Evening star., 1936-02-22
Demands of Patrons and
Bosses Cause Lawbreaking
TO the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
Are you chauffeur? Or a user Of
taxieabs? Or are you an employer of a
private chauffeur? If you fall in any
of these categories, particularly the last
named, you will find much of interest in
this letter that pertains to you.
Speeding automobiles is my subject,
and If you are an average American
business man or woman, you, no doubt,
have acquired the hurry habit. You
jump out of bed, you rush down to
breakfast, then dive into the Car and
tell the driver you've got just 10 minutes
to make the Office when you know the
journey requires, normally, Is minutes
or more of travel at legal speed limits.
BY giving the chauffeurs such an order
you are imposing upon him distinct
hardship; he must either speed to get
you to town on time or he must incur
your displeasure by abiding by regula-
tions and getting you to your destina-
ton late. Both courses are distasteful
to him and by your habit you have
made them so. Why not, Mr.. Employer,
make it little easier for him by COM
ing out of the house on time so that
your driver will not have to speed and
run the risk of permit revocation?
The other day I heard a chauffeur
say: do you know my boss comes out
the house at $50 and gives me 10 min
utes to reach his Office? have to travel
most of the way down Connecticut
avenue at 40 miles an hour to make it. :"
Should one believe that the employer
knowingly condones such procedure?
Certainly, he is left no recourse.
The automobile driver should be given
neither reason, urging nor incentive to
violate the speed regulations At heart
the professional chauffeur is a civic
minded and law-abiding person. and
he wants to be good citizen. Let us
not influence him to be otherwise.
The other evening I attended meet
ing of the local Private Chauffeurs' AS
sociation. The above matter came up
for discussion and the president of the
group arose. Gentlemen" he said, "the
first thing I want to warn you about this
evening is: Don't speed! The Traffic
Bureau really means business, and if you
are caught going faster than you should
your permit will be taken away" And
he emphasized: There are no excep-
tions! Some of you may think such
measures are harsh and unjust. But
they are not; they are absolutely neces-
sary. If you go down to the Traffic
Bureau and look, as / did, at the acci-
dent chart hanging on the wall there.
you will find something that will open
your eyes. The accident curve has gone
way down; the traffic director told me
while there that permit revocation is
the only device in all these years that
has been found effective in reducing the
accident rate. So it seems this regula-
ton is here to stay. Respect it WE'LL"
That is all well and good" remarked
a member from the floor. But how are
you going to refrain from speeding when
the boss comes out with grips all packed
and says, I've got just 10 minutes to
make the train And what would you
tell him in a case like that?"
That was hard one. But the chairman,
true to his purpose, replied: Il would
politely remind the employer of the risk
of permit revocation and inform him /
could not safely exceed the speed limit.
OF course, that might make him mad,
but, if he had any sense. the next time
he had to go anywhere he would see to
it that he allowed himself sufficient
time"
The answer was good one, but the
point the writer wishes to stress by the
foregoing is that very few chauffeurs will
run the risk of endangering their posi-
tions or suffer the embarrassment that
comes of telling the boss where to get
off at" 1t is with the thought of this
difficulty in mind that I should like to
appoint myself committee of one to i'm
press upon the chauffeur's employer the
matter of his shortcomings. I doubt that
any man would deliberately suggest a
violation of the rules, yet frequently the
demands he makes upon his driver result
exactly in that effect. 1t is hoped he
will heed this message, be a little more
considerate of his servant and not be a
part or party to the unnecessary speed
ing that takes place upon our city streets.
JOSEPH n AMBROSE.