American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1922-05-19

May 18th, 1922.

Ye Editor, Press,
City.
Dear SIR
Last weeks issue of your publication
carried an article in it relative to the
careless driving of cars within the
city limits. Many drivers of cars here
are not only careless as to driving
fast but they are reckless as to the
manner in which they handle their car.
Stand anywhere on main street and
note how they come into the curbing,
if going nor tn and they wish to park
their car on the west side of the street,
they will invariably cut across to the
curbing d~isregardiHg absolutely any
law or reason of continuing on to a
street intersection, making the pro-
per circular turn and then come back
to the point where they first desired
to go in to the curb. Watch them
back out from the curbing, I've noticed
them throw the gears in reverse, race
up their engine and shoot back into
the street like a meteor, fat chance a
person has of avoiding an accident to
his own a if he happens to be near
any "damphool' pulling off this stunt.
l have also noticed cars standing on
the west side of main street, at the
curb, who, desiring to drive north
would back out across the street and
turn their car around in the middle of
the block.
Did you ever notice the manner in
which they cut in from one street to
another, especially into Main street
from the side streets?
There seems to be just one little lane
to follow coming around the corners,
the rest of the street was merely set
aside to beautify the city, and l have
had to get up on the sidewalk or hit
the curbing to avoid being hit by driv-
ers of such cars. There used to be
some signs at the street intersections
with a notice to Keep To The Right"
but these were taken down many
moons ago, presumably they had fill
led the purposes, at hat time, for
which they were intended, so why
keep them up.
In the interest of safety for ones
self as well as the other fellow, I
would like space in your paper for
the following article by Dinny The Cop
which it would be well for quite a
number here to read, re-read and then
memorize:
"Yez came within an inch av smash
in sOmbuddy else's car an yer own
9OSAb ShAhg SdlACu Oluuy LIE COD 10
the driver in the Red Jazz-Baby, who
had suddenly gone into reverse and
backed five or six feet before starting
away from the curb IF yez ever do
thot agin I'll hand yez a summons.
Yez look over five years aV age
haven't yez got more horse sinse than
t do a thing loike thot?"
TN not supposed to worry about
what's back of me, Officer" snapped
the nan in the Red Jazz-Baby. Its
all a driver can do to keep looking
ahead"
Put that remar-rk on a phony-
graft record an play it at tn nearest
asylum fer thin as is weak in their
mental power plants" was Dinny's
growing rejoiner. 'Sooch r%easonin'
as thot is what is maxim it NECESSARY
T. PROTECT tenders, loves am head
heights behoind gun emplacements.
TIL only cars thot could travel in safe
ty- if yure ~reasonin' was roight, would
be tanks an steam rollers.
9TH mint yez go inta reverse, does
ii occur t. we thot yez are going back
wards, not fruntwards? Look tn way
yer goin'. There won't be any dam
ger av yer roonin' anybody down in
FruRt, if yez are movin' Backwards.
I'm no college professor, but ! can git
thot
'.Now, take tn case joost now;
without tn least warnin', yez slipped
inta reverse and backed up, whin there
was a car a few feet behoined yez
%NivVer a warnin'-nivyer a foot aV
harm -nawthin-joost slam-bang
backwards as if yez wor tn only man
wild an autymobile in tn whole
worruld. Didn't it occur t yez thot
there Moight be somethin' er sombud-
in back? Yez don't own tn sole
parkin' privilege on tn sthreet, do
yez?
"By tn grace av the Lord, tn droiv-
er happened t. be in his car, and He
backed, too, there bein' a little space
in which t. do it, so yez didn't stroke
him. But if words was knoives, whot
he Said would have slit We up an
stabbed yez in tn back.
"No matter Where yez are, or Whot
til conditions, if yez want t back up,
give a signal. On top a. thot, don't
an inch unit lyez are Sure thereu
be room 1t amt enuff t joost hold
out yer hand or blow yer horn whin
yez want t. go backwards-th' other
fella may not be Able t. get out av
yer way. Little kids play in strange
places-womeR walk in bechune cars
there's sooch a thing as baby car
riages. Backin' into space, without
eyes ON al four sides ay yer noodle, is
war av tn most dangeroush practices
av autymobilin'.
IF ever there was a tonne whin it's
nicissary t. consult tn wide worruld,
it's whin yez want t. go backwards.
Going fruntwards is a duffrunt mat
ter. This here revarse stuff means
patiently waitin' on tn other fella-
Back av. yure car, every-buddy else
has tn roight av way.
cit is tn unexpected things av loife
thot get most ay us inta trubble. An
nobuddy ever really exploits an anty-
mobile L suddintly back up-we are
so used I seem thin go fruntways
ahid- Tonne an tonne again l hov
seen accidints thot made me chiver,