The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-08
THERULES OF THE ROAD.
TIE NEW ORDINANCE DEFLNEs
THE RIGHTS OF BICYCLES.
The Road Hog IL Prevalent in the South
srn Cities as Well as Elsewhere
Owl Cycle Races.

The Board OF Aldermen next Tuesday
night will no doubt pass the bicycle ordi-
nance adopted last week by the Com
mon Council.
IT differs from the report OF the COM
rnittee heretofore published In that u
does not require the use OF bells. Ihe
measure. as it now standss and most Ike
Il, will be enacted into a law, Is simple
and win prove effective
THE ORDINANCE.
20 Il ordained by the Cornell of the
city of Richmond
I. That every person over ten years "a
age is prohibited from riding Dicycie Vi
tficvcle on any sidewalk or fOot-way IN
any highway in the city OF III puD'ao
mark or square OF the city within or
without Its limits, from riding at
areater rate Of speed than eight miles
an hour when turning n corner or more
than ten miles at any other time' rom
riding cross-wise or turning TO ana ITO
on any such highway or foot-palh' lroni
riding without having his or her ieet on
,na Dedals and proper control OF the
machine with his or her hands, from
riding with more than two persons
abreast. -.
. Every person shall pass TO the right
| of any vehicle going IN an opposite dlrec-
zion and pass TO the lett oil Nehi01e
| going in the same direction
2. A person on horseback or driver
of any vehicle shall ride or drive TO the
right when meeting a bicycle or tn
cycle, and To the left when going IN the
| same direction.
J. The word vehicle in this ordinance
shall be construed 10 include bicycle
OF tricycle..
). ANY person violating any provision
or requirement Of this ordinance snail he
liable to a fine Of not less than two nor
! more than one hundred dollars.
This ordinance shall he IN force from
Its passage.
HAILED WITH SATISFACTION.
This measure will be hailed with salts
| faction by the army OF conservative
careful citizen wheelmen, who because
of the disregard Of few reckless rldeIs'
have suffered tho condemnation OF tno
pedestrian pubic as being a menace 10
life and limb.
By its provisions coasting I'm the crowd
ed thoroughfaros, the most dangerous OF
| all wheeling practices. Is prohiDhed, ana
| racing in the streets prevented.
There is one portion OF this ordinance
which will give peculiar satisfaction 10
every whoelmsn. and that is the pro-
vision which defines the right OF way
| III inc SllfflS VI bAi' 'AAs ~ 49,
! other vehicles.
While IL is only what the Supreme
| Courts everywhere have decided 10 be the
law in the case. Il is a clear and UNI
mistakable recognition Of the wheelman
on the streets Of Richmond, where, as
q rule, they have been entirely disre-
garded.
| This is especially true Of negro hack
drivers. TO whoa you must make way
without regard to rules OF the road, or
THE ROAD HOG.
The road hog Is faIIiliar animal
| around Richmond and II is simply anhaz-
! ing sometimes to see the absence OF com
mon courtesy 10 bicyclers-male and fe-
nale--by men driving on the road, who
IN every other condition Of life arc char
acterized by considerable and polite nc
tions.
Every whoelman will sympathize with
a prominent member OF the League OF
! Richmond v heelmen, who, when oDey-
ing the rules Of the road, was crowded
beyond a far share of the track, Jumped
from his wheel. and laying it in the road
i'm front OF him. cared the wagner TO
drive over Il.
Now. let every wheelman conscientious
| w and carefully obey these common rules
and when necessary firmly enforce them
in regard TO others, and many OF inc
/ troubles ana lncOnN .tl'J AON
suffer will be remeded.
THE WHOLE WORLD AKIN.
Bicycling is this season having the
same boom in the cities further south
that il had I'm Richmond last year, and
the papers give much space TO bicycling
matters. The Savannah News in discuss
ing the troubles OF wheelmen on the road,
shows that the whole wheeling world is
akin:
"A Savannah wheelman has expressed
the intention Of applying to Judge FALL
/ CANT for a license 10 carry revolver Tor
I tho purpose of protecting himself against
drivers of buggies and carriages, both In
and out Of the city, AMI especially on the
Thunderbolt road. The rider has a
broken wheel and barked skin to show
as result Of being run into a ditch
/ by the reckless driver of a buggy, who
was speeding his horse in order to pass
another turnout Only The other day the
dispatches contained the information that
! insurance companies had concluded that
they must regard bicycle riders as haz-
arlous risks. One reason bicycle riding
is hazardous il because many drivers or
! horses seem to make IL a point TO try TO
| run wheelmen down and MAIN or Kill
them. There is not so much complaint
TO be made of the freight vehicles. Driv-
ers of wagons and drays usually may be
utltDltu upon u SiNt ivoHls ipAA tii'
wheelman's most dreaded enemy is the
sport" with the fast horse. and the car
rage that carries the liveried coachman
on the box When these heave In sight
the wheelman must not imagine that he
has any rights at all. and must dis
mount. or run the risk Of becoming
subject for either the surgeon or the
| undertaken"
| OWL CYCLE CLUB.
A special meeting OF the owl Cycle
| Club Will be held at the club-rooms to-
morrow at $50 =. NJ. The object or
this meeting will be 10 appoint commit
tees TO arrange for the racing. under the
auspices of the club. that will be held In
the early part of May.
A suggestion has been made by Mr..
/ Dixie Hines editor Of the American
/ Mheelman. that the local bicyclcrs get
together and put the track at the Fair
/ Grounds in first-class condition so as 10
/ make Richmond an inviting training point
for the great racing men of the day.
| The suggestion carries with II the pre-
paration of quarters at the pavilion for
the training men.
That there is still a strong prejudice
against bicycles by large class OF peo-
nile the older ones mostly is undeniable
and IL crops out especially II some one
is hurt by collision with a bicycle-when
words too strong cannot be found to ex-
| press their condemnation.
II cycler accidentally runs over a
pedestrian. II is instantly noised around
Town, editorials appear In the lsaai-y
daiies, and ordinances are suggested for
their restriction. u the pedestrian how