Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-01
STREET CARS RUN
EVERY 8 MINUTES
NEW SERVICE CAUSES SHAKE
UP IN CREWS
Strange Motormen and Conductors
Have Difficulty In Handling Pas
sengers and Run Past Street
and Flag stops

With the Inauguration of a three
minute service on the lines of heaviest
traffic of the Los Angeles railway yes
terday the entire system was given
shake-up and unfamiliar motormen
guided unfamiliar cars on unfamiliar
lines, while unfamiliar conductors
buried their noses in their little route
books and called out the names of un-
familiar streets.
The new three-minute service Will be
from to 10 o'clock in the morning ana
4 to z O'Clock in the evening, and in or
der to make this change many of the
crews were transferred from the barns
at Sixth street and Central avenue to
the Fifty-fourth street barns and a
number of crews that have been on the
extra list were put into regular serv-
ice.
Until the motormen and conductors
have become familiar with their new
runs regular patrons will have to put
up with little inconveniences. Persons
who use the street cars regularly are
in the habit of hailing the same car
every morning at the same place ana
riding down to their business with the
same conductors and motormen. In the
evening this proceeding is repeated. and
in this way the conductors learn where
to stop the car without waiting for
signal from the passenger. A business
man whose mind is filled with the cares
of the office appreciates these little
courtesies but there will be no more
of them for several weeks, or until
they can teach the new conductors the
lessons that the old ones learned by
long experience.
Hard on Car Crews
But it is Just as hard on the car
crews as it is on the passengers. The
only way that most of them can tell
the streets they are approaching is by
constant reference to the little route
books. and if they happen to lose count
of street or two and can see no street
sign to guide them they are as help
less as infants.
please let me off at Arapahoe
street." said sweet-faced, white
haired woman as she boarded Pico
Heights car yesterday afternoon.
That was "A brand new one to the
CONDUCTOR but he was game and con-
sulting his little route book found that
ArapahOe street was just six blocks
from the street where the woman had
boarded the car. Keeping his finger on
the place he counted every block as the
car whizzed past. so intent on stopping
at Arapahoe that he couldn't see the
frantic signals OF other passengers on
the car who wanted to stop before
Arapahoe was reached. When he had
counted the six blocks he got a death
grip on the bell cord and nearly pulled
the clapper off. With a triumphant
smile he turned to the woman and
yelled "Arapahoe."
Guess again." said a passenger, who
was standing near him, this is Hoover
street. Arapahoe is one block further"
The poor conductor had counted the
blocks only on one side of the street
and in his count had included one that
was not cut through.
Run Past Flag Stops
Similar incidents occurred all day
yesterday and last night. In the dark
the strange motormen would run their
cars almost across the railroad tracks
without stopping, in spite of the COM
pany rule against it, because they did
not know where to stop to flag the
trains. They ran block or more past
streets that they had been putting in
the entire day to learn, because in the
darkness they lost count in their little
route books.
Regular passengers, however, believe
mat the three-minute service will more
ma n compensate for the Inconvenience
3phHch they will have to suffer tenn
kssSfarily. This service will go a long
way toward relieving the congested
state of affairs in the early morning
when persons are going to work and in
he evening when they are leaving
tn ,ir daily labors for their homes. This
ser> ice will continue all winter, and in
addition to caring for it's regular pat
ons the railway will be better able to
handle the crowds to Ascot park