The Washington times., 1925-06-01
New Plan for EIdridge
Ry DONALD McDOUGAL.

We see where the director is
going to eallow angle parking in
certain streets. and that looks
like step in the right direction.
You can get about twice xas
many cars in a block when
they're parked that way as you
can parallel. the director says,
and Washinaton needs all the
parking facilities it can extprt.
We hope the director will give
instructions that cars parked at
an angle are to be headed out
from the curb.
When you're headed into the
curb. there'ssea line Of PARKED
cars between you and oncoming
traffic you're faced half way
around from the street. so that
you have to twist your. neck
through an agile of lbs degrees or
better to see what's coming.
And the hand signal you're sup
posed to give on pulling out is
on the other side from the ap-
preaching driver. and might as
we'll not be given. It's about the
most useless thing we can think
of, except perhaps, winking at
q young lady in the dark.
Backing Into Traffic.
And you back out against traf-
dc, and almost directly toward it.
The oncoming driver sees the
back of the car only, and it's
hard to tell whether it's. moving
or not, especially at dusk.
But If you park head out from
the curb you're on the side next
TO traffic; your hand sginal is in
plain view: you're turned half
see all you need to out OF the tail
of your eye and without looking
through your rear window.
AS you pull out from the curb
the side of your car is presented
TO the man coming UP the street,
and he can see that you're moving
out, even il he doesn't notice your
signal. And you're moving with
traffic instead of against it.
1t may seem like six-of-one
and -halfsa-dozen-o of-the-other propo-
sition. and everything is reversed
when you back into your parking
place, surprising you're lucky
enough TO find one. .-...
It's a little harder to- back in
than it is to run forward, but a
man who can't back into a. space
three feet or so wider than his
car has no business driving In
Washington. He requires more
room than Washington can spare.
Signal Isn't Hidden.
When you stop in front of your
parking place. you're in view Of
the man behind you, and have
been for two or three minutes.
And your signal that you're go
ing to stop isn't hidden by a
string of parked cars.
And when you start backing, the
further you go. the more you
move. out of traffic. And all the
ger side, instead of toward the
curb.
. We hope the Director will give
this suggestion the once-over be.
fore painting the white lines on
the face-in plan. II he lets the
cars face out, then the rule about
signalling when you leave the curb
will mean something.
In fact, we hope he won't paint
any white lines at all. Every
block is DIVIDED into three or fear
sections by alleys, fire plugs. ETC..
A regulation that the first man in
The, section must park next the
@pfner. alley or fire plug, and the
next man must park to the left
of him, not nearer than a foot
or further than two feet. would
save a lot of paint, and make the
parking more flexible.
Age Old Parking Problem.
The Wandering Jew never will
know what, real misery is like
until he finds himself chasing uK
and down r street at five minutes
ef three, looking for a place Il
park while he runs in to get q
check cashed.