The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
Woes OF THE HO7ORMAu
Stopping on the Far Side Brings
It's Burden of Sorrows.
Patrons of The street Cars slow to
Learn the New RuIe-Forgo,s.a
sometimes by the Employees Them
sclves-RIamed Both Ways by CIT
liens and Visitors to the City

Last week was a hard one for the CON
ducto.s and ms:sTmen on the street rail-
ways. Most OF them wear a haggard look
and many of them feel like handing in
their designations. When they lie down
at night. they dream of long streets whose
perspeetives are filled with figures. all on
the wrong side OF the crossing, wildly
waving umbrellas. walking sticks. any old
thing that will attract attention. and from
whose lips issue curses and anathemas,
long. deep. weird. and fearful voiced in
every known tongue aud in several so the
motormen say, known only to those who
have occasion to use them against the
street railway. The men rise In the morn
ing with dread. eat breakfast with fore
bcding and go to their work with the reck-
lessness born Of despair. They know what
awaits them and they know that infinite
pains in explaining VIII not abate one jot
or little of the malcdictions to be poured
upon their heads
For the street railways have a new reg
ulation. The cars now stop on the far
crossing of a street intersection. 1t was
carefully announced in the papers, the
motormen have endeayored to observe IL,
or fail to observe T. with as much lati-
tude as possible, but the general public
has not learned or seems determined to
forget.
Stopping on the far side seems simple
enough. II has been the rule in other
cities for years. In fact the sojourning
stranger, prior to this week. on learning
the old rule by exasperating experience.
Hsafsq
grated on the ear of the Washingtonian.
Then. finding no response in his fellow
passengers, he turned his sarcasm upon
the suffering conductor and learned
that the cars stopped at the near crossing
through desire to prevent accidents. II
he was from New York-where apparent
ly the pedestrian or the occupant of a car
rage is without consideration-he usually
sniffed-did not New York motorman
only the other day give the President OF
the United States close call for his life
and that of his wife? If from any other
city, he usually tholrght there might be
something in the rule.
But all that is changed now. The cars
stop en- the far crossing in regular metro
po,itan style, and other participants in
street traffic must look out for themselves.
No accidents have occurred as yet from the
new rule, but the employees are nervous
over it, and the public is not making their
lives one long, sweet song. by any means.
1T don't make any difference to me
where | stop said a motcrman yesterday.
I'D just as soon hold up the car in the
middle Of the street or of a block and
wait for woman to finish a chat with
her lady friend or do a little more shop
ping. I'd stop both sides of the street
and run back piece to pick up a passen-
ger who had got on the wrong side of the
track if it would be any accommodation.
and was possible under the time card. but
what | don't like is the kicks. We are
doing the best We can. breaking the new
rule right along. rather than make people
feel cheap or delay them in getting up or
down town, and it amt fair for them not
to recipIOcate. We are bound To get GER
tain number OF kicks. anyway, l suppose.
The Reuben. Just come to town. is peri
odical and we don't mind him, and then
under the old rule. there was the man
from some other town where the rule was
and of course we always expect
ed an argument from him. These we're bad
enough and frequent enough. but new we
have to face the old-time Washingtonia
sho is accustomed net only to protes:
orally against anything he don't like. but
also to write a long piece in the paper
about his troubles. He kicks worse than
any of them.
4 forget about the new rule a dozen
times a day. myself. and stop on both
sides of the street. Then the man inside
forgets and when | do manage to make a
proper stop he looks surprised and rings
me up
But it is mostly the people on the out
side who make the fun for us. Yesterday
a little, cd Irish woman boarded my car.
She was IL the wrong side of the track to
start WIKI. but l gave her the benefit OF
the dOub; and took her en-, anyway. She
had a big basket filed with bundles, her
arms were filed with them. she was car
rying an old umbrella and TO top it all
was trying to lead a small red-headed
youngster. I could see that there was
trouble ahead the minute she struck the
running board.
'Ye wud lave me. wud ye? 4 pore old
wildly woman waitin' e. tn strate fur
swim cars and niver one stopped Ant
ye ashamed of yures!lf?:
ITO save further trouble | started the
,ar ana passed her up to the conductor.
He got her inside after fashion and than
MS trouble began. When he had finally
got her fare-she would pay nothing for
he boyle came out front to tell me his
rGubles. Some of the boys on the line
lad been foolish enough TO try 60 instruct
he old lady how to board a car, but ell
he learned was that a certain position as
O the track was necessary in order to stop
car. Consequently she had labored for
everal weeks before finding the exact spot
o stand at that particular crossing. As
Don as she had found it the rule was
hanged and OF course she blamed the bows
.ho were running the cars and took out
er wrath on the first man she was able to
orner. which was my conductor The way
he proded his ribs with the umbrella was
caution But that is the way with them.
But she is not the worst Some OF them
axe the matter as coidly intended affront
nd swear that they Will make complaint
o the office and there IS no particular Joy
n explaining when the complainant Is
ONE well known citizen who prefers to
lame us rather than himself for not read
ng the papers.
What the result will be so far as the
,ublic safety is concerned l cannot say.
.lways thought that the old idea was a
-ood one. Ii gave a inan a chance to look
head and down the street on either side
'cfore crossing il, so if there was a run
way or anything OF that kind he would
ot complicate matters. But the new rule
5 the one adopted by other cities years
go. and their experience ought to be
rorth something. OF course. We look upon
from a personal standpoint. and as soon
S the average citizen gets the new idea
nto his head as well as he had the old,
hings will be easier for US. because there
will be no more kicks from strangers"
An Adventure.
hree smart Young men and three nice girls