Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29
MILADY'S MOTORING
BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL

Shocking passengers with sudden
stops is no way to demonstrate that
you've got all the breaks in driving
The early bird is not always so
clever. ! was assured of this few
days ago when women who wanted to
be especially efficient In her driving
gave signal for a left turn several
hundred feet from the interSecting street.
When she finally started the turn
another driver was trying to pass around
TO the left.
The man behind had seen the signal
but said he thought milady had changed
her mind. The truth was he forgot
she had given a signal. All of which is
good evidence of the need for making
your signaling more continuous.
recently had the pleasure of driv-
ing very lavishly equipped car owned
by women who has operated cars
for years. Hardly had l launched into
traffic than 1 found the rear view
mirrors on the spare tires were of no
use whatsoever to me because they
we're out of focus. wonder how many
of these mirrors are rendered simply
ornamental just because owners do not
check them for focus
Women who fear punctures should
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of shifting
to the type of inner tube that is
puncture-proof. Such tubes now are
available and appear to be successful
in providing freedom from the flat
tire worry. Some tire men say the
heavier layer Of rubber in these special
tubes makes for little harder riding.
Except in the case of old cars where
tires are depended upon to compensate
for deterioration of the springs this
should be little or no objection, If true
1t should not be necessary to suffer
the actual experience to appreciate
the danger of following too closely
! a car that is starting away in trafic
Many drivers get into trouble with
the gears after a sudden burst of speed
in low and slow down suddenly.
When storing the car in any reliable
garage along the route of a vacation
trip it is usually best to leave the KEY
in the ignition switch. There may
be very legitimate excuses for moving
the car during the night. The old fear
of having the car stolen has little place
in the modern scheme Of things where
the machine is stored in a first class
garage. BY far the greatest hazard
in garaging en- tour is to have the car
burned. Don't aggravate this risk by
foolishly locking the machine so garage
attendants can't save 1t in event Of
trouble.
I have watched enough women drive
cars to feel safe in saying that too
many of them fail to steer a steady
course. If that is your trouble then
don't be surprised if you have to travel
farther in order to reach the same
destination over the same road as
some other pilot who has made steering
fine art. Wandering over the road
increases the distance
If you doubt this, check up distances
with some motor cyclist and find out
how many miles he saves by taking the
! short cuts over the road
The latest in distinctive monographs
for the car Is frame with your initials
which attaches to the tie rod between
the headlamps. The really smart touch
to the idea is the convenience of being
able TO pick your own car out of
group in big garage without the
usual searching.
When the family goes car shopping
mllady is apt to hear a great deal
about a certain device on the engine
known as vibration damper. Sales
men dwell on 1t at considerable length
end YOU are aware that much of the
smooth performance of the engine is
the result of this particular mechanical
feature. Yet what is a damper? Or,
better still. what brings about the need
for vibration dampening?
To grasp this idea it is necessary
to picture the typical engine shaft. We
call this part of the engine the crank
shaft" because it is shaped like a series
OF cranks joined together The rods
from the plstons are connected to these
cranks and operate the shaft through
this very much as you can turn the
shaft by working the hand crank. With
the impulses on this shaft coming at
different times, however, there IS
marked tendency for it to wind up,
In fact If it were made of rubber there
would be very noticeable twisting.
To counteract this twisting effect
the vibration damper has been brought
into the picture. 1t functions in vari-
Gus ways, according to the type, but
the usual practice Is to have it counter
act the twisting action of the shaft.
The longer the shaft, of course, the