St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-24
RECKLESS DRIVING.

st, Paul has fortunately escaped the dis
aster of a cyclone, but unfortu nately contin-
lies to be visited by the disastrous results of
reckless driving through the streets, and it is
difficult to tell which of the two is to be
most dreaded. The probabilities are that
the mothers of small children would prefer
to take chances with the storm demon rather
than to risk their little ones on the street
where the ordinances against fast driving
are violated with such persistent continuity
as they are in this city. 1t seems never to
occur to those who drive teams no more than
it does to the officers of the law,
that it is unlawful to drive across
street crossing at a gait faster
that walk or to drive recklessly along the
streets between the crossings. 1t does not
seem TO have occurred to anybody in par
ticular that st. Paul has outgrown the vii
lage condition of a few years ago, when the
few teams that were in the town could
speed along the avenues without danger of
coming in contact, or of inficting injury
upon the few pedestrians that CHANGED to
be on the streets. The authorities do not
seem to realize that this is now great city,
cles and pedestrians, and that there ought
to be an Observance of some. sort of regu-
lations whereby a degree of security
could be afforded to those who are
compelled to- be out on the street. The
mangled form of the little child who was
crushed to death beneath the wheels of a
wagon on Rondo street Thursday evening
and the almost numberlesS manned and
dIstigured victims of reckless driving in all
parts of the city, ought to be arguments in
favor of the enforcement of the city ordi-
nance. But when the matter is brought to
the attention Of the authorities the reckless
driver is excused upon the ground that he
tried to check his horses, or the argument
Is made that children have no business in
the streets and that pedestrians ought to
be on the lookout when crossing a street
The fact that the street is as much the
property of the child as of the adult or that
pedestrians have preferred right to the
street crossing, is entirely ignored. The
acting principle seems to be that the public
has no rights which reckless drivers are
bound to respect. The streets are made a
public race course. with virtual issuing of
all order to keep the track clear That is
just about what it amounts to now, in the
absence of any attempt to enforce the ordi-
nance which lies as dead letter in the
municipal code. 1t is time that an end was
put to this thing. The only way to stop it
is to stop it. There have been
lives enough lost and the sacriicial
pile of broken bones and broken vehicles
ought by this time to SATISFY the ambition of
the most reckless drivers But in addition
to all this. the eity'S reputation is at stake.
1t is about time that st. Paul was assuming
the air and dignity of great city, as it has
already attained the proportions of one. The
time for making race tracks and speeding
courses of our streets has passed by. The
ordinance now in existence should not only
be revised and enforced, but it should be
amended so as to make its provisions
stricter. No one should be permitted 70
drive along the main business thoroughfares
at faster gait than walk.