New-York tribune., 1920-09-12
Greatest of Motor
Touring Seasons
Reaches Its Peak
Camping and Roadside
Lunch Parties Feature of
Year; Random Notes of
a New England Trip

Although complete statistics are not
,...s.oming, il may safely be stated
~, there never has been such season
:, automobile touring rs that which
..ss to it's peak with the Labor Day
..,;dsy. Because this year there were
.l,.e three.day holidays, automobilists
-. .han ever availed themselves of
=. change 10 get out and do some tour
:. Perhaps the hotels did not pros
- tsrrifieally on account OF this added
,ouring because open air lunches and
..,aoor camping were both more pop
r,.r than ever before.
However, the hotels did pretty we'll
9Th A great many tourists who did not
are 10 camp out, and although the
.;,swavs were dotted with parties eat
;,s al fresco lunches, there we're still
.hass who patronized hotels and res
..,,ants on the way for their food.
Incidentally. it is worth while noting
.,.t people seem to be more careful
chant what they do with their rubbish
altar meal, and they do not throw
tina stuff around as they once did. A
~,ast many motorists make it prac-
tee to dispose of papers, etc, by burn
;ro them. and they do not leave until
ths fire is safely out. This is IN con-
trss. to the habits Of other days.
Coming into Rhode Island enc does
NOT get the very best impression
Of the highway system of that
state, and there is particularly bad
stretch, just after leaving Westerly,
which is apt to make The moterist
thankful that Rhode Island is the
smallest Of the states. An adventure
In spring-breaking just after reading q
sign that tells the motorist he is now
in Rhode Island is likely to make the
mesoYist wish he was out of Rhode ISL
and.
However, after the first unfavorable
impression, he finds a rather fine road
through Naxragansett Pier, Providence,
md beyond Providence to Boston. and
he repents of his earlier peevishness.
However, it would not be bad scheme
TO make all the roads good, seeing that
the state is so small.
The foreign motorist who rolls into
a city such as New Haven, Hartford,
Providence or Boston is apt to find
himself very much perplexed by the
tangled condition of traffic. Invariably
when he wants TO go down a street to
reach an objective he finds that it is a
ene-way street and it isn't his way.
This usually results in about a mile of
useless detourins. Traffic regulations
Of this kind are bad enough, out the
increase in the number of motor cars
has led the local authorities to fix park
ing regulations that are enough to
drive the visitor frantic, as they prob !
ably have the resident motorist long
since.
When, for instance, the traveller il
seeking restaurant and sees a splen-
did place to pull up his car. he is sure
TO hnd, Immediately thereafter, pair
Of signs that command "No parking"
HIS next best choice is bound to be
hfteen-mInute parking limit. The de-
liherateuess of the service in the aver
age restaurant makes this useless. and
very often, indeed, forty minutes isn't
enough.
Throughout New England regulations
as to passing standing trolley cars are
stringent, but they do not seem to be
very carefully respected by the local
talent. Out-of-town motorists are very
likely to pull up and obey the law, but
the man who is at home is often to be OBJ
served turning out to the left of the
trolley car and going on his way. For
this, Of course, he ought to go to Jail,
and undoubtedly any stranger who tried
i. would be arrested.
They certainly have a lot of. fun in !;