Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-23
Left Turns and Barriers
Make a Hectic Afternoon

To the Editor Of The Star:
am writing to place before YOU a
narrative which, believe, might be
read by members OF the Presidents
Crime Commission and other agencies
concerned with tracing the origin of
crime In this country today. suggest
that II explains much, and that all
murders are not due to strong drink
nor suicides to economic depression or
disappointments in love.
The other afternoon about 4 o'clock
|. left Pennsylvania avenue and Eleventh
street on a mission of kindness, the
mobile, a lady who wished me to take
her to Eighth street just below D. The
sun was shining, there was nip Of Fall
In the air, the motor ran smooth and
was generously disposed to nv fellow
man. At Eighth street and Pennsyl-
! vania avenue a large proportion of the
, automobile population OF Washington
had drawn UP on the right-hand side
Of the street, in accordance with the
advanced views on the left-hand turn
held by our traffic director. The cars
passageway straight down the Avenue
was considerably restricted I decided,
upon my arrival, that the popular thing
to do that afternoon was to make left
hand turn into Eighth street, and SO,
being man who is agreeably surprised
to find himself in tune with mankind,
! also drew up as far to the right as
possible and awaited the signal from
the trafic officer in the center Of the
| street.
He witnessed my arrival and thought
| detected a CLEAN Of welcome in his
eye as If he wanted to sing Hail, Hail,
the Gangs All Here" or something to
that effect. Several cars behind me,
| however, were out of step and wanted
to pass on down the Avenue. They
blew and footed and finally moved
around me and went on their way The
! traffic officer, giving me glance now
and then, went on about his work and
waited patiently, realizing that a
traffic officer has his little ways and
hates to change anything, the progress
Of traffic up and down Pennsylvania
avenue for instance. But suddenly I
noticed that he was blowing his whistle
He was blowing at me and pointing
down the street in the direction of the
Capitol. But-and I made suitable mo-
lions to demonstrate my theory-1 did
not want to go to the Capitol. wanted
to go into Eighth street. I am q citi-
zen and this was Constitution week.
But the policeman was obdurate. He
insisted with his whistle and his white
gloved hand. shook my head and
started to stand up for my rights to
make that left-hand turn, in accord
ance with the carefully considered
views of the traffic director. But re-
membered the Whisky Rebellion and
the Civil War and decided that I was
in the minority, so moved on down the
Avenue. had to 60 beyond Seventh
street before I could turn around.
When 1 came back to Eighth street
tried to turn right into that thorough
time by the majority of WaShington's
automobiles which had decided to make
a left-hand turn south on Eighth street
and were drawn up on the right-hand
side of the street in accordance with
the expert views of the traffic director.
BY this time I was ready and anxious
to kill somebody. My actions inundated
small lady in small coupe. who re-
luctantly backed far enough out Of the
way to let me get into Eighth street. I
parted with my passenger and started
home.
Proceeding north on Tenth street,
had about convinced myself that my
case was exceptional and that I was
merely a pawn in the city's game of
chess anyhow and had no right to COM
plain, when I suddenly came upon a
barrier on Tenth street at I. ! street
at this point is within speaking distance
of New York avenue. There was Moth
ing between me and New York avenue
but broad and inviting concrete and
the barrier. But north OF New YORK
avenue on Tenth there were workmen
doing something to the street. street
is a one-way street for eastbound traf-
fic, So had to turn right into street,
along with a great crowd of fellow mo-
florists, and by fits and starts, chiefly
fits, edge my way east through dense
smoke. At Ninth street left-hand turn
was impossible. So I moved on down
to my old friend Eighth and by gooc
fortune managed to get into the traf1ic
stream and go north to the punhc Ii
brary, Zigzag my way into New York
avenue and finally, after waiting Tor
long periods in order to goose-step my
! way past the signal lights, reached the
relative quiet of Massachusetts, avenue.
All of this last maneuver was because
some playful person, lacking brains and
knowledge of the consequences, had
placed a barrier on Tenth street block
away from where 1t was needed. ana
thus diverted'a huge stream OF trafnc,
of which I was mere bubble, into the
narrow confines OF one-Way street go
ing the wrong way.
On my way home, harassed and ia
tieued, was scared half out Of my re-
naming wits by the incessant scream
of an ambulance siren and moved over
to the right in time to see the vehicle
dash madly north, probably bound on
the emergent mission of rescuing the
United States from the League OF Ma
tions or something of that sort. Tor
nothing else would justify such speed
and noise. =,
see by the papers that the traffic d.
rector wants $1,000 to conduct traffc
survey, which means the compilation OF
graphs and charts and possibly figures
On the number of automobiles, driven
bv female drivers. that pass a given
point in a given time, and what pro-
portion of these drivers are going after
their husbands and what proportion
have no husbands.
But I maintain that this $4,000 would
he more valuable If used to teach those
who have to do with traffic the value
of preventing crime by using common
intelligence in placing barrier signs
across the streets and in adopting lett
hand turn rule that works.
BEN McXELWAY.