Evening star., 1924-11-18
|OFF|CER DETAILED
| To TEACH WALKING
Will instruct Pedestrians
Each Afternoon at Eleventh
and F Streets.

In the hope Of teaching at least
some pedestrians the safe and sane
way to walk, Inspector Albert j.
Headley. chief OF the Traffic Bureau.
has ordered special policeman to
| report for duty every afternoon this
week at Eleventh and r streets to
regulate the movements OF pedes-
trians, while the man. At the serna-
phore handles vehicles.
1t will be. figurativeiy speaking, a
school for instruction in proper walk
ing. The one officer will devote his
call to the. attention Of those who
rhore. and run in and out Of ,r1ovirg &
traffic, the danger they place them
selves In through sheer negligence.
The original plan for the estab-
lishinent of this school had antici-
pated having at least two policeman
| at the corner TO handle the pedes-
TRANS, and possibly four. The latter
| would have made 1t possible to sta
tion an officer at each curbstone and
compel the strollers to stay within
| the limits OF safety, whether they
liked 1t or not.
Gets One Day OF.
AFTER cneCklnR up on inc
of men he had available. the traffic
chief declared he could not possibly
spare even the two men and it vas
thought the plan would have TO be
dropped. This morning, however, In
spector Headley found that he could
post one additional officer at the
corner by having him work overtime
each afternoon and then give him a
holiday Sunday to pay up for his
extra work.
The school will begin this after
noon. At 4:20 o'clock, when the
peak of the rush hour begins. the
policeman will take up his station
and work hand in hand with the
guardian AT the senaphore. While
the latter directs vehtcular traffic the
former will take complete charge
of pedestrians. in so far as 1t !s pos
sible, and the ones who take
chances" will have the fact called
! to their attention promptly and ef-
ficiently.
Will Last for Week.
This operation will be repeated
every afternoon at the same hour for
the rest Of the week. It is believed
that the plan will have a beneficial
/ effect in at least reaching number
I OF persons with the campaign that
:
When the danger os present negli-
gence is brought home in SO forcibie
/ a manner II is confidently expected
! that Ii will make d telling and last
! ing impression.
Eleventh and + streets was picked
out as the place for the school fo-
| several reasons.
Women Take Chances.
FiIst: II is busy crossroad for
| shoppers and at 4:s0 o'clock is one
of the busiest points in the city.
! Thousands OF women. trying to com
pieto their buying before the stores
, close. rush back and forth across
! the Intersection and very often take
the long chances that the police are
complaining about SO much.
Seco1d: It is one of-rhe feT' corr
ners in tho dow ntown section where
street cars are not constantly turn
ing IN upon the pedestrians from un-
usual angles. and for that reason
one additional officer could be more
effective than at most other inter
sections.
Third: It IL not as large an inter
/ section as most others in the busi-
ness section and the work OF the
one officer will be better facilitated.
IL would he almost impossible. for
an imIression on pedestrians at Four
! tesnth street ana Pennsylvania
avenue.
Motorists Break Law.
! One feature OF the new enforcement
! of the whistle regulation that has
been called to the attention of The
! Star Is the fact that many motorists
| have not set learned TO obey the law
r1 har rtr~ IA
, Of regulating traffic, they start for
ward at the first blast Of the whistle
and crowd UP TO the hurryins pedes-
| trians before the latter have a fair
| chance TO reach points of safety.
Warning has been issued that un-
| less there is a sudden cessation In
! this practice drastic action will have
| 70 be taken TO impress upon the
! minds Of the motorists that the police
| department intends TO enforce the
law to the limit of it's atiiity. The
| hrst whistle is not a signal for .raftlc
| to move.
! Il is just the opposite; 1t is A signal
/ for traffic to stand still In every dt-
, rection.
| The best thing for the niotorist Is
| 70 throw his car IN gear The second
; he hears tho whistle, but hold his
| clutch out Then he wilt be rsadr 20
move imin nediately the semaphore Is
turned and the delay necessary TO
! clear the intersection between the
blowing OF the whistle and the turn.
| ing OF the semaphore will be too IN
consequential for material notice.
The ease with which this grsten,
can be worked is graphically demon
strated in The Stars motion picture
| OF acenes in Washington traffic.
| which, will be shown on the screens
I SHaa
Palace and Columbia Theaters for a
! week. beginning next Sunday. The
| picture will be part OF every show at
these five leading motion picture
| houses.