Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
MOTORING
sound paradoxica but drivers right without
turning right
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.

matter SO much what you have, or
how much you have, as how you
use the materials at hand.
Which brings one TO the condition
which exists on Pennsylvania ave-
nue-as an outstanding example-be-
cause of the fact that Washington
motorists persist in failing to remem-
Der that keeping to the right is a
traffic essential.
Pennsylvania avenue, with its
enormous breadth, should be mo-
toring paradise. Yet a glance down
the historic thoroughfare at any
time of day is convincing proof that
it is anything but that. And the
main reason is that drivers. instead
of keeping as far over to the right
as possible, do just precisely the op-
posite, using even the space between
the sets of car tracks, when such a
procedure evidently not only is alb
solutcly unnecessary, but highly
hazardous.
If Washington motorists cannot
learn to use their fine, wide boule-
wards, how can even the most ele-
mentary of traffic regulations accom-
plish an efficient purpose?
X X x
Some motorists today arc finding
themselves with cars they can
neither sell nor give away. Even
the junk man spurns many of them
unless they are delivered at his door
Few realize that they ever will be in
this predicament until it actually is
upon them.
A case that demonstrates this fact
occurred recently i'll an outlying sub
urb of large Eastern city. The car,
a virtual wreck, was being driven
down to the main highway from the
suburbanite's house. About in the
middle of the 400-yard journey, the
front axle broke. The motorist de-
cided the car was not worth new
front axle. Something had to be
done to get it out of the driveway.
however, so it was llitched on behind
another car and drawn off to the
side.
1t remains there today. an eye-sore
that is not worth towing away In
addition, there doesn't seem to be
any place to tow it.
This case is typical of many others.
1t yet may be necessary for munich
palities to establish a Pottcr's field
for the automobiles that die of old
age.
A pronounced improvement from
several important points of view is
the resurfacing and reconstruction
work being done on Woodley road
from Wisconsin avenue through to
where that street meets Cathedral
avenue. When finally thrown open
to traffic for it's entire length, motor
lists will be provided with splendid
paved thoroughfare, broad and thor
oughly spacious, which will take
them from Connecticut avenue to
Wisconsin avenue. Before being re-
built this piece of road, which has
assumed increasing Importance of
late years as main artery of travel,
was narrow and rather dangerous in
spots, especially after nightfall
Completion of this through street
will relieve Macomb street of much
heavy traffic which it has carried
lately.
Motorists whose cars are equipped
with electrical windshield wipers are
meeting an expense that is entirely
needless and the result of careless
ness on the part of car washers. The
arm of such wipers never should be
moved by hand, because it results
i'll breaking the gear and pinion,
which have to be replaced. Yet, car
washers persist in doing it in hun
dreds of cases, according to service
men.
The switch is so handy when it is
necessary to move the wiper arm
that failure to use it is inexcusable,
the more SO when it often costs the
car owner more to have the repairs
made than it does to have the car
washed.
Moving the arm nanually in the
case of the vacuum type wiper makes
no difference.
X n y "
1t is estimated that something
like 100000 cars in the United
States at present are owned by
minors. Of course, many of these
are flimsy contraptions which might
better be off the highways. AS a
matter of fact, resolutions have been
| offered in State Legislatures with
the idea of getting rid of number
/ of these vehicles.
However, there is another side to
the story. An even larger percentage
of these machines are owned by sue
I cessful young people, who have
money and who know how to man
age it, and who are ambitious, hard
working and intelligent in their in
| vestments. Not all of these 100000
cars are Collegiate" wrecks. A lot
of them can take their place among
the highways best.
y \ \ X
Painting of white lines within the
safety islands at Scott Circle seems
/ to be lost on some drivers. The sig
nihcancc should be plain. They are
put there to divide the two possible
traffic lanes, and whichever one Sc
lects should be followed through.
There are many. however, who start
on the inner one, and, on reaching
the other exit, swing over and pro-
coed straight up or down Sixteenth
street. There never is any excuse
for driving without regard for other
motorists. and there is even less now
at Scott Circle since the lanes are
clearly marked.
Y x "
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