Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-28
ABSENT GUARD RAILS.
Constant Menace to the Safety of the
Passengers

Some time ago I observed an article
In The Star calling attention to the street
car service in this city, in which mention
was made that the guard rail on the in
side of the open cars in summer and the
trailers in winter is not in place. as is
the case in other cities" remarked an OBJ
serving resident to Star reporter.
Having occasion to go home by the
9TH street line the other evening, I noticed
! with some satisfaction that guard rail
| appeared on the inside of the trailer, COM
pelling passengers to use the outer run
ming board in entering and alighting from
the car.
L considered this a much-needed i'm
provement, and SO expressed myself to the
conductor.
"'Oh,' responded the fare-taker, those
strips Of wood are just placed in position
temporarily. They are making excava-
tons in the, streets at 18th and Virginia
afraid that some of the passengers might
step off into the holes
IT SENS to me-" continued the citizen,
that If public opinion is ineffective in
causing the companies to place these sim
pie safeguards on their cars. some official
action might be taken to bring about this
required protection.
The inside guard rails are upon the sur
face cars in every city in which 1 have
Travelled, and they are also upon all the car
lines in this city except the one 1 have
named, the 14th street and the green cars
upon Pennsylvania avenue These cars
traverse thoroughfares upon which the
traffic is very heavy, and that serious ac-
cidents have not occurred Is a matter of
wonder; that the inevitable mangling of
some unfortunate person is yet to come Is
not matter of doubt, but almost of alb
solute certainty.
II further expressed myself in this vein
to the conductor and ELECTED this response
from him:
Sure he acquiesced, sure, it is bound
to come some day, and after somebody
has been torn into fragments between pass
ing cars, perhaps the necessary guard
won't, for I'm not the company. and col
Letting fares is as far as go in running
| the line.
of tickets against square meal that it
will be some poor chap with his dinner
pail in his hand, who will leave his widow
and half dozen children at home, with
out the price of the rent. leaving out en-
tirely the price of his funeral. 1t al
ways happens that way. Here's your U
street transfer. and when you get to 14th
street look out that you get off the ght
side of this trailer, or it may be you.
Il was cautious to observe the con-
ductors kindly If somewhat suggestive in
| remarks fit the situation perfectly. II
the guard rails are in position passengers
cannot be exposed to this danger, though
some men and boys are foolhardy enough
to crawl under the rails. In instances Of
this kind the company would be relieved
of liability in the event or resulting ac-
cident.
ut is the women who are the most ex-
posed to the danger in question, for the
sweet members Of the fascinating sex are
proverbially prone to get off the wrong
side, of a car, and very often backward
and portly men of both sexes probably
come next in point of exposure to accident,
age young man, or middle-aged, for that
matter, in cities is from force of habit
a sprightly individual on his feet when
negotiating street cars, street surfaces
and street traffic, but the danger refer to
is open to all classes of street ar patrons.
more heart-rending instance than the
striking of woman with babe in the
arms, as is not unlikely to occur, could not
be pictured.
II am at loss to understand. there
FORE why the guard rails are not insta led
without waiting for the inevitable acci-
dent to arouse public sentiment. Perhaps
it Is case similar to the badly arranged
system of designating the destinations of
the cars which called for merited editorial
criticism in The Star recently.