Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-21

the hot summer days IN NeW Aolki
the most populer outdoor sport is bus
riding. The wealthy minority have
their golf and their tennis and their
private motor cars. but the great mass
get their outdoor exercise and reerea-
ton through the bus.
A bus ride during the crowded hours
Of the evening may include running.
balancing and deep breathing, while IL
never falls 20 provide a regular osteo-
pathic massage. once IN his favorite
seat on the upper deck Of the huge,
ungainly vehicle the bus rider II
icrhed gently but firmly back and
forth from side 10 side until every
tiny bone In his spinal column has
come into violent contact with the
back Of the seat. thus stimulating his
circulation and arousing his liver 70
protesting action. But by far the
most strenuous part Of the sport con-
sista in catching the bus.
Although the Fifth Avenue Bus
Company is building busses as fast as
n can and recently turned out four
new ones in one week, and while
every available bus, whether II be
aged. sick, decrepit, afflicted with pail
~ or not Is being operated, still there
are not nearly enough busses to ac-
c6mmodate the tremendous summer
crowd. Thus, while the sport Of bus
riding Is az the height Of it's popu-
| iarity the competition among bus
riders is fierce and even frenzied
In winter when there are large
chunks Of ice in the Hudson and
Riverside Drive is draped in silver
instead Of green, the busses are tame
creatures and may be captured with
the mere stretching forth Of a hand
Few people care to sit on the upper
deck al .reeze to death But in the
summer open season they are often
wild and must be approached with
strategy and caution.
Suppose, for instance, you select q
nice hot Sunday night for your bus
ride. You want 10 go up Riverside
Drive Of course---and so does every.
body else. All the Nos. 4 and s busses
headed In that direction are filed
The only thing for you to do. there
fore. is 10 take a downtown bus, ride
all the way 10 the end Of the line al
Washington Square and then hoit
tightly to your scat while It turns
! Ground and goes back uptown.
Ambushing Bus.
with this clever idea in view. yot
stand on the corner of-say Forty
fourth street and Fifth avenue. be
side the giant street clock on the look
out for an untitled bus seat. Afte
Is minutes OF watchful waiting. sucl
a phenomenon is seen approaching a
rapid gait Just as you are prepar
ing to signal for IL TO stop, however
the huge red eye in the traffic towe
green. and the bus comes to a sudde
3 standstill at the corner above at For
7 ty-ffth street. Fearing that the on
lone seat will be grabbed by some on
Q else. you dash madly up to Forty-fift
street. only to see the huge green ey
= i'm the traffic tower change back
red and the bus start forward agai
q lust as you are in the middle OF tn
is block.
!: While such experiences are hard o
n the disposition and maybe help to o
J.: plain why New Workers. have rept
n tation for being churiish. e. n 50 IN
! undignifed pursuit Of a bus is "a
= better than taking a chance at one
the UuH ktfUAtltiSs AA@AG WINS
. lines OF bus .ers are parked behir
rope and an iron sign, stating TN
such-and-such bus stops there. !
each bus draws up, the crowd surg
y forward, showing, jostling and carr
u ing it's front ranks before II as
he strong wave sweeps a surf bather
the shore. Clothing is torn, childr
IN bruised and many new patients a
so created for the city's chiropodists.
Hast. however, you find yourself mouf
ny ing the first two steps of the bus, a
cending the small. iron circular sta
to case which leads to the upper de
cs and sinking Imply into a vacant Sc
in The whole process is purely involu
r tary.
f. Once the bus gets on its way,
a. is serene while the bus riders recoE
M their breath, nurse their wounds a
gradually revive in the fresh air
i, men light their pipes and cigars al
if it is evening the girls light IN
cigarettes. Hats are removed by bC
sexes, and the children are made co
80 Portable in case they wish to take
rap. Spooning, especially on the j
er two seats Of the bus, used TO be I
vs. tremely pop liar, but it seems to hs
og been abandoned recently since one
he the City Fathers declared that
ct. thought it was perfectly proper. e
of the best places in New York
spoon" were his words.
=, Flirting, though, is greatly on
increase among the afternoon
=, * riders. Between four and six ocl
~ when the crowds are greatest,
'Oi busses proceed at a snails p
through the congested traffic on F
RI avenue, and it often so happens I
an upper deck containing sew,
young ladies stops directly oppo
a car below, containing several 70
men. Under such propitious circi
stances an exchange Of smiles h
to while away the time. You o
hear a fiapper remark, Say girl
got three smiles from that chap in
brown felt hat" or Gee, didn't
bald-headed one have a grim"
Flirts That Pass in the Night
One New York seminary stu
who was in the habit of engagin
such playful features of the bus ri
, sport when out with her conpani
decided to try it alone one aftern
. She was grinning vigorously a
, II young man in a taxicab alongside
, bus when she was chagrined to
|. him say goodbye to his compani
leave the taxi and go on up the st