Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-21
A Dangerous Habit.

A physician writing to the Chicago
Tribune says: I feel it my duty take
advantage of your report of the unfor-
tunate accident of Mrs. William Turner,
to call the attention of the public, and
especially ladies, to strange and pecul-
lar feminine habit, fraught with great
danger. In your report of the accident
you say, "the woman backed up few
steps," In this simple statement lies
the key to nearly every accident hap
pening to women on the streets of
city. My vocation has given me unu-
sual opportunities to observe this
strange habit of womankind. Thou
sands of times have I observed this &C.
tion-this IS epping back few steps"
and rs many times have shuddered
at the narrow escapes of ladies crossing
the streets before my horse. 1 have
tried, again and again, to solve the
problem of this strange action on the
part of women. 1t is, indeed psy
Geological study we'll worthy the at
tention of any scientist. Let me ex-
plain this habit more explicitly: A
lady starts to cross the street when
she gets one-third or half way over she
sees team approaching the driver in
nearly every instance watches her
movements, and seeks to drive in be-
hind her. If she kept on her way, all
is well. If she only stands still she is
perfectly safe. But here comes in the
strange and fatal idiosynocracy Of her
sex. Just as the driver thinks he can
safely drive behind her, she stops,
" starts back few steps," and unless
the driver is prompt, and draws his
horse back on his launches the woman
is under his feet, or knocked down.
Then comes the hue and cry that the
driver is to blame. How can he help
it? All teams cannot be driven on
walk and do the business of great city.
I have asked many of the policemen
who guard the crossings at the inter-
sections of Randolph and Clark, State
and Madison, and other places, and
they all testify to this universal habit
in ladies. "They all do it" said one
of them to me, land I have all 1 can
do to keep them from backing under
the horses feet" If your reporter will
question thousand men who drive ac-
lively through our streets, they will all
confirm my assertions. write this in
all kindness and sympathy, and would
seriously call tho attention of the
women of Chicago to the great risks
they run by blind and thoughtless
adherence to this instructive habit. I
hope they will allow me to suggest one
invariable rule of conduct when cross
ing the street, namely: ~ Stand
perfectly still when you see team COM
ing until it passes you, for no one will
run against you |; or(2) Never start back
and attempt to return to the side of the
street you started from when you see
team approaching, but keep right on,
in which case the driver will always
drive behind you. If teams are APP
preaching you in opposite directions,
and you are near the middle of the
street, stand still until they both have
passed. A conformity to these simple
rules will insure perfect safety to ladies
on all occasions, except in those very
rare cases of unmanageable horses or
drunken drivers. In conclusion. allow
me to add the equally strange fact that
in all my experience I never saw a man
make this retrograae movement to
avoid being rum over. They instinct
lively obey the rules above laid down..