Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-01

you-enter vehicles. The latter. it is af-
firmed by the conductors stationed upon
them. have been and still are productive
of an astonishing amount of confusion
upon the part OF passengers using them
for the first time. Some persons imagine,
for some reason. that the dictum en-
hlazoned upon the cars prohibits the use
of tickets, and many arc extremely
doubtful III regard to transfers. 1t IS
the duty of the man who receives the
fares at the entrance to dIsaDuse the
minds of these individuals of their
hallucination and by this time, II IS
said. the average Vashingtonian enters
the new vehicles without any undue
amount of trepidation and misgivinS.
Coeval with tie pay as-you-enter cars
there came. as another surprise TO Wash
irgtons car patrons, a change in several
of the lines. to be traced to the running
of cars to the new Union station. Old
habitues OF the well known lines We're
fabbergasted to find themselves carried
far out of the direction to which they had
been accustomed. and where they wished
to CO. a vast amount OF explanation has
thus been necesSitated upon the part of
conductors, and several of these individ-
uals have, it is said. resigned rather than
submit to the strain constantly being i'm
posed upon them. the stand taken Ivy
seHgers being that the conductor pr-
marily was to blame for the change of
route.
Some cynics have declared that there IS
a disposition upon the part of the en-
ployes of the street car companies, III
many instances. at least, to regard the
public as their natural enemies. This i'm
preston, it is stated by sociological stu
dents who have devoted their attention to
the Suject, has been brought about by
divers causes. Among the latter. the
transfer slip, inoffensive and harmless as
it appears to the eye of the casual oo-
server. has figured to no slight degree.
The sting of the transfer slip is in the lit
tie hole punched by the conductor. which
indicates to the learned the time limit set
upon the document. Between many pas
sengers and conductors there exists a
continual difficulty in regard to THIS time
limit. and to the Specification of tie
punch denoting the same. AS arguments
accruing from this condition of affairs
usually result in the triumph Of the con-
ductor and the company. there is about
them sort of monotony. but the baffied
passenger, of course, is al liberty to re-
tain his opinions.
At the present time there is to be noted
a late improvement in this regard. how
ever The passenger is expected TO ask
for his transfer when he pays his fare.
thus enabling the conductor to exercise
GOODNESS and discretion in the operation
of punching the time on the former. Be
fore this salutary innovation. the request
for a transfer went unheeded by the man
in charge of affairs until the point Of
transfer was approached. when the opera
ton was often conducted In a hurry.
The result was found to be, in some In
stances that transfers were punched for
several hours previously. while, again.
they were made good for the rema .ndei'
Of the day.
.'Talking about transfers" observed one
conductor, evidently Of communicative
disposition, there is one absent-lninded
man who rides back and forth every day
to and from office, and vino often boards
my car, vino gives more trouble with his
ira nsfer than enough. He always comes