Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-09
VIEW OF A MOTORMA AN
USE OF THE FRONT GATES ON
THE STREET CARS.
Advantage Of Keeping Them Open
Danger Of Injury to Passengers
From Slipping Brake.

when knocked Of work the other night
and picked up The STAR remarked q
motorman on the 14th street line to a Star
reporter, Il noticed an editorial comment
on the closed front platform question, and
the proposition was correctly stated, but
from the mems standpoint 1t is this way:
by reason Of the change in the style
Of cars In this city on the various lines
the proposition is not as easy Of settle
ment as though the change had been COM
plete. and there was but one style in use
all over, either the old or the new. In
the case of the new large cars the motor
men are unit in favor OF the open front
platform, and on this line you will find
that we keep the gate on the front platform
open, and, indeed. we invite the passen-
gers to make their exit from the front end,
especially when the car 10 crowded.
THE new cars are very long with wide
aisles and wide platforms, admitting OF
easy movement both on the part Of the
trainmen and the passengers. The company
holds us to strict account in making our
schedule time, and il we are even half
minute late in our runs the inspectors go
for us, and we are obliged to make re-
port in writing as to the cause of the de-
lay. If the gates on the front platform are
kept closed, and 1t is desired that three or
four passengers from the forward end of a
car, or a mother and two or three children,
which are even worse, or even single pas
senger, shall make an exit at crossing,
there Is more or less resultant uelay in
the time they consume in walking from
the forward end down the aisle to and off
the rear platform, whereas, were the front
door and gates thrown open for them they
would be enabled to make their exit in an
apreciably less time than from the rear
platform. When the car Is crowded and
several of such instances occur on single
run the time thus consumed Is relatively
very great and delays ensue which the mo-
tormen must make up so the standpoint of
The Stars comment is essentially correct.
'On the other hand, on the old-style cars
the platforms are very narrow, both front
and rear, and there is not that room. Tor
the brake-crank to swing around on the
front platforms as on the new cars, nor
is there a corresponding amount OF room
for the ingress and egress OF the passen-
gers. Although the motormen favor any
proposition which will admit of quick
filing and emptying Of their cars, we find
that on the old cars the use Of the front
platform by intending or departing passen-
gers impedes us In our work at the brake
as well as offering opportunities for in
ficting personal injuries upon the passen-
gers, as where the brake-crank swings
around, or should slip from our hands, and
strike and break the arm of a passenger
or otherwise cause an injury. The front
gates upon this class of cars are, therefore,
ordered to be kept closed. though you will
see,
serve, that, nevertheless, the motormen
will open the front gates when the car Is
filling up or emptying rapidly, as from
theater crowd.
ever, the contention of The Star that street
cars are made oride upon and cannot be
used to their full advantage II closed at
one end is right and has the support OF
most of the motormen, though we are
aware that we don't count for much.
have been running car for many years
and have had little trouble In requiring
passengers to get inside Of the car and
to remain off the platform when the front
gate is kept open. At transfer intersec-
lions with the front gate closed the delay
terine the car as is usually the case at
these points, is as annoying to the passen-
gers as it is provoking to the motormen.
With the front gate open the time con-
sumed at these intersections would be
less than one-half, and the same principle
applies at all stops"