Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-14
WALKERS SCHOOL
GRADUATES MANY
Some Never Learn to Watch
Lights, Officers at 18th
and F Streets Find.

Washington experienced its second
day of pedestrian traffic control at
Thirteenth and streets today with
varying degrees of success.
IT'S hard to teach an old pedestrian
new tricks" sighed an of1cial of the
Traf1ic Bureau after posting himself
block distant at Thirteenth and @
streets to watch. the effects Of lessons
taught block below.
you'd think that after being eau
toned about crossing against the red
lights on F street they would remem-
Der the lesson for at least one block"
he said. But there happen to be
mighty few who DO"
What occurred at @ street was occur
ring at other corners block distant
from the school for pedestrians"
established temporarily at the congested
F street intersection under the watch
full eyes of four trafic officers. At
Twelfth and F streets, a reported for
watch the steady march Of pedestrians
at that intersection which is controlled
by q single street crossing policeman.
Some Are Graduated"
Here and there, coming westward, a
man or woman would start to cross
against the stop signal, hesitate and
then turn back to the curb. FOR the
most part however, the rush of pedes-
TRANS to cross to the other side pro-
ceeded unrestrained, regardless of
whether the signal was go" or stop.
THE only thing that will stop some
people is a ticket" one of the four
police instructors suggested.
Realizing that education sometimes
takes a long while to sink in, TRAFFIC
Bureau officials apparently are satisfied
that some good Is being done by the
school for pedestrian control (which
may be continued at other congested
intersections for a week, or ten days.
The four policemen, each command
ing a corner, found their hands full
this morning. Like yesterday, no at
tempt was made to serve tickets even
upon the worst offenders-and some
were pretty bad.
Due to the publicity given yesterdays
demonstration, many of the pedestrians
were aware of what to expect when APP
preaching the intersection. Frequently
men and women halted to make fav-
orable comment to the traf1ic oficer on
the corner. With such persons, direct
ing pedestrian trafic is a comparatively
simple matter.
Many ignore Reminders.
Now, watch this old lady coming
along remarked Ohicer j. A. voss,
whose usual post is at Fifteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue.
You can see she's used to having
her own way at home, alright" he
added, as the woman in question calmly
ignored two polite reminders to watch
the red light" and deliberately crossed
in front of a half dozen approaching
automobiles.
Then there is the unobservant pedes-
TRAN who is either just plain dumb"
or else q bit absent-minded. This type,
perhaps. is the chief cause of most an
noyance to traffic officials. No matter
how many times the four trafhc oft1cers
would utter their polite warnings, the
unobserVant pedestrian invariably cross
ed the entire width of street or else
had to retrace his steps in hurried
fashion in the face Of an onrushlng
line of automobiles.
Watch out for that amber light,
lady" the traffic officer would warn a
woman laden with bundles. Don't
cross against the stop signal" he would
say in the next breath to some eager
youth.
For the most part those who were
caught in the act'' took the mild
reprimand good naturally, but there
| were few-fortunately only very few
-WIlO hOuIU GuIIl d SCOWlAlS law W
| the well meaning officer.
Don't Seem TO Understand.
They don't seem to understand it's
| for their own safety" Officer Voss said
We're having more trouble, really,
with automobiles stopping on the cross
walks than with pedestrians" he ex-
planned. Blocking traffic in this fash
| ion. another fault of the unobservant
! driver, makes it a difficult matter to
direct pedestrians in a safe and sane
manner.
Upon taking his departure from his
station at Thirteenth and T streets.
! after studying at frst-hand the human
| problems for half an hour, the reporter
/ felt a restraining hand upon his arm.
Watch that signal now" Officer Voss
directed, as the unintantioned offender
started to cross against the stop light.
With half dozen others, the re-
| porter waited for the green light to
| ia Sh.
Nov you can underatend what T=rc
up against sometimes" Voss smiled 2;
he waved him a sign to 60 ahead.