The Washington herald., 1922-11-12

have his attention called to the
thought you have set forth in that
paragraph. I am going to use that
paragraph as the basis of my talk to
the young men tonight here In the
Y. M. C. A. building, as we recall
Armistice Day.
WILLIAM A. EISENBERGER.
Experimenting With Traffic.
To the Editor. The Washington Herald:
No edition of the daily press
seems complete without an edito-
rial. article or communication--fre-
quently all three-on suggested
remedies for making our little local
world safe for motorist and pedes-
trian. They are many and of vary
ing worth. The man who recon-
mended making the pedestrian
climb to an overhead bridge at each
crossing undoubtedly received a
smile for his earnest thought. But
more serious reception Is gener
ally given another, much more cur
rent and to my mind equally de-
serving distinct chuckle. That's
the one about IF only the pedes-
trian would heed traffic signals"
It's true, he doesn't. He can't. Not
IL he has the usual human regard
for his health. Recently ! decided
either to confirm my well-defined
views on this. or. IL they were
wrong, to get a new perspective.
And here is the plain. unadorned.
hone est-to-goodness tale:
I started in at the southeast cor
ner of Seventh street and Pennsyl-
vanie avenue. / stepped OF prompt
ly on the north -andsouth signal
and l had just reached the car
track when the signal changed and
I was left high and dry in the mid
die of the avenue. Eventually
started again. this time from the
northwest corner. and arrived at
the far car track before the signal
was switched. My next try was at
Ninth and the Avenue. Going
north from the southeast corner
Immediately on signal, 1 was half
way between the tracks and the
north curb when west-bound traffic
got under way. At Fourteenth I
went west on the north side of the
Avenue when l got the signal.
Along the west side of Fourteenth
the crosswalk was blocked by
waiting machines. but squeezing
through I found a second line with
\ different intervals. While I was
negotiating 1t the signal changed
and I went into high myself to
reach safety. went up Fourteenth
and across F street 100 per cent in
accord with traffic signals. Then 1
forced my luck by crossing east.
Getting around a machine squarely
across the crosswalk / found my
self in a tangle of street cars and
machines rounding north into
Fourteenth. Scientific research
gave way to self-preservation and
the details are hazy in my mind.
However. it was distinctly exhil-
arating while it lasted. North on
Fourteenth l waited quite a while
for the signal at G street. When
] got II I hadn't a chance to use It..
A north bound machine on Four
teenth turned east into G so close
to the curb ] never left the walk.
1t was followed by another and an
other. and so on. when the pro-
cession had passed the signal was
against me. When It came my way
again, so-help- me- bob If the same
thing didn't happen. finally did
what everybody else was doing-I
went on my own and regardless of
traffic signals. Enough's enough.
And. anyway. l have dependent
family
Now. ! hope | won't he Judged
Grass and boorish and out of step
In the march Of progress when I
can't be convinced that the traffic
millennium will be attained by the
pedestrian observing present traffic
signals. or. even, that it will be
advanced
on. yes. it seems to he part of the
formula with each writer on this
subject to state whether he rides or
walks. Most of them advise that
they do both. Is il too late to say.
Me. too" Wherefore I have some
equally positive views on jaywaIk-
ing, flivverboobing. roadhogging
and "others too numerous to mem
ton. But they haven't anything
to do with pede estrians needing traf-
fc signals
OPERATOS PERMIT I39s6e.