did not bring my CCW to comply with local laws. We finished up at the wedding reception around 11 pm and headed back to our hotel. We were on a long, winding dirt road in the middle of a forest and reached the T-intersection onto an asphalt road that winds several miles back toward the small town. It was pitch black and very foggy. We stop at the intersection and a watch a 90s-era hatchback with a missing taillight drive slowly past us. He brakes and it seems like he’s gonna turn onto our road, but then speeds up and drives past. We turn onto the road behind him. Within the first 10-15 seconds, we watch his car swerve suddenly and then veer back onto the road. He does it again. I tell my wife to call 911… no cell signal out here. He speeds up and we loose him for a moment. We make a bend and see him again. He swerved sharply one more time, then jumps from the car before it stops. Now he’s running toward us, gesturing wildly, with a wild look on his face. I instinctively reach for the gun I don’t have. I’ve read on this subreddit that your car is a weapon, and so I knew in that moment that my only option was to go around him or through him. I floor it toward him and then see a narrow opening on the other side of his car, off the road but feasible. He comes close to us but we manage to get around him. At this point, I’m terrified that he’s going to chase us down. It’s a winding country road and we can’t see more than a few yards in front of us due to extreme fog. We manage to get in contact with dispatch after a few minutes and give a vehicle description. Fortunately, we never saw the car again and made it back safely.My wife is pregnant and I have two young kids staying with the grandparents this weekend. This was my first encounter with what I’d consider a potentially life-threatening situation as a married-with-children man. Maybe he was harmless. Probably just tripping on drugs. But I would’ve run him down without a second thought if I didn’t have a way around him. I don’t take chances with my family’s life.And lastly, I’m of course frustrated with the lack of reciprocity for concealed carry permits. I can’t help but feel sorry for those whose lives are put in scary situations and don’t have an Option #2 like I had last night. Next time, I’m bringing a deterrent such as mace whenever I can’t bring a gun (although it would have limited utility in this scenario).Thoughts or advice, please feel free to share. I just needed a place to unwind after that incident. via /r/CCW https://ift.tt/2VWJ44C