Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-16
Left Turn Troubles Varied
Policemen at Pennsylvania Avemue Intersection Risk
Lives to Gnide Motorists in Traffic Change.
W;se-Crdckers Busy.

Getting into the swing of the new
| let turn at controlled crossings yes
| terday got lot of Westinghouse into
! a variety of predicaments.
| Altogether. however, the change over
| from the rotary" to the inside" left
dents.
Here are some Of the incidents report
ed to The Star with the changing of
the turn yesterday:
The police were not without their
| troubles.
AS many as three narrow escapes on
one turn Of the hand signal were wit
messed at a Pennsylvania avenue inter-
section. Two policemen stationed by
! the signal to guide the unwary novice
at inside turns gave the sign for cross
| town traffic to pass. One of the on
! GERS began methodical waving of his
hand to indicate the proper course for
turning cars.
The first motorist in the left lane
didn't intend to make the turn any,
way. He went straight past the inter
section, followed by a would-be left
turn artist, who realized too late that
he was on false trail. The realiza-
ton dawned just as the driver reached
the center of the street. With con-
fused vigor he cut hard around the
signal stand, almost bowling over one
officer, and drove rapidly away with
out observing the cutting looks which
were cast after him..
At this point it was discovered that
a cab driver had pulled to the right and
was waiting to make the old-fashioned
left turn. One of the policemen started
over to explain matters TO him. The
hacker suddenly recalled that some
thing had been said about a new traffic
rule. He seemed even to remember
what it was, for he threw the car into
gear and mgged forward. The officer
jumped aside, protesting. The cabby
departed before the angry lecture
reached his ears.
The intersection was almost cleared
of cross-town cars, and the Go" sign
for avenue trafic was imminent
when large woman in a small car
came weaving down the street. She
drove in the left lane. The ofIlcer made
the left turn wave" and pointed to the
painted arrow. The woman 'obediently
swerved to the left then, apparently, in
revolt, swung back again. ThereSwas q
squeak Of sliding brakes and her car
came to a stop. The policemen, who
had almost had their clothes ripped of
during the wild maneuver, returned
from their point Of retreat.
"Ofncer." said the woman, do
AdNC w ~ 4cAbE \ VAIN W ~ DhdABIlb
on this street"
She was encouraged to proceed.
The officers walked back toward the
post. Well" said one, its good thing
street cars run on tracks"
Any radical change in traffic regllla-
tons always Is accompanied by del
uge Of wisecracks, and so the new
method of making left turns is getting
Its share. In the National Theater
lobby between the acts last night the
wisecrackers got busy and went to work
on Trafic Director Van Duzer.
We'll" said one prophetically, wen
get used to this new left turn in about
Ave years and by that time therell
be another trafic director with a new
system Of turning,
Yes" agreed q certain well known
dramatic critic, s'and by that time the
pedestrians viii ali be cockeyed from
looking out for trafic In four directions
at an intersection"
A motoFist from Missouri, visiting in
Washington yesterday, had a big laugh
ct the expense OF local woman driver
who forgot that the rotary left turn
had been relegated to limbo.
The two cars almost scraped tenders
ct Sixteenth and X streets when the
Missourian was making the left turn
on the green light and from near side
Of the center Of the intersection. The
Washington woman, driving north on