Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
BY FRANK j. CARMODY.


Right of way, right of way, who's
got the right of way?
This game, considerably rougher In
its potentialities than when it was
played with buttons or thimbles. is
INDUCED In daily at hundreds OF
street intersections in the National
Capital. And. according to the best
available methods of checking up,
there are more who guess wrongly
in trying to answer the question than
there are who guess rightly.
One of the most fundamental OF
the factors that go to make for safe
driving, the right of way rule seems
to be the traffic regulation about
which hundreds of motorists in Wash
ington know the least. A canvass of
ones friends, drive about the
streets, requests to local motorists
! that they define the rule-any of these
methods will reveal that there are al
most as many different conceptions
of the regulations as there are inter
sections at which it may be applied.
What is the right of way rule?" the
seeker after information, disguised as
a wandering minstrel from Bethesda,
asked District motorist on Wiscon-
sin avenue.
He's Not Sure.
"Well-it's this way" stammered
the latter. Then, he paused.
IF two vehicles-now I've got 1t. II
two vehicles. If two vehicles:
Eyes, there must be two. 1t really
isn't an important rule until the sec
ond car comes along" conceded the
uuestor for information.
well, think there's something
about approac,ling the intersection at
--at-well, you'll be all right If you
don't bust past an intersection too
fast. They don't pay any attention
to the right of way rule here, because
it isn't so important. 1t doesn't come
up often, anyway"
| A few blocks drive convinced the
motor-mounted minstrel that they
really did not pay any attention to
| the right-of-way rule, but there was no
doubt about the inaccuracy of the
statement that it did not come up
often, anyway" 1t came up so often
and in SO many different forms that
| the tourist" stopped again in quest
of information.
He rs Again.
| Can lou t; me the right-of-way
rule? I'm a stranger here" lied the
minstrel as he drew up alongside a
chauffeur driven palace near Dupont
Circle.
"Well-approximately the man on
the right" politely replied the CT uf'
feur.
Thanks" mumbled the confused
minstrel.
| approximately the man on the
right" he unused. How can one be
approximately on the right"
| Still hopelessl:' at sea in the search
for a motorist who knew the right-of-
| way rule as we'll as ne himself. the
minstrel resumed his quest.
eff you are approaching the inter
section at approximately the same
time with another car, you have the
right of way If you are on the right,
was the snappy answer of the next
motorist approached on the mysteri.
Gus subject.
What do you mean by approx
mately?" queried the minstrel.
| Just approximately" replied the
youth, who seemed to sense that some.
thing was inadequate in his reply.
According to the next motorist, the
man on the right has the right of
way" There were, he stated, mo
ifs, ands. butts. provided that's or any,
thing else about it, If you got
''smacked" by a car coming from the
right 1t was your own fault, and "even
a good lawyer couldn't get you out. y
Puts It Up to Friend.
"And that" he concluded with ap
propriate gestures, lis that"
IF it isn't, it ought to be-" thought
the minstrel, who was becoming more
and more skeptical about ever passing
an intersection with clear conscience
Having failed utterly to get an accu.
rate answer from strangers. the min
strel decided to doff his disguise and
lay the entire proposition before a
friend. The friend in question is one of
the type that has driven Is years
without an accident" To have estab.
lished a talking point as strong as