Evening star., 1927-08-28
r seems to happen is that marked b,

VateQ TO a point lar DeyOnu tnc hat
ural bounds which mere numbers
impose. 1t is not so much that
| there are SO many cars and so little
space as the fact that there are so
many cars poorly parked i'll given
| space. A glance down any typical
Washington street will indicate the
truth of the latter statement. And
when one considers that there are
all average of at least ten indiscrim-
mate parkers in each average block
of so 90degree angle parked cars
the Importance of consideration in
this whole respect to the ultimate
solution of the problem is quite
plainly and graphically seen.
X **
Those who think that everything
new in the automobile line has been
brought out have many surprises
coming, for there are a number Of
developments i'll process, some of
which are quite revolutionary. To
begin with, company has been
formed for the manufacture of a
new car which will utilize hydraulic
drive instead of the conventional
clutch and transmission. Even
brakes will be eliminated from this
new type of machine.
There are to be some new things
in tire chains. A Tennessee company,
having been organized to construct
a brand-new plant for the purpose of
building such product, intends to
incorporate some new features that
may make skidding even less of a
worry to the motorist.
A lot of things are happening in
the metal market. A vast amount
of progress has been made in the
aluminium alloys and it now appears
that metals to substitute for gray
iron are coming on the automotive
stage. One of these new types of
ferrous metals to be used for auto
mobile castings has all the advan-
tages of gray iron and. in addition,
the hardness of white iron and the
physical specifications of the best
of steel. The new metal is designed
to do everything that every other
automotive metal will do without
| chipping or sprawling.
* X * X
Whether the practice has fallen into
the disrepute which it deserved, or
whether the observer Just has failed
to notice it of late is not absolutely
certain, but it does seem as though
most local motorists have gotten out
| OF the vulgar habit of shouting in
vectice to their driving colleagues
who have done something to irritate
them. The practice was very gen.
eral here a few years ago, and was
not at all confined to truck drivers
and others who one might be led
to believe would take deep pleasure
in indulging in habit of this kind.
On the contrary, it seemed to be re-
garded as mark of "smart" driving
to give the other motorist a hot
tempered tongue-lashing on the
slightest provocation, and much of it
went on between cars which ordi-
narily were the epitome of correct
ness.
One still sees and hears some of
this today. but it does appear as
though the ridiculous vulgarianism
were passing everywhere, except
among those whose motoring habits
generally are such as to indicate that
they never will get over the practice.
1t was one of those things that made
motoring very unpleasant. It's pass
ing is to be hailed with the deepest
satisfaction by all who are convinced
that highway manners should reflect
those one adopts for other occasions.
With the filling station or service
establishment it is considerably
different. Distance is a question of
little Importance. The motorist
must take his car with him anyway,
and few city blocks more or less
mean little in an automobile. If he
must leave the car at the service
station, there is, of course. the re-
turn trip without it. but there the
confidence he will have in a par
ticular service establishment often
will outweigh the inconvenience of
going home or back to his Office
on street car.
One Washington n1otorist is so in
sistent upon noticeable courtesy at
flling station when he drives in
tor gas or a change of oil that he
drives eight or ten blocks out of
his way to go to particular estab-
lishment. He says that the man
ager and his assistants act as if
they really were glad to get the
two or three dollars he frequently
pays out, and he gets sufficient sat
1staction out of the treatment given
him to warrant the extra trouble.
This possibly may be an excep-
tional case, but almost any motorist
Will be able TO recall at least iso-
lated instances where he did not
meet with the courtesy he wished
tor. 1t will be found that he did
not go back to those places the sec
ond time unless it was absolutely
necessary.
Washington. blessed at the auto.
mobiles advent with streets and
highways fully wide enough to ac-
commodate heavy volume Of
traffic, and now given an even bet
ter roads system through a pro-
gram OF widening, should have less
OF a traffic problem than any other
city OF its size in the country.
There is one way, and one way
only, for Washington motorists to
take the fullest advantage of its nat
ural resource. 1t is perfectly OBJ
vlous way; perfectly plain, and
should be perfectly easy. All the
motorist has to do is:
Think.
The results in many instances
would be surprising.