Joe Paterno said last night he was recently involved in a verbal exchange with a driver on Bigler Road and told the driver she was operating her vehicle in an unsafe manner.
Paterno pulled up beside the other vehicle while it was stopped on the road, he told listeners on his weekly call-in radio show. He then pointed at the driver.
"Don't do that again, because I took your license number," Paterno said he told the driver.
After that, the woman's husband knocked on the window of the coach's car.
"That's my wife," Paterno recalled the man saying.
Paterno said he replied: "Well, that's your problem."
The coach said he was upset with the woman because he feared her driving would endanger the safety of students walking on campus.
"I'm just trying to do something helpful," Paterno said.
Penn State Police said they were investigating a report of a traffic violation and disorderly conduct on Bigler Road that occurred at about noon last Friday. According to police reports, "a staff member reported a male driver committed a traffic violation and acted in a disorderly manner."
Tyrone Parham, university police assistant director, was not immediately available to comment on the incident. Lisa Powers, a Penn State spokesperson, said the police decided there was nothing to pursue further in the case.
Andy Pool (junior-psychology) said he was leaving the Forest Resources Building on Friday, walking up Bigler Road, and witnessed the entire, five-minute exchange between Paterno and the driver, who he described as a white, middle-aged woman in a black sport utility vehicle.
Pool said that while Paterno's silver BMW remained stopped in the middle of the road, a line of cars began to form behind the coach. About 10 pedestrians, realizing Paterno was involved in the exchange, stopped to watch, Pool added.
After the woman's husband slammed his hand on Paterno's windshield, Pool said, Paterno drove away.
Since the beginning of the week, online message board postings have speculated about Paterno's involvement in a traffic altercation. The coach was asked about this speculation at his weekly press conference on Tuesday, but refused to answer the question.
Paterno said he heard speculation that he had left his car and shown his middle finger to the driver, but denied both accounts.
"That's not my style," Paterno said, adding that he was upset about what he called inaccurate reports. "I'm a little bit resentful."
