Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-12
GUIDES ACTS VEX
OFFICIALS AS OLD
PROBLEM REOPENS
Street Activities Revive Long,
Troublesome Traffic
Question.
TOURISTS COMPLAIN
TO AUTO ASSOCIATION
Uniforms and Badges Cause Them
to Be Mistaken for Capital
Policemen.

Overzealous professional guides, who
make a habit of soliciting business by
stepping into the street and stopping
automobile tourists with appraised
hand have revived traffic problem long
vexing to visitors and police.
Numerous complaints have been re-
ceived by the American Automobile AS
ISOLATION regarding the conduct Of some
OF the guides plying their trade in
front Of the White House, at the Peace
Monument and in other centers of sight
seeing congestion, the Police Depart
ment also is attempting to solve the
problem.
The complaints are to the effect that
guides in uniform. with shining badges,
have been mistaken frequently for Of
ficers of the law by strangers to TIE
city, who halt their cars abruptly in the
tide of traffic and thereby create traf-
f1c snarlS, If not actual accidents.
Resentment Of Tourists Cited,
In many cases, the tourists have
evidenced considerable resentment in
learning that the policeman" who had
caused them to stop was only pro-
fessional guide with aggressive ideas for
beating his competitors to prospect"
The guides operate under licensing
system enforced by the Traffic Bureau,
and so long as they confine their &C
tivity to standing on the sidewalk and
making themselves conspicuous to tour
lists in an unoffenSive way, no criticism
falls upon them.
Competition in the guide business has
become so keen, however, that many of
the men have found it profitable to use
high-powered methods of craftsmanship.
While others of their profession are
content to lean against lamp-post
~. f1.nn ~, iv,a
pulse to step from the curb when they
spot an out-of-town license tag and
force the strangers to stop and give
ear to snappy line OF sales talk anent
guide services.
Sometimes 1t Works.
Sometimes the offer of service Is
received favorably, and the guide takes
his place at the wheel or in the car
as a passenger and conducts his clients
wherever they may wish to be con-
Quoted, at so much per hour. The rates
average dollar and half an hour.
On behalf of the more conservative
guides it is claimed that their coll
leagues who make themselves obstrep-
erous are less likely to land q pros
pect than those who stand and wait.
1t is disputed question among the
guides themselves.
Complaints received by the local
headquarters of the A. A. A. show that
there are many visitors who are in
dignant over the too forceful methods
of some of the guides George E.
Keneipp, divisional manager of the A.
A. A., and Charles C. Collins, attorney
for the association, were in conference
this morning regarding the matter.
They said the association in the past
has called the situation to the atten-
ton of the Police Department.
At the Traffic Bureau it was pointed
out that every possible means is being
used to eliminate the practices COM
planned of, but that the chief obstacle
to prosecution has been the reluctance
of the tourists to appear in court as
witnesses. Failure to produce such q
witness the policeman must be able to
testify that he saw and heard the oc-
currence. 1t is difficult for the police
to obtain such evidence, because the
guides are models of good behavior
when policemen are around 1t was eX-
planned.
Sergt. Joe Harrington, hack inspec-
tor. said today that it was but fair to
the majority of the guides to say that
the Traffic Bureau has knowledge of
instances where tourists have written
back their thanks for the efficient and
courteous services rendered by members
Of the guide fraternity.