The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-25
PATROL THE PATHS.

IAIhoL
Among the things that are needed to
make the use of the wheel safe and to
put an end to the scorcher is the ap-
pointment of one or two policemen who
are skilled in the use of the bicycle
and can patrol the paths leading in and
out of the city. We think that this
measure of protection is due to that
very large portion of the public, num-
bering thousands, that uses the bicycle
paths, and it will be the most effective
way to put an end to scorching. A
week ago last Sunday there occurred
a very serious accident by the collision
Of two wheels. Last Sunday the ex-
perience was repeated This will hap
pen just as long as racing, scorching
and speeding for record on the BIZ
cycle paths are permitted. They can
not be stopped until there is bicycle
police patrol that will look out for these
fellows and take them to the cooler
before they have run into or down
anybody.
The crowds Of riders who look for
ward to Sunday for the pleasure Of
spending a day on their wheels
in the open air have just one terror
that detracts from the delights of the
day, and holds over them always the
menace of injuries from which they
may not recover for months, if ever.
They know that wherever they go,
ton avenue or to White Bear they will
be sure to meet, at some point, one or
more of these Internal scorchers. Rid
ing 1eisurely and comfortably along,
they will hear from front or rear a dis
tant whistle and possibly a yell of
warning. Then there will rush past
them like the wind from one to half
a dozen wheels, propelled by men who
are racing and demand clear track
from everybody. If there is the slight
est variation from straight line, it
the rider is, as all those who are mex
perienced are, the least bit nervous in
meeting or passing others, If the path
happens to be quite narrow at that
point or the wheel defects little from
tably be a crash, and it is fortunate
if the parties get off with no more seri-
Gus injury than a lot of broken bones.
This sort of riding is Illegal, as well
-
should be suppressed, at least within
the limits of St. Paul.
We have supported for many years a
number of mounted policemen, who pa
troll on horseback the suburbs and out
lying districts, looking after the en-
forcement of city ordinances there. For
or two policemen mounted on bicycles,
without uniforms, to patrol the cycle
paths in the afternoon or evening Of
week days and all times on Sunday
until the racing scorchers have been
locked up and punished. The record
makers and record-breakers love to use
the cycle paths because they are
smooth and give them straight-away
dash for long distances. They have not
a particle of right to do so. 1t is far
more atrocious, because it threatens
injury to a so much larger number
of people, to permit bicycle racing on
the paths than to permit the owner Of
a trotter to speed him regularly on the
Travelled streets at 2:20 or 2:15 gait,
requiring everybody else to get out Of
the way.
A good start has been made at rid
ding the streets themselves Of scorch-
ers. If we can expel them from the
cycle paths, the breed will either be-
come extinct, or it will resort to reg
ular tracks like that at Lexington park
| when it wants to race against time. Let
us have a bicycle police patrol as a
| protection to the entire public and a
| matter of justice to that portion Of it
which wishes to use and enjoy the
wheel