Age of Rage

There are people who will be haunted for the rest of their lives by what happened to Arnold Guerriero on a quiet street in Santa Monica last week. They were the horrified bystanders who witnessed an enraged motorist run down Guerriero, back up and then run over him again. They raced along the sidewalk shouting at the driver to stop as the mutilated Guerriero was dragged under the car down a hill and across another city block.

Surely those witnesses would prefer to be rid of the memory of those moments. But it’s too bad that every motorist could not see what they saw; maybe carrying such a burden would end the plague of road rage.

Guerriero, according to witnesses, pulled up behind a car that had blocked his path. Words were exchanged. The other driver took off after Guerriero’s vehicle. Eventually, Guerriero stopped and stepped out, and that’s when the mayhem began.

Now, a husband and father is dead over a brief, senseless dispute. The man who stands accused in his death is Robert W. Cleaves--a harmless-looking 69-year-old who resembles Santa Claus sans beard.

You’re on your own out there on the road, and you’re vulnerable. Cities like Santa Monica go out of their way to try to engineer civility into streets where speeding and aggressive or competitive driving are reported. They try all of the “traffic calming” tools: narrowing the road, extending curbs, making it impossible to speed or pass. But that won’t help when rage takes hold of someone.

If you’re the target of hostile driving you can go right to the police station, full of righteous indignation, to report the incident. But essentially the police know that it’s usually one person’s word against another’s.

Some police departments have officers drive around in rental or impounded vehicles in an effort to spot road maniacs. But the experts say that drivers really need to protect themselves, mainly by observing three basic rules. One is to stay inside your car. Another is to drive in a manner cordial to everyone. Lastly, put distance between yourself and the selfish lout who blocked your path, cut you off, tailgated or put some other minor dent in your day. Then be grateful that you’ve arrived home safely after another grind on the road.