Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-26
Indian Warfare.

II woo uiiJ hNVbNN w
convince the harassed Washington
motorist that the Summer Of 1928
shattered all records for the accumu-
lstion Of difficulties and troubles in the
ordinarily simple act of driving car, ii
was given last night by policemen Of
the sixth precinct, who, in arresting
,, Spicuous detour sign. demonstrated e
gross misconception Of duty. From ac-
counts of witnesses of the affair it ap-
pears that instead of waving traffic
aside at the mouth of the detour,
which, of course. is the accepted and
decent method OF handling a situation
of this kind, the police reverted to the
methods OF Indian warfare, and. am
bushing themselves at a point beyond
the sign. proceeded to stop each motor
list who inadvertently passed the mark
er and to hand him ticket which
appraised him of his traffic violation.
Seventeen hapless Washingtonians
out of more than one hundred who
were given tickets. posted collaters:
last night at the sixth precinct and
doubtless returned to their homes to
dream feverishly of dancing detour
signs with policemen. dressed as In
dians. descending upon them after
emerging from places of concealment
behind trees.
Washingtonians are fed up with de-
tour signs, ard especially those which
apparently have been placed without
rhyme or reason. The scene of last
nights police exhibition was at Third
street and Massachusetts, avenue. The
sign was to divert traffic because Of
sewer construction on Massachusetts,
avenue. Instead, however. OF placing
one policeman at the sign courteously
10 wave aside traffic seeking to enter
the street. three policemen were sta
toned a block away to nab the un-
fortunates who, try as they might, have
been unable to make heads or tails out
Of the street repair program in Wash
ington.
The police show, in which Washing
tonians were the unwilling participants.
lasted for about three hours. 1t was
not until representatives Of the Amer
lean Automobile Association could get
in touch with Inspector Brown Of the
Traffic Department that the farce
could be stopped At one time. witnesses
agree, there were so many motorists
lined up waiting for tickets that 1t
looked ss IL the firemen-poiicemen bail
game had not yet been held, but Of
course it would be ridiculous to suppose
that policemen would play Indians be-
fore that game came of.
Unquestionably the motorists who ran
past the marker violated q regulation,
but in ell enlightened communities it
is the accepted theory that violations
of the regulations should be prevented
rather than encouraged. It would APP
pear, therefore, that the police Of the
sixth precinct who engaged in last
nights foray deliberately set trap for
drivers who were the most trivial Of Of
tenders. against the traffic rules, and
that the policemen committed faT
graver violation than did the motorist.
Every motorist who ran past the de-
tour sign would have had to stop anc
turn around when he reached the con-
struction work. The police, therefore,
in order to make few totally unneccs-
sary arrests fomentcd congestion and
potential accident by allowing drivers
to get into the trap. 1t is such affairs
as these that bring the department into
disrenute.