The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-10-18
Experiences In Crossing
Delaware River Bridge
Flat Tires, Lack of Gasoline and Toll Money More
Interest Than Booze and Pictures on Car Windows
1t Is Keep Moving Keep Moving"

There are six lanes of traffic on
the Delaware River Bridge between
Camden and Philadelphia. On or
binary days three lanes are devoted
to west-bound and three to east
bound traffic. On Saturday after
Moons and Sunday mornings, when
it. seems that all Philadelphia is
pouring itself toward the Shore,
four lanes are made east-bound and
only two west-bound. The reverse
is true on Sunday nights when the
traffic is all the other way.
There are 40 odd toll takers and
as many police officers. Their great
object is to keep the traffic NOV
ing-always moving.
At either end policemen direct
the swarming traffic, which comes
SO fast and so thick that only the
quickest-witted of men with the
most authoritative of manners and
voices are capable of directing II
and keeping it from a thousand
hopeless snarls. Broad and Chest
nut is a pipe" alongside the traf-
fic at either end of the Philadelphia
Camden span.
But, getting them on and off the
bridge is only part of the work of
the bridge police. They must keep
them moving while on the bridge.
Just let car stop and see what
happens. In a few seconds a po-
liceman is alongside in his automo-
bile.
Whats the matter?" he de-
mands.
Let's suppose it's only a fiat tire
Out of his car the officer drags
powerful pump. That tire is blown
up in less time than any amateur
could Go it and the motorist or
dered to move on quickly. The Of
ficer doesn't even wait for thanks.
He must keep his car moving, too.
If the tire will not be inflated,
but is punctured, then the officer
will tow the motor off or push it
off. Get the dead ones off the
bridge" is the slogan. The motor
list, If he is foolhardy enough to
suggestathat he patch his tire then
and there, is given a fine dressing
down. He must move.
Out of Gasoline.
If you run out of gasoline in the
middle of the bridge a policeman
will sell you one gallon at regular
rates. Every midbridge cop always
has a supply to meet this emergen-
cy
Or. if an accident happens on the
bridge, in which no one is hurt, the
first duty of the cop is to get the
wrecks off the bridge. That comes
even before an arrest.
AS all tollgates are located on
one side, it might be imagined that
a motorist could drive from PhiIa-
delphia to the middle of the bridge,
turn around and go back to Phila-
delphia without paying. Let him
try it. A bridge cop would spy him
at once, stop him, make him run
all the way over to Camden and
pay his toll. He couldn't plead he
had forgotten something in Phila-
delphia and wanted to go back.
No, he had used the bridge and
must pay. Anr he couldn't pay the
cop, either, because the police can
not accept toll.
Stickpin for Security.
1t sometimes happens that mo-
torist approaches the dollhouse
without the money to pay. In such
cases someone usually advances the
money. Recently party of Phila-
delphians returned from the sea-
shore-two men and two women
in an expensive car-and the whole
four had only 10 cents among them.
The driver left his stickpin as Sc
curity with the tolltaker. He came
back later to pay and redeem his
pin. Instead of rs cents, he had to
pay rs cents, for he had crossed
the bridge three times.
Once in awhile woman driver
will try to "vamp" her way across
without paying a fare. Well, toll
takers are mostly human beings.