Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-26
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

The lcft-side adviser, among pedes-
TRANS, whether man or woman, offers
many complications. 1t is perhaps best
for every one attempting q passage in
traffic to go 1t alone. but many try to
help each other, often with amusing
results.
A man and a woman were crossing
north at Thirteenth and E streets the
other morning. The woman thought
the bus going south was going to turE
west into E street, so she gave the arm
of her companion a mighty jerk.
He jumping back, realized that the
bus merely was trying to get ready for
a left-hand turn to go east on E. So
he pulled the woman back the other
way Neither of them seeing q car
following the bus, both were nearly run
over. 1t was evident that they were
disputing violently over their course as
they went up the street
Every one has seen a couple at the
curb, one pulling forward, the other
backward, as each saw some feature of
the impending trafflc which the other
overlooked.
The safest way, in all likelihood, is
for each person to take care of himself
or herself in traffic lanes, but the old
fashioned sense of gallantry, not en-
tirely disappeared, reasserts itself at
every corner, with many amusing re-
suits.
II automobilists always seem in too
great hurry, many pedestrians also
think too much of a saved minute. It
Is better tn wait two or three minutes
in order 10 secure a comparatively safe
passage across a street than to take a
chance on getting caught between two
roaring lines OF noisy cars.
This advice may be trite, but any one
can prove its necessity by noting the
chances which women take every day
in regard to traffic. Perhaps they rely
too much on the gallantry of the aver
age man. Whatever the reason, they
Will step into the street where few men
will venture.
good scare, now and then, Is about
the only thing that will bring such
careless persons to their senses It
should be remembered that flesh and
blood cannot dispute the passage with
steel, wood and glass. The argument is
very one-Sided.
Even the most careful pedestrian will
md himself caught in diSagreeable
traftic situation II he permits his mind
to be taken away from the present
problem for so much as q second.
A man going west on the north side
OF Pennsylvania avenue had turned
porth at the end of the small triangle
where Franklin's statue stands, and
was about to step into D street, when
he heard a hail from the Avenue side.
Turning his head for a second, he
saw that the hello" came from two
young lady acquaintance. This took
his traffic caution away for just one
step, his first one into the street.
As he did so, with his head turned
south to greet his acquaintance, he
felt something brush his left side, and,
turning, found that car going east on
d had grazed him. One more step and
he would have been full in his path.
He felt that the automobilist should
have seen the predicament he was in,
but, on the other hand, the whole ac-
ton took place so quickly, in just one
step, that the automobiles probably
could not have stopped himself in
time.
There is, then, but one way to avoid
traffic accidents, so far. as humanity
possible, and that Is to refrain from
putting ones self in the path of cars.
1t Is difficult task, and nowadays
takes every ounce of energy, caution
and brains man has. Eternal vigilance
today Is not only the price Of liberty, II
Is the very price Of life itself.