The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-03
Car Stop Raidf1g.

Car Stop Raiding.
ct was sent out by the traffic
bureau, your honor, to take In
some of these people that are
running past street cars at Con-
necticut avenue and Macomb
street. ia been there about ten
minutes when the defendant ran
past a car that had stopped for
passengers. One man had to
Jump pretty lively to keep his
health in good condition. He
said something and the defend
ant turned around and grinned
at him. Then he saw me COM
ing toward him and stopped grin
ming. He stepped on the gas
and I paced him about five
blocks at forty miles an hour.
A Raiders Promise.
when I caught him he put
up a hard luck story about not
having an money for collateral
and he'd lose his job II his boss
had to come around to the sta
ton to get the car. So ! told
him to meet me in court the next
morning. He didn't show up.
went after him with a warrant
and that's why he's here now.
1875"
LOpsided.
When a hacker pulls up for a
minute at the back door OF q
movie to see Rudolpho Valentino
throw a carving knife at a bald
headed gentleman holding hands
with Rudy's temporarily estranged
sweetheart, that hacker is break
ing the law against lettering and
must suffer revocation Of license
for thirty days. in addition to
whatever fine the court may see
tit to impose. And this while a
speed maniac may do forty miles
an hour down Sixteenth street
and get off with a $50 fine: or
hardened traffic yegg may run
by q street car when passengers
are alighting, or entering or
both, or neither, pay $40 to the
financial clerk, climb into his
machine and run past another
street car before he gets out OF
sight Of the traffic court: or some
semi-idiotic smart aleck may play
ring around q rosy In front OF
another car at a street 1ntersec-
ton, and a cost of SO. But none
of these deadly pests runs fisk
Of losing his permit to continue
the ghastly performance.
Random Shooting.
To an impartial observer like
the Alibi Man this looks like in
justice, which doesn't make any
difference to anybody, and 1t
also looks like lack Of common
sense, which makes q great deal
Of difference to everybody. il
we are to reduce the daily num-
Der of killings and maiminga and
smashings, 1t seems as though
the more prolific causes thereof
should receive the heavier PEN
alties.
Below the Belt.
Whoever heard Of anyone be-
ing killed, MANNED. or otherwise
injured by the lettering Of
hacker? Yet even a technical
violation Of this "loitering" law,
and a first offence at that, makes
revocation of the offenders
license mandatory-thirty days
without eating.
Shift the Cargo.
Wouldn't it have a better all
round effect to impose the fine
on the offending hackers, and re-
woke the permits of the speeders
and car stop raiders and the other
dangerous Violators Of the law?
Jurist, Not RObber.
Judge Mattingly has fatty re.
fused to try certain cases that come
under this law. His duty, he feels,
Is to administer justice, not In
justice.
A Few Drops Left.
Traffic regulation in Washington
needs a good big dose of American.
ism-equality before the law is
drafted. It will help a great deal
to take part of the penalty off the
hackers, who don't injure any one
but the big taxi concerns, and put
it on the speeders and other Grim.
Inal drivers who injure any one
who gets in their way.
The average taxpayer doesn't
care to risk a seance on the oper-
ating table in order to protect the
profits of the cab companies.
Cant you find a soft place In
your heart and a dollar in your
pocket for that little orphan boy
around the corner or across the
street or in the next block who'd
like to see the police-fire game to-
day and can't raise the price?
UP SPOONING