Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-30
CROSSING POLICE URGED
TO REGARD PEDESTRIANS

| To the Editor Of The Star:
Much is beng said these days about
Safety on the public streets and the
usual compliments are being paid to the
"jaywalker.' Will you permit one who
is probably included in the latter term
to be represented in the discussion"
The police department and the auto
mobile clubs, We are told, are going to
do all sorts of things to better condi-
tons. but both Of them apparently for
get vital fact. namely. that human
life is worth some consideration and
that the human being afoot has some
rights.
In New York and other large cities
crossing policemen are supplied with
whistles, which, when blown, stop all
traffic. vehicles, as we'll as pedestrians.
The policeman signals both the public
and the vehicles when to cross the
street He regards the foot passenger
as well as the vehicle driver and sees
that the road is .c!ear for both before
he gives the signal for the traffic to
move.
No so with the crossing policeman in
washington He simply watches the We
hicles and devotes his attention eXciu-
sively to them, regardless of the luck.
less man and woman who may be afoot,
except to upbraid them.
Saturday my wife and l. wishing to
the policeman's senlaphore gave the
signal stop" for the cars running
east and west. This made the road
| clear to cross from north to south
Just as we were in the street between
| the two car tracks the policeman sud-
! denly swung his signal for the east
and west cars to go. without looking
| to see If foot passengers were cross
ing from north to south, and We found
ourselves in the midst of a stream of
| cars and of automobiles skirting
| around the cars. Had we lost our
| heads serious accident might have
| resulted. AS it was, one of the motor
men checked his car an instant. Civ
! ing US a chance to get to the roadway
| between the cars and the automobiles,
| whence ultimately we reached the
sidewalk
| There is absolutely no excuse for
| this. The crossing policeman should
have seen that the roadway was clear
Of foot passengers before switching
! his signal. He did not, but switched
| it just as we had reached the middle
of the street. relying upon his signal
| that our roadway was clear.
| To the policeman and the motorist
| the man or woman who seeks safety
| in crossing street midway the
square is a "jaywalker.' They would
force us to ythe street corners for
crossing, where vehicles swinging
|
directions. with no check to their
speed, and the vehicles from two
! other directions, with right, of way.
I pass on with little if any regard for
the foot passengers. thus doubling the
| danger of the street crosser.
It would appear from the express
| sions of motorists that 1.-THE jaywalk-
er" is causing most of the trouble
now resulting in death and fractured
limbs. study of the records will
| show that there are more accidents
by good deal due to motorists col
| liding with each other and with street
cars or other vehicles than there are
those in which foot passengers are
concerned. pedestrian was recently
killed while standing on the side
| walk These clearly establish that the
greater fault is with the vehicle driv-
| err. Much consideration and sympathy
| are shown for the motorist who, hav-
| ing carelessly run down and perhaps
| killed pedestrian. is threatened with
the penitentiary; but how about the
man whose life is snuffed out, or
automobile drivers? Generally the
| motorist escapes and the dead or in
! jured man is dubbed a jaywalker.
One of the chief causes of accident
| Is not ahyerted to: The high rate
| Of speed rermitted to cars on crowded
streets, $50 the use of streets, where
street cars run, by motorists as thor
oughfares, after they are lined on
either side with parked motor cars
until one has to get into the middle
of the street to find out if anything
is coming either way This is not
ably so on nth street northwest from