The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-27
It IS A DEAD LETTER
Stringent Regulations for Bicycle
Riding.
NO FAULT OF THE POLICE
They Cannot Patrol the Whole City
Sidewalk Riding Is Common
Thing - The Scorcher
Nuisance,

| 1E6dt 4 ais, June Go.-Ih1S city mas
| on it's ordinance books some very strin-
gent regulations of bicycle riding. In
practice the ordinance is worthless. 1t
provides for the carrying of a lamp
after dark and for bell, whistle or
other means of alarm to the absent
| minded pedestrian at all times. 1t like
| wise forbids the riding of wheel upon
| the sidewalk. The latter provision is
undoubtedly the most important and in
the minds of many, riders and those
who do not use the wheel, is the only
one which should be enforced. As first
stated the whole ordinance is a dead
| letter and single illustration will
blocks in the residence portion of the
city Saturday evening the Standard
representative encountered five riders.
The first two We're business men and
each was riding on the sidewalk at
| pace that was dangerous not only to
| children, and there were many of them
| playing on the street and sidewalk, but
i to the mature pedestrian who might
chance TO be thinking about something
| else. The third rider was evidently
Wofkingman and was a stranger to the
! observer. He was riding in the road
| which through some slip of the street
department, happened to be very fair
for bicycles at that spot. The fourth
rider was a county official. He was
also riding where he belonged-in the
middle of the street. The fifth rider
was little girl of possibly 10 years of
age. She probably reasoned that she
had as good right on the walk as any
of the older persons who set her such
an example every day. Out of five rid
ers encountered in walking two blocks
there We're three riding on the sidewalk,
and it is probable that that is a fair
proportion for the entire residence por-
ton of the city for the sight was not
an uncommon one.
1t is not the fault of the police that
this ordinance is dead letter, but
should an accident occur should child
be manned for life by some rider reck-
less of the provisions of the ordinance,
there will be a howl go up which will
call for the resignation of every man
on the force for that is the way with
the public. The police now patrol the
principal business streets of the city,
and the force is already too small to
do that properly Three men in the
daytime and four at night cannot be
expected to cover 10 square miles of
territory, and although they arrest ev-
cry offender on their respective BEATS
that is hardly the place to catcl the
bulk of the offenders. 1t is the .'uty
an unpleasant one no doubt af every
citizen to make complaint of every man
whom he sees violating this ordinance
and If this duty is conscientiously per-
formed It may prevent some serious
accident in the future. That IS the
best remedy and one which IS likew to
be applied Some individuals WHO hare
had their clothes tern by riders on
sidewalks have sworn that The next
man who attempts to pass them in II at
fashion will be thrown bodily from his
wheel. That is another remedy, Int
not as good. The council might amend
the ordinance-in case citizens decline
to do their duty-and offer as a reward
to the informer one half of the fine i'm
posed. That action has been taken in
other cities similarly deficient in 70
lice force. And The ordinance fright e
repealed. Then each man who Irefsrs
walking to riding could arm himself
with a stout club and be prepared to
fight for his rights as a pedestrian.
There is another bicycle nuisance,
and that is the young man who shapes
himself as nearly as possible like a
two-legged camel, lets his brains down
into his stockings and tries to split
the worlds atmosphere into two equal
parts in the shortest possible time
limit. Fortunately the place where this
peculiar form of idiocy can best find
display is on Central avenue, and that
street Is fairly well patrolled by the po-
lice. The latter have discouraged this
little game to such good purpose that
the practice has ceased to all intents.
There was a case of it the other day,
however. One of these freaks went
down the avenue at a whirlwind gait
and just at the corner of Sixth street
met a staid old family horse pulling
a buggy. The freak struck the horse
fairly amidships and then described a
beautiful para bola over the animal and
landed in the street. naturally sense
less. By good luck there was no harm
done. The horse gave little grunt of
disgust as the wheel struck his ribs,
and then went on while bystanders
picked up the senseless rider.