The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-08-26
STREET TRAFFIC.
Endangered by Ignorant
Drivers.
Public Have a Right to Protection
from Scandalous Street Abuses
Now Prevailing.

Editor Adyertiser-Sir: If you will
take your stand on some street corner
in Honolulu and watch the traffic for
few moments you cannot fail to be
impressed with the fact that many
drivers, both of public and of private
conveyances, are incompetent. negli-
gent and criminally careless. You will
see Chinaman or a Japanese driving
along a crowded thoroughfare with his
reins held loosely in both hands and
his hands resting on his knees. Sup
pose he tries to make an emergency
stop; what is the result? His hands
fly up and back behind his ears, and
the horse stops only when he is ready.
[ have been a close and an interested
observer for some two years in Homo
lulu, and l have yet to see the first
Monaghan who knows how to hold the
reins over a horse. However, his ig-
nOrance might be excused, if only he
We're attentive TO his business But
usually his eyes are anywhere except
where they ought to be; and, to Judge
from appearances he is totally obliV-
ious TO all mundane affairs. Often, on
leaving the hack-stand. he Will turn
out quickly into the crowded street
without even looking to see whether
or not he is entitled to the road. On
several such occasions | have seen
both men and women cyclists, on their
own proper side of the street, COM
PEELED TO jump off their machines into
the mud and scramble for their lives.
Often you will see white and native
drivers going at a trOt through a
crowded street, SO busily engaged in
talking with their fares that they
leave the driving entirely to the horse.
On one occasion, coming from the Wal
kiki road to Fort street, on King,
more than three-fourths of the hacks
| met were on the left-hand (mauka)
side of the car tracks. At another
time, as my wife and l were quietly
wheeling along King street near
Thomas Square, just at dusk, hack
driver coming in the opposite direc-
ton, said to his fare, See me run 'em
off the road" So saying, he wheeled
his horse across the street SO suddenly
that we with great difficulty escaped
not being lighted | could not ascertain
his number. Utterly regardless of the
rule of the road, all of them-native,
haole and Mongolian-will Craze the
curb in making a left-hand turn at
a fast trot.
These are but few of the more
common violations of the rights OF
highway which may be seen every
dow. mon. ORC tho hacI<mpn the ONLY
offenders. Delivery wagons. drays and
milk wagons also add to the peril OF
the wayfarer There may be, and
doubtless are, drivers both skilful and
careful, but those who are neither
nor attentive are so great
" in the majority that the streets OF
are exceedingly unsafe. Two
deaths and several serious accidents
due to careless driving within few
show a deplorable lack OF SUI
pervision on the part OF those VINO
have in charge the public welfare.
That hackman should run down ana
kill a man in our streets and go I'M
whipped of justice reflects severely
upon somebody.
The present state OF affairs would
seem to demand a traffic inspector
whose duty it should be to correct the
abuses which prevail In our
streets. At any rate and in the mean
time. the public have right to de-
mand of the police that those who, by
ignorance or carelessness, endanger
life and limb in the public highways
shall be visited with prompt, sure and
severe punishment.
Very respectfully, NIATOR.