Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-26
BY THEODORE p. MOVES.


Just what motive will impel the driver
OF an automobile. after he has struck
and damaged another car, to dash away
without stopping to ascertain the dam
age and take his share of the RESPONSE
bility?
Is it fear. or criminal carelessness,
or Just Hiain cussidness?
Whatever is the reason, there has
been too much of this thing happen
ing in Washington recently.
Mr. Motorst. what are your sensa-
tons when you come out of your house
and start to get in your car and find
your gasoline tank bent in and leaking.
one of your mudguards smashed up
against your tire, and both spare tires
knocked off the rack and lying in the
roadway, and in looking around for the
perpetrator you find the street absolute
ly deserted?
Or just how do you feel when you
are driving up the street and, with no
warning whatever, have a car dart
across in front of you, smash in one
of your mudguards. and then drive on
up the street, before you can catch the
number"
Or when you are driving at night and
have the right of way at an inter
section car sideswipes you and drives
on, his tail light being placed in such
position that you cannot read the
number?
Every Day Happenings.
= These things are happening every day
and night in the District of Columbia.
and some method should be adopted by
the careful motorists and law-abding
citizens of the District to put stop t.
it.
One driver reports that while pro-
ceeding up one of the wider streets re-
Gently a car passed him and as soon
as il did so, turned in front of him,
bending his mudguard and damaging
the axle. The man who had done the
damage did not even hesitate, but
stepped on his accelerator and raced up
the street. Angry clear through, the
man who had suffered the damage to
his car after long chase, caught up
with the culprit.
In the talk which acknowledgements
ing to the description, more or less
heat ed-the offender said that he
didn't see why he should pay for
the repair of the other mans car;
that he had new car himself ana
had to get it fixed.
An interesting sidelight on this
experience is that the man who had
and run into another car was a new
driver and had just secured his
drivers license the day before.
When the time comes for the Dis
trict to adopt stringent regulations
in the issuance of drivers licenses it
might be well to provide for an in
quiry TO determine how responsible
the man is before granting the
license.
Another prominent District mo-
torist states that a man ran into him
the other day with sufficient force
to knock his tail light off and bend
his tire holder. but he was not
aware of it until it was called to HIS
attention. If a man-driving an auto
mobile is not aware IVA ta5Hss rs has a run
not competent person to operate
an automobile in any community.
a peculiar accident happened at
New Hampshire avenue and street
last Friday. The man driving out )
street had the right of way over the
man on New Hampshire avenue. but
the latter who seemed to have no
thought of any one else in the world.
tried to cross in front of the 5 street
car. The result was a crash, skidding
of both cars, and punctured tire on
the car which had the right of way.
Did the other man stop to see what
he had done? He did not, and on &C
count of the punctured tire on the
unoffe nding car he was never caught.
Types of .WantOn Destroyers.
This type of man, who will wantonly
destroy property and then drive
away. is the same kind who will
knock a pedestrian down and then try
to escape all responsibility by MAX
ing off as fast as his car will carry
him.
He should be ferreted out by the
citizens of the community and when
hailed into court should have his
license taken away and a good stiff
fine imposed by the judge.
There are two ways this can be
done. If you see an occurrence of
this kind, whether you are walking
or driving. catch the number of the
offending car. Each citizen will have
to constitute himself a vigilance COM
mittee. In irving to avoid an acct