Evening star., 1939-07-28
Thinks Pedestrians
Are Imposed Upon.
10 the Editor of The Qf.r.

To the Editor Of The Star:
There's an old saying that it's a DOOR
rule that doesn't work both ways I
refer to the pedestrian traffic control
regulation which permits pedestrians to
cross the street in the middle of the
block, or at other points than inter-
sections, provided no vehicle is approach
ing, but which prohibits pedestrians
crossing the street at intersections when
no vehicles are approaching.
frequently group of persons afoot
is observed waiting for the green light
at an intersection, although the street
they wish to cross is completely free of
approaching vehicles, held block off
IN either direction by red lights. Time
Is important to walkers as we'll as
motorists, and to require pedestrians to
stand and wait, block after block, for
. green light when there are no ap-
preaching vehicles to endanger those
who wish to cross is, to say the least, a
great annoyance.
Now after four or five months effort
is announced that police scout cars,
cruisers, motorcycle policemen and plain
clothesmen or detectives have been
ordered to join in the drive" against
violators of the pedestrian trafdc regula-
ton.
That pedestrians should exercise the
utmost caution in crossing the street
cannot be too strongly emphasized. It
Is the unquestionable duty of every per-
son to cooperate in reducing the num-
ber Of killings and maimings. However,
these police drives" to exercise unrea-
sonable control over persons afoot by
holding them up on street corners when
there are no approaching vehicles only
serves to create the impression that the
: drives are conducted to give motorists
increased monopoly of the streets, and
not for the protection of pedestrians.
Although pedestrian control was adopt
ed on the pretext that it was for the
safety of walkers, about the same time
the speed limit was raised from ~ to rs
miles an hour. The police declared that
any motorist caught going more than ex-
actly rs miles an hour would be arrested.
However, the case Of a motorist who was
arrested for driving 28 miles an hour was
thrown out Of court because the Judge
held that the slight difference Of three
miles was too insignificant to warrant
sentencing the driver.
To all appearances pedestrian traf1ic
control was adopted more in the interest
Of speeding up trafi1c than for the pro-
lection Of pedestrians. It is my custom
to alight from the Sixteenth street bus
at Fuller street about pm. nearly every
day. There Is no trafdc light at this
intersection.
Usually the walker must cross at this
intersection by halves, that is, cross the
northbound lane when trafic has passed
and wait in the middle of the street
until the southbound lane is clear, or
vice versa. Sometimes pedestrians are
caught in the middle of the street at
this point between two lanes Of traffic.
Occasionally policeman patrolling his
beat in the neighborhood stands at this
corner and witnesses numerous instances
where motorists fail to give pedestrians
q break on this cross walk.
I have crossed this intersection many
times, and I've never seen q motorist
held up and given ticket for failure
to give pedestrians the right Of way
when they were entitled to It,
Pedestrian trafac control shifts the
burden Of responsibility from the driver