The San Francisco call., 1913-08-24
| LONDON's NIGHT
LIFE SEASON ON
City TOO Small" for Crowds
Which Pour Out of
Theaters
Taxicab Famine Ensues and
Cafe Tables Are at a
Premium

LONDON. Aug. 2s--Under the porticc
of theater in Charing cross road three
young women in sheeny, flmy frocks
waited for 25 minutes before they could
get cab to take them home. They had
1oitered out of the theater instead of
making dash. as wiser people do. and
swapping up a taxicab at once.
They thought an empty one would
pass, but they were deceived. Hundreds
passed. all full. Finally they had to
get the commissionaire to go and hunt
one. Even so it was 2 minutes before
they were on their way home.
Every night such scenes occur. The
streets between IL o'clock and midnight
are full of people in evening dress
searcing for means of conveyance.
Hansoms, which are used to being
scorned, are now thankfully hired This
last week a number of old four wheel
ers have come out of their yards again;
they find as many fares as they can
take.
With 81 theaters, a dozen first class
varieties" and many other smaller
places all pouring forth their audiences
at the same time. and almost all the
audiences much larger than usual, it is
little wonder there should be contin-
uous block of traffic from the Gaiety.
along the Strand. up the Haymarket
and along PiccadiIly as far as the Ritz
Quite as bad is Coventry street,
which has now become a more import
ant artery of theaterland than the
Strand. The reason why all these thor
oughfares are choked with private mo-
tor cars. taxicabs and horse cabs NOV
al xxrif
halts, is clear when one reflects that
here in this small area is the play
ground of an immense, prosperous pop
ulation, inha biting circle with a diam
eter of at least so miles. Even without
the visitors, who are here already in
such large numbers, filing the hotels,
new and old alike, this nightly rush to
the center Is bound to cause crowding.
1t is hard to get tables at restaurants,
either for dinner or for supper, unless
they are ordered in advance. To rely
on picking up a taxicab Is no longer
safe. The small patch of gayety, which
is what we all mean when we speak of
London, is really too small for the de-
mands which are made upon 1t. AT the
same time. the limited size of 1T makes
it really more attractive. To be In the
middle of a glittering throng. stuck In
one of London's great white ways
until the hand Of the policeman shall
be propitious-that adds to most peo-
pies enjoyment.
They feel they are at the heart of
things. Pleasure huns all round them.
In private cars diamonds sparkle; the
light flashes on pretty faces and costly
cloaks We English are not the grum-
blers we used to be, impatient OF delay.
anxious to get away from other people
and be by ourselves. We are better
tempered We enjoy ourselves more.
One result of the traffic chaos at
night is to load the tops of motor omnf-
buses with men in edress clothes and
bareheaded women drawing dainty
skirts around them and enjoying the
fresh air. The lines along Picoadiily
which run to Kensington and Chelsea
are especially favored in this way. BY
some means or other every one does get
home eventually At a little after IL
there are plenty of taxicabs dtsengaged.
The old four wheelers crawl back to
their stables. Chaos Is over, Cosmos
reigns once more