The Dolores star., 1923-06-08
FL|vvERBOOB IS
SERIOUS Menace
Automobile Expert Points Out
Fool Tricks Which Endanger
Lives of Motorists.

(By Erwin Greer. President Greer Col
lege of Automotive Engineering)
The next time one of those fools
who break their necks looking one
way while they drive another nearly
runs you down, turn around and yell
after him, "F1ivverboob That is the
uame by which he is to be known, ac-
cording to the American Automobile
association.
Why supposedly sane men will drive
at top speed Is an unsolvable mystery.
Yet the speed artist is only one type
Of fivverboob. Another type Is the
mud splasher.- He is the fellow who
dashes up to 4 mud-puddle near the
curb and sends mud and water all
over you He likes to hear you cuss
and the women scream.
"ExplosIon Hound" Another.
Then there Is the muftier explosion
hound; You know him. The fellow
with some powerful bus who rushes
down the street making explosions in
his muller. II you are opposite when
he goes by you nearly throw a at from
fright much to the high giee OF him
SELF and to the disgust and contempt
and antagonisn Of everyone else.
The graze-you gink's special delight
Is to come as close to your carefully
groomed car as he possibly can with
out actually striking It Often he mis-
calculates and the result Is that your
machine Immediately resembles his,
with dented mud guards and broken
hub caps II you try and collect
damages you find that he owes money
on his car and that-you are out Of
luck.
The brake burner Is another one Of
the clan; he also has a murderous
complex. He comes on at a sizzling
speed and then, clap,-on goes his
brakes, like the seizure OF a At His
tires scrape with loud remonstrance
on the pavement, his car lenses and
groans, the brakes shriek-all expect
Ing the sudden Grassland then,
through the fine and lofty purpose of
the car builder, things somehow hold
together and an accident that time Is
averted. This method Of action gets
to be a habit and eventually a cotter-
pm puliS OUT anu tnen-
Usually saved-UsuaIIy.
A relative of his Is the fear fanatic
who emerges suddenly from side
street (yes, even upon our boulevards).
Approaching cars dodge and swing
from his path, trying to prevent acci-
dents. The hearts Of passengers leap
to their throats, frightened grips are
clamped on the nearest supports,
screams break from the ladies and
usually, by astral influence that
guards the fate Of fools, he Is saved.
Usually he is saved-usually. By the
grace Of the great body Of honorable
motorists, he is saved-usually.
The safety zone fox is another one.
He comes sailing down the street to
the left Of long line Of automobiles
waiting to Cross a street intersection
and tries to break into the line at
the safety zone. If he can't get in he
blocks the street cars because he Is
out on the tracks. And there is al
ways some motorist that has to let
him into the line 80 that traffic can
move again.
And then comes the flivverboOb who
tries to beat the locomotive over the
crossing. He Is too well known to
take up In detail.
A total of $4,5OO,OOO was paid out
in death claims by American Insurance
companies for the 1900 1iivverboobs
(and their victims) killed on the high
ways last year. In addition to the
fatalities there were 100000 non
fatal injuries. Which makes US won
der
Why Is q flivverboob?