The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-24
OUerly Energetic Traffic
Cops Raped By Judge
BY BILL PRICE.

BY BILL PRICE.
Judge Mcmahon of the Police Court, is sensible and
just and seldom reprmands police officers for errors
of judgment. He is a good Judge because he
operates with the blue coats and endeavors stimulate
them to the proper discharge of their duties; rea
zaton that they servants of the law and are not
themselves THE LAW.
This wise judge rebuked police officer for hiding
behind walls of the Government Hospital for the Insane
to arrest automobilist who happened to have his
machine going up the steep hill there at little above
the speed limit The Judge doesn't like the shopping
business applied to automobsts. He believes that
officer should keep in the open and that the results
would be better
OF course, this instance is not typical one with all
members of the traffic squad 1t just the case of an
overly energetic young cop trying to make good
ord for himself The natural feeling of young assign
ed to the traffic squad to make records that will at
tract the attention of their superior officers Such admir-
able energy, applied in the business professional
world, would be recognized. 1t would be proper. If
applied in the line of dealing with confirmed criminals
suspected of guilty of serious attractions of the law
it would be useful and valuable But it ought to be
remembered by traffic officers that the driver of an
automobile is most often good citizen who respects his
countrys lav desires to them enforced and would
at any time cooperate in helping to enforce them. He
rather resents however the overzealous officer who
halls him and treats him a felon because he
may have been driving his machine few miles faster
than the speed limits in part Of the city where there is
congestion of traffic of hustlng humanity.
There is often absence of in the admin
straton of the traffic laws Of course the officer feels
that the police regulations say such and such thing
and that it is his duty to fearessy apply them, ire
spectve of person YET when this is done in offensive
or senseess manner it brings criticism upon the whole
traffic force When sense is not shown it like
wise brings criticism.
Where traffic officer is satisfied that an automo
bilist is deliberately violating the speed regulations
and is doing in recklessly dangerous manner it
should be proper for him to resort to any legitimate
step to bring the offender to realization of his obga
tons to law and to the community.
The fool auto driver who has the speed mania is dan
gerous and should be punished severely. The ire
sponsibe don't-care type, who continually in acc
DENTS deserve consideration at the hands of the
traffic officers They deserve to be given the limit of
punishment. But most traffic officers know the owners
of machines in their precincts and know the standing
of men women good citizens. To harass these
types of drivers, just to be making records is silly.
While the traffic subject is being considered, We
offer suggestion to the District Commissioners when
they revamp traffic regulations It is this: At
every point in Washington where large numbers of
pedestrians crossing streets around 430 to O'Clock
each afternoon, when Government departments are
closing for the day, the speed limit should be reduced
and automobiles compelled to exercise greater care in
their movements. There is not afternoon in Wash
ngton around the time mentioned when pedestrians do
not have to hop like rabbits to escape being by
machines. Take Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue example and ABS p as the time. Push
ing their way south north across the Avenue
swarms of human beings. Many do not reach the oppo
site sides of the street when the traffic officer swings
his sign for traffic to east and west The auto
mobiles rush swiftly Sometimes they swing into
the Avenue from the South side of Fourteenth street It
is perilous place for pedestrians. There others
just like it in Washington. Regulations should provide
that auomobsts slowly at these points and that
they must not feel that because they have been given
the right of way, people foot should have to make
jumping jacks of themselves to avoid being crippled
killed.