Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-14
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES L. TRACEWELL.

The Treadle Club, Washington's fast
est growing organization, will make .
great leap forward September / with
the installation Of the new bus lines.
Every person Is q member of this club,
of course, who stands on the rubber
treadle which operates the middle or
rear door of one Of the newer buses.
Many hundreds of people, who have
ridden exclusively on street cars for
many years, will find those doors rather
puzzling at first.
They will not know that one must
stand squarely on the treadle In order
for the door to open.
Nor will they know that, after one has
stepped down into the street from one
of those doors, they close up rapidly
behind them. One must move fast In
order to prevent an elbow humping.
These doors also develop . habit Of
sticking, from time to time, SO that no
matter how manfully one stands on the
treadle they refuse to bulge, necessi-
tating q trek to the standard front exit
Many Of the old-timers, who have
ridden on street cars for so many years
and are rather proud of it. are going
to find the buses confusing in other
ways.
Not only will many stand waiting for
a door that does not open, waiting until
the driver calls back through the coach
Stand on the treadle, please"
They will miss the fine open spaces
Of the old street cars, especially OF those
rather commodious ones used on SUBJ
urban boulevards, such as on Connec-
ticut avenue.
No more will they have plenty OF
room, but will flnd themselves rather
TANNED in with other human beings.
If we read some of the older patrons
Alright, judging from what We have wit
messed In street cars from time to time
they will not be ut all chary about
expressing their opinions, either.
y
The motor bus has one distinct ad-
vantage over street cars, as far rs the
riding public is concerned. and that is
that it draws up to the curb to take on
and discharge passengers.
That word discharge" by the way
wildly expressed the feeling of a new
recruit to the Treadle Club the first
time he pops out Of one of those side
or rear doors.
His feeling is that he is literally dis.
charged from the bus as from cannon'i
mouth. Most of this feeling. of course
is in his own mind. The step down Is
enough, however, to impel him through
the opening quickly. which Is just what
Is necessary.
1t is to be hoped that transit officials
will make every effort to keep drivers
in the mood to draw their vehicles close
in to the curb every time 4 passenger
is taken aboard or let OF.
The writer here rode on one Of the
first regular bus routes established in
the city.
1t always was the custom on that line
for the bus (which, by the way, had six
wheels to come close to the curb on
all such occasions.
Since that time trafic has grown 90
heavy throughout the city that there
has been an increasing tendency on the
part Of bus drivers, especially in the
downtown sections, to remain in the
center of the street, or at least well out
from the curb.
This procedure is not good for the
passenger, because 1t compels him to
run the peril of heavy trafic to some
extent, At least.
II bus is several feet from the curb
and discharges passengers just before
the trafnc light switches green, the pc
destrian may find himself in the path
) Of some taxicab or other vehicle on the
move. Since this always has been the