Evening star., 1924-11-10
TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
THE PEDESTRIAN
,BY GUS Il. SCHULDT,
Judge, Police and Traffic Courts.

The Bible tells us the Lord
knoweth thy walk" He certainly
must have huge record of Jay
walkers"
The present traffic regulations have
no provisions relating to the pedes-
trian. The "foreword" of the regu-
lations only defines the relative right
of vehicles and pedestrians as fol-
lows:
THE fact that streets are pri-
marily intended for vehicles and
street cars must not be construed as
relieving drivers from the RESPONSE
bflity of exercising all possible care
not to injure pedestrians.
''On the other hand pedestrians
should avoid interference with traffic,
and to this end should not step from
the sidewalk without first looking to
see what is approaching; should
cross the street at right angles and
only at the regular crossings; should
stand on the sidewalk or close to the
track when waiting for a street car;
should face the front of the car when
alighting from it, and observe the
traffic on the right before moving to
the sidewalk, and if crossing behind
the car observe the traffic in both
directions.
pedestrians on sidewalks should
should not obstruct a crossing nor
an entrance to building"
City Walkers Careless.
Washington is notorious'y consid-
cred "jay-walking" city. 1t may
be because it is the city of mag
nificent distances and that the space
between blocks is too long. There
fore, a short cut across the street
or a diagonal dash over crosSwalks
saves much time, but eventually the
same is lost in the hospital.
In no other city of the United States,
it is said. will so much zig Tagging be
noticed as here. In foreign cities the
street walkers are careful plus. In
Paris it is to the extreme, as the
pedestrian is ARRESTED in case of an
accident to him in the street. Auto
mobile tourists visiting Washington
have repeatedly commented upon our
proclivities for reckless walking and
many are afraid to operate here. They
put up their machine for the duration
Of their visit, using taxis instead.
"Jay-walkerS' embrace the follow
ing:
The "sleep-walker," or one whose
mind is far away and walks across in
listic state.
The deep in-conversation' walker,
whose mind is on his talk and not on
his walk.
The Astronomical walker" who is
looking for stars and generally finds
them when truck hits him.
The head bowed down walker, who
seems to be intently looking for some
thing. He usually finds it.
The "sight-seer" walker, who looks
for sights and sights not the real
sights which thes crowd sights upon
the arrival of the ambulance.
The "omnivorouS-reader walker,
whose thirst for information is such
that he can't stop his education even
while crossing streets.
still Other Kinds.
The umbrella hidden" walker, who
breads slight drenching more than
he does the anesthetic which he will
later require.
The 'jazz-walker" who is under the
impression that the street is a ball
room and prances over 1t in every di-
rectior.
The obstinate or deliberate" walk
er is the postgraduate of all the
walkers. He is the one who has such
an inherent contempt for the driver
of autos that he ostentationsly and
brazenly hogs the crossings. and, in
deed, invites disaster by slowly and
deliberately walking in front of
motor cars when he knows that
drivers must act quickly to avoid
hitting him. This class of walkers
seem to have an Unborn hatred for
autos in general and persist in their
foolish tactics, no doubt from an ex-
aggerated idea that the walker has
the right of way under all and every