The Washington times., 1936-01-18
TRAFFIC PLAN
STIRS WIDE
INTEREST
Public Opinion Is Split
On Plain Clothes
Suggestion

Aroused over the high traffic
death rate in this city, Washing.
tonians are flooding the office
of the traffic editor Of The Wash.
ington Times with responses to
the proposal to make use Of plain
clothes traffic police to curb auto
mobile accidents.
Letters are being received both
favoring and opposing the plan
as advanced by Lawrence C. Craw.
ford, local citizen who has long
been interested in traffic condi.
tions.
In some instances, the idea of
unacceptable traffic officers is
approved on the ground that reck.
less motorists will be more liable
to punishment because the abb
sence of uniformed officers will
make them lax, whereas the plan
is also attacked as a "subterfuge.
which would not accomplish the
desired results.
Opponents point out that the
use of plain clothes officer might
precipitate crime wave, with
criminals using the policemans
prerogative Of stopping cars as a
pretext to hold UP motorists.
Variety Of Suggestions
In addition to their votes on
the ballots provided by The
Times, citizens are making a
variety of suggestions for curtail.
ing the number of traffic acci.
dents.
In one instance, the writer,
favoring the plain-clothes idea,
also suggested ban on parking
on the left side of streets. The
letter reads, in part:
ain all this hullaballOo about
safety, has it ever occurred to
the master minds that parking
the left side of the street is dan
gerOuS? 1 have in mind Monroe
and Newton Streets, between
Fourteenth and Sixteenth, where
parking is prohibited on the
righthand side and allowed on
the left. To stop your car, you
must step into the line Of
traffic e..
81 think that when a person
is involved in two accidents, his
permit should be automatically
Cancelled until such time as the
judge decides it may be re-
newed
Another motorist, opposing the
plan because all manner Of crimes
could and undoubtedly would be
foStered and perpetrated by crin1i-
mails impersonating plain-clothes
traffic police" says:
'In my humble opinion, a
multiplicity of traffic laws and
enforcement by Subterfuge will
never create ideal traffic condi.
tionS. Exercise Of common sense
and consideration for others,
with a minimum of traffic laws,
would obviously curtail to con.
siderable extent, if not eliminate
traffic fatalities"
FAVORS CRACKING DOWN
An Alexandria reader writes:
81 want to vote for the plain
clothes traffic men, and I hope
they will crack down especially
hard on the taxicab drivers.
MY husband and l often
drive into Washington. My hus-
band is a careful driver and
has never been in an accident.
We both notice, however, that
the taxi drivers act like they
own the city, and hold my
breath when 1 see one approach.
ing u.s."
Protesting the plain clothes Of.
ficer idea as conducive to imper'
SonationS by impoSters, another
citizen writes:
Gas we have it now, it is not
uncommon for motorists to be
held up while waiting for the
lights to change. Your pro-
pOsal would encourage this out
rage rather than help the Situa-
ton. I would like to see more
good traffic men, but give them
uniforms and permit the pub
lie to respect and obey the law