Evening star., 1927-05-22

do you do? Remain stationary or
move ahead?
The best policy is to move. Some
times the man behind cannot stop,
or is not favored by any opportunity
10 dodge to the right or left. Better
drop iuto low gear and move ahead
little. 1t provides a needed margin
of safety.
OF all drivers who ought to know
and obey traffic rules, taxi chauffeurs
should rank first. Despite this fact,
however. gross violations occasional
~ are to be noted among them.
Recently at one of the intersec-
tions on Sixteenth street taxi
driver drew up to make left turn.
1t was late in the evening and after
having barely come to halt, with
out waiting for change of lights,
he sped across Sixteenth street into
S street. On another occasion a
taxi driver swinging around Scott
Circle, inside the islands, apparently
changed his mind and upon arriv-
ing at the exit from between the
islands cut directly across and into
the outside half of the street so as
to turn down one of the mteresect-
ing streets.
Happily. most taxi drivers know
the rules and follow them carefully.
But among the more than 1000 taxi
cabs i'll Washington will be found
some who pay no attention to traffic
ordinances as long as they think
they can get away" with lax obser
vation. Other taxi men should at
tempt to see to it that their fellow
drivers strictly observe the rules.
thus bringing credit to the whole
group.
Recently a stranger in Washing
ton, driving along Sixteenth street,
drep up in the middle of the thor
oughfare and waited to make a left
turn. Motorists passing both ways
began to blow their horns and in
one or two instances even went so
far as to yell unintelligible remarks
at the strange driver who probably
only became more and more con-
fused and disgruntled.
The proper method of instructing
strangers in traffic regulations is not
to shout and blow horns at them.
If those who make the noise are
truly sincere, they should stop and
advise the stranger. Otherwise they
should move along without trying
to make him uncomfortable.
The sudden application of brakes
on a speeding car admittedly is a
bad practice. 1t is a severe strain
on the whole mechanism of the ma
chine, and for that reason, as well
as others which are obvious. Wash
ington motorists always should be
cautious when approaching an inter
section known to be we'll travelled,
even though it is not marked by any
traffic device.
Tests which have been made by
officials in various cities have shown
that if two motorists drive along |
the same route for 10 or Il miles |
through the city, one following |
every rule of law and caution and
the other driving at maximum speed,
the saving of time on the part of the
second man is only a matter of a
few minutes. Sometimes, however,
there is no saving of time. as the
many accidents mutely testify.
Consideration for others is a quail
ity which should be fostered by all
motorists. Sad to say. however, it
is one which some drivers lack. For
instance, when making left turn
at an intersection where there are
light signals. those drawn up to
make the turn should be allowed to
do so without interference from mo-
florists who are waiting to cross the
intersection.
Observers often will notice that
to cross start on the split instant
seemingly, almost trying to cut off
those. who desire to make the left
turn. Such selfshness is indefen-
sible.
Only rarely does the impatient mo-
torist, the one who blows his horn
while waiting in line at street in
tersection. achieve any result from
his action, unless it to be provoke
the, ire of others ahead of him. 1t
safely may be said that those ahead
generally are not da1lying because
they want to hold up the line or that
they take pleasure in waiting for no
reason at ALL Loud and impatient
noises only serve to confuse, and
haste or speed are the last things
which will be born of confusion.
Some persons say that the impa-
tient motorist only wants to attract
attention, to let people know that
he is there, but he should remember
that every one would be happier if
he were in Tinbuctoo or some other
equally remote place.
One of the banes of motoring
seems to be its conduciveness to an
irate temper. A motorist sees an
other motorist do something which
may not interfere with traffic in the
slightest degree and forthwith there
flow forth various expressions anent
the imbecility of the motorist at
fault.
This, of course, is entirely unneces-
sary. 1t serves no purpose whatso-
ever, except perhaps to make the
driver who has lost his good humor
forget his driving and probably do
something himself which will cause
some other motorist to get into the
same frame of mind.