New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-04
THE ETHICS OF STREET IRA VEL.
THE CLOWN AND THE 1GNoRAMUs.

THE CLOWN AND THE IGNORAMUs.
HOW TO AVOID DANGER AND INCONVENIENCE IN
GETTING ABOUT THE CITY.
at always docs mo good to do that said friend
to TRIBUNE reporter, Is he trod heavily on tho
hoel Of . man who had rudely crowded past and
placed himself squarely in front Of tho two pedestri
ans Tho offender turned around in fury, but be-
coming conscious either of the unequal match or OF
his being in the wrong, he transferred the insult
from his heel to his pocket and walked off,
"Thesc big fellows seem to think that they own
the town." continued tho triumphant social reformer
"Tbey elbow their way without regard for ofherA
II they are behind you IN dense crowd they press
you olosely and they never seem to Ike 1t when yo"
turn your side to them, put your hand on your NIP
and give them the point of your elbow to mpale then
selves In q strootca they Will bacK up TO
sixnch Interval between two passengers and settle
into It, leaving their neighbors to choose between
standing the crush or making room to the right ana
left Tho fact fs there is a great deal OF ignorance
"a to how to get about In a big city Ike New-YorK
with convenience to ones self and Difference to the
| rights of others. Clowns like this fellow do not
moan to annoy any one-only to mako their own way
But there widespread ignorance as to what Is poto
and proper, what tactfu good requires what Is
safe or dangerous, using the crowded streets and
public places and It ought to BIO a part of common
school education to give little instruction and lay
down few general principles that ought to be, but
are not, universally accepted
"PAssENGFRs OPP FIRST"
"You hear the elevated railroad hands regularly
call ont at station Passengers off frstl' but at
Fourteenthst. or Twenty-thrdst, where there IS
usually crowd Of ladies waiting, 1t Is bold NAH
who will insist on his right of debarhng before thoy
| get aboard always do 1t, but am bold man.
| Mighty polite isn't he Is an exclamation have
heard from moro than pretty girl ito whom 1
would not be dscourtcous for the word Just because
contributed my share to tho orderly and convenient
handling Of passengers Men aro bad enough, but the
women are worse, in this particular, simply because
they have cthor by instinct or training the noon
n tho movement of troops A lady will always In
sst on getting off streecar on the side toward which
she wants TO 60, and will force hoi way through
crowd OF men rather than aght uDObstructed On the
opposite side.
Men have rather confused ideas as to what defer
ence they should pay to ladies IN public places. IL
is we'll understood that in the elevator of hotel
man should conduct himself as he would In any other
room-tho paror for nstance-of the hotel and should
rise and stand uncovered when a lady enters tho
elevator But in tho elevator OF q downtown bulldihg
the conditions changed That public conveyance
not an apartment, and In It man may do exactly as
he would in a streetcar. Tho rights and privileges
of pedestrians are very well Defined II people only
know 1t. That lubber whose heel Just scrunched
had perfect right to pass me, but he was bound to
keep ahead. I can't stop walking Just because he
chooses to get Ia front Of mo. used to do so, as
most people DO insnctively draws up rather
Than step another; but have conscientiously
trained myself out of that habit, and now rainier
step out than step short
SWINGING DOORS AND RECKLESS DRIVERS
"very few people know how to look out for them
selves about the city, and most Of them plunge into
Inconvenience and danger which little head
work would avoid. Ninety -nine men In hundred
VIII hurry forward to catch swinging door before 1t
closes behind some who has Just passed through,
and run the risk of broken wrist In receiving Its foil
weight. They don't seem to think that If they let
1t swing freely toward Thorn 1t Will Immediately swing
back again, when they may pass through almost with
out touching their hands to It, But the bcsi way IS to
drogayd entirely the door that another has just passed
tbrough-use the other, and let the first swing of
it's hinges If 1t will.
"a Now-Yorll American has need to be in a
hurry in order to take tremendous risks In crossing
tho street. Ho sill learn that there IS more
bchind a moving vehicle than in front of IT, and
he dashcs over all areny for tho more satisfaction
Of ACCOMPLISHING a feat. Tho Ncw-York drivers are
not cutie reckless as the Paris cabbcs, who arc
SAID TO run man down whenever they can but oven
in Now.York o pedestrian has few rights driver feels
bound spect and the best way TO deal with tho
case IS to give the truckman the right of way Oo-
casIonay an imperious old gentleman, Ike the Mr.
| Gould who over and killed at Broadway and
Park.place year or two ago, advances boldly into
midstreet and holds up his to stop the approach
| ing express wagon 1t may work and 1t may not
but to be OF It needs to be policeman armed
with the rattan OF official authority. How many men
have narrowly escaped Draining by bales and boxes
dropped from a hatchway host2 And how many,
even of those understand tho danger their
peace of mind by adopting the only infalbie rule OF
safety, to pass under hostf There Is always
room to 90 around tho hatchway, and l never fail
| to do that.
| BUT THE PEOPLE ARE EAGER TO GIT THAR"
al" people arc foolish and untaught about tho avoid
ance of danger. how much they regarding
on the elevated road the Bridge but there is pro-
OF the cars roady pitched first headlong
backward, yanked to and fro, cutchng wildly at the
doorframes and their neghbors the engineer ap
aboad of most OF them, although remain seated until
the train comes to full stop for sit near the door
and when get up rise In my place in the very van
| of the procession. A little head-work saves great
| deal Of leg work These people remind me OF the
Western boat club that astOnished people al the Cen
| tennlal races at Philadelphia, In 1876. They were
called the ShoewacomcttcS,' or sOmtblng Ike that
Ali The other crews had hei peculiar siroke-the Yale
stroke tho Harvard stroke the English stroke, ana So
| on The shoew acOmcttoS, who pulled sort OF so
ms YOU please stroke, were asked what they called IT,
We call IL tho git-thar stroke was the opposite re-
lies n making their way about tOWnhe one Idea IS 10
Git thar and frequently they fall to realize even
| that IL Is the Same way ON the ferry boats. i
ID bet once that couldn't take his stand any
| mass him My friend thought he had mo when hc
lasted himself the rudder-bolt at tho stern3n
tbonght he had me. too but the small boy who was
| maknc tho circuit Of the afterdeck saved Inc my
money"
|