The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-20
The Stern Sport Of Bus Riding
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN

who was in the habit of engaging in
such playful features of the bus riding
sport when out with her companions
decided to try it alone one afternoon
She was grinning vigorously at a
young man in a taxicab alongside the
bus when she was chagrined to see
him say goodbye to his companions,
leave the taxi and go on up the street.
few minutes later she was even
more embarrassed to see the same
young man sit down beside her. at
never occurred to me- she said. in
telling the story, that he could pos
sibly get out of the taxi and get on
the bus at the next corner"
Speaking of smiles, Immediately
brings to mind the bus conductor,
probably the most smiled upon indi-
vidual in New York during the rush
season in the summer time. The bus
conductor can Immediately wither
your hopes of obtaining a seat on the
upper deck, or he can steer you clev-
erly into one. Here, sit right down
here by the door," he will advise il
the smile is a dazzling one, and as
soon as there is seat vacant on the
upper deck I'll let you know" In a
short time. the favored person is Ger.
tain to be tapped on the shoulder and
| placed in first position by the stair.
case so that he Cor, usually. she) can
| quickly climb it as soon as the depart
| ing bus rider comes down
There was time last year when the
crowds were so vast and the buses
| so few in comparison that the bus
conductors were no more to be infiu
enced by pleasant words and smiles
than the foreman of a chain gans
would be. They had a supreme con
tempt for the public which mobbet
the busses and fine sense of thei
own generosity in permitting pass
engers to board The bus rider wht
gave the slightest offence-who diC
not step lively" enough or who re
! CURED change for a dollar instead o
having a dime ready for the slot
was promptly taken to task in a lou
voice
One New York newspaperman tell
the story of bus conductor VIII
found little joy in his work after be
ing stage hand for the "Follies.
He was quick to rebuke passenger
for their shortcomings, and never lie
an opportunity slip by. One day whel
there was a high wind on Riversid
Drive a fat lady had great difficult
IN Keeping her skirts down as sh
, made her descent from the bus Gins
! ing to the iron railing with one hand
she made a gallant but futile attemp
to keep her wildly Tapping skirt dow
, with the other, meanwhile smilin
!, coyly. The bus conductor watche
her scornfully for moment and the
shouted: Step lively, Madam. Leg
amt no treat to mel"
One thing which never fails to er
, rage bus conductor is to have a pas,
enger keep his finger on the pus
/ button for an undue length of tim
IN signaling bus to stop. Hey, TAX
> yer finger off the bell Don't We
! know how to ride on bus?" is the r,
mark which usually greets this De
torrance. Sometimes, however. eve
, the bus conductor meets his mattel
Got me finger on the bell, have 1?
repiled one offending feminine passel
ger in a rich Irish brogue. "Wel
d'yez think I'm playin' with it? An
: poob Woulda known l wanted t gt
: out at Seventy-second street. Sur
> yez must be an Englishmani"
. During the month of August TIL
) year the Bus company conducted
Clv1l1ty Campaign in an effort to e
+ tablish cordial relations between pa
= rons and employees. Each bus wa
plaearded with the word "CiviIitv
i while a small pamphlet on the advan
. ages OF courtesy was distributed. Sine
then, there has been less pushing IN
T more politeness evidenced on II
9 busses.. But then the nights are groy
h ing cooler and the end of the ope
. season is approaching.
In 1920 there were nearly 100
9 former British army men enrolled