60 Seconds or Your Life

The light turned green.

I started to move forward.

Then I slammed on my brakes.

A guy in a huge SUV blew the red light. At 60 mph. After a 5-second delay.

If I had pulled out of the blind crossing of Rt. 30 I would have been hit in my driver's side door. And I likely wouldn't be writing this.

Instead, I zoomed out and chased the SUV guy down. I got next to him, rolled down my passenger side window, and jerked my thumb backwards.

We were rolling along at a good clip.

He rolled his window down.

"You can kill people doing that!" I said.

"WHAT?" he asked.

"YOU CAN KILL PEOPLE RUNNING A RED LIGHT LIKE THAT!" I shouted.

Then something strange happened.

He nodded his head.

"I'm sorry about that. You're right. Thanks for telling me," he said.

He was sincere. Honestly, 30 seconds before that I was filled with rage and adrenaline. I was ready to kick ass and take names.

"I'm sorry," he said. Just like that. And I really believe he was.

And for the first time I think in 30 years of driving, a guy did the right thing, and I did the right thing, and I like to think that maybe he really will process that 60 seconds stuck at a light isn't worth risking a life.