Evening star., 1942-09-22
'Sfandsit' Car Gives
D. {. Crowds Taste
OF War Sacrifice
CopitoI Tronsit Denies
1t Had Anything to
Do. With Experiment

~. WIN 3AkSiuHSuN
At least few hundred residents
who use the Fourteenth street car
line got rough idea this morning
Of what the President meant when
he said comfort would have to be
sacrificed for the duration.
The new "standsit" car and q
"standsit" bus that runs on Rhode
Island avenue-first of their breeds
here-began their first morning
rush-hour trips.
To keep the record clear, the Cap
ital Transit Co. wants it thoroughly
understood that this bizarre con-
traption is not its idea. Capital
Transit got the seats from a New
York Arm because the Once Of
Defense Transportation said some
thing had to be done inasmuch as
there was war and well, any,
way, you can blame 1t on the Japs
and on Hitler. but keep the Capital
Transit out of 1t.
Not So Bad as They Look.
What happened was that some
craftsman with marked sadistic
tendencies sat down at his board and
dashed of what couple of hundred
local citizens who really love their
country will have to ride to work on
every morning.
Actually the new seats aren't half
as bad as they look. It's like sliding
into the seat, and then getting
caught on hook or something in
midair. You don't stand and you
don't sit-you just compromise. Also
you remain alert. If the car stops
suddenly your nose plows into the
shoulder OF the unapproachable
young lady just ahead of you.
The fact is the new "standsit"
seats increase the seating capacity
OF the car from 4S to 68 and make
1t possible to carry total load 20
per cent greater than cars with
orthodox seats. The seating ca
pacity OF the bus Is increased from
10 to so.
Hopes Passengers Won't Mind.
r. H. Dalgleish, chief engineer of
the company, who rode back and
forth on the "standsit" car this
morning, said he hopes the passen-
gers won't mind too much.
I'VE don't know whether this is
the answer or not" he said. Its
the first idea we've tried. Therell
be others coming along All we
know Is that we must do some
thing to handle bigger loads. We're
not trying to make money. We're
just trying to solve the problem"
From the outside, Car No. 824,
which is the new "standsit," looks
just like. any other streetcar of the
ancient vintage. When passengers
enter, most of them take a quick
step backward and grab some
thing. Then they smile in that
silly way people smile when they
see something that isn't possible
and fold themselves gingerly into
one of the seats.
Ends Streetcar Knitting,
Most of them were pretty toll
Grant this morning though. Some
tried to act just as they would in
a normal streetcar and got their
newspapers all tangled up with the
ears Of the folks sitting two seats
ahead of them.
mo more knitting for me in this
contraption," said one woman. ITO
knit you have to keep the yarn in
your lap. In this thing I don't have
a lap"
On the bottom of each seat are
couple of bars ostensibly to rest
your feet and which might possibly
be reached by a midget suffering
from malnutrition. Each seat has
a slope like the ski jump at st.
Moritz and the only thing that keeps
you from sliding out is that there's
no place to side to.
Watch Out for No. s24.
Most passengers thought at least
it was a great experience-but that
henceforth they would see what
they could do about not catching
car No. 1874.
just now. Capital Transit does
not plan to do any more interior
decorating from the same blue
prints. But there's another scheme
afoot-a streetcar and bus which
have only a few seats and practically
every one stands. You can take
your pick.
Remember, something must be
done.
u;