Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-20
STREET CAR DISPUTES
SEVERAL ANNoYANCES THAT
COULD BE REMOVED.

speaking about the car service In tho
capital said an observing car-rider to q
Star reporter, Il am reminded of one or
two rules which might be put into practice
to advantage to the public and without
trouble or cost to the companies.
AS is we'll known, disputes between pas
senger and conductor over the changing of
a large bill-from the car conductors
standpoint-tendered in payment of fare are
OF frequent occurrence. / understand that
the companies do not furnish their con-
ductors with a stated amount for change
purposes at the beginning OF the days
run, but that they expect the conductor to
have sufficient change to break. say 81
bill.
"All passengers are not aware OF this
fact, hence the disputes. The companies
might surrender small portion OF the
advertising space on the upper sides OF the
cars for the posting OF a notice that the
conductors would furnish change to tho
amount of 81 or S. IL this were done a
great deal of annoyance and unnecessary
waste of breath could be avoided as con-
ductors, no matter what legal tender OF
fare may be, will not change these large
bills. and row generally ensues when
one Is presented. have seen passengers
time and again get off cars when the con-
ductor refused TO make the change, and L
have heard conductors threaten II put
them off If they didn't get OF voluntarily,
or dig up the required nickel from some
deep pocket.
This, of course. is wrong, for s. bill is
good money for a street car fare, and it
ought TO be none of the passengers bust
ness If the conductor hasn't 1t in the
pockets OF his short coat. But he hasn't,
and the company doesn't provide IL, SO
what is the passenger to do but to kick
and get Off?
Then the street car travel in this city
has very heavily increased during recent
years, and 1t is especially heavy now, but
if the companies have put on additional
cars to meet this increase the additions
haven't been noticed by the travelling public
during the hours when they are most
needed-from $50 to Z pm. Public con-
venience is something, though 1t is usually
overlooked when additional cars are most
needed, and it might be worth while to
supply this extra demand this winter. In
fact, l believe ii would encourage riding.
AS II is now, many prefer TO walk rather
than be squeezed into human pancakes
in the jams that even blind man might
see during the hours i have mentioned.
Another thing which might be improved
is the electric lighting in the old-style cars
and trailers. In the new, big closed cars
the electric lighting facilities are excellent,
but in the first-named half the time l can
not see to read The Star on my way homo
in the evening. The trouble lies in the i'm
sufficient number of the electric light bulbs,
and In not renewing the dead bulbs when
the latter burn out. An additional bulb
could be placed in each of the old-style
1t ought to be an easy matter to see to is
that the dead bulbs are renewed daily.
by reason of the different rules re-
CARDS transfers made by the different
lines, and variously interpreted by the con-
ductors, the same old disputes to trans
fers go on hundreds of times daily Our
own residents have troubles of their own
in this regard, but the visitors who are
always with us in large numbers have the
most difficulty.
"On some lines unless the passenger takes
a transfer at the time he pays his fare,
the conductor refuses to give him slip
when his point of transfer Is reached. But
there Is no conspicuous notice in the car.
as there should be, calling the attention of
passengers to this rule-the public. resident
it. The enforcement of this rule, and II Is
rigidly enforced upon some of the lines.
causes endless disputes and wrangles and
much hard feeling and at times profanity
on the part of both the served and the
servitor.
''On other lines the transfer slip IS
handed the passenger at the point of trans
fer, while some conductors hand ii out at
any time along the run. Only confusion
can result from such diverse practices.
The transfer question is. therefore, at all
times n burning and an annoying one in the
capital 1t could be easily obviated by es-
tabliShing the uniform rule that transfers
to furnished only at the point of trans
fer upon all of the lines in this city. In
this event when passenger omits to secure
al present 1t is frequently the fault of the
conductor. The transfer point IS the logi-
cal place to effect the exchange. and not
a ha m a NJ wing the