Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-27
Minor Reforms Suggested.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star
1t may to some minds seem ungracious
for the patrons of the City and Suburban
street railway line after having secured
the rapid transit service for which they
have been clamOring for many seasons, to
criticise that service 50 early after its in
stallation. But experience after a few
weeks of patronage serves to suggest that
il is necessary to call attention publicly to
certain matters which call for minor re-
forms in the method of maintenance. One
of these is the height of the steps on the
cars. These are splendid vehicles perhaps
better than any others in the city. finely
upholstered and provided with "all mod
ern convcniences." They give the passen-
ger sense of luXury-after he has attain
ed their heights. But it requires a severe
muscular effort to reach that plane Often,
If he he short of stature or broad of girth
or feeble of body, or near of sight he STUN
bles and would fall were il not for the
kindly help of conductor or passenger Es-
pecialIy is this true of the running board
on the Open cars. which are so high that
il is indeed impossible for some people to
board the cars in that manner. The steps
should be lowered at least six inches or the
cars provided with an extra steD. unless
the company is willing to invite the damage
suits which must inevitably result from this
awkward and dangerous mode of construc-
ton.
The other reform calls for less expensc
and is more easily wrought. The cars of
the road are now painted alike. save a
few which run on the maryland line to
Hyattsville and beyond. The yellow bodies
afford TO chance for the unIearned pa ssan-
ger to identity them as to routes. There is
no label of any sort The words city and
Suburban convey no particular meaning
to the waiting citizen. At the junction cor
ner of Sd and 7 streets northeast in Eek
ington, where at present the rural cars
transfer to the urban cars, great confusion
often prevails because of the lack of a
simple sign hanging over the dashboard or
showing on the roof to tell whether the
car goes to Brookland or to HyattsyilIe
Custom in time makes the patron perfect
1t may be, in identifying the crews with the
separate lines. but this privilege is denied
the occasional passenger, who is bewildered
often to the point of missing his car or of
being carried off to the wrong place Con-
ductors sometimes kindly call out the route
accounts, and consequently perpleXity
reigns May not the road be re-
quested to have a few tin signs painted
pending the final arrangements of the lines
without calling forth from company Off
Gals indignant and perhaps vehement de-
nunciations of the patrons as unreasona-
Bile? This treatment has in the past too
often characterized the management of
this line, until patrons are timorouS about
expressing their preferences and sugges-
tons. Now that a new regime is about to
be inaugurated the proposition may per-
chance receive more courteous consdera-
ton than has met the average expression
from a passenger in the past few years.
dark with doubt and discomfort and even
suffering.
The patrons of the line are willing to en-
dure patiently the frequent Interruptions
to the service due to the newneSs of the
II echanism and the crews. They will stand
overwhelmingly on street corners for long
periods, hoping to be accommodated after
a blockade is relieved. They understand
that in all such enterprises the first few
weeks bring Vexations to both managers
and passengers, which must be mutually
| endured in a beautiful spirit of confidence
| IN the future. Meanwhile, however, little
Items such as those suggested will bring
| real relief and ameliorate agonies of the
waiting PASSENGER
july -. 1890