Evening star., 1896-03-23
What a Diplomat Thinks.
BELLS on BICYCLES,
Riders Who Urge Some Arguments
Against Their Use,


To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
In your issue of Wednesday, 18th, no.
t.ced an article advocating the use of con-
stantly ringing bells on bicycles, and, while
l agree with the writer as to timely warn
ing to pedestrians. 1 would like to air my
views as to bells, based on a fifteen years
experience as bicycle rider.
During my riding experience 1 have run
down but one man, and the witnesses to
the occurrence said it was his fault
wheelman can almost always avoid
running down pedestrian il he uses ordf-
nary care and judgment, and in the event
OF an accident no injury need result to the
pedestrian. though his clothes may be
| soiled. The wheelman gets the hard
knocks and all the blame.
Accidents happen, under the existing
state of affairs, but If the police will ar
rest all riders who are guilty of reckless or
careless riding within the city limits, and
also all who are guilty of fast riding in
busy thoroushfares, and Judge Miller will
iine them heavily, just as they (should
but don'D arrest and fine drivers guilty Of
infraction of the same police regulations,
there would be no necessity for bells.
Ii there Is any danger of running down
a pedestrian. word from the rider an
swers the purpose much better in NV
opinion, than bell, chiefly for the reason
that the voice can be located instantly, and
there is no knowing where the sound of a
bell comes from.
1 walk sometimes and always foo, lilo
numbering a rider who rings a bell on me
! en- never accurately locate its sound. IF
ne Will speak. there is human sympathy
.hat .mpels ne to avoid a moving object,
the location Of which 1 know. The voice
can be accurately located at once and
does not startle one.
There is only one condition that warrants
lne sounding OF bell. and that is when a
q 6nI
Under such circumstances the rider should
De prepared to dismount, anyway
1t Is well established in law that road
ways belong to vehicles and eauestrians
| and the sidewalks and crossings (at street
Intersections) to pedestrians. and the no.
lice should be instructed to guard these
rights. When wheelman or driver passes
a street intersection 1t is at his risk and
when pedestrian elects to use the road
way between crossings he, or she, does II
lished.
Now for a few "don'ts' for pedestrians
Don stop in the middle of the street and
turn back to the sidewalk you have inst
left A careful rider or driver calculates
ms own speed with that Of a pedestrian
crossing a roadway, and If you turn back
an accident rs liable to happen, and it is
not the fault Of the rider or driver
Please don't stop to hold conversation
legitimate street traffic and are answerabie
for "cuss words from drivers and riders
aside from the danger of being knocked
down.
Please do lot use the roadway except as
a crossing: You. assuredly, would object
were wheelmen or drivers to use the side
walk. '1ue
Please. please don't crowd the roadway
from curb to car track while waiting for
cars at 10th and New York avenue, al 18th
and pennsylvania avenue, at 9th and F. a +
New York avenue and 9th and at other
points. II you are too impatient to wait
on the sidewalk, then please stand adjacent
to the track and not midway between curb
and tracks.
Personally, I have no objection to carry.
ing bell on my wheel. but there are
enough nerve-Jangling sounds in the city
street traffic to forbid the employment OF
constant ringing bells on bicycles. A bell.
like brake, should be always carried. but
rarely USED. VETERAN"
The Expense of 1t,
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
Replying to the article signed by ..B;-
cycle Rider" permit me to say that an
ordinance, as suggested, requiring all cycle
riders to use a continuous sounding bell.
or give a constant warning of danger,
would be an outrage on the riding popula-
tfon to our city. The annoyance to the
rider. and the enormous expense of equip
ping about $4,000 bicycles, should be
thoughtfully considered by the authorities
before taking any action in the matter. I
will admit that there is danger on every
hand, both to the rider and pedestrian and
hope something can be done to make walk
ing and riding safer on our streets There
are numerous regulations in operation in
many OF the cities north, and II some in
formation could be secured regarding same
| 1t would help greatly toward solving the
question now agttattng both the riding and