Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Traffic conditions result In more
swearing than all the other possible
causes for profanity put together.
| When am afoot, curse motor cal
drivers" said one automobile owner the
other day; when in my car. curse
| pedestrians"
What is it that pedestrians say undo,
their breath as they glare at car
drivers?
What is it that irate bus driver:
scowl in the direction of drivers of al
types of cars?
/ Well, your guess Is as good as mine
but there is not much doubt that what
they say, by and latge, wouldn't look
very well in cold type
The net result is such q volume Of
plain and fancy swearing as arises from
no other modern cause, In all prob
ability.
! The i'll feeling which accompanies
this under-th e-breath monologue range:
from the comic to the tragic and must
| be accountable for q vast range Of bao
| tempers and resulting grouchinesi
! likely to be carried over to innocent
persons in other scenes.
Our recent defense here Of the So
called "jay-walker" brought forth many
! CApL SSSlOIio Vi Llldllho, ilOt Oily nun
pedestrians, as such, but also from
motorists who at times are pedestrians
as most human beings are.
| Sometimes in the swirl Of modern
! living. and the discussions about it, a
tendency arises to lump men off into
| groups, as If they belonged solely tt
the assigned category and none other
Just the opposite, Of course, is true
Despite the fact that many person!
in a great modern city tend to use theil
automobiles for short Journeys. some
times as little as a single block. mos
motorists upon occasion flnd 1t con
venient to walk about town.
Then they must face the same traffic
conditions met by the ran or woman
who does not drive car.
Men are basically walkers, and the
entire problem of modern traffic ought
to be approached from the standpoint
Of MISREPRESENTATION, rather thar
from the viewpoint of men-as- motorists
This second method Of approach ha.
been tried all this time, seemingly witt
somewhat negligible results.
There have been less accidents in the
District of Columbia this year than the
previous one. but more persons have
been killed and injured.
1t seems difficult to make anything
out of this state of affairs except thai
motorists either are becoming more ex'
pert at hitting EN-, or pedestrians arr
becoming more careless.
We saw a statement somewhere II
the effect that there were no record!
during the year of crippled persons be-
ing injured by automobiles, presumabl!
at crossings. The inference is tina
they are more careful than the average
pedestrian. Truly. q burnt dog dreadi
the fame.
Since the motor car itself is the in
strument Of power, 1t well behoove'
the weaker vessel, in this case the per
son afoot. to have proper respect, no
so much for the instrument of steel ant
wood and glass, as for his own com
paratively frail person.
1t would seem very much as II tn
burden of proof, as it were, were upol
the man afoot, II he does not wish II
get hit. After he is struck, the RICH
or wrong of the affair does not mucl
concern his physical body. Those ar
matters for lawyers, but for him al
that counts Is. first, the extent Of tn
injury, and, second. the chances for re
covery.
This philosophical view Of the matte
is. after all, extremely practical. Tn
whole point of it is that one must frs
make up his mind, as q walker Il
modern city streets, that he will not b
struck, God willing. Let him add tina
old phrase as sort of prayer OF tn
, everyday, but at the same time let hin
feel sure that If he does not watch Oh
for the safety Of his own bodily ma
chine, in traffic, nobody else will. Tn