Evening star., 1924-10-30
SOME POLICE FAIL
T00BEY NEW RULE
Check-Up DiscIoses In
stances Where Traffic
Order Is Ignored.

While observation of traffic cor
ditions in Washington has disclosed
that most of the Capitals crossing
policemen are exerting themselves to
enforce the regulation requiring them
to clear their intersections of pc
destrians as well as vehicles before
changing the direction of traffic it
also has shown that a few are bland
ly ignoring their orders and jeopar
diZing the lives of pedestrians.
When this fact was brought to the
attention of Inspector Albert ]. Head
ley, chief of the traffic bureau, he ad
mitted the possibility of it's truth
but pointed out that his allotment Of
sergeants has been cut SO low that
he has not enough men to go around
and see that the officers stand strict
ly to the regulations
This situation, together with the
dangerous conditions that existed at
virtually every busy intersection
some weeks ago. prompted The Star
to send reporters around with strict
orders faithfully to report conditions
as they saw them. giving credit TO
those officers who are doing their
duty properly, but just as truthfuliy
exposing those who do not. SheeF
public safety demanded such action
Negligence Is Uncovered
The result was complimentary 10
Washington's traffic officers in gen
eral, but there are some particular
cases that deserve severe reprimanos
and summary action If there Is d
repetition of such plain negligence
Inspector Headley has asserted time
and again recently that he mas IN
structed every officer to blow warn
ing whistle stopping all traff1c long
enough to permit those pedestrians
,<,l Sn ha
reach points of safety before traftio
in the opposite directions is starteo-
This does not mean. 1t mas oeen
pointed out repeatedly. that the
officer need hold up traffic and Jam
his corner just to permit pedestrians
in the middle of the street TO Walk
the entire distance to the curb before
letting the traffic start. He neea
only make sure in his own mind that
the ped estrian is near enough to the
curb to reach il before the MOVING
traffic can reach him. Only a few
seconds are required for this. or
dinarily, although, of course, theFr
are exceptional instances at certain
corners where more time is neces-
sary.
Four Breaches Cited.
Neither the officer on duty a
Twelfth and F streets late yesterday
afternoon nor the one in charge at
the same corner this morning was
noticed to pay the slightest attention
70 this regulation. The offlcer al
Eleventh and f streets was guilty OF
as open a disregard for orders. and
the one on duty at Ninth and
streets this morning was scarcely
more careful of his instructions, al
least during the interval that a re-
porter stood and watched him.
Time and again at the 1"eilth
street crossing the offlcer Woulo oio"
his whistle and signal traffic to dart
ahead at once, paying no heed what
ever to the hundred or more peoes-
TRANS who were in the middle OF the
street. some of them only 1oot or
two in front of the bumpers or the
automobiles waiting for the Woro 10
go" Fearful of being "baWleo out
for not hurrying. the motorists were
obliged to steer in and rouno the
frightened pedestrians
The officers at Fourteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue, Fourteenth
and F streets, Ninth street ana Penn-
sylvania avenue and Ninth ana n
streets were noticed particularly 10
make sure pedestrians were oeyono
danger before signaling trafnc TO go
ahead OF course, as usual, the pedes-
trians themselves were utterly nesi-
gent and most of the signals 1ouho
them all tangled up in the vehicies
that were trying their best to miss
them.
Jay walkers in Evidence.
These instances, however, were due
to lay walkers" who had deliberately
stepped from the curb in the face OF
the officers warning whistles. and the
traffic guardian certainly could NOT
be held responsible. number OF
times this morning women were
again seen to cut corners ana trot
gayly diagonally across the street as
though to defy the irate motorists
they so deliberately held up, and ca en-
time a traffic jam resulted. again due
to no fault of the policemen.
One incident was noticed at Ninth
street and Pennsylvania avenue
which might have resulted in seri-
Gus accident. A pedestrian step
ped out to the policeman's sema-
phore and asked the direction to
some point The policeman. obliged
to give the interrogator the informa-
tion politely. had to neglect his sema-
phore, dig into his coat pocket for
street guide. look up the place IN
question and answer the questions
put to him.
Care Not Possible.
In the meantime he simply had to
swing his semaphore back and forth
without giving sufficient attention to
the conditions existing. 1t was the
only time that officer failed to OBJ
serve his orders and he could scarce
" be blamed for it, because he also
has orders gladly to give pedestrians
or motorists any information re-
ouested il possible. Elevator oper-
ators are forbidden to talk while op-
Grating their cars; SO should traffic
policemen, burdened with SO much
more responsibility, be told not to
answer any question or talk to any
person, except in the event or an 49,
cident, during the rush hours at least.
One of the most dangerous prac-
tices that might be charged to the
motorist is the apparent determine
ton of every one to get away" frst
from the intersections. At Ninth
street and Pennsylvania avenue four
cars stood abreast. One was a road
ster, another touring car, which
was separated from a machine of like
style by a speedy truck. The man in
the roadster and the driver OF the
touring car raced each other up
Pennsylvania avenue in second gear
for half a block, missing pedestrians
and other vehicles by inches. Both
should have been arrested for reck-
less driving, but it is a common prac-
tice here in Washington.