The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-10-29
SHOULD BE STOPPED.
FAST AND CARELESS DRIVING
THROUGH OUR STREETS.

Pedestrians Have Rights, and
Teams Have Rights, but the Pro-
lection of Life Will Interfere
with Neither.
We cheerfully give place to the follow
ing communication, with the remark
that the difference between fast driving
and careless driving is that between
tweedledum and tweededee; either will
kill or hurt. There is this difference per-
haps; careless driving is more cold
blooded and deliberate; therefore the
more criminal. There is too much of
both. And fast riding is to be added to
the category of offences; offences from
which lady riders are not free. And let
it be understood that it hurts as bad or
kills as dead to be knocked down by a
horse ridden by a lady as by one ridden
by man. Gallantry ceases to be fac
tor in such case.
We call upon the police force to take
vigorous action in this case. We elect
them as our guardians and protectors.
The complaints are general and numer-
Gus. Make examples of violators of law
and propriety.
Editor Citizen The item in your
news co lumns in regard to a lady being
run against by team, and your para
graph on fast driving" called forth
thereby, compels me to ask space in your
columns for few remarks which | have
long wished to make, and | hope that
our city authorities will take them in the
spirit in which they are meant.
They do not emanate from any desire
to find fault, but they come from the ex-
perience OF myself and others as drivers;
and as have frequently made them in
private and have always had them fully
endorsed, | feel that they should be enti-
tied to some weight when made in public.
In my opinion you are slightly in error
when you complain OF fast driving" in
our streets. AS far as my experience
goes, our police are not open to criticism
on that score, for there is as little of that
as will be found anywhere; but what
can be complained Of is gross careless
ne IS on the part of drivers, and the little
attention that the police give to this
fault, and to the still more commonplace
tice of allowing crowds to congregate in
the roadways.
There can be no doubt but that our
streets are very narrow and very crowded,
making careful driving an absolute ne
cesslty, yetif any one will take the trou-
bic to watch the men employed as drivers
doubt if they can pick out more than a
couple of dozen of all those employed
who habitually pay the necessary atten-
tion to their teams. Add to these the
great majority of the drivers of country
wagons, whose entire attention is taken
up by the shop windows and what is
going on on the sidewalks, the wonder is
that there are not many accidents.
1t is no uncommon practice too, for
chicken wagons and wagons with garden
truck, etc, to stop in abe middle of Main
street, surrounded by several men bar
gaining for their loads. 1t is compare
lively rare to see eithcrcarriage or wagon
pulled up parallel and close to the curb
stone, when they stop, but it is no uncom-
mon to see their horses heads close to
the sidewalk, and the hind wheels in the
middle of the street, or vice versa; yet
have never seen a policeman correct a
driver for so blockadug the streets.
You are perfectly correct in saying,
that pedestrians haveri ghts in the streets.
True, according to law, l believe they
have the right of way" as is perfectly
proper, but drivers must have some
rights. The sidewalks and crossings are
built for pedestrians, and yet, in our
streets they generally monopolize the
roadway. They stand in crowds in
front OF the court house square, where
every team must pass, and so you try to
drive through some one without looking
where he is going, will step backwards
from little knot right underyour horses
head.
If, therefore, the welfare of allconcerned
is to be protected, let me suggest that
driving be made easier by making We
hicles observe some order allowing a
driver to give more attention to pedes-
trians, and that pedestrians be required
to observe the rights of teams by crossing
on the crosSings-most amply provided
and not congregate in the meager space
to which drivers are restricted.
JOHN H. BARNARD.