Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-10
Omnibus Manners.
| How Excellent They Were of Old and How They Have Since Decayed.

How Excellent They Were of Old and
 How They Have Since Decayed.
 From the London Saturday Review.1
 there are not wanting those who lament the decay of ancient manners and customs. In the good old days, they say, when there was no Daylight Route" underground and when the only way of getting in and out of town was by omnibus, there existed 8 certain un- written code of laws which regulated the bearing and behavior of 'tinsides'' toward one another. These laws all aimed at one object-the promotion of the general con- fort. For, as the omnibus was generally full, especially in the morning and evening it was expected that there should be conces- slons in the srnatter of shoulders, unselfsh- ness as to legs which should be tucked under the seat and suppression of elbows; also, the days of chivalry not yet being quite dead, it was incumbent on every man under the age of 60 to get out and go on the roof, re- gardless of east wind or rain, to make room for lady children were cheerfully received on strange knees; it was considered effemi- nate for young men to travel inside the fati- | gues of the journey were frightened by friend | ly conversation social distinctions, while in | the tbus, 7" were ignored the city merchant i of Mark-lane sat down beside the oilman of | St. Mary Axe, and the Chief Clerk of the l Audit Office every morning exchanged politi. f cal views with his natter.
 Once arrived at the iourney's end, howey. | CT, rank resumed it's rights outside the om. l nibus all were strangers, and each went sepa- rately to his own place. Then the conductor knew his passengers, and paid them due de | ference, with the compliments of the season
 and men looked forward to meeting eact other every day in this casual club, the en
 trance fee to which was only Cd. all the way
 Many lifelong friendship was formed ir an omnibus, and cemented by daily talks dur ing long years of driving up and down the | road. Such friendships will be formed nc
 more, because the new railways have destroy
 ed the old gatherings in the omnibus ant
 severed the old ties, while it would be absurd
 to expect new ones to be formed between
 Clapham-road and Cannon street. The ner | vous rush, the banging of carriage doors, tn,
 shriek of the whistle, are a sorry exchang
 for the leisurely pumping, packed six of
 side, over four miles of aroughish road, witl
 companions all known. by sight, if not b.
 name, to each other. 1 Things have, indeed, greatly changed; tn
 conductor has ceased to ask if any gentleman
 will get outside to oblige lady-a rigid glar l would be the sole response;-should there b
 children the selishness of the parent is show
 in his determination that they shall occup,
 the seats for which he pays instead of tn
 knees of the passenger who would thus obtai
 admission it is no longer considered effemi ! nate to sit inside, and many young men ar l not ashamed of being habitual inside passer ! gers. The manners of the metropolitan hay ! been introduced into the omnibus. Every
 body, especially the young man, takes up a
 much room as he can, spreads himself, disrt 1 gards the fact that his legs are only entitle
 to one-twelfth of the gangway, and square
 his shoulders, which in breadth exceed one
 sixth of the length. It is through the malig
 influence of this young man, too, that th conductor is so 10th to stop the young atl lete takes his omnibus flying, and disdains t stop it when he alights therefore elderl
 people and women are expected to do th | same.