Evening star., 1937-08-14
Street Car and Bus Patron
Urges Identification Plan

To the Edtor OF The Star:
Your editorials "Jigsaw Puzzle Transit
August 10, and Catching = Street Car"
August 8, are a brave and commendaAe
beginning. All you say Is true ana in
what you have left unsaid there is>enough
to provide daily editorial for quite some
time. Have you never heard it said that
the "Toonerville Trolley" cartoons we're
inspired by an ambition to depict a small
town situation as "hick" as that which
Washington has long endured?
Why do so many people ask the car or
bus operator, before boarding, Where
does this car go?" Simply because there
is no sign alongside the entrance to tell
them the destination or route. You may
have been busy picking your way ACROSS
the street, using your eyes to protect your
life and limb instead OF trying 70 read
the marker on the vehicle; or the car you
should take is one OF a string with mark
ers obscured; or you may have been plain
inadvertent (Which too, has TO be reck-
Oned With in any case, when you stand
where you stand to get aboard there is
in sight no identification such as prob
ably you have had in other towns to
guide you-unless, IL you are good at
reading backward and are positioned just
exactly right, you may be able to squint
through to the sign that is carried on
the wrong side OF the car.
Whence the reluctance Of the transit
company to give all cars OF one certain
route some distinguishing sign teQuiva-
lent in purpose to the editors rainbow
suggestion, but interChangeab to allow
use OF the same car on other routeS) by
which that route could be recognized re-
gardless of observation-disclosures or out?
And to place such Identification where
you cannot fail to see it?
Some few months ago the transit COM
pany decided to try out q method of car
marking that has been in use successfully
IN other cities these many years past and
see whether it really would work. reports
from the hlnterland might be wrong.
DID they proceed to mark all cars and
buses SO plainly that their route numbers
would be easily seen from any direction,
at any time OF day. in any weather? ut
Is done so, in the hinterlandD Yes they
did not. They got few pasteboard cards
very like those used on an fee route and
perched them inside the car against the
operators window. on q few OF their vari-
Gus lines Most likely the report on their
use will be adverse. How strange
In the meantime tand you need not be
\ stranger in town you happen to be in
some part OF the city TO which you are
not well accustomed You see bus out
bound that you know might serve YOU on
Its return-if only you could spot 1t from
other routeS-but what in the world will
1t be marked when it comes back? So
the transit company leaves you at sea"
while it Is investigating TO find out
whether q good and proven method will
work when adopted in haphazard FASH
ion. Ingenuity could hardly devise more
ways TO violate the most elementary and
self-evident principles for adequate guild
ance OF the riding public.
How about the bus and car stop signs
along streets on which are located car
and bus routes both? At some car stop
signs no bus will stop. while at others
both buses and cars will accommodate.
There Is absolutely nothing to indicate.
bv marking or appearance whether a
stop sign belongs TO the variety at which
buses will pick you up or pass you up.
What about those placeS-exceptional
but they exist-where a bus follows the
car tracks for few blocks and picks up
passengers from the street car islands?
Are they marked? Yes, thev are not.
What about such street locations as
have good number of routes passing
that way? Are there signs by the side
walk to list them? Yes. there are not
Do cars wait until reaching the end of
the line before changing their make
up? Yes. they do not: they erase their
Identity FIVE blocks ahead Of time
small item. but it's one more way to be-
devil a stranger.
RF. WOOD.