Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-25
SMALL CAR PLACARDS
GREAT INCONVENIENCE CAUSED
TO LOCAL PATRONS.
Inconspicuous Signs Fail to Perform
Their Functions-New Practice
on 18th Street Line.

: transfers for downtown; this car stops
at 10th street., said the conductor of a
l4th street car a few mornings ago.
Il thought this was a yellow car" ex-
claimed a sharp-featured lady in q corner
giancing Indignantly at the conductor, and
, reluctantly taking the transfer.
1T Is yellow car, miss" responded the
conductor, uneasily
Since when have the yellow cars stopped
at 18th street, I'd like to know" demanded
the sharp-featured lady, in a tone of acidty
which meant business for the conductor, II
thought it was only the red through cars
from Rock Creek that stopped here?''
They stop here too, miss" replied the
conductor, and. when he reached the plat
form safely, he added, 80 do some of the
yellow cars now"
WELL" exclaimed the lady, as she alight-
ed, IF you are going to stop these yellow
cars, which, as everybody on the line
knows. have heretofore gone right through
downtown past the treasury building, at
10Th street or anywhere else en- route. you
ought to have a sign out that people can
read, SO they won't have to make half
dozen transfers to get downtown in cars
which have heretofore gone to specific
destination below the-treasury building
You see, 1t is this way said the con-
ductor to a Star reporter. Everybody
thinks the yellow cars go through because
they have always gone through, and it was
only the req cars WHICH stopped at lfllS
point. The difference in the colors of the
cars made 1t easy for their patrons to dis
tinguish them, and those along the line who
wanted to go all the way downtown would
wait for yellow car to come along and
give the red cars the go-by.
There were six of these through red cars,
but three of them have been put on the
Rock creek end Of the ine-they are wear
Ing out-and their place has been taken by
three of the big new yellow cars with top
trolley connection. The company considers
the little visiting card destination which
you will find tackled out in front on the top
of the fender. if you will go and search for
1t. a sufficient notice to the travelling public
and to the everyday riders Of the change.
We'll, the kicks we get from the yellow
car riders would jar you good and plenty If
you heard them all day, and especially in
the morning hours when the office people
are straining every point to get down to
the departments on the minute. or course
when they strike one Of the yellow cars
that stops at 18th street they lose from
three to five minutes, and that means a lot
of time to department clerk in the morn
ing before office.
mo, we don't register the kicks as we
do the car tickets. and If we did we would
have to. have big register. All the con-
ducters can do is to get out Of 1t with
little talk as possibfe. for talk Is no good
in these cases; we have got to make our
schedules We side with the public In this
controversy about the inadequate lettering
Of the street car destinations In this city,
much trouble In explaining things as 1t
does the passengers to get off and make
the necessary transfer. The conductors
agree with most OF the protestants that
the lettering should be both upon the front
of the dashboard and over the side en-
frances to the cars lust above the steps,
where the entering passenger can see 1t
plainly, and get on or stay off, according
to his Intending destination But our
opinion doesn't count with the company,
but that what We think If it gives the
car-ridfng public any satisfaction to know
how the conductors feel.
I'VE have even a worse time out at U
street. For generation the 1tth street
yellow cars have gone direct out 14th street
up the hill through Mount Pleasant. With
the increasing travel up towards Washing
ton Heights and Rock Creek way came a
demand for more cars out U street and up
18th street. so the company diverted some
of the 18th street yellow cars in that direc-
ton. and only tackled the visiting card on
in front.
But our heaviest travel now is at about
dusk and when it is dark. and the out-1 4th
street patrons get on and don't notice that
they are in a U street ear until they hear
the conductors going through the cars at
about the transfer point calling out 14th
street transfers; this car goes out L street
Many of the passengers don't even hear
this, and they stay In the car until it
makes the turn into U street and then,
well, then they get hot. and the things
some of them say wouldn't do to print.
Some are carried out u street to 18th
before they make the discovery that they
are long block past the transfer point.
Nearly every night it Is a circus-for
the Rock Creek people-and a never-ending
source of annoyance and protest on the
part Of the upper 18th street residents.
We don't have so much trouble in the
mornings stopping at 18th street, as in
the case with the lady just now. because
the wou1d-be riders can see the card notice
on the front of the car better as it comes
down the hill from street. Taking the
question in all its aspects the lettering
arrangements are very poor for big city
like this. but If the companies won't make
a palmer and better one 1 don't see what
the public Is going to do-except to kick
until a change Is made"