Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-10-12
The Taximeter In London.

IL is this fear of the unknown
which scares many people away
from cabs. When l first came to
London the cab-drivers were in their
wild and savage state. Their oaths
| and their insolence made It danger
Gus TO go home after the theatre. IL
a ferocious voice they demanded
your destination, and IL Il did not
tickle their fancy they drove of with
jeering laugh. / recollect one wild
I December night, in the nineties, 4
snowstorm was in full blast, when.
with a lady, / entered a cab outside
the st. James theater. When cabby
heard our destination he poured out
stream of horrible oaths and re-
fused point blank to go. A benevo-
lent policeman intervened and forced
him to drive of, but at the top of ST.
James street he pulled up, said his
horse was lame aud compelled us to
alight. II was very unpleasant
predicament for a woman In thin
evening shoes, but In those days It
was common one. smile now
when / think OF the fares / used to
pay to those nineteenth century
pirates. In my simplicity, would
ask them what they would take, and
they would demand, with an air of
condescension, half q sovereign for
a two-shilling ride. IL you refused
to pay them more than double their
face they would hurl lyddite exple.
tives after you, and rouse the whole
neighborhood with their detonating
blaspheIfiles. Sometimes they had
the audacity to climb down from
their perch, and, SELLING your knock
er, thunder on your door until, in
sheer terror, you bribed them to go
away.
The taxlmeter has changed all
that. II tells you exactly what you
have to pay. and It has made bril-
gandage and blackmail impossible.
II has created a new class OF cab
men. The driver of the taxlmeter
is amazingly polite, ,stupefyingly clean
and astonishingly sober. His neat
uniform is a welcome change after
the dilapldated garments TO which
the ancient cabman used TO cling.
In some cases he carries civility to
the point of servility, touching his
cap like a groom or a footman. He
never demands tip, and he Is
grateful II you give him the odd two
pence or four pence. He drives very
carefully and with great skill. Al
though his charge Is higher. than
that of the horse cab, Il works out
at a lower rate. for there is no ex-
tortion. The only drawback at the
present is that supply of taximeters
does not equal the demand.
Londoners are beginning TO dis
cover that the taximeter can be used
outside London as we'll as within the
radius. II takes the place OF pri-
vate motor, aud the cost is not real
ly exorbitant. A party OF four can
run down TO Richmond, take tea az
the Star and Garter, enjoy a stroll
on the terrace and the famous view
from Richmond hill, getting back In
time for dinner, for something less
than five shillings a head. During
the past summer have seen taxi
meters In all sorts OF outlandish
places twenty to thirty miles from
London. 1t Is quite possible that the
time may come when the taximeter
will be a serious competitor with the
railway, but, of course. that Develop
ment is a long way on.
The taximeter Is not only polite
itself, but Il is a cause OF polite
ness In others. II has taught the
London cabdriyer the value OF cour-
tesy. He has discovered that II pays
to be amiable. Today he thanks you
for a fare at which few years ago
he would have sworn. He beams ON
you IL you give him an extra six
pence. Altogether the public has
benefited by the competition between