Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-29

Henry McLemors it. Some people
can always get lift, but they are
In the minority. The vast ma ority
of us would have difficulty stopping
police car, even If we wandered
out in the street f~clothed, and
waving a smoking pistol
have tried for the last six
mornings to get ride downtown,
and even the cabs pass me up.
Motorists pass me by as If were
an untouchable or first cousin to
Typhoid Mary. They don't even
give me ray of satisfaction by
stepping on their brakes and then
| the accelerator They just take one
look and step on the gas.
What is it you do to make a man
with six empty seats in his car stop
and say Are you going this way?"
have tried all the standard devices,
including the waving thumbs. the
big grin, and the downcast look.
A few more weeks and won't have
a thumb left. l have waved them
up and I have waved them down.
sideways, crosswise and sometimes
in opposite directions to show that
I wasn't choosey and would accept
ride going North or South Moth.
ing ever happens.
l SILVER; Who Cares?
I have grinned and smiled for
| hours on the curbstone on the
theory that some motorist would
stop and pick me up just to have
such happy companion. This hav-
ing failed I turned to the down.
cast look and did my best to take
on the appearance Of a Woebegone
match girl alone in the snow with
nowhere to turn. l turned up my
coat collar and shivered. rubbed
my hands together as if they we're
freezing, and stOmped my dainty
little feet on the icy pavement.
Either I can't look very forlorn and
abandoned or the people who drive
cars don't care if I am.
Unless things take a turn for the
better. next week I am going to
| have to take drastic measures. I
know how I can get a lift If worst
| comes to worst I'll get me
chiffon dress, pair of nylon hose,
some open-toed shoes. and a fur
jacket of some sort. and do my best
to look like a pretty girl
Pretty girls never have any
trouble getting motorists to stop for
them. l have seen motorists back
up four blocks to take another look.
AS a matter of fact, pretty girls
should never be allowed drop of
gasoline. Those with A cards should
have them taken up, They don't
need car. A well-turned ankle,
baby blue eyes, and a set of futter-
irg eyelids are the best and surest
means Of transportation in America.
Speaking as man who used to
have car in the good old days 1T
was an Apperson Jackrabbit and
who used to give pedestrians a lift
now and then, perhaps the reason
more motorists don't oblige their
fellow citizens with lift these days,
is that the person who is picked up
feels obliged to talk the ears of of
the driver.
Silence Pledge Needed.
AS soon as a hitch-hiker is COM
fortably settled in the car he starts
telling everything about himself
'where he came from, where he
went to school, why, where his
family lives, what is wrong with the
administration, his age, his occu-
patton, his favorite food and drink,
his wife's maiden name. and the
trouble his Oldest boy is giving him.
Also, how his business is doing and
how much better it would do If he
could get a Government contract,
and does the driver know any one
who could help him land one).
1t probably would help cthe first
thing you know I'll be writing the
book suggested earlier) If those Of
us who wanted lift would wear
sign that pledged silence on our
part. Also, sign that said we would
get out at any corner that was con-
venient to the driver, and not ask
him to stop at particular point.
The particular point" nearly always
happens to be one that prevents
the driver from making a green
light.
In closing, I would like to ask the
Government question. Why Is 1t
that the Government fosters
share-the-ride program. and at the
same time frowns upon citizens
pooling their gas supply. What is
wrong with me giving you one Of
my A coupons If it will enable you
to transport me and make one car
serve in place of two?
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate Incl