Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
In the Motor World
BY q. ADAMS HOWARD.

most Of the curbline. It was in
front of a grocery store.
Well, the inevitable happened.
A policeman came up and no ex-
cuSeS could prevent the writing
of ticket. The next day the
motorist was talking about the
affair to another policeman whom
he knew. This policeman knew
the other policeman well and said
he would see him about it all.
Time drifted on, and all seemed
well. One night, however, two
policemen came to the mans
home with a warrant. The war
rant called for overtime parking.
No one seemed to know about
that. Although not guilty OF over
time parking. the man was obliged
to go to the precinct station and
put up SIS. According to the ser
geant there he might have been
charged with anything. But there
was no redress except at the
courts.
It was too little to argue more
about. The man was guilt, of
parking abreast, and not guilty of
overtime parking, but the cha ges
called for the same fines.
So he forfeited his collate al.
and then imagined that peace and
quiet would be restored. 1t was
for two days. The next morning
at $50 o'clock, to be exact, an
other policeman came to his door
with the same warrant. He was
from another precinct. Luckily
enough, he accepted the mans
word that the matter had been
taken care of and was sorry that
his precinct had not been in
formed. If he had been like his
predecessor, the man probably
would have been forced to go to
the station house and put up col
lateral again.
But was there any reason for a
call at $50 in the morning?
Anent Thomas Circle.
Director of Traffic William H.
Harland is satisfied with the
traffic lights at Thomas Circle.
Increasing the timing to a cycle
of 30 seconds will take care of all
traffic, he believes. Through a
defect in the timing device the
cycle slipped down to 70 the other
day, but this condition will be
permanently remedied. In aiding
the situation Mr.. Harland calls
upon motorists to proceed to the
next croSS-walk when the green
goes OF. At present, he states.
the cars are being stopped where
they are, and thus congestion is
caused.
The traffic light on M street
near wisconsin avenue, recently
placed in operation, has not elm
mated all the congestion in front
OF the fire engine house. Motor
lists drive up to the traffic light
and stop when it turns red, and
cause the entrance to be block
AIDED, almost as badly as before
the light was installed. There are
three white lines on the other
side of the entrance at which the
motorists are supposed to stop.
but many of them do not do this.
1t seems that the situation would
be improved if the signal was
placed on the west side Of the en-
trance instead of the east.
Near future traffic light de-
velopmentS call for the interSec-
ton at New Hampshire and
Georgia avenues, and around the
Capitol grounds.
Congress has given everybody
else so many things, it is fitting
that this time the membership
themselves should be the reciu-
tents. Only if they do not like the
lights they do not have to have |
them.
Virginia Auto Regulations.
The action of the Virginia State
Legislature in failing to pass the
bill making driving permits neces-
Sary in the Old Dominion, already
passed by the Senate, is to be re-
GREETED. The reason given, that
"it is presumed that the drivers
OF the State are capable" appears
to be a poor excuse.
A substitute bill presented last
week, with every likelihood of
passing, increases the maximum
speed law of the State from 35
miles an hour to IS. This bill con-
tains also the safety responsibility
feature contained in the former
measure.
1t is to be hoped that the Legis-
lature will finally adopt a law
that will require the issuance of
driving permits which cannot be
obtained until a strict examina-
ton is passed by each applicant.
Such law will go a long way in
reducing accidents and give the
authorities an additional check
up on the motorists.
Motorists of the National Cap
ital have been interested in the
passing of the bill, as well as for
ward-looking Virginians.