Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-08

Traffic regulation today is more
than a uniformed policeman with
whistle in his hand or a stop-and-gc
semaphore on the street corner. Reg
sUlations. policemen and the whole
stanchion equipment count for moth
ing II public cooperation is lacking
and TO get this cooperation OF the
public, traffic regulations must be
simply worded. They must be under
stood by the people. and the police
man enforcing them must also be un
derstood by the people.
Therefore, in earnest, painstaking
efforts to teach the public how much
they will benefit the people-in edu
cational work such as this-lies the
. success or failure of a system Of traf
fic regulation
The time has long since gone by
when a police force can make the
public bow to traffic regulation by use
or the night stick. Legislatures and
legislation won't do 1t. You can't leg
islate carelessness out Of people. You
can't, by making laws, stop a man
from being reckless or negligent. You
can sit in your councils and pass traf
fic rules all night, but that won't
stop people from running in front oil
. an automobile nor automobiles from
running over people. To try and save
them you have got TO win their in
terest and attention, and in order to
win their interest and attention you
have got to go before them as a
teacher,
In New York City, the police com.
missioner comes in contact with the
: citizen, not as a belligerent, but as
a friend and helper; he sets the stage
for the laws enforcement in a peace
full manner. ~. 49,
To get the best results in this new
line Of police work. pick and choose
your traffic officers carefully. 1t is
no place for a surly man. Unless the
traffic officer can take his job good
naturedly, IL will go hard with him.
He will need every ounce Of good ma
ture in his system to hold down this
job because no man can pack. a
crouch for nine hours and be Of any
use TO any one.
The average foot patrolman deals
with about 20, persons a day. The
traffic officer personally comes in con.
tact with thousand. Therefore, pick
Sunny Jim" for your traffic officer;
take off "Groucho the Monk"
The traffic man is put on post in
New York to use his head as well as
his whistle and his smile. He is en-.
couraged to observe and to make sug'
gestions. .. . ... -....-. .
Here is a classification of operators
made by New York policemen. Maybe
you will find yourself in the cata-
logue: .-- ..e. s.. -.
/. The Owner Who Drives-Gener.
ally operates his own car; seems to
believe In the golden rule; is intelli-
gent, thoughtful, and anxious to obey
regulations; has regard for the
safety of those who walk, as well as
that Of himself and those riding with
him; is easy to handle; knows that il
he violates traffic rules he himself is
responsible not only in criminal
court. but In a civil court as well. In
short, we like to deal with the owner
who drives his own car, and wish
there were more of him.
2. The Owner Who Employs
Chauffeur-Always has money enough
to pay his chauffeur's fines; is gen.
orally in q hurry; doesn't start from
home until the last minute and then
frequently takes a chance of violating
the law 50 as to get there" on time;
never doubts his chauffeur's ability
to get anywhere within the time avail
able. no matter how impossible the
task.
8. The Private Chauffeur-Depends
upon his employers ability and will
ingness to pay all fines and damages,
or, his employers influence with "the
powers that be-" whatever that may
mean, which confidence makes him
Indifferent to.the rights of everyone,
except his employer and himself; is
supremely content in the knowledge
that IL he violates any traffic regu.
lation his fines will be paid, and IL
he injuries any one or anything his
employer will relieve him of respon-
sibility in civil suit.
4. The Ex-Coachman Chauffeur
Usually comes from the box in his
employers victoria or landau. is gen.
orally Of middle age, has family, is
settled in life and thoroughly familiar
with traffic regulations by reason OF
having driven horse-drawn vehicles;
almost without exception drives his
automobile in a careful and prudent