Evening star., 1897-04-27
WheeImen and Policemen.


In an editorial in your issue of Saturday
headed 'Scorchers,' you state that the
number of cases in court does not diminish
though fines have been exacted of hundreds
of riders within few months, and sug-
gest that the fines be increased with a view
of stopping dangerously rapid riding
c'scorchingo, which you appear to think
has not decreased, as would naturally be
expected from the publicity given to th..
penalties inflicted.
But is this correct view CT the matter?
Rather is 1t not due to the fact that the
bicycle squad are making numerous arrests
on what may be termed tee huical grounds,
of cyclists, NhO, when arrested are taken
by surprise. having teen going when over
hauled at only moderately rapid rate OF
speed and not at a rate which they re-
garded as excessive OF which would lay
them liable to arrest for scorching that
this seeming lack of results in controlling
fast riding is traceable? From personal
observation this appears to be the expIara-
ton.
For instance. in the case to which you
refer In your editorial the defendant testi-
fled that he was only goiag at the rate of
about five miles per hour, but he was con-
v.cted and fined upon the statement of Off
Ger Duval1 to the effect that his tachom-
eter registered eleven miles per hour. AS
the officer, in order to apprehend the cy-
clist, must have ridden faster than the
wneelman 1t is evident that the latter was
making less than eleven miles per hour.
ana as the law permits speed of twelve
miles per hour, except at street crossings,
1t may be taken for granted that the CON
Viction was for exceeding the legal limit
of six miles on a street crossing
But surely this cannot be termed
"scorching," for eleven miles per horr on
bicycle Is a very moderat rate of speed
and the act of attaining 1t could hardly be
reFarded as anything more than a mere
technical violation Of the law.
Two of my neighbors have recently un-
deTgone similar. experiences. Being men
or standing and experienced and careful
riders. who never indulge in scorching On
the city streets, they were naturally much
surprised when. on their way home to
supper Zone ot them having even reached
home and dismounted). they were informed
that they were under arrest for fast rid
ing: the Charge beilg, not that they had
been scorching. but that they had crossed
street faster than the law permitted
And this in face Of the fact that the same
officers see street cars constantly cross
intersectinS streets at the full rate of
led dn case of the electric cars even
in excess of the maximum legal speed)
without molesting the trainmen, ard who
pay no apparent attention to violations of
regulations on the part of drivers, which
are of daily and constant occurrence
The great mass of Inc law-abiding cit;-
zens who make use of the bicycle heartily
approve Of the suppression of really danger
y
we should be Disseminated against, nor
why it should be necessary to always ride
with one eye on a tachometer to prevent
being arrested for riding too fast over a
crossing. Few people realize how slow Six
miles an hour really is on a bicycle. If we
consider that one pressure of the pedal
carries US three, four or more times as far
acc ording to the gearing, step in walk
Ing, and remember that a fast walker WI
make four or five miles an hour, it becomes
more apparent; and when we bear in mind
that a certain speed must be maintained
that the wheel can be kept upright it is not
going too far to assert tina the wheel is
under better control at ten than it Is ia six
miles an hour, so far as its guidance is
concerned, though it could not be stopped
quite quickly.
The six-mile limit IS probably necessary
at crowded crossings, but it seems wholly
unnecessary that it should be vigorously
observer when the crossings are free. or
nearly SO, from pedestrians as sthe case
on three-fourths of the crossings, excepting
thoroughfareS. Indeed, 1t takes a menta,
effort ard constant alertness not to exceed
the limit of six miles per hour and there is
not a man or woman who rides who does
not do 1t, although the majority would
probably plead not guilty to the charge not
being able to guage speed accurately.
Let us have equal justice in enforcing
police regulations and not single out wheel
men and fine them for technical violations
Of law that are overlooked in regard to
other vehicles because few wheeimen
are reckless Scorching has diminished,
end really dangerously high speed is now
but seldom seen on the streets
FAIR PLAY