Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-15
RIGHT TO THE END
REVIVAL OF THE PERENNIALLY
DISCUSSED QUESTION.

1
.eThe man who occupies the end seat in
cars. or the 'end-seat hog as he is tsrm-
| ed comes In at times for an UNNECESSARY
marked a gentleman who has travelled
| extensively. to a Star man.
There Is an underlying principle in the
occupancy and possession OF this seat
| which the other fellow who hasn't got It,
| but who wants It. seems to overlook. and
| that is that possession is ownership In
| nine points of the law. and, furthermore,
| that the rule handed down from prehis-
| tore ages that the first to come is the
| first to be served ought to apply to seats
| In the street cars as It applies rigtdly
| elsewhere.
II have spent the most of my life travel
| ing in street cars and railroad trains, and
! could never understand the business OF
! the argument that the first conner who Sc
| cures this coveted place should, to suit
| the convenience of later passenger, va
| cate 1t. The fact that because he hap.
| pens to be in the way of the ingress of
| another intending passenger, and must,
| therefore, move and shift his position to
| the end that the other fellow can the bet
/ ter be accommodated, has always struck
| me being Illogical
Tn the first place the man In the end
seat has been on the ground. or more ex-
actly speaking, on the car, before the ar
| a prior right to that particular seat IL he
desires 1t over the next passenger, just
| as the passengers who have first entered
| the car and occupied all of the seating
| space therein have prior right to their
seats over the passengers who enter later
| and who are, therefore, required to stand;
1 IL 1t Is logical to demand of the end-seat
passenger that he yacate his seat TO q
! later passenger it is equally logical to de-
mand that the passengers occupying the
full seating capacity of the car shall rise
and allow those who came In later ana
| who are standing to take the seats they
| have thus vacated. II any one or the
seated passengers arises and offers ms
+! seat to a standing passenger 1t is MS
| privilege to do so, as 1t is the privilege OF
| the other to decline or accept the proffer-
| ed seat but 1t is. a privilege, and not d
right The same rule ought to OBTAIN as
| to the end-seat man-it Is his privilege
| to move If he pleases to accommodate
| stranger, but 1t ought to be neither
| matter of compulsion on his part nor
| right on the part Of the other passenger
| to demand IT.
From my point of view If 1t is logical
| to require passenger to vacate seat
| which he has acquired by reason OF prior
| occupancy in favor of a later conner. then
| 1t ought to be equally Logical Tor man
| in the rear of line of intending purchas-
ers Of theater seats in front OF box Of
| flee window to leave his place in the line
| and elbow out of the way the man in the
front end of the line. In fact, this same
underlying principle obtains in deanng
| with strangers and the public in nearly
| every act in life, from an unreserved seat
| In a circus to the first claim of an intend
| ing purchaser upon clerks service in
shop
| ut has always struck me that the END
| seat man in street car extends 10 later
passenger a very decided courtesy IN
shifting more than his feet or knees, II Is
courtesy pure and simple, and one when
| should always be acknowledge properly ana
| as such, but which from my observation
| very seldom Is so acknowledged. When
| have occupied an end seat / have often
moved to allow an aged or very stout
later passenger to have the place. Oc-
casionaIly 1 have met men who have en-
tertained the view that my action was a
courtesy, and 1t has been acknowledged by
a nod of the head or word, but very rare
ly have 1 found members Of the fair sex
SO thoughtful"
A gentleman who stood near nodded his
approval of the sentiments expressed
TT has always seemed to me that the
position of the end-seat man on a street
car is similar to that OF a man. holding
the end seat near to the aisle in a theater.
On the arrival of a later conner who wishes
| to take a seat In his row the first conner
usually rises and steps into the aisle to al
| low the other to pass him. NOV the same
practice should be followed on a street car.
| II the end-seat man would rise, swing to
one side on the running board and allow
the later Corners to pass him he would be
aiding their convenience and he could re-
cover his own seat without objection, NUT
tered or entertained by any one. "