One driver was rude. The other was uncivil. As if propelled by some inexorable force, they clashed. And for a
time, the duelists didn't worry about the peril with which they played.
Consider the following tale. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.
On Nov. 27, Tom pulled his Jeep out of the Safeway parking lot at Arapahoe Road and U.S. 287, heading north
toward Longmont. Thinking he had enough time to merge onto the highway, he accelerated. But a man in a truck seemed
to speed up and cut Tom off. "I kind of followed him, I guess."
John, the other driver, says Tom forced him into the next lane. With his two children in the car, John says
Tom's maneuver "kind of upset me."
Tom passed John. John passed Tom. So Tom gave John the finger. John says Tom swerved in front of him, forcing
him to slam on his brakes. "That severely ticked me off," John recalls. Tom says John drove within inches of his
car. "I was preparing for a wreck at any moment."
This wasn't the best time for them to get stuck at a red light. John jumped out of his truck and banged on Tom's
car. John recalls yelling, "Get out of the car and we'll see who's Mr. Tough Guy!"
"He lost it. He really went off the deep end," Tom says.
By this time, Tom had been guilty of careless driving, and John had committed the crime of harassment. At least
that's how a sheriff's deputy saw it.
The offenses would have been more grave and numerous if one combatant hadn't mustered the courage to disengage.
In this case, that man was Tom. After the light changed, Tom dialed 911 on his cell phone. Moments later, the
dispatcher told Tom the other driver was on the line, too. Both men were instructed to pull over and wait for a
sheriff's deputy.
The deputy listened to both stories, then suggested that the duo shake hands. Rather than pressing charges, the
deputy referred John and Tom to the Boulder County restorative justice program.
On Dec. 18, John and Tom met with members of the community, the deputy and a facilitator. Each told his story.
Each listened to the other's perspective. Community members discussed the potential harm — and the omnipresence —
of what is popularly called road rage.
In the end, the "peacemaking circle" had to agree on a way to restore some justice. John and Tom will volunteer
time for the restorative-justice program. And they agreed to spread the word about lessons they've learned. So they
spoke to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity.
Theirs is the first road-rage case in Boulder County to be sent through the restorative-justice program. They
say they learned more about themselves and others than they would have by going to court and paying a fine.
"Before, I felt like I had to tell (rude drivers), 'Hey, you made me mad,'" Tom says. "Now, I don't go there."
John concurs: "I find myself excusing people now rather than taking it personally."
Careful observers of the human condition might doubt the permanence of such conversions. But if restorative
justice could make the roads even temporarily calmer and safer, it's certainly worth a shot.
Reach Clint Talbott at (303) 473 - 1367 or talbottc@dailycamera.com.
