Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-08
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

! Even after most of a lifetime spent in
| acqua intance with automobile speed,
! the average pedestrian often finds him
| self misjudging the onrush of car.
It is no wonder that trafic accidents
! happen every day.
Man. no more than the animals. was
made to cope on his legs, with speeds
| flashing instantly 10 20 and 80 miles
en- hour. and reaching as high as 35
! and 40 in the streets. and up to SO, 70
and better on the outlying roads.
Then there is the matter Of pedes-
trian Indifference. Women are perhaps
the worst offenders. They either have
sublime faith in humanity (Which in
this case is misplaced) or they are
plain foolish. IL,
we have seen women Saunter into
the street directly in front of oncomlng
| cars as if quite sure that the gaiiant
driver would slow up. Especially do
! elderly ladies risk their lives in the most
nonchalant manner.
| Whereas a brisk young business man,
well acquainted with cars, will stop,
| look and listen before he attempts a
crossing, manv dear old lady Will
blithely step forth, relying on her age
and chivalry.
The daily accounts Of accidents in the
newspa pers. day after day, week after
week, month after month, show how
| thin the reed is upon which the care
| less and too trusting lean.
X r
| The motorist has his problems too.
Just as every Car driver is at times
! pedestrian, so most pedestrians at some
| time or other are drivers. AS such,
| thew are we'll aware of the almost criml-
nal lack of prudence displayed daily by
| thousands of men, women and children.
The modern speed of automobiles is a
| fact, one which no amount OF deplor1ng.
| per Sc, will end. Every automobiles
must go fast to get out of the way OF
the car behind Enthusiasts declare
that if it were not for modern speed
traffic conditions would be intolerable.
! (They are almost that now
Yet the man afoot would seem to
| have by far the worst Of 1t. II he at
| tempts to obey the traffic lights, no
sooner does he get in the center of the
street than a car making D. right hand
! turn almost knocks him down. If he
| does not obey the lights he takes his
| life into his hand.
! Eternal vigilance Is not alone the
| price of liberty; in a modern city it Is
walton arises from the fact that we
| have grown up under such conditions.
Even the little children have learned
to run as If the devil were after them
when they cross the street.
The traffic menace Is one OF the
prices we pay for living in a city. The
only solution of it, for the man in the
street, is caution, thorough under
standing that he who can leap the
! fastest and the surest will laugh last.
A safety valve for the pedestrian is a
knowledge of the art Of cursing. Au-
tomobiliStS usually keep up a running
comment against other drivers and all
pedestrians.
It is helpful for a pedestrian il he
can "baWl OUT careless and Indifferent
drivers, too, and become expert in max
ing the motions of his lips convey to
passing drivers, especially of takes and
! trucks, just what he thinks of them.
| After a few days practice in down.
| town traffic one is able to enunciate the
strongest denunciations without making
sound. This is valuable accomplish
merit, one which adds to the JOY Of life
at the same time it conSigns hoggish
drivers TO their proper place