Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-21
Dangers of Streets
Man on Foot Protests Speeding
Drivers.

To the Editor Of The Star:
With the record of nineteen killed
and 394 injured since January 1
many of the casualties due to pedes-
| trians attempting to cross the streets,
or otherwise interfering with motor
traffic in Washington, should we not
set forth for the benefit of some of
/ the misguided ones still with us a
few axiomatic principles. apparently
forgotten. chief among which is the
elementary maxim 10 the driver be-
longs the road.
Reminders of disasters are conspic-
uously placed where all who walk
may read, but no attention IL paid to
| them. The latest and most eloquent
addition to the literature of the streets
| informs these errant ones that to
avoid being crippled they should be
cautious possibly something which
| never occurred to them, excepting as
a pleasant conceit originating in the
humorous minds of the Washingto ton
Safety Council.
Most unhappily the radical reac-
tionaries among the Hooters" refuse
| 10 subscribe to the doctrine that the
| motorists own the streets, and loudly
proclaim that they are entitled to
use the thoroughfares without being
run over. They even go so far as
| to insist that the authorities should
7 establish and maintain a speed limit
within the populous city limits and
| that jail sentences should be i'm
partially inflicted upon motorists who
| drive carelessly. jeopardizing the
| lives of citizens, as well as those who
| kill and mangle their victims. These
a or RI IL
! claim that many motorists drive with
| reckless abandon. wholly disregard
| the safety of pedestrians and that
] at night very considerable number
! of cars are to be seen speeding along
without lights or with only spot
| lights visible, in all OF which they
are unmolested by the police.
Even If true. these irreconcilables
| ought to remember that from time
| lmmemorial the driver had always a
The owner of a $4,000 accident pol
| ley of insurance, conscious of the
! fact that heaven is always on the
| side OF the corporations and that he
| is. therefore, immune from danger
while trayersing the streets of the
immunity does not work as against
| $4,000 touring car and that where
| death stalks proudly about between
! curbs. inviting the unwary to ar
untimely end, no one is fortified
| against disaster.
| A fund of humor offers itself to any one
80 constituted that he knows the differ.
| ence between an almanac joke and Mr.
4 Bryan's definition of science. by merely
standing on some busy corner. say al
| New York avenue and 18th street and
| from that vantage ground to watch the
sober throng of office folk homeward
| bound flirting with calamity at the
crossings. Some old man with rusty
joints and palpitating heart will ne.
gotiate a passage between the street
car platform and the curb as IL age and
infirmity were a taIisman of safety. He
waits the oncoming and departure OF
/ flying machines till hiatus offers, Their
he ventures little way, retreats quick
~ TO avoid some youthful driver madly
| careening along the avenue and for his
pains receives only a hooking laugh
from the youngster as he whizzes past
Again he will venture, this time con-
WINGED that the approaching motorist
! is too far to catch him in his journey
but. alas the driver of that distant cal
| is suddenly reminded that he may save
| two minutes In his three-nile trip home
by stepping on the gas. and. presto, oui
! ancient friend, doing the hop, skip and
! jump as he did at the age Of six, es.
capes by the breadth of hair and add:
| a long delayed apopoectic stroke to his
pleasures of the morrow.
If there is one crumb of comfort il
1 all this. it is that very few motorist.
| will deign to jump the curb and chas,
| the pedestrian down the sidewalk
| Perhaps the FUN" involved in thi:
naneuver has thus far escaped at
| tention. 1t might be suggested as q
| random shot at any official resula.
i tons that the unfortunate persons
| who insist upon walking should bt
1 permitted to cross streets mid W a1
! between intersections so s to avoi6
attacks from the rear, as is now the
case at crossings. naturally due to {
| lack of eyes in the back of the head
| 1t seems to be forgotten by thu
average foot passenger that the mo
| torist. securely intrenched in hi,
| steel flanked bastion, has nothing t.
/ fear from collision with the yielding
/ frame of the human anatomy. but thu
penalty of the law. and this is 81
! often and easily DETECTED that h,
| takes chances without risk of punish
! ment.
Motorists of the patrician group
generously endowed with wealth ant
| possessed with great influence II
| state affairs have satisfactorily t.
| themselves added a new word to TIL,
dictionary of the road in the Cheerful
| epithet "jaywalker," meaning a vari
egated kind of nut" which has tn,
1 propensity of always being in thu
| way and ready at a moments MOTTO,
/ to call out the ambulance, and the.
| malign this adventurous genius a,
! the cause of all their misfortunes ex
| cept tire or engine troubles. So i
| happens that the family and friend!
| of the luckless footperson never
| really know that he was a jaywalkei
until after the inquest. and then it /.
| too late to warn him against ven
| turing upon the streets
| May we not secure some rules per
! tinent to the art of navigation upor
| our thoroughfares and the follow
| ing suggestions of a cross reference
| variety are offered for the preserva
| ton of those who deem it necessary
| to stir out of the house for littl,
! exercise.
| Learn the goose step. The agilit,
! required for this performance tends
| to make one able at moments no
[ tice to side-step any auto. or jugger
| naut truck, and to do the act grace
iiully. Meanwhile. the modern dances
prize. fighting, amateur golf, noun
| tain hikes, all contribute to tht
strength and skill necessary to main
| tain a successful flight from curb t
curb. LOUIS ERNEST PHILLIPS.
i