Anger and Restraint

     "Look, there's a turtle in the road," I told a companion while driving my car. The animal crawled on the opposite lane.
     I wasn't surprised. One month ago I photographed another turtle (seen in photo) a few blocks away.
     Concerned for the creature's welfare, I drove to the top of the road and turned around. My plan was to carry the turtle off the pavement.
     Just before making my turn, another car drove by. I watched it approach the turtle. I hoped the driver would notice the animal. He did. The car slowed to almost a stop. I breathed a sigh of relief.
     Accelerating, the man's car veered leftward and drove over the turtle.
     Horrified, I proceeded up the street. The turtle's shell was crushed. Blood and guts covered it.
     The driver drove a few yards farther and turned around. He wanted to view the remains of the turtle. I slowed down and eyed him.
     He was early twenties in age with a beard. He was grinning. His demeanor confirmed my suspicion--this act of cruelty was deliberate.
     Boy was I mad!
     We made eye contact. I glared at him. His face revealed unease. He sensed that I had witnessed his sadism.
    He left the scene.
   I pursued him in my car. Chances were, he eyed me with alarm though his rear view mirror.
    Holding a cell phone to my ear, I talked and gesticulated in the direction of his car. I even held up the phone as though a photo was being taken. It was all an act. I was messing with his head. Perhaps he thought I was recording his license plate and calling the police.
     He pulled into a driveway. It was a ruse. He wanted to shake me off his tail. It wasn't his driveway. It belonged to a friend of mine.
     At this point I had a decision to make. Do I pull into the driveway and confront the guy? Or do I drive away?
     I chose the latter. Escalating the situation wasn't worth it. At the very least, the driver would have claimed that he had driven over the turtle by accident. Worst case, the guy could have gotten violent.
     I'm glad I threw a scare into that young man. Next time that scumbag considers perfuming an act of cruelty, he might reconsider.
     Sometimes revealing anger is helpful, provided it's done with a measure of restraint.