The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-09
LONDON oMNlRusEs.
sIow-Gowlng, Unyentilatod Vehicles, be
Not Allowed to Hn Crowded

6low-Gowlng, Unyentilntod Vehicles, but
Not Allowed to 30 Crowded.
Such heavy, slow-going, cumbcr-
somo vehicle us the London omnibus
could not be used on our rough-and.
tumble roads, says the New York Home
Journal. 1t is poorly ventilated, if you
can callit ventilated, for the windows
are closed and are immovable. Tho
only means of ventilation is by the
door in the rear, near which everybody
tries to get. AS fast rs the choice seats
near the door are vacated they are oc-
cupicd by the less fortunate passengers,
and the last conner is always obliged to
take the worst place, which is nearest
the front. But in fine weather II man
never gets inside while there is IL vacant
seat on top. And it is no strange sight
to sec women occupying outside seats
to escape the sitting air inside.
The buses do not confinc themselves
to the middle of the roadway and allow
passengers to pick and fight their way
througha crowd of vehicles, New York
like; they pull up to the curb to allow
passengers to enter or leave without tho
least possibility of danger or trouble.
Conductors will also leave their perch,
q,
wise with Il prospective passenger who
is in doubt as to which bus he should
take. Time seems of no Importance;
they are not in such q rush or whirl of
excitement as we are. Whether from
the excessive competition or from some
other cause I know not. but do know
the public servants in England are
much more civil and polite than they
are in this free" country
There are rules which control Lon
don omnibuscs, and these it is the duty
of the police to strictly enforce. A bus
is licensed and allowed to carry only so
many passengers, and this license or
limit must be posted on Il conspicuous
part of the vehicle. The majority are
licensed to carry twcnty-six passcn-
gers-twelvc inside and fourteen out
side.
The buses make special stops at GER
tain points of their route, and these
seem very long and prove tedious to
one who is in hurry; but if your time
Is very valuable you would never take
bus. They are not allowed to stop
when near or nearing these special stop
ping places, not even if Il passenger OK
presses desire to alight. l remember
once, just for information, asking the
driver to stop in the middle of Trafal-
gar square, just as we were passing
Nelson's monument on the way to
the Strand, cityward. "Wcll," said the
polite but uncducatcd Jchu. ''you can't
expect me TO get four-shilling sum-
mons for penny fare, can your mean
ing that if he pulled up where indi-
Gated he would be summoned the next
day on the complaint OF vigilant
bobby" and be obliged to pay four
shillings for accommodating me.
In American street cars or omnibuscs
passenger who rides only few
blocks helps to pay the fare of the man
who rides the full length of the road,
for the charge to both is the same. 1t
is not so misnanaged in England. The
charge there is by distance, about one
penny two cents) Il mile. There are
two or three lines of omnibuses whose
only fare is 4 half penny lone cent?.
One line runs between Westminster
bridge and Trafalgar square and they
pick up no passengers between the two
points. They carry only twelve pas
Sonrers md thorn AFRO NO ont si6n coo+o