When I was a kid, I saw the replay of Rodney King riots, where a truck driver named Reginald Denny was dragged out of his truck and beaten nearly to death by black rioters. I was horrified as I watched them treat this man so cruelly for nothing other than being white.

But the lesson it imparted was pretty clear. If ever you have the misfortune of driving into a mob situation, do not let them stop you, because if you match certain criteria, it could mean the end of you if not great harm.

Watch this man in the road plead with a man beating him.

A scene more violent and chaotic than anything in GTA 5. The far left calls this justice. pic.twitter.com/68A9dzun1S

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 1, 2020

Over the past few days, during the riots caused by the unjust killing of George Floyd, I’ve watched several videos of rioters who attempted to stop a vehicle, only to see that vehicle lay on the gas. This has more or less occurred for every other riot/protest that’s happened lately, too. Cars are stopped, surrounded, and the owner of the vehicle immediately punches it. The rioters very rarely suffer serious injuries but they always seem so surprised and aghast.

Why do people keep trying to go up against cars and are surprised by the result. I’d try to stand in front of a car trying to move, then Darwin is going to do his thing. pic.twitter.com/llfTaigZ3g

— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) June 1, 2020

It seems silly to have to point this out, but blocking roads in order to protest isn’t exactly the smartest idea. For one, you don’t know why the person is on the road. They could be going somewhere important, like to a doctor or even just trying to get back home to their kids, or even pick them up from daycare. You blocking the road isn’t going to make them think about justice or racial equality, it’s only going to make them pissed off at you for stopping them from getting to where they need to be.

In the case of the video above, that trailer was full of horses. The protesters should have had the intelligence necessary to understand that keeping animals in a trailer for longer than need be, especially in this current weather, is just horrible. That truck driver had every right to push forward.

What gets me is the fact that, even as the vehicle is going forward, they don’t get out of the way. They attempt to stop the vehicle — as if they have the power to do so — while others surround the vehicle and begin pounding on the doors and trying to open them. This doesn’t do much to incentivize the driver to stop. Next thing you know, people are becoming speed bumps.

It shouldn’t be hard to understand that if you play in the road, you might get run over. People are going to fear for their own safety, especially if they have children in the car. If my kids are in the car and protesters begin surrounding my vehicle, banging on the windows and frightening my children, you can damn well bet I’m laying on the gas.

Your intention might just be to scare people, but people don’t know that. They’ll do what’s necessary to protect themselves and their families and if that means running you over, then so be it. Don’t be surprised when you find yourself under the wheel.

To be clear, I don’t think charging a car into the middle of a protesting crowd is okay. The intention to harm or kill should be denounced and punished.

But if you’re a protester and you begin giving signs that you have more than just the intention to protest, then be prepared to find out that you’re no match for a giant hunk of metal being self-propelled by a V6 engine. Don’t threaten a car. It’s bigger than you.

Move, b**ch. Get out the way.